Note to Lighthouse Trails:
As a pastor, I decided to go back to seminary for some extra courses that were offered at a Christian college in Maine as the price was right. I shortly noticed very real problems when one course was using a book authored by a Catholic apologist (unsaved), and this was the only book that was to be used. There was no response when I brought up the issue. The second course was on theology, who’s teacher apparently had Masters degrees in many areas of religion but had no knowledge of contemplative spirituality or anything else going on in the churches today. When I approached him to warn him of his using material by several of these authors (e.g., Brian McLaren, Andy Stanley) etc., he brushed me off as a simple laymen pastor who knows nothing. Sad to think of how far back this country has fallen, but even more sad at the lack of discernment in our seminaries and our churches.
Thank you so much for your ministry. Please keep us informed, as we are praying for you.
In Christ, B.L.
(photo from bigstockphoto; used with permission)
B.L., don’t give up! Keep seeking first the Kingdom of God, keep abiding in Him and walking with Him. He will lead you where you wants you to go and work mightily through you as you obey Him. God bless you for your faithfulness to Him! May your tribe increase.
I am sorry for you “B.L.” as well as for the many young people who go to seminary expecting to deepen their faith and prepare for the future. They have no idea about what will happen until it is to late. Most parents have no idea about the errors that are spreading throughout the seminaries and will be glad their child is at a “safe” christian school. Sad.
There is too much desire and demand for pastors to be more educated. Some churches wont even employ a man unless he has some kind of ‘paper’. But so many go after seminary etc and end up going down a wrong path, at a huge expense for the congregation, only to begin leading them astray. And those who are aware and speak up become vilified. Most people in the pews today are half asleep and totally unaware and while they should be alert and protecting young people, they are not. Dear pastor B.L. if you feel you lack in some knowledge my best advice would be to learn at home, learn with your brothers and sisters and grow together. Get out of that seminary quick. It will wear you out. Don’t give money to or keep a college going that is promoting false teachers, doctrines and ideas.
I find it interesting that just like other religious hierarchies, such as the Pharisees, the higher up they go the less they know, but the more they think they know. The Bible teaches that all we need is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to understand. But they come along and claim that you need all these years of seminary and so forth. I’m not saying that knowing the word in Greek or Hebrew and some social and historical context is not helpful, but it is not necessary. Many of the apostles were simple fishermen and it was enough. The Holy Spirit opens the Scriptures for me and reveals things to me that no one else is able to, and often times these ‘learned’ seminary graduates don’t understand what is truly said in the Scriptures and they twist it around because their teachers have done the same and that is all they know. They don’t rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them. This is one of many examples. We know these things are of the apostasy, but these seminary teachers do not. They bit the apple of deception and fell quicker than Snow White from the poison! Blessings.
It is so sad that it has become dangerous to send our kids to or attend a bible college or seminary.Just because a college or seminary had been known to be conservative in the past does not mean it still is. Multnomah University in Portland Oregon was once and not too long ago considered the best conservative bible college in the area.Now contemplative spirituality is deeply embedded there.I want to thank LHT for doing the research and exposing the CSM wherever it is found. By His Grace CHris C. R.
Just wondering if this pastor has read II Thess chapters 1 and 2 recently