Month: June 2008

James Dobson Rightly Defends the Unborn, Challenges Obama – But Focus on the Family Still Defends Contemplative – “Please, Dr. Dobson, read this.”

Several news agencies have reported on the comments that Focus on the Family founder James Dobson made about presidential candidate Barack Obama.1 Dobson, who said that Obama is “deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to justify his own world view,” has challenged statements made by Obama on his view of the Bible’s moral … [Read more…]

Brian McLaren: Hoping Obama Will Be Our Next President

On June 26th, an Associated Press article was released titled “Faithful in pews might not be voters in November.” The article prompted a response by emerging church author/lecturer Brian McLaren. The article stated that Obama had “sent Brian McLaren, one of the country’s most influential pastors, to meet with fellow evangelicals.” McLaren corrected the article … [Read more…]

Bob Buford, Peter Drucker, and the Emerging Church

LTRP Note: Leadership Network was the launching pad for the Emergent group (McLaren, Jones, Pagitt, etc) in the 1990s. Bob Buford, the founder and leader of Leadership Network, is also one of the members of the New York Leadership Center’s “National Advisory Team”, of which we reported on yesterday regarding Greg Laurie’s involvement. Another member … [Read more…]

Alert: The Canadian Contemplative Youth Workers Conference

by Roll Over Menno If you go to the Mennonite Brethren Conference (Canada) website and click on ‘Ministry Quest’ or ‘Canadian Youth Workers Conference’ you will find yourself on the website of the Canadian Youth Workers Conference which is going to be held in Toronto Dec. 4-7, 2008. This conference is put on by Youth … [Read more…]

C. P. Wagner Gives “Apostolic Alignment” to Todd Bentley

According to a June 24th article by Charisma Magazine, C. P. Wagner, Rick Warren’s advisor and mentor at Fuller Seminary 1 and leader of the International Coalition of Apostles, joined other charismatic leaders to attend a special service with Todd Bentley whom they “commissioned as an evangelist.” The article, titled Leaders Commission Todd Bentley at … [Read more…]

Greg Laurie Connects Purpose Driven to a Move of God – Gives Financial Support

Quick Links: Greg Laurie Letter to Pastors Laurie Sponsorship for PDL Event Contact person at New York City Leadership group: Beverly Cook (Director of Communications) On May 6th, Greg Laurie, pastor of mega-church Harvest Christian Fellowship wrote a letter to pastors and church leaders in the New York region, announcing his Harvest Crusade 2008 in … [Read more…]

Non-Profit Ministries – A view of the future?

As many of you may be aware, the Canadian government recently told MacGregor Ministries (BC) that the government was stripping them of their non-profit status as a ministry. This past week we received MacGregor’s newsletter, in which Lorri McGregor stated: I received an early birthday present from our Canadian Government, namely notice of MacGregor Ministries … [Read more…]

CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) Presents Soaking Prayer Seminar – Serious Problems with This Practice

The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is promoting a practice called Soaking Prayer. On June 24th, they will present the Spiritual Gifts Seminar with Marguerite Evans of Catch the Fire Ministries. In addition, CBN posted an article about Evans who is the USA Coordinator for Soaking Centres. The article, titled “Soaking in the Spirit,” explains that … [Read more…]

“Labyrinths are in the midst of a resurgence across North America”

LTRP Note: The following news story from a Canadian news source reports on the growing popularity of labyrinths. The structures, used to practice meditation and contemplative prayer, are being built all across North America. Please review our research on labyrinths as well (click here). BRENNAN CLARKE The Globe and Mail Toronto, Canada …If all this … [Read more…]

Saddleback Church IS a Contemplative Church

As Lighthouse Trails has reported many times in the past, Rick Warren (pastor of Saddleback Church) has been promoting the spiritual formation (i.e., contemplative prayer) movement for many years. This report will show that Saddleback Church is directly recommending numerous contemplative materials to those under their influence through “spiritual formation” and what they term “maturity.” … [Read more…]

MIKE BICKLE AND MIKE HUCKABEE TEAM UP FOR “THECALL” REVIVAL CONFERENCE

By Roger Beach Guest Writer Mike Bickle (IHOP), a major player in the Apostles/Prophet movement and a proponent of Contemplative Prayer will be sharing a platform with Mike Huckabee and others at an upcoming event presented by TheCall, an organization that states on its website it is “divinely initiated.” Mike Huckabee will join Lou Engle, … [Read more…]

Other Names Surface from Secret Meeting with Obama

By Charles Babington Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) – Barack Obama discussed Darfur, the Iraq war, gay rights, abortion and other issues Tuesday with Christian leaders, including conservatives who have been criticized for praising the Democratic presidential candidate. Bishop T.D. Jakes, a prominent black clergyman who heads a Dallas megachurch, said Obama took questions, listened to … [Read more…]

Is Rick Warren Promoting Contemplative Prayer?

Is Rick Warren promoting contemplative spirituality (i.e.,spiritual formation)? We believe the answer to that is a wholehearted “yes.” The first clue came many years ago in Warren’s first book, The Purpose Driven Church, where he said that the Spiritual Formation movement had a “vital message for the church,” and has “given the body of Christ … [Read more…]

Obama Has Closed-Door Meeting With Evangelicals

According to various news reports, on Tuesday, June 10th, Barack Obama met in a Chicago “undisclosed downtown location” with “30 religious leaders from around the nation.” (Fox News). The Fox News report said this is “part of an ongoing dialogue” Obama hopes to continue with the “faith community.” Because some of those in attendance did … [Read more…]

Has the Evangelical Manifesto Fizzled Out?

The Milquetoast Manifestofrom Newsweek magazine What if the evangelicals wrote a manifesto and nobody cared? It was supposed to be a decisive document, a credo that unified American evangelicals around the Christian principles that form the foundations of their faith. It would restore to American evangelicals a sense of mission and history–giving them permission to … [Read more…]

Shaping the Minds of the Youth

by Understand the Times with Roger Oakland In the late 1960s, two youth workers in their twenties, Mike Yaconelli and Wayne Rice (who happened to be working for Youth for Christ at the time), wanted to change the way youth ministry was viewed and approached. They self-published a small booklet called Ideas, began talking to … [Read more…]

A Few Quotes From Mark Driscoll’s Vintage Jesus – Something to Think About

Mark Driscoll’s 2008 book, Vintage Jesus, has some noteworthy statements that should be weighed against Scripture. Below are a few of them: Calls Christians Little Christs Driscoll – Page 120: To be a Christian is to be a “little Christ.” In fact, the name Christian was originally a term of mockery given to us by … [Read more…]

An Evangelical Manifesto for an Interfaith World

by Kjos Ministries  Uncompromising Christians are not welcome! This “[Evangelical] Manifesto” is full of contradictions. While its authors claim to trust the Bible, they flout God’s warnings. They claim to exclude no one, yet they redefine and “repudiate” fundamentalists. They claim to speak for themselves, but their message demands global transformation and prophesies disaster if … [Read more…]