From the Lighthouse Newsletter
HOME
FEATURE ARTICLE: The Jesuit Agenda and the Evangelical/Protestant Church
*If you would like to print this newsletter, right click to open a menu and choose "Select All." Then click print, then Selection. This will print everything that is highlighted. Remember, rather than forwarding this entire newsletter to others, send them the link (see click here above). This way you can be sure you won't be unsubscribed by someone else. Note: Because we are a research ministry, we do post articles from various secular and Christian sources along with our own in-house articles if we believe our readers can benefit from the information. Additional note: Footnote Material on Ancient Wisdom Article
|
| Letter from Focus on the Family: Takes Lighthouse Trails with a “healthy dose of salt” & defends contemplative Gary Thomas |
LTRP Note: This weekend we received a letter from a Lighthouse Trails reader who sent us this response he received from Focus on the Family regarding their promotion of contemplative Gary Thomas. Our reader gave us permission to post the letter he received. Dear _____________, Greetings from Focus on the Family! Thank you for your recent e-mail; it’s a pleasure to get back to you. We appreciate the time you took to share an excerpt from a publication by another organization, “exposing” various authors including marriage expert Gary Thomas. By coming to us with your concerns you have expressed a vote of confidence that we do not take lightly. In return, we would mention that we are familiar with the group you’ve quoted; it’s not the first time we’ve heard such allegations, it probably won’t be the last, and we take whatever we hear from that quarter with a healthy dose of salt.
FOF: We would emphasize that featuring someone on our radio broadcast or as an event speaker, or highlighting certain of their books on our online resource center, should not necessarily be construed as a “blanket endorsement” by our ministry of that individual’s entire body of work.
FOF: That being said, after careful review our staff has found nothing within the pages of Sacred Marriage and Sacred Parenting (Mr. Thomas’s best-known works) that contradicts the Christian faith or our ministry’s general approach to marriage and child-rearing issues.
FOF: As a matter of fact, we feel strongly that these books can be of tremendous help to those who choose to take advantage of the messages presented. We are not in a position to address the contents of all of Mr. Thomas’s writings, of course – or those by other authors that may have been mentioned in the “exposé” in question – but this much we can tell you: there is and always has been a strong tradition of practices such as contemplative prayer in the Christian church that has nothing to do with mantras and Eastern meditation. To confuse the two, as some people apparently do, is to jump to an unwarranted conclusion based on a misunderstanding of certain features they appear to share in common. In other words, we would suggest that there is a matter of semantics at play – one person may claim the phrase “contemplative prayer” is exclusively associated with Eastern religions, but another may use the term simply to mean a sincere heart attitude and desire to commune with the Lord on a deeply personal and intimate level. We tend to choose the latter.
FOF: We hope this brief reply is helpful in clarifying our perspective. Thanks again for contacting us, and for your interest in our ministry. If there is some other way on which Focus might be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to let us know. God’s blessings to you! Craig Johansen Focus on the Family
Related: |
AN UNDERSTAND THE TIMES/LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS SPECIAL REPORT According to Bible prophecy, a one-world religion that will offer the promise of peace throughout the world is going to commence prior to Christ’s return. To most, this global body will seem like a wonderful thing and very possibly will be a pseudo-Christianity (coming in the name of “Christ”); however, contrary to how the masses will view it, it will actually help establish and set up the antichrist and his one- world government. In order for this to happen, all religions must come together in an ecumenical plan. Today, as part of this Satanic scheme, the evangelical/Protestant church is being drawn seductively into the Roman Catholic church, largely through what we call “The Jesuit Agenda.” Incredibly, while the evidence is obvious to some, the majority of proclaiming Christians are not at all aware it is happening. So, what should we expect if we are in the time when such a system unfolds? First, many who once were Protestant and evangelical will become ecumenical and eventually assimilate with the Roman Catholic church. Second, all religions will unite in solidarity of purpose. Understanding the Jesuit Agenda is essential if we are to understand how this worldwide deception will come about. Who are the Jesuits? Since its foundation, the Catholic papacy has been zealous and often brutal in its endeavor to establish the kingdom of the Pope (of whom it is believed within the Catholic church is headed by Jesus Christ). In fact, the Pope has been referred to as the “Vicar of Christ.” This determination was witnessed during the Inquisition where countless thousands, if not millions, died cruelly for resisting Rome. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs describes many of these atrocities. While many believers in Christ during the Reformation period attempted to spread the truth that God’s Word was truly God’s Word and could not be squandered and kept hostage by the papacy and the Catholic Church, it was not long before the Counter Reformation was founded to bring the “Separated Brethren” back to the “Mother of All Churches.” This Counter Reformation was largely headed by Ignatius Loyola, the man who founded the Jesuit Order in the mid 1500s and launched an all-out attack against those who dared stand against the papacy and Rome. This excerpt from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs gives us an idea of the nature and determination of this Counter Reformation:
You see, the Jesuits were commissioned by the Pope to do whatever it took to end the Protestant Reformation. The 1540 Constitution of the Jesuits states:
While most Christians think that the Counter Reformation is a thing of the past because we are not seeing Inquisitions today, this movement continues until today and with renewed effort through various avenues of the evangelical/Protestant church. In a way, it is more insidious than the Inquisitions, because now it has infiltrated Christianity and is being disguised as the “new” Christianity. (Rick Warren promotes it as the “new” or second reformation.) But disguised or not, it is the Jesuit Agenda, and it is bringing about ecumenism and a one-world religion. And at the same time, it is attempting to destroy the message that so many died for – the message that Jesus Christ is not found in a wafer and a cup of juice to be re-crucified day after day but has died once and for all for the sins of man and offers a salvation that is an entirely free gift, unearned to those who believe on Him (Hebrews 7:27; 10:11-14). Who Was Ignatius Loyola? After a serious injury in the military and during a lengthy rehabilitation, Ignatius Loyola (b. 1491, d. 1556) turned his focus from “military enthusiasm to ghostly fanaticism.”2 Ignatius assumed the name and office of Knight of the Virgin Mary, seeing himself as Mary’s favorite. Ignatius wanted to start a new order, The Society of Jesus (or the Jesuits) and presented the idea to the Pope. He told the Pope that the idea had been inspired by heavenly revelations. At first, the Pope hesitated, but when Ignatius added a fourth vow (in addition to the regular poverty, chastity, and obedience), “absolute subservience to the pope,” promising to do whatever the Pope wanted and go wherever he wanted, the Pope agreed and sent the new order out to “invade the world.” While other monks of other orders sought to separate themselves from the world, the Jesuits went out into the world and obeyed whatever command the Pope gave. Often this was to win the world with the sword. No violent act was withheld if the order came from their top “general.”3 In time, the Jesuits entered the education system, especially that of the Protestants. The Jesuit maxim was: “Give us the education of the children of this day – and the next generation will be ours.”4 The Reverend W. C. Brownlee, D.D. stated: “They pretended to be converted and to enter into Protestant churches.” One Jesuit even boasted that the Jesuits were successfully able to imitate the Puritan preachers. They used trickery and deception to become “all things to all men.” Within 48 years, there were eleven thousand Jesuits around the world, quite a large number for back then. 5 By 1773, the order was abolished because of their horrible reputation of bloodiness, deception, and immorality. However, they were reinstated fully in 1814 by Pope Pius VII. Even by this time, the influence and infiltration into the United States by the Jesuits was significant. In 1857, the Reverend W.C. Brownlee, D.D. compiled a book of a translated document called Secret Instructions of the Jesuits (found on the Boston College Libraries website, for one). While Catholic sources say that the Secret Instructions of the Jesuits is an untrue document, there is enough evidence to indicate that it is true indeed. Naturally, it is so indicting against the papacy and the Jesuit Order that one can understand from a human point of view why Catholic sources would say the document isn’t true. But the facts are that the Jesuit Order was performing brutal cruel acts to bring the world to “Christ” and the Mother Church and that they were infiltrating every area of society to do so. This cannot be denied. Brownlee’s book would be a worthwhile read for those who wish to understand more of the history of the Jesuits. The Jesuit OathIt is said that the ancient Jesuits took the Jesuit Oath. This has been refuted by Catholic sources as a true oath taken by Jesuits of the past; nevertheless, there is evidence enough that the oath did exist to include excerpts of it in this report. We have taken these excerpts from a book titled Political and Economic Handbook by Thomas Edward Watson published in 1916, and found in the Harvard College library:
In another version of the Jesuit Oath, the Jesuit is asked to promise that he will make “relentless war” against “all heretics, Protestants” and to “hang, burn, waste, boil, flay, strangle, and bury alive these infamous heretics” (found in U.S. House Congressional Record, 1913, p. 3216). The Jesuit Agenda TodayWhile we are not saying that Jesuits today are murdering Protestants if they don’t convert to Catholicism, we are saying that the determination and efforts to convert Protestants back to the Mother Church still exist. Basically, while the methods may have changed, the plan and objectives have not. The following quote from an article titled “Essay on Popery” by Rev. Ingram Cobbin M.A. (taken from one edition of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs) is insightful:
The Jesuits were driven in the past to bring back the lost brethren, and they are driven today with the same vision. Today, that vision is part of the pope’s Eucharistic Evangelization, drawing people to the Eucharistic Christ. The Eucharistic Evangelization is discussed at length in Another Jesus: The Evangelization of the Eucharistic Christ and in several articles on the Understand the Times website. Jesuit (Mystical) Spirituality and the Protestant/Evangelical ChurchSo if the methods of converting lost or prodigal souls back to Rome have changed, what is the method to accomplish these goals today? It is largely through what is called Jesuit Spirituality. A 2002 book titled Contemplatives in Action: The Jesuit Way reveals how the Jesuit order has had and continues to have a “great influence” in people around the world. It attributes this “vitality” to “its spirituality” which has also “evoked fierce loyalty and fierce opposition.”6 What is the spirituality of the Jesuits that was so controversial? By their very roots, Jesuits are proponents of mystical prayer practices. The founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola, created “spiritual exercises” that incorporated mysticism, including lectio divina. Today, millions of people worldwide practice the “Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola.” One Jesuit priest who resonates with the mystical spiritual outlook is Anthony De Mello (d. 1987), author of Sadhana: A Way to God. De Mello is often quoted today by contemplative and emerging authors and embraced the mysticism of Hinduism. He stated:
Ray Yungen explains that Sadhana “is very open in its acknowledgment of Eastern mysticism as an enrichment to Christian spirituality.” It doesn’t take a long search to find De Mello within the evangelical/Protestant camp. In fact, Richard Foster, one of the pioneers of the evangelical spiritual formation (contemplative) movement wrote the introduction to one of De Mello’s books, The Sacrament of the Present Moment. In A Glimpse of Jesus, popular contemplative author Brennan Manning quotes De Mello. Amazon shows that De Mello’s book, The Sacrament of the Present Moment is cited in 82 books, some of which are written by some of evangelicalism’s most popular authors: John Ortberg, Richard Foster, Jan Johnson, Philip Yancey, and Calvin Miller – incidentally all these are contemplative advocates. Another example of Jesuit influence in the evangelical/Protestant church is the Be Still DVD, where Richard Foster quotes 18th century Jesuit priest, Jean Nicholas Grou as saying: “O Divine Master, teach me this mute language which says so much.” This “mute language” Grou speaks of is the mystical “silence” practiced by contemplatives and mystics throughout all religions. One of the key figures in the “new” progressive Christianity today is Leonard Sweet. Sweet has partnered on a number of occasions with Rick Warren and speaks at evangelical events frequently. In Sweet’s book, Quantum Spirituality, he states:
How fitting that Sweet would quote a Jesuit priest’s prediction about the “Christian” of the future. Tony Campolo, another popular figure in the evangelical church, reveals something quite interesting in his book, Letters to a Young Evangelical. In the book, he explains the role mysticism had in him becoming a Christian. He explains:
For skeptics who may need further evidence that Jesuit Spirituality has come into the evangelical/Protestant church, consider this. In 2006, Baker Books, one of evangelicalism’s top book publishers, released a book titled Sacred Listening: Discovering the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola written by James Wakefield. A publisher description of the book states:
Wakefield’s book, devoted to the Jesuits and Ignatian Exercises, should be proof enough that the Jesuit Agenda has entered the Christian church and that mysticism is the tool by which the Jesuit Agenda is largely being brought into the lives of countless evangelicals and Protestants. Is it any wonder Wakefield’s book found praise within the Jesuit community? Armand M. Nigro, professor emeritus at the Jesuit school, Gonzaga University, said:
Incidentally, Eugene Peterson, author of The Message wrote an endorsement of Wakefield’s book on the front cover. These are just a few of a great many examples where the “Jesuit Spirituality” has come into the Protestant church; thus this new modern (post-modern) mystical method to accomplish the goals of the papacy is working. If Protestants and evangelicals can be convinced to practice mysticism (i.e., contemplative), this conditions them to begin embracing Rome and even all religions. It’s important to understand that mysticism is the bridge that unites all the religions of the world. In order to unite them, there would need to be a uniting, common denominator, so to speak. That common uniting medium is mysticism. Thomas Merton recognized this. In a conversation he was having with a Sufi master, the topic of Christian atonement arose. The Sufi master said this was an area they could never agree on, to which Merton replied:
Tilden Edwards, co-founder of the Shalem Institute (where Ruth Haley Barton was educated), would agree with Merton. He said, “This mystical stream [contemplative prayer] is the Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality” (Spiritual Friend, p. 18). And in a New Age book titled, As Above, So Below, the author states (quoting Aldous Huxley) that “the metaphysical [mystical] that recognizes a divine reality” is the “highest common factor” that “links the world’s religious traditions.” And even evangelical-turned-emerging author Tony Campolo recognizes this commonality in mysticism when he states: “Beyond these models of reconciliation, a theology of mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam” (pp 149-150). Incidentally, when we say all the religions of the world uniting, we include the New Age movement (perhaps one of the largest “religions” in the world today). New Agers believe that in order to enter into an age of enlightenment (or Age of Aquarius), the world needs to become “vibrationally sympathetic,” meaning that a sufficient mass (critical mass) of people will need to engage in mystical prayer.9 The Counter Reformation ContinuesJesuit influence in the world today is everywhere: in the business world, in education, in government, and yes, in the evangelical/Protestant church. According to Contemplatives in Action: The Jesuit Way, there are over one million people living in the United States alone who have graduated from Jesuit high schools, colleges, and universities (Introduction, p. 1). While there have often been tensions between the Pope and the Jesuit Order over various issues, the current Superior General of the Jesuit Order, Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, reassured the Jesuit commitment to Rome when he stated:
Where Else in Evangelicalism is the Jesuit Evangelism Showing Up?Earlier this year, Understand the Times released an article titled Jerry Boykin and the Calvary Chapel Connection. It was a difficult article for many to read. People do not want to think that Christian leaders and pastors they have trusted for years would be so foolish as to associate with and promote someone who is part of a group that wants to bring the “lost brethren” back to the Mother Church. But the fact is that a high officer in the Vatican’s Jesuitical, “Knights of Malta” was a featured speaker at a Calvary Chapel sponsored Preach the Word prophecy conference. Another example, and I believe an important one, has to do with one of the most well-known and influential evangelical organizations in America. Robert Siciro is a Protestant turned Catholic Paulist priest, and he is one of the featured speakers in the very popular Truth Project by Focus on the Family. While the Paulist Order is not a Jesuit Order, it has basically the same objective as the Jesuit order with regard to winning souls for the Catholic church. According to one Catholic source , the Paulist order is “A community of priests for giving missions and doing other Apostolic works, especially for making converts to the Catholic faith.” Robert Siciro is President of the Acton Institute, an ecumenical think tank where, incidentally, there are scores of articles by or about those in the Catholic faith, including a number of Jesuits. Now, through the Truth Project, thousands and thousands of evangelical/Protestant Christians have been introduced, by way of proxy, to the Eucharistic Evangelization. The Fatima PlanFor those who are not convinced that we are headed toward a one-world religion for “peace,” take a trip some time to Fatima, Portugal where annual pilgrimages bring people from the religions of the world to pray to “the queen of heaven,” also called “our lady of Peace.” Pope John Paul II was dedicated to Mary and especially “Our Lady of Fatima.” He believed this entity saved him from an assassin’s bullet on May 13, 1981, on the anniversary of the so-called apparition’s appearance (to have first occurred in 1917). People from all around the world have been coming to Fatima to pray to “Our Lady.” At a gathering for “world peace” in Fatima, Jesuit priest Jacques Dupuis stated:
Fatima is just another avenue through which the Jesuit Agenda is being accomplished. In SummaryPerhaps the best way to understand the Jesuit Agenda that undermines biblical Christianity is to recognize the move toward a so-called “social gospel” that unites the religions of the world for the cause of peace. Like mysticism, this social gospel is a vehicle through which all religions will be united. Who would have believed this could have happened to the Protestant evangelical church? But we have already been warned in Scripture that Satan’s ministers are “transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15). Rick Warren has been one of the many pied pipers of this move to unite through “good works.” Called “America’s pastor,” Warren has become the evangelical/Protestant spokesperson for a one-world religion. His Purpose Driven model has become the battle cry for let just all get along and do good. We can work together as one for one common purpose – peace in the world. Willow Creek has helped to escalate this global religious body through their Global Leadership Summits, where they are “bringing people together from all nationalities to complete our shared Kingdom assignment in the Church and beyond”12 (emphasis added). Warren and Hybel’s global agenda is moving full force throughout the earth today. Rick Warren and Bill Hybels – protégés of Peter Drucker, by the way – have advanced the Jesuit Agenda by leaps and bounds. Many of these “new” Christianity, new reformation leaders have ignored the prophetic warnings of Jesus Christ’s soon return based on the signs we see from Bible prophecy. Instead, they promote the establishment of the kingdom of God with all the world’s religions. The emerging church movement, which has been widely propagated by Warren, Hybels, and a host of other Christian figures, has been used by Satan to quickly bring about this worldwide deception by introducing mystical experiences and the social gospel to an entire generation of young people. Sensual experiences that tickle the flesh of the postmodern generation are often the same ones that Rome has used in the past to convince the faithful that they have encountered the God of the Bible. History reveals that history is repeating, and the same tools of delusion are being used over and over. Those who shine the light on the Jesuit Agenda are considered to be conspiratorial crackpots. The prophets of the past when they exposed the Babylonian worship by the leaders of Israel were also deemed to be crazy, as have been Bible-believing Christians since Christianity began. One of those was John Huss (1372-1415). John Foxe describes what happened:
Eventually Huss was arrested, and when he was brought before the council (of the papacy), he was mocked and called “A ringleader of heretics,” to which he replied:
At 43 years of age, John Huss was burned at the stake, singing hymns during the brutal execution. Why was he called a “ringleader of heretics”? For standing up for biblical truth against the Pope and Rome. Discerning Christians should be asking many questions. But one question that stands out foremost is: why are so few saying anything about the Jesuit Agenda? Do they see it but are afraid to speak? Or do they see it and are part of it? Speaking of questions, Jesus asked one: “[W]hen the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Will He find it in the pastors and theological professors? Will He find it in your own church? Or will He only find those who have remained silent? Just as God raised up others to carry the torch of truth after Huss was eliminated from this earth, God will and is raising up others today who are willing to risk all to stand for the truth and speak against the lies. To believers who are standing fast, look up, for “your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).
Notes:
For more information: |
| CCEL (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) Remains on Contemplative Path |
LTRP Note: We received an e-mail today from a LT reader who was concerned about things he was reading on the CCEL website. Thus the reposting of this 2008 article. Today, on the recommended reading list, CCEL recommends St. John of the Cross (Dark Night of the Soul), the Spiritual (mystical) Exercises of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius of Loyola, and Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. On October 2nd, Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) director Harry Plantinga posted a statement about contemplative prayer.1 The statement points readers to The Cloud of Unknowning, a primer on contemplative prayer and contemplative pioneer Thomas Keating. Because of the continued endorsement of contemplative by CCEL, we are reposting the following article: The Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) is a digital (online) library of hundreds of Christian books, most of which are older (classic) publications in the public domain (non-copyrighted). The CCEL is an outreach of Calvin College and is highly popular, used by thousands of people a year. In July 2007, Lighthouse Trails reported that CCEL was promoting mystic Madame Guyon. It was Guyon who said: “Here [the contemplative state] everything is God. God is everywhere and in all things.” The Christian History Institute said this of Guyon: “Modern critics say that Jeanne-Marie used self-hypnosis to achieve her ‘spiritual’ states and trances and point out that she used ‘automatic writing’ which suggests spiritualist practice. They wonder that she had so little to say about Christ (in proportion to the total number of words she wrote).” 1CCEL newsletter, Harry Plantinga, director of CCEL, stated that when he was growing up, there was more focus on “correct belief” (doctrine) than about “loving God” and that he found this to leave him wanting to know God, not just know about Him. He came to believe that the answer to this dilemma was in mysticism, stating that “Christian mysticism addresses that longing of the heart.” On April 1, 2008, in the Plantinga quotes Webster’s dictionary as saying that in mysticism it is “possible to achieve communion with God through contemplation and love without the medium of human reason.” This definition is actually quite accurate in describing mysticism. “Without the medium of human reason” means without considering doctrine or theology. This is the conclusion that mystic Thomas Merton arrived at. Ray Yungen documents correspondence Merton had with a Sufi master. The two were discussing fana (eastern mysticism). Merton asked the Sufi leader what the Muslim view of salvation was. The Sufi answered that Islam “does not subscribe to the doctrine of atonement or the theory of redemption.”2 Merton replied:
Those who study contemplative spirituality from a critical point of view come to understand this is pure contemplative spirituality – doctrine stands in the way of unity and oneness; mysticism eradicates that problem. In the April 1st, CCEL newsletter Harry Plantinga points readers to an online study group calling it an “interesting” and “compelling” introduction to mysticism. The group is using a book by mystic Evelyn Underhill – Practical Mysticism. In mysticism proponent Richard Kirby’s book, The Mission of Mysticism, Kirby identifies Underhill as someone who can be looked to as a mystic, calling her “prominent among those charting the geography of spiritual development (p. 50). But Kirby admits that this mystical spirituality is no different than occultism:
This presents quite a dilemma for CCEL. Plantinga, whether he knows it or not, is pointing readers to someone who, for all practical purposes, was an occultist. Ray Yungen explains why we would say this about Underhill:
Yungen is absolutely right! And Lighthouse Trails beseeches CCEL to consider this. Just because Underhill and other mystics are emotionally stirring, often sincere, and coat their teachings with biblical language does NOT mean they are biblical! IN a CCEL newsletter last December, Plantinga listed several contemplative authors including Thomas Merton and Brother Lawrence and said these books “make a difference in people’s lives, through the action of the Holy Spirit.” 7 We would propose that the spirituality that made Brother Lawrence “dance violently like a mad man”8 and made Thomas Merton liken the presence of God to an LSD trip(9) is not the “action of the Holy Spirit” but is rather the action of familiar spirits of which the Bible so carefully and thoroughly warns against. On the contrary, it is the Holy Spirit that bears witness to the message of the Cross (see 1 John 5:7 ff), but Thomas Merton was willing to toss aside this essential doctrine as a result of the enlightenment he received through practicing contemplative meditation.
Notes: |
| TBN Hosts “Ancient Wisdom” Author Laurie Beth Jones |
On June 30th, TBN (Trinity Broadcasting) hosted an event that focused on Christian counseling. One of the speakers was “Ancient Wisdom” author Laurie Beth Jones. A little research on and quotes by Laurie Beth Jones describing her spirituality: Her Mission: “To inspire the divine connection in all of us” (from back cover, Jesus, Entrepreneur: Using Ancient Wisdom to Launch and Live Your Dreams) Laurie Beth Jones LBJ Mission
“My personal mission and vision is to Recognize, Promote and Inspire Divine Connection in Myself and Others.” “For me to refer to God as “She” would unfortunately put this work beyond the boundaries of acceptance and understanding for too many people. We must search for an all-inclusive terminology.” —Laurie Beth Jones, Jesus CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership, p. 305. In talking about Jesus: “Jesus regularly visualized the success of his efforts … ‘I always do what pleases God.’ … Was this conceit? Or was it enlightened creativity and self-knowledge? …Jesus was full of self-knowledge and self-love. His ‘I am’ statements were what he became.”—Laurie Beth Jones, Jesus CEO, p. 7,8. (See our research on visualization.)
“I have been challenged by the concept of meditation … I decided recently to accept the invitation of a friend to experience the sheer silence of meditation—undirected prayer. … I had before only sensed intellectually … But by going deep into prayer I could almost feel it.” —Laurie Beth Jones, Teach Your Team to Fish: Using Ancient Wisdom for Inspired Teamwork, p. 142. Also see: Laurie Beth Jones: Earth, Wind and Fire by Ingrid Schlueter
|
| Thousands Flock to Dalai Lama’s Ancient Buddhist Ritual in DC |
ABC News Radio
Meanwhile, international political observers are waiting to see if the exiled Tibetan leader will be granted a meeting with President Obama, just a few blocks away. It will be the Nobel Peace Prize winner’s first official event since stepping down as Tibet’s exiled political leader in March and his first since his February 2010 visit to Washington that caused tension in U.S.-Chinese relations. The grandson and son of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. — two international icons of nonviolence — and tens of thousands of followers from around the world are expected to attend the ceremonies at Washington’s major sports arena and pay their respects to the Dalai Lama’s enduring message of peace. But even while the majority of his time will be spent conducting religious ceremonies, the Dalai Lama will also have several political meetings in Washington, advocating for the religious and civil rights of his Tibetan Buddhist followers who fled their homeland after a failed 1959 uprising against the Chinese government. Click here to continue reading. Related: |
(WASHINGTON) — The Dalai Lama will celebrate his 76th birthday Wednesday in downtown Washington, D.C., as thousands gather to take part in an ancient Buddhist ritual and a call for world peace.| News Updates and YouTube Video from Understand the Times |
Understand the Times weekly newsletter is now available. Click here to view. Or see list of this week’s Understand the Times headlines below. Also check out our new YouTube video clip of Roger Oakland (see below).
Click here to watch video preview of Roger Oakland in Searching for the Truth on Origins. You may order the entire 4 DVD set, Searching for the Truth on Origins by clicking here. |
| Robert Schuller’s Son Admits Father Removed from Crystal Cathedral Board |
Becky Yeh
OneNewsNow A California mega-church that is on the verge of bankruptcy denies that it has ousted Reverend Robert Schuller from its board of directors.
Board members of Garden Grove’s Crystal Cathedral reportedly removed the 84-year-old preacher from its board of directors. Schuller’s son, Robert Anthony Schuller, was also removed several years ago, and he tells The Los Angeles Times that board members unseated his father because he wanted to add new members, and that would have affected the control of the current associates. “In the succession of organizational leadership, it’s almost always difficult, and especially when it involves the organization’s founder,” notes Jim Domen, a pastor based in Yorba Linda. “I have no doubt that all sides in the Crystal Cathedral issue believe they are right, but their circumstances appear tragic for a congregation, and specifically a family.” Click here to continue reading. Other articles on Robert Schuller: Fox News: The Rev. Robert Schuller Reportedly Ousted from Crystal Cathedral Ministries Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/04/rev-robert-schuller-reportedly-ousted-from-crystal-cathedral-ministries/#ixzz1RUaxWAj1 |
| ‘God the Father’ banished by mainline denomination |
LTRP Note: Please see our links below for some related articles. “United Church of Christ prefers ‘to leave that more open for different expressions of the Trinity’ “ By Bob Unruh The United Church of Christ, the denomination whose Chicago pastor Jeremiah Wright blasted the United States and white people for years from the pulpit while Barack Obama sat in his pews, has decided to banish God “the Father” from its organizational documents. A report from Eric Anderson on the denomination’s website confirmed that delegates to the UCC’s “General Synod 28″ agreed late Monday to a series of proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws. The vote was 613 in favor of the changes, 171 against and 10 abstaining. The changes include a pointed deletion of a reference to God “as heavenly Father,” which has been part of Christendom’s description of the Trinity for millennia – the three persons of God being the heavenly Father, Christ the Son and Savior, and the Holy Ghost, the counselor and comforter. Read more: ‘God the Father’ banished by mainline denomination http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=318981#ixzz1RWljuI9a Related Articles: The Father-goddess of The Shack (and “my people love to have it so”) by John Lanagan Our Father in Heaven or Our Mother the Earth? by Kjos Ministries (Kjos Ministries website is down on 7/8/2011; should be back up running soon)
|
| Another Calvary Chapel Hosts a Gungor Concert |
This is a follow up of our recent article, New Book and Upcoming Conference Bring More Confusion Out of Calvary Chapel Movement where we reported that Calvary Chapel Ft Lauderdale had hosted a concert by a musical group called Gungor this past March. Our article addressed the slide that the Calvary Chapel movement is making toward contemplative/emerging and Purpose Driven. Today, a Lighthouse Trails reader contacted us, after reading our article (see link above). The reader stated:
As you can see by these two links, one of which is from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg’s website, they are hosting Gungor on July 17th. http://www.itickets.com/events/266030.html and http://calvarystp.org/ As was pointed out in our previous article, on the Gungor website blog, Michael Gungor (head of the band) is giving detailed information on how to practice contemplative meditation in a three part article. We think it is necessary to take a closer examination of this three part article written by Michael Gungor. We hope this will help skeptical readers who think perhaps Lighthouse Trails is being too critical of Calvary Chapel to better understand our concerns. In the first part of Michael Gungor’s article, he explains to his readers that he went on a “spiritual pilgrimage” in September 2010 that incorporated a week to Italy and a week to Spain. Gungor states: ”The first week was a week of silence and meditation at a spiritual retreat that I found by googling ‘best spiritual retreats in the world.’” He said that he went on this pilgrimage because he was “on the brink” and “didn’t really know what [he] believed in.” Gungor began his journey with a trip to the Vatican where he heard the Pope speak: “not a bad way to start out my spiritual journey. Made me want to be Catholic actually.” After this, Gungor caught a flight to Assisi and on the flight he ”listened to a couple Rob Bell sermons on [his] ipod.” Gungor explains that the retreat was ”a cross religious retreat, so they had statues of Mary in the room next to a Buddha next to a Hindu something or other.” Part of the week of silence included times called “prayer movements,” where participants ”slowly wav[ed] [their] arms around, turning in circles and kneeling in the grass . . . It was a lot of ‘now the river that gave us everything is taking everything back’ kind of stuff.” Gungor writes in his journal at the retreat:
In part 2of Gungor’s article, he does what most emerging figures do – he de-emphasizes beliefs and doctrine, calling evangelism a “pyramid scheme” and says in many ways he agrees with the “new atheists.” He says he doesn’t ”believe in the old guy in the sky,” talking about God, adding:
Gungor tells his readers that “encountering” God is more important that beliefs and doctrine. In part 3 of his article, he teaches how to “encounter” God, through meditation. ”Assisi helped me discover a new discipline for me that I can’t believe I had gone so long without. Meditation.” He adds:
Gungor isn’t talking about biblical meditation where one ponders on and thinks about the Word of God. That is not something “all religions do.” He is talking about eastern-style meditation where either the breath (or something else) is focused upon or a word or phrase is repeated. A de-emphasis in doctrine and beliefs is very common among those who practice contemplative meditation. Why is this? Because the meditator is going into altered states of consciousness during meditation, he is entering into what we believe are demonic realms (that’s a hard thing to hear for someone who is practicing contemplative). The result of ongoing meditation is spiritual deception. After awhile a meditator begins to see himself as connected to everything and everyone.He also begins to believe that God is in everything and everyone. Eventually, for the Christian who practices meditation, the doctrines of Christianity begin to grow dim and become less important than how he once may have viewed them. And once these doctrines diminish, even the doctrine of the atonement can take on new meaning (e.g. how could a loving God send His son to a violent death for the sins of others?). We believe this is the spirituality that many of these young people like Michael Gungor and Ann Voskamp could end having if they continue on this contemplative path. And that is why we hold Calvary Chapel and other denominations responsible for what they are doing. As Christian leaders, they do not have the right to promote people with these views, because such promotion only propagates the deception. The Bible says so – not us. Calvary Chapel claims to be a Bible-centered organization with mature Christian pastors who adhere to the Gospel; but a lot of misrepresentation is going on these days. There are many well-meaning Christians who attend Calvary Chapels, and we are sure there are Calvary Chapel pastors who would never consider having Gungor do a concert at their church. But two of their large churches are doing that, and a mixed message is being sent out from Calvary Chapel. Just as with other denominations, pastors (and congregants) within the Calvary Chapel movement have a responsibility to speak up against serious compromises within their organization, especially if those compromises are ones that represent “another gospel” and ”another Jesus” as does the contemplative prayer movement and the emerging church movement. If a pastor cannot speak up, then according to Scripture, he should separate himself (come out from among them) and by thus doing so, protect his flock and the message of the Cross. |
| Contemplative Spirituality Lands on Charles Stanley’s In Touch Magazine . . . Again |
By Mike Stanwood Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, speaker, and activist who is a leader in the “New Monastic” movement. He lives in North Carolina at the Rutba House, a new monastic community. Wilson-Hartgrove is most recently known for co-authoring Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals with new monastic activist Shane Claiborne. Other books he has authored may also fall into the emerging/contemplative category. For example, one such book called New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today’s Church (1) has been endorsed by mystic proponents Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle, Tony Campolo, and Catholic priest Richard Rohr. The mystics resonate with the “new monasticism” – this is plain to see. While on the surface, the new monasticism may look ok with its many good works of helping the poor and the needy. But the underlying belief system does not line up with biblical doctrine; rather it is about establishing an all inclusive kingdom of God on earth now where individual salvation is replaced with a community salvation for the whole world. Atonement has less emphasis on Jesus Christ as the only atonement for man’s sins and instead becomes an at-one-ment where all of creation is “being” saved by coming together as one (and yes, seeing the divinity of man). This is the kind of “atonement” that McLaren, Tickle, and Rohr would resonate with. It is important to see that they don’t just resonate with the good works coming out of the new monasticism - born-again Christians have been performing good work by helping the poor and needy for centuries and continue to do so. While this new monasticism supposedly distinguishes itself by its good works, in reality it is mysticism and the foundational beliefs of mysticism (i.e., panentheism, kingdom now, etc) that distinguish it. And it is that element that Tickle, McLaren, and Rohr embrace. Additional resources on Wilson-Hartgrove’s website include a DVD called Discovering Christian Classics: 5 Sessions in the Ancient Faith of Our Future, a five-week study with contemplative advocate Lauren F. Winner (Girl Meets God) for high school or adult “formation.” A description of this DVD states:
Another book Wilson-Hartgrove has authored, called The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture, refers readers to the wisdom of Lao-tzu, the desert monastics, Thomas Merton, Benedictine spirituality, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Benedictine nun Joan Chittister. In a Beliefnet interview one year ago, Wilson-Hartgrove shared how “we need the wisdom of those who’ve gone before us.” This wisdom he is referring to comes not from the Bible, but from the contemplative “Benedictines (who) taught us to start the day with common prayer.” (2) After seeing what is at the core of Wilson-Hartgrove’s spiritual wisdom, it is not surprising to learn that he recently made an appearance at the Wild Goose Festival (3). According to an article in the Christian Post, the Wild Goose Festival was a “four-day revival camp in North Carolina featuring music, yoga, liberal talk and embracing of gays and lesbians.” (See the footnotes below for more information about this event.) With a background like all of this, what many will find very surprising and disappointing, to say the least, is that on Wilson-Hartgrove’s website we learn that Wilson-Hartgrove was recently profiled in Charles Stanley’s In Touch magazine. The January 2011 article called “The Craft of Stability: Discovering the Ancient Art of Staying Put” However, these two statements are completely contradictory: A “Protestant tradition” and “principles” “borrowed from Benedictine monks” completely contradict each other if we are talking about a biblical tradition when we say “Protestant tradition.” The contemplative beliefs promoted by Wilson-Hartgrove are not biblical. Is this the kind of example of biblical Christian living that Charles Stanley’s readers have come to expect to see in his magazine? Unfortunately, this is not the first time an article promoting contemplative/emerging figures has emerged from the In Touch magazine. On January 18th, 2010, Lighthouse Trails reported in their article, “Letter to Charles Stanley: Is In Touch Getting Out-of-Touch With the True Gospel?” that In Touch magazine carried an article written by Joseph Bentz. Bentz’s article featured two women (both contemplative proponents, one a practicing lesbian). Bentz highlighted the spiritual journeys of these two women, whom Bentz claimed were both converted to the Christian faith. Both women today can be considered significant proponents of the new spirituality. In one article Lighthouse Trails wrote after Bentz’s article, it stated:
If this truly happens, then the observance of Leonard Sweet will be true:
It appears that ancient contemplative spirituality and those who promote it are no longer creeping into the church. They are in it! Through and through. As a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (Galatians 5:9), this spiritual infiltration has become a commonly accepted component in so many once reputable and trusted ministries. This example of Charles Stanley’s ministry is one more reason why Christians need to be diligent to know the truth and defend God’s Word and not be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). NOTES: (1) In this youtube interview, Wilson-Hartgrove talks about the concepts in his book; the new monastic movement, desert vision, desert fathers, and redistribution of wealth, here: Lesson #18 – Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (New Monasticism) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUs0ojx-pM8 (2) New Monasticism & The Emergent Church: FS Talks with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove: http://blog.beliefnet.com/flunkingsainthood/2010/06/new-monasticism-the-emergent-church-fs-talks-with-jonathan-wilson-hartgrove.html (3) Learn more about the Wild Goose Festival here: Left-Leaning ‘Wild Goose’ Festival Draws Ire of Evangelicals Part 2: Charles Stanley’s In Touch Magazine Promoting Contemplative New Monasticism
. |
| YouTube re-posts pro-life videos |
Charlie Butts – OneNewsNow
Used with permission. YouTube is finally allowing videos from Live Action, a pro-life organization, after a battle with Planned Parenthood over the content. Live Action and its founder, Lila Rose, spent several years conducting — then posting on YouTube — undercover video investigations of Planned Parenthood in which clinic staff apparently violated the law in information they provided, and offered to assist underage girls with services, including birth control and abortions. Each time, YouTube took down the videos, citing its privacy policy, which ended up protecting Planned Parenthood. Tom Brejcha of the Thomas More Society says that the abortion-provider wrote increasingly aggressive letters to YouTube each occurrence. Live Action recently received correspondence from YouTube and the videos are now up and available again. “We’re hopeful now that this whole censorship episode has passed and that the Live Action videos — seen already indeed by hundreds of thousands of people, if not more by now – will stay up in perpetuity. The truth will out – so that, I hope, is the end of a long story,” says Brejcha. If not, he adds, Thomas More Society may have to again go to bat for Live Action. Click here for source. Texas yanks Planned Parenthood funding |
| Shop at Lighthouse Trails for resources you can trust |
