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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.

**Please see our update note regarding newsletters and new release.

Hitler used the same tactic when organizing the German church into an arm of the state. Quelling dissent among Christians and using pastors to bring their congregations into line with Third Reich policies actually enabled the Holocaust.

by Mike Oppenheimer
Let Us Reason Ministries
Used with permission.

Christians should be more aware than other people because we have the Word; we are told what will take place in the last days (1 Tim. 3:1), and we are instructed on how to resist it. The majority of people have been dumbed-down and made lazy by our culture. In this void, the government comes to the rescue. The church has the same problem at work; people rely on big church to come to the rescue when they should be doing the work. This is because of our lack of Bible knowledge and lack of being equipped to evangelize and fulfill Jesus’ commission.

A Dark Age has descended upon science, politics, and religion. Despite the advances of technology, we are living in the bleakest period of mankind’s history. It may yet put the Middle Ages to shame. The main difference then was that the Bible was unable to be read and withheld from the masses by the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Today, we have more Bibles than ever before but they are still not read, even inside the church. Worse, the Word is not understood. The Bible is not consulted when a challenge to our faith appears. The predictable result is massive deception.

If you are following the news, it seems everything is unraveling. Those who have been following politics and the news are aware that the US of As administration has been filled by anti-constitutionalists. The prophets prophesied transformation for years, and we now have it; only it’s not exactly what they thought it would be.

If you are wondering what is taking place in America, and trying to pin down the activity, it’s simple to understand. The government is in the hands of 60s radicals that understood that in order to transform the country, they would have to join the “establishment.” Therefore, they forged their plan. Click here to continue reading.

LHT, 

My heart has been greatly grieved since Sunday when I first started researching CCP [contemplative/centering prayer]. And the fact that I mentioned my concern over Priscilla Shirer being used as a study was met with “we are not always going to agree with everything others teach,” by my pastor’s wife. And as a friend, who is a pastor, pointed out to me “this isn’t debating the gap theory or even whether or not it really was an apple Eve ate,” it is serious.

And then I continue to search out your blogs and others, only to find that IHOP is mentioned often. The youth in my church are involved, though I had no idea what it was. So I asked my fifteen year old if IHOP has been mentioned to him at church. He said yes, and that’s when I informed him that I will not abide his being involved in it.

Why am I writing? I need your prayers. I am a eight-years now single mother with three sons still at home. I have always been the only ‘physical’ spiritual guidance (outside of my parents, who live far from us) these fellows have and when I was led to the church we now attend nearly three years ago, I truly felt the Holy Spirit guided us there (finally, I thought, they will have godly men to “watch”). They are a wonderful people who love the Lord with all their hearts. And now this concern of mine over the advocacy of CPP authors.

Please pray that the Holy Spirit makes clear the way in which to lead these responsibilities (my children) God’s given me. I don’t wish to make a mountain out of a molehill . . . and neither do I wish to sit back and just let things fall where they may. Clear leading, this is my prayer always.

Thank you for what you do, and God bless this ministry to continue to shed light on the subtleties of the devil against the Lord’s children. Kim

By GCMWatch

We knew this was coming.  The military with its foundation of decency and order is falling apart thanks to the social engineering of  SOTUS.  The developing conflict comes first with men and women serving as chaplains in uniform who are being threatened with each new “liberty” given to homosexuals after the assassination of DADT. Anarchy is only a half step march away.

One News Now reports that 2,000 chaplains have mobilized out of deep concern for their rights as preachers of truth and righteousness.

Despite a recent Pentagon directive, a coalition of chaplain endorsers that represents more than 2,000 military ministers has pledged not to perform same-sex “wedding” ceremonies under any circumstances.

 Members the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty are concerned about the memorandum issued by the Pentagon September 30 that authorizes military chaplains to perform same-sex “marriage” ceremonies and military chapel facilities to be used for “any private ceremony.” Click here to continue reading.

Our newest product catalog is available as a PDF download. Feel free to print and distribute.

UTT Banquet - 20 years

Contending for the Faith Discipleship Center

The Radicals - Preview (Scroll to bottom of that page)

Meet Our Kenya Pastors

Trevor Baker - Canadian singer added to LT musician list - Songs for the remnant.

During the first week of October, Rick Warren made a bold move, revealing his true affinity toward contemplative (centering) prayer. The majority of people who saw this will probably not have recognized the significance of this endorsement, which has led us to put out this communiqué. It was done in a simple Twitter posting on Rick Warren’s Toolbox Twitter account, where a “Tweet” told followers to go to Rick Warren's Pastors.com website where a step-by-step process in centering prayer (i.e., contemplative prayer) is given. The message told followers to click over to the website for “easy steps” on how to practice “centering prayer.” Once at Warren’s website, readers saw the following post (click to enlarge):

A few days after this article by Stacy Smith was posted on the Pastors.com website, it was removed. However, no explanation was given as to why it was there in the first place and why it was removed. We believe our article will answer both of these questions.

The Pastors.com article states:

Centering prayer is an ancient form of prayer that is a combination of prayer and meditation. The practice was revived in the 1960s and 70s by three Cistercian monks.

While the article goes on to give some of the steps to centering prayer, one thing the article does not reveal is the spiritual background of these three monks. Because of our work at Lighthouse Trails exposing the dangers of contemplative spirituality, we are well acquainted with the writings of two of these monks: Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington (the 3rd is William Meninger, also a contemplative).

The Pastors.com article states that mystical prayer was “revived” by these three men, who played a primary role in bringing contemplative prayer from the Catholic monasteries to the average layperson. This “revived” spirituality is the very same spirituality that is being heralded in the evangelical/Protestant church known as “spiritual formation.” Rick Warren obviously recognizes this, which is why his Twitter post pointed readers to these men and to their centering prayer. As we examine the spiritual outlook of Keating and Pennington, the logical conclusion will be that Rick Warren has a strong affinity with the same spirituality.

First of all, it is vital to understand that the mysticism practiced by occultists and those in eastern religions is the same mysticism practiced by contemplatives. That can be a hard statement for some to swallow. How can someone like Brennan Manning, who talks about God’s love and His grace, be encouraging people to engage in an occultic practice? Well, obviously, many of Christianity’s major contemplative figures don’t believe they are doing anything wrong. They believe they are teaching a good thing, certainly not something equated to occultism. But even the mystics themselves acknowledge that this is so. Listen to these quotes:

The meditation of advanced occultists is identical with the prayer of advanced mystics. (contemplative mystic Richard Kirby, The Mission of Mysticism, p. 7)

This mystical stream [contemplative prayer] is the Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality. (contemplative teacher Tilden Edwards, Spiritual Friend, p. 18)

Isn’t it interesting that one of evangelicalism’s most popular contemplative teachers, Ruth Haley Barton, was trained at Tilden Edwards’ Shalem Institute. This is another example of how the prayer of “advanced mystics” is indeed the same as that being spread throughout Christianity today through the spiritual formation/contemplative prayer movement.

Now let us examine the significance of Keating and Pennington, in light of this controversy. Ray Yungen profiles the two men in the third chapter of A Time of Departing. Yungen quotes Basil Pennington:

We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible.

Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices, especially where they have been initiated by reliable teachers and have a solidly developed Christian faith to find inner form and meaning to the resulting experiences” (from Finding Grace at the Center, pp. 5-6).

To also understand the spirituality of Thomas Keating and the significance of what we are trying to convey here, consider the following: Contemplative mystic Wayne Teasdale was mentored by Thomas Keating in a profound and lasting way. This is backed up in Teasdale’s book, The Mystic Heart (foreword by the Dalai Lama) where Teasdale attributes to Keating a prominent role in his spiritual development (the book is filled with Keating references from start to finish). Without any doubt, Teasdale’s spiritual outlook mirrors Keating’s. These following quotes by Teasdale echo Thomas Keating’s spiritual sentiments:

It was during my college years that my first mystical experience occurred. . . . the divine completely took me over. . . . I couldn’t think, analyze, remember, imagine, or speak. . . . For many years I have been intensely aware of the divine as a breathing presence that surrounds me, is within me, and takes me into its self. . . . Whenever I am aware of it, there is no mistaking it for something else. I immediately know who it is. (The Mystic Heart, pp. 225-226)

I began to appreciate and value other traditions. I discovered that Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, the Kabbalah, Hasidism, did not take me away from my faith, but augmented my deep commitment to Christian contemplation. I became impassioned in my interest in these traditions. Interspirituality, and the intermystical life it entails, recognizes the larger community of humankind in the mystical quest. . . . to leave out any spiritual experience is to impoverish humanity. Everything must be included. (The Mystic Heart, p. 236)

These quotes above have briefly laid out the spirituality of Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating, which by Rick Warren’s website’s own admission are the pioneer’s of the contemplative prayer movement (“revived” by the three monks).

Those who have followed Lighthouse Trails and read A Time of Departing might remember that Lighthouse Trails sent Rick Warren a copy of the first edition of A Time of Departing shortly after it was released in 2002 (ironically, released the same month as The Purpose Driven Life). Rick Warren wrote a personal hand-written note to us, after receiving the book, stating:

Just a note to say thanks for the copy of A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen. It definitely will be a useful addition to my personal library and resource in my studies. I agree this is a hot topic. Sincerely, Rick Warren

If Rick Warren did actually read A Time of Departing, then he knows what the roots of contemplative spirituality are. He knows that Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating advocate eastern style meditation practices. He would also know, if he read the second edition of A Time of Departing (of which we also sent him), that his friend Gary Thomas teaches readers to practice mantra-like meditation (repeat a word for 20 minutes – Sacred Pathways). He would also know that favorites of his, Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, and Jan Johnson, all advocate the same thing. (click here to read chapter 8 of A Time of Departing –  ”America’s Pastor”)

From 1995 to 2010, Rick Warren played a kind of “catch me if you can with mysticism” game. From his endorsement of the spiritual formation movement in his book The Purpose Driven Church(where he called the movement a “valid message for the church” ala Richard Foster and Dallas Willard, p. 127) –  to his rallying for emerging church figures like Dan Kimball and Leonard Sweet – to his Saddleback bookstore that carries some blatantly “new” spirituality/mystic promoting authors –  to his own book, The Purpose Driven Life,which toys with contemplative concepts and names such as Brother Lawrence, breath prayers, monks, god in everything, etc., he has consistently pushed the contemplative underpinnings of the “new” spirituality. And we cannot forget Warren’s efforts to bring in New Age sympathizer Ken Blanchard to help train leaders around the world for his P.E.A.C.E. Plan. Blanchard has consistently for many years advocated for mystical spirituality. With all this in mind (and more), Rick Warren seems to have been one of the most prolific influencers for contemplative spirituality to the evangelical church.

But in 2011, Rick Warren “upped the ante” dramatically. In January, Warren began the Daniel Plan at Saddleback and in his network churches, a diet/health plan in which Warren recruited New Age meditation teachers Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman. The three doctors openly teach mind-emptying type meditation exercises (e.g. sa-na-ta-ma), and some of this has been carried over already to Rick Warren’s websites. As if such a bold move wasn’t enough to convince the majority of the church that Rick Warren is a contemplative mysticism proponent, the recent Twitter post certainly can leave no more room for speculation.

One thing is for sure, Rick Warren has come full circle when it comes to the contemplative issue. Until 2011, he “beat around the bush” about the issue, even at times saying he isn’t into all that “New Agey” stuff. But today, with his indirect promotion of Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington, Rick Warren has boldly come out of the contemplative closet. One can only wonder now when he will absorb the full disposition of Keating and Pennington. The following statement by Pennington is chilling when you stop to realize this is the direction that millions in the Christian church could be heading thanks to Rick Warren:

It is my sense, from having meditated with persons from many different [non-Christian] 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.—Basil Pennington (Centered Living, p. 192)

The nature of who this “one God” is can be clearly grasped from this quote by Thomas Keating:

In order to guide persons having this experience [divine oneness], Christian spiritual directors may need to dialogue with Eastern teachers in order to get a fuller understanding.  (Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality, by Philip St. Romain, foreword)

In other words, the experience that Pennington talks about and that Keating talks about is not an experience that will center you in Jesus, as Rick Warren suggests; it will center you in Eastern mysticism, which is why we have no hesitation in labeling this approach as New Age. What one mystical writer saw as a positive thing, those that uphold the Gospel of Christ will clearly see as a slide into apostasy:

Christian mysticism seems, from the beginning, to have had an intuitive recognition of the way in which mysticism is a form of unity that transcends religious difference. . . . no absolutely clear distinction can be drawn between Christian and non-Christian mysticism. . . . It is precisely in this dimension of mystery that people of different faiths and different wisdom traditions can relate to each other. (Carl McColman, The Big Book of Mysticism, pp. 63-64)

Clearly the element that unifies these various traditions is not the person of Jesus Christ. If you were to “dialogue with Eastern teachers” as suggested in the preceding quote, you would learn that what is being experienced is the false “god” that is said to be in each person and in all things. But the Bible makes a clear distinction between God and His creation (Genesis 1:1, John 1:3, Romans 1:25). The God of the Bible will not share His divinity with the phony, impersonal god of pantheism and panentheism:

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14)

The god of mysticism is the same god that the serpent spoke to Eve about when he said, “ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). In fact, centering prayer is actually all about getting to that divine center that mystics believe is in every human being and all of creation.

We stated in this article that centering prayer stands on the same ground as occultism. With that in mind, it is important to discover that both Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington enthusiastically endorsed a book titled Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey in Christian Hermeticism.It is important to note here that fortune-telling Tarot cards are one of the major tools for divination in occultism. And Hermeticism is a set of ancient esoteric occultic beliefs based on the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, the one who coined the term “as above so below.” Keating said the book was one of the ”great spiritual classics of this century,” and Pennington said, “It is without doubt the most extraordinary work I have ever read.” We’re talking about outright occultism here – there’s no room for doubt.

When you consider that Keating and Pennington’s spirituality is being whole-heartedly embraced by an increasing number of Christians, including many Christian leaders and pastors, the information this article has presented should be sobering and life-changing.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first. 2 Thessalonians 2:3

By Ray Yungen

In the Bible, the end time period (traditionally called the Apocalypse)  is referred to as “the day of the Lord.”* Bible scholars refer to it as the time of the Great Tribulation. Some Christians believe that the events foretold throughout the Bible actually have already happened in the first century AD. Such a view is known as preterism. But I believe there are certain aspects of these prophecies that have not occurred yet and are even occurring now. I would ask those that hold the preterist view to be willing to examine the evidence I present.

During this time (the end of the age), the one Christians refer to as the Antichrist will make his appearance. The apostle Paul refers to this personality as “the son of perdition” and the “man of sin” (II Thessalonians 2:3). The term antichrist actually stands for ante-christ meaning more of a substitute than an opposite. In other words, Satan wants to masquerade as the Christ himself and take his seat in the temple—the ultimate blasphemy where he says, I Am God.

When the time is right, Satan will come in person in a man who is completely yielded to him. This man (the Antichrist) will unite the world under a counterfeit spiritual system that blasphemes God and His plan. We read in Revelation 13:5-6:

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Ultimately, this impostor will be knocked from power by the literal Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. In II Thessalonians 2:8-10, we read:

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

After the destruction of this deceiver and his false program, the true Savior (Jesus Christ) will set up His kingdom on earth and rule in what is referred to as the Millennium, a time of true rest and peace on the earth.

In light of these prophetic warnings, the advent of the New Age movement takes on a very special significance. The apostle Paul spoke of the day of the Lord in reference to “the times and seasons” in I Thessalonians 5:1-2.

He was making reference to the Old Testament book of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream concerning the Gentile kingdoms which would begin with his kingdom, Babylon, and continue through Media-Persia, Greece, Rome and ten future kingdoms. Before Daniel interpreted the dream, he made it known that God is responsible for the changes in dispensations, which he calls “the times and seasons”:

Daniel answered and said, “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: And He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings:

He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. (Daniel 2:20-22)

When asked by the Apostles in Acts 1:6 whether God would restore the kingdom at that time (bringing in the millennium), Jesus replied in verse 7, “it is not for you to know the times or the seasons.” It is very apparent that this phrase is connected to changes in dispensations. In light of this, study the verses in I Thessalonians 5:1-6 very carefully where the apostle Paul states:

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Paul is saying that the end of the age will come upon the world like a thief in the night—it will sneak up on people. Then he contrasts two groups. “But ye brethren, are not in darkness [ignorance] that that day should overtake you as a thief [unaware]” (vs. 4). He is saying that believers in Christ will have the information available to them to prepare for “that day.”

Paul goes on to say, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day” (vs. 5). Those who walk in the light can see both where they are going and what is coming ahead. He warns against spiritual slumber and drunkenness which could lead to a person being overtaken by that day unaware. “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (vs. 6). The word sober here means “alert” or “aware.” If one is instructed to watch and be aware there must be something to watch for—otherwise, Paul’s admonition would be useless. The reason Paul said, “Ye have no need that I write unto you,” is because the forewarning of when that day would arrive came from Jesus Christ Himself. (taken from For Many Shall Come in My Name by Ray Yungen, chapter 11)

* Several verses in the Bible refer to “the day of the Lord”: Acts 2:20, I Corinthians 5:5, II Corinthians 1:14, I Thessalonians 5:2 and II Peter 3:10. There are also many in the Old Testament.

By Roger Oakland
Understand the Times

The Bible teaches that a one-world religion will be a characteristic of the Last Days. While Jesus Christ is preparing His bride, Satan, God’s adversary, is preparing the crowning of the harlot.

This counterfeit harlot “bride” is being set up to prepare the way for the counterfeit “Christ.” This anti-Christ church will come in the name of the Church of Jesus Christ. This is the scenario that the Bible defines.

We are seeing this happening right before our eyes, yet so few see it. Is this largely due to Christian leaders who are blinded by their pride (Obadiah 1:3); and, hiding behind their accomplishments, they are driven by this pride, refusing to listen to those who are trying to warn them? Do these shepherds really know they are pulling the wool over the eyes of the very sheep they are supposed to be protecting?

This short commentary is another effort to warn those whom we know and love who are being seduced by Satan’s plan. Satan is a world schemer, and he has done this through the ages. There are many ways and means that Satan uses to seduce those who have believed and those who have never believed. Click here to continue reading.

Also this in from Understand the Times:

Is There a Connection with the June 2005 Jon Courson Ecumenical Communion Message and the Boykin-Barton Agenda?

Related Articles:

• Calvary Chapel Pastors Respond to UTT Lonnie Frisbee Commentary
• Another Spirit or the Holy Spirit?
• The Warning
• Surprising List of Speakers at “Rediscovering God in America” Conference Draws Strong Concerns
• A Challenge For Calvary Chapel Pastors to Take a Stand Against Apostasy

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that Adam Riess, an astronomy and physics professor at the university, won the prize with fellow American Saul Perlmutter and U.S.-Australian citizen Brian Schmidt. Perlmutter heads the Supernova Cosmology Project at the University of California, Berkeley. Schmidt is the head of the High-z Supernova Search Team at the Australian National University in Weston Creek, Australia

Working in two separate research teams during the 1990s _ Perlmutter in one and Schmidt and Riess in the other _ the scientists raced to map the universe’s expansion by using telescopes to study and analyze a particular type of supernovas, or exploding stars. They were surprised to find that far-away galaxies were racing away from each other at an ever-increasing speed.

Riess, 41, said he got a phone call around 5:30 a.m. Several Swedish men were on the line, at which point “I knew it wasn’t Ikea,” the Swedish furniture retailer. Click here to read more.

More on Creation/Evolution:

FROM PHYSICS TO METAPHYSICS

Existence of God particle to be decided by next year (i.e., the new scientists hope to prove God is in everything)

Why WorldNetDaily Should Reconsider Promoting Jim Rutz’s Megashift

LTRP Note: Because WorldNetDaily is considered to be a reliable news source by many Bible-believing Christians and because it has consistently promoted Jim Rutz’s book, Megashift, we are posting this 2004 book review by ERWM’s Steve Muse. Deception can be subtle and can look pretty good to the masses, but Satan is offering a “transformation” that will ultimately lead the world into a one-world religion and a one-world governmental system, which will provide the platform for the Antichrist. (1, 2, 3)

By Steve Muse
Eastern Regional Watch Ministries

What exactly is a Megashift? According to the author, James Rutz, “The Megashift is [a] major transfer of responsibility and power, not a change in beliefs” (p. 118).

In chapter one, page 2, Rutz states:

“For reasons we know only in part, God has handed down a somewhat revised set of rules, delegating greater authority to more people. He has apparently decreed that plain folks like you and me are now a central part of an accelerated plan for a total transformation of the world.”

That plan is centered around small clusters of loosely networked but highly committed Christian people who have been empowered to do extraordinary things. These open, participatory fellowships are the subject of this book, starting with chapter two.

Mankind, over many years, has been exposed to and subtly conditioned by the advertising industry, in that what we have is never satisfying or fulfilling, and that the next new thing to come along always promises to be the magic bullet, waiting for us to jump in with both feet to finally have what we have always wanted. But then again, is it really the final fulfillment of our expectations?

While reading MegaShift, I felt as though I was in the presence of a well trained car salesman trying to convince me of how our early model car was just not good enough any more, and that we really needed–desperately needed–the newer version of something that was not really any better, that would cost more, and most likely was not as good as our original car.

Why does everything today have to be prefixed with the term “New”? Clearly, the Scriptures reveal to us,

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

God’s teaching that there is no new thing under the sun is a plainly convincing statement which, in effect, warns us to be wary of anything that comes along that is being touted as a “new move of God.”

The more I read, the more convinced I became that this book is just a repackaged version of an old concept, known as the Latter Rain movement, with additional bells and whistles. The timing of the release of MegaShift, along with the statement by Rutz for a total transformation of the world, leads me to believe that there is a concerted effort by the leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation to speed things up, and to gain new momentum in their quest to fulfill their own megashift.

This dominionist agenda is presented in various forms throughout the book, as Rutz applies it to the participatory fellowships. It is interesting to note that the call for a “New Reformation” to transform the world is coming from many fronts, including the Roman Catholic Church, the New Age Movement and the United Nations–all of which are leading us to a “New World Religion,” which is first outlined and pictured for us in the book of Revelation.

To be fair, many of the house church concepts that Rutz presents are partially true, but he also mixes in many ideas that are unbiblical, causing a mixture of truth and error.

And God hates the mixture of truth and error.

The concept of house churches is not new. It was the basis for the New Testament believers to gather to worship and grow in the Lord. I am very familiar with the Biblical model of the house church from my own experience, as I began my walk in Christ gathering together and worshiping in a house church.

Rutz begins the book by luring the reader into an experience of miracles, which is something with a strong emotional hook to set the stage for a shift in our thinking, opening us up to a series of “new” concepts for us to think about.

The very next chapter [2] takes us to the “New Engines of Change,” which lays out ten steps, plus one [11] giving us a clear understanding of the real agenda behind this book. Rutz introduces us to concepts which many may not have seen or heard about, such as: identificational repentance, spiritual mapping, rabbit teams, on site prayer, an emphasis on fasting (for powering up), and a different leadership concept; all of which are largely Latter Rain teachings.

As the chapters progress we get deeper into this megashift, which is an attempt to deconstruct our old belief system and reconstruct a new set of beliefs, bringing them into line with the Latter Rain agenda.

Much of the book is about our role; how it is our responsibility; how we have been given new freedom to act; new power to perform the tasks required; a new understanding of the gospel; a new lifestyle of victory to be an overcomer; all to become an integral part of the endtime picture to prepare the earth for the return of Christ. If we fail to megashift ourselves, then Jesus will not come according to this Latter Rain teaching.

If the above definition of Megashift (p. 118) is indeed true, then why throughout the book are we introduced to a barrage of new ideas and concepts intended to change our beliefs?

If you happen to belong to a house church, please do not begin networking with other groups to participate in this “New Christianity”. If you are still in a church body that has the freedoms expressed in this book, please stay where you are. If you do not have a church and intend to start a house church, do not follow this pattern, because it is deceptive, and will lead to further deception and take you away from the truth.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).

Concerning the last days, Jesus stated, Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

Also check out quotes from Megashift, provided by Kjos Ministries.

• Technocracy and Transformation
• 3 Stories in 1: WorldNetDaily Should Apologize to Veterans and Soldiers for Promoting Soldier-Meditation Program

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors have dropped efforts to keep a sexually abusive former priest from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles locked up indefinitely in a mental hospital, a district attorney spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Prosecutors informed the court at a hearing Friday that they would not pursue a petition to have former priest Michael Baker designated a sexually violent predator, said Los Angeles County district attorney spokesman Sandi Gibbons.

The former priest, now 63, pleaded guilty in 2007 to 12 felony counts of oral copulation with a person under the age of 18 for abusing two boys he met at parishes in Pico Rivera and Los Angeles.

He was to be released on Aug. 23 when prosecutors stepped in and attempted to block his parole. Click here to continue reading.

Learn on how you can protect your child(ren) from sexual predators? Check out Investigator Sergeant Patrick Crough’s book, “The Serpents Among Us. How to Protect Your Children From Sexual Predators. A Police Investigators Perspective.”

You may have noticed that there has not been a Lighthouse Trails newsletter for about three weeks. Without going into details, the managing editors at Lighthouse Trails (David and Deborah Dombrowski) have been involved in helping a senior family member with some serious medical issues - thus we have gotten behind our normal schedule of duties, one of which is putting out the newsletter 3-4 times a month. We thank you for your understanding during this time and ask you to pray for the writers and editors at Lighthouse Trails. We believe we will be able to now resume our normal schedule for e-newsletters and other ministry activities.

Also because of these events of these past few weeks, we are running behind schedule on the release of Roger Oakland's book, Let There Be Light. It was due to be released by mid to late October. It is going to be about four more weeks before it is released. If you have ordered this book and would prefer a refund rather than waiting, please just e-mail or call us, and we will do that for you. We apologize for the delay.

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