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…]
A Lighthouse Trails Commentary This week marks the Launch of the New York City Leadership Center. This is a inter-religious venture that is being supported by some of the country’s most prolific Christian figures including Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Greg Laurie, Ken Blanchard, Bob Buford and Frances Hesselbein (representing the late Peter Drucker). The new … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: Six years ago this month, a man named George Mair passed away. He had written a glowing biography about Rick Warren, and what followed broke his heart and revealed many things that would clarify the roots of where the church was heading. By Warren B. Smith (The following is from Warren Smith’s book, … [Read more…]
As groups around the world celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with highly ecumenical events and speeches, Brian McLaren, once likened to Luther,1 has outlined his view of what the next reformation will look like in an article he wrote on November 1, 2017 titled, “The Last Reformation … and the Next Reformation.” A … [Read more…]
Hundreds of Protestant and evangelical scholars, pastors, and theologians have signed a document called “Reforming Catholic Confession” to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which will be commemorated on October 31, 2017. According to Dr. Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, who co-chaired the Confession’s steering committee, “a significant motivating … [Read more…]
The Perfect Storm of Apostasy – An Introduction to The Kansas City Prophets and Other Latter-Day Prognosticators by Mary Danielsen is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet. The Booklet is 14 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are as much as 50% off retail. Our Booklets are designed to give away to … [Read more…]
According to a Christian Post article dated December 31, 2014 and titled “Former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Launches New Website,” the former pastor of the mega church has started a new resource ministry & website. All we can say at this point is, that sure didn’t take long. Interestingly, Rick Warren gave the final … [Read more…]
Recently, a reader brought to our attention a new development within the emerging church – the Cana Initiative, a think tank comprised of “faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions and networks.” On the Cana Initiative website, it states: The CANA Initiative seeks to create a healthy ecosystem for connection among existing and emerging individuals, organizations, and networks and will serve … [Read more…]
by Warren B. Smith The New Age/New Spirituality is already heralding quantum physics as a “scientific” basis for their contention that God is not only transcendent but also immanent—“in” everyone and everything. Physicist Fritjof Capra’s 1975 best-selling book on quantum physics—The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism—was … [Read more…]
Cure for the Common Life, by author Max Lucado, is a book about “living in your sweet spot.” Lucado tells readers in chapter one to “[h]eed that inner music,” and quoting mystic Martin Buber from his book, The Way of Man (a book on Jewish mysticism), Lucado tells readers they each have a “divine spark.” … [Read more…]
“I’ve practiced centering prayer. I’ve contemplatively prayed. I’ve prayed liturgically….I’ve benefited from each, and I still do. In ways you’ll see, elements of each style are still with me.–Larry Crabb, The Papa Prayer, p.9 In following up our recent articles, “Radio Bible Class Promoting Contemplative/Emerging Philip Yancey in Easter Booklet – Implications Not Good” and … [Read more…]
Cure for the Common Life, by author Max Lucado, is a book about “living in your sweet spot.” Lucado tells readers in chapter one to “[h]eed that inner music,” and quoting mystic Martin Buber from his book, The Way of Man (a book on Jewish mysticism), Lucado tells readers they each have a “divine spark.” … [Read more…]
In a July 2011 article titled “Grow Up. Settle Down. Keep Reforming. Advice for the Young, Restless, Reformed” written by John MacArthur, he stated the following: Five years later, the so-called Emergent Church is now in a state of serious disarray and decline. Some have suggested it’s totally dead. Virtually every offshoot of evangelicalism that consciously embraced … [Read more…]
by Roger Oakland Understand the Times Do you remember the Communist and Humanist Manifestos? Do you recall the statements that were made to establish the religion of atheism and humanism? Now we have the Emerging Church Manifesto. If you have not read it, you should. Apostasy is underway. The word manifesto is a fairly strong … [Read more…]
Is this not the time for Christian leaders to “purge” themselves and return to honor rather than dishonor? Yes, this is a time of reckoning. This is a time to get it right before it is too late. How has it happened that those who once warned about the coming apostasy now, when the apostasy … [Read more…]
by Warren B. Smith The New Age/New Spirituality is already heralding quantum physics as a “scientific” basis for their contention that God is not only transcendent but also immanent—“in” everyone and everything. Physicist Fritjof Capra’s 1975 best-selling book on quantum physics—The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism—was … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: My husband read something about Max Lucado’s endorsement of someone involved in Contemplative Prayer or the Emerging Church and now wants me to get rid of Max Lucado’s books that I’ve had for years. I have much enjoyed his writings and have not picked up on anything non-Scriptural. I may not agree … [Read more…]
by Warren B. Smith Many prominent New Age figures have stated that the foundational teaching of the New World Religion is the “immanence”of God (i.e., God “in” everything). Benjamin Creme, New Age leader and spokesperson for the false New Age “Christ” Maitreya, says: But eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated which will be … [Read more…]
It was Shakespeare who said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. In the case of the “new spirituality” that has pervaded so much of Christianity, emergent church by any other name is just as harmful. While some are saying they are not “emergent” but are emerging, the overall beliefs (and mission) … [Read more…]
Lighthouse Trails regrets to report that on May 5th, Paul Smith, brother of Chuck Smith (the founder of the Calvary Chapel movement), was fired from his position in the Calvary Chapel (CCOF) organization during an unscheduled meeting that day. The motion to fire Paul Smith was made by board member Roger Wing and seconded by … [Read more…]
According to Mark Driscoll’s church calendar and other reports as well, Mark Driscoll will be speaking at Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral on June 14th. 1 While many evangelical leaders have promoted Driscoll, he has been the topic of a number of Lighthouse Trails articles. Driscoll was one of the early “emergent” leaders mentored by Leadership … [Read more…]
The Election is Over–What About the Department of Peace: Now that the election is over, Lighthouse Trails has a question, and that is, “What about the Department of Peace?” Most Christians have probably never heard of it. Those who have been tracking the news through Lighthouse Trails for some time most likely have. One thing … [Read more…]
According to a September 19th Christianity Today blog article, the emerging church is dead. “An overused and corrupted term now sleeps with the fishes,” the article states. But is this even remotely true? Or rather could it be that the emerging church, or what we call the “merging” church, is morphing into its next “higher” … [Read more…]
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…]
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…]
LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails is posting this section of “An Evangelical Manifesto” with a link to the document itself, not as an endorsement but rather for research purposes. An Introduction “An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative … [Read more…]
Emergent leader Brian McLaren will begin his “Everything Must Change” tour in February. The tour will run in several different US cities and is named after his book, Everything Must Change. McLaren was one of the early emerging church leaders when Leadership Network (Bob Buford) pulled together a group of young church leaders – a … [Read more…]
by Kim Olsen DiscernIt One would be hard-pressed to find a more complete description of the various end-time deceptions currently exploding in our churches in one single paperback book. Roger has accomplished this feat in “Faith Undone” Why is his book so relevant today? Consider this statement. “In the near future, Christians of every denomination … [Read more…]
As many of you may remember, Rick Warren announced his P.E.A.C.E. Plan to Saddleback church in November 2003. During that sermon, he said that New Age sympathizer Ken Blanchard had “signed on” to help with the peace plan. Then in 2005, Lighthouse Trails came out with a report titled: Rick Warren Teams Up With New … [Read more…]
by Paul Proctor Used with permission I was again reminded last week of just how far the perceived church has strayed from the Great Commission upon reading an article published in the Baptist Press entitled: Mid-life adults can move from ‘Success to Significance.’ It begins by quoting the renowned and now deceased business management guru … [Read more…]
