Lighthouse

Lighthouse Trails Research Project

  • HOME
  • ABOUT/CONTACT
  • STORE
  • RESEARCH JOURNAL
  • TOPICAL BOOKLETS
  • FREE E-NEWSLETTER
  • RESEARCH ARCHIVE

bringing light to areas of darkness

Gary Thomas

Letter to the Editor From Dallas Theological Seminary Student—DTS Does Advocate for Contemplative Spirituality

November 11, 2019 by Letters to the Editor 15 Comments

To Lighthouse Trails: The relationship Dallas Theological Seminary has with contemplative spirituality has been debated on Lighthouse Trails, and defended by DTS. As a current student, I can confirm some departments and professors do advocate explicitly for the contemplative brand of spirituality.  The school requires four semesters of spiritual formation. Students must engage with the … [Read more…]

Posted in: Contemplative Colleges, Contemplative Practices, Contemplative Spirituality Tagged: adele ahlberg calhoun, contemplative colleges, contemplative prayer, dallas theological seminary, Dallas Willard, dts, Gary Thomas, paul pettit, Richard Foster, simon chan

Letter to the Editor: The Handwriting on the Wall . . . and Rightnow Media

February 3, 2018 by Letters to the Editor 15 Comments

To Lighthouse Trails and readers: As I stood at the bedside of my dad in a hospital, in shock at his unexpected passing, I looked up at the wall, and there on the whiteboard was written, “Last rites- 2:00 pm.” I had spent two and a half months visiting daily in the hospital while my … [Read more…]

Posted in: Beth Moore, Churches in Crisis!, Contemplative Churches, Contemplative Organizations, Contemplative Spirituality, Labyrinths, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Rick Warren, Spiritual Deception, The New Spirituality Tagged: ann voskamp, Beth Moore, bill hybels, Dallas Willard, deception, Ecumenism, examen, francis chan, Gary Thomas, if: gathering, ignatian practices, john ortberg, John Piper, letter to the editor, patrick lencioni, Richard Foster, Rick Warren, rightnow media, Roman Catholicism, shawna niequist

A Rose By Any Other Name OR A Deception By Any Other Name – It’s All the Same

September 4, 2017 by Letters to the Editor Leave a Comment

Dear Lighthouse Trails: This is from a circulating email from Prairie [formerly Prairie Bible Institute or PBI in Three Hills Alberta]. It sounds so good, but I suspect it is dangerous. S. ____ Email Our Reader Received from Prairie: What’s NEW for our upcoming year New Student Orientation begins tomorrow! This time of year campus … [Read more…]

Posted in: Contemplative Colleges, Contemplative Spirituality, Education, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Spiritual Formation, The Emerging Church Tagged: andy stanley, annie dillard, contemplative prayer, contemplative spirituaity, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, Gary Thomas, Henri Nouwen, Ken Blanchard, mike yaconelli, pbi, prairie bible institute, prairie college

NEW BOOKLET: Teresa of Avila – An Ancient Mystic Who Helped Shape Today’s Spiritual Formation Movement

May 15, 2017 by Lighthouse Trails author

NEW BOOKLET: Teresa of Avila – An Ancient Mystic Who Helped Shape Today’s Spiritual Formation Movement by Carolyn A. Greene is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet. The Booklet is 18 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 others or … [Read more…]

Posted in: Contemplative Practices, Contemplative Spirituality, Mystical Practices, RESOURCES, Spiritual Formation, The Ancient Mystics, The Role of Meditation Tagged: altered states, ancient mystics, avila, carolyn a. greene, Castles in the Sand, contemplative prayer, Dallas Willard, Gary Thomas, meditation, mysticism, prayer of quiet, Richard Foster, Rick Warren, roman catholic church, spiritual formation, Teresa of Avila

Letter to the Editor: Please Add BiblicalTraining.Org to Colleges/Schools Promoting Spiritual Formation (Contemplative Prayer)

April 4, 2017 by Letters to the Editor

To Lighthouse Trails: I have been studying Bill Mounce’s “Basics of Biblical Greek” textbook. It is an excellent course of study, but Mr. Mounce puts a plug for his website biblicaltraining.org. Though they are a Calvinist-based ministry, there are some good apologetic things and history things that I’ve looked at. I was shocked though when … [Read more…]

Posted in: Contemplative Colleges, Contemplative Practices, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Tagged: biblical training, bill mounce, celebration of discipline, Christian colleges, contemplative prayer, Dallas Willard, Gary Thomas, letter to the editor, Richard Foster, sacred pathways

Tantric (i.e., Contemplative) Sex and Christianity—A Match NOT Made in Heaven

June 12, 2015 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

The Bible says we live in a “crooked and perverse” world and that as believers we are to “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). The closer we move toward the “end of the age” (Matthew 24), the darker and more perverse the world becomes. Global peace plans, inter-faith movements, emergent spiritualities, and other … [Read more…]

Posted in: Contemplative Practices, Contemplative Spirituality, New Age movement Tagged: focus on the family, Gary Thomas, meditation, mysticism, New Age movement, occult, occultic, Ray Yungen, tantra, tantric sex

Letter to the Editor From a FORMER Contemplative: Focus on the Family’s “Father Gilbert’s Mysteries” Points Listeners to Contemplative Prayer

December 2, 2014 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

LTRP Note: This is perhaps one of the most significant letters we have ever received, not just because it exposes more of Focus on the Family’s contemplative propensities, but because it  shows the results (i.e., the “fruit”) of practicing contemplative prayer. This “fruit” is precisely why Lighthouse Trails has been crying out a warning for … [Read more…]

Posted in: Book/Film Reviews, Children and Meditation, CHILDREN AT RISK!, Christian Organizations, Christian Publishers/Bookstores, Contemplative Organizations, Contemplative Practices, Contemplative Spirituality, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Tagged: adventures in odyssey, Catholicism, CHILDREN AT RISK!, Christian leaders, contemplative prayer, Contemplative Spirituality, father gilbert mysteries, focus on the family, Gary Thomas, monasteries, Ray Yungen, spiritual deception

Mark Driscoll Resigns From Mars Hill Church For Social Failures – But Media Silent on Controversial Doctrinal Issues

October 20, 2014 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

On October 14, 2014, Mark Driscoll, the senior pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington for the past 18 years, formally resigned from his position after numerous accusations came against him from former members and others. As is the case with most mega-church pastors these days when they do just about anything different than … [Read more…]

Posted in: Calvinist/Reformed, Churches in Crisis!, Contemplative Churches, Contemplative Denominations, Contemplative Spirituality, Eschatology, Homeschooling at Risk, Spiritual Deception, Spiritual Formation, The Emerging Church, The New Spirituality Tagged: celebration of discipline, contemplative, endtimes, Gary Thomas, homeschoolers, jeff bethke, last days, Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill, media, noah, noah movie, rapture, Richard Foster, sacred pathways, scoffers, spiritual deception, vintage jesus, walter wink

Letter to the Editor: What To Do When Christian Charities, Such as Compassion, Turn Contemplative/Emergent

March 26, 2014 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

Hi Lighthouse Trails! Thank you so much for your ministry! My family has been learning about apostasy for a little while now, and we stumbled across your website recently. . . We read your article about VOM and Michael Wurmbrand and were deeply saddened by it.  We have supported VOM for many years so it … [Read more…]

Posted in: CHILDREN AT RISK!, Christian Organizations, Contemplative Organizations, Contemplative Spirituality, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Missions, The Emerging Church, The New Missiology Tagged: A Time of Departing, ann voskamp, cana initiative, christian palestinianism, compassion international, doug pagitt, emerging church, Gary Thomas, Missions, poverty, Ray Yungen, tony campolo, VOM, world vision

BOOK ALERT: Conformed to His Image by Ken Boa

April 20, 2012 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

The title of Ken Boa’s book, Conformed to His Image, is taken from the Scripture Romans 8:29: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” However, before believers delve into this book with the hope it … [Read more…]

Posted in: Book/Film Reviews Tagged: brother lawrence, conformed to his image, devotional classics, Gary Thomas, ignatius loyola, jean pierre de caussade, ken boa, kenneth boa, larry crabb, matthew fox, panentheism, Richard Foster

Letter to the Editor: Saddened and Alarmed at Focus on the Family’s Promoting Contemplative Spirituality

January 14, 2012 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

LTRP Note: The following letter to the LT editor and the response this person received from Focus on the Family is used with permission from our reader. Important to note that FOF’s response is similar to the response FOF was giving back in 2006 (when we received a letter from them) when asked why they were promoting Richard … [Read more…]

Posted in: Beth Moore, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Tagged: Beth Moore, contemplative, contemplative prayer, Contemplative Spirituality, focus on the family, Gary Thomas, james dobson, meditation, mysticism, panentheism, Ray Yungen, Richard Foster, spiritual formation, tim masters

Letter from Focus on the Family: Takes Lighthouse Trails with a “healthy dose of salt” & defends contemplative Gary Thomas

July 5, 2011 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

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 … [Read more…]

Posted in: Contemplative Spirituality Tagged: conjugal spirituality, contemplative prayer, focus on the family, fof, Gary Thomas, mantra meditation, tantric sex

Ann Voskamp’s Best Selling Book One Thousand Gifts – A Collision of Inspiration and the New Spirituality

June 19, 2011 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp is a 2010 Zondervan title that is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Seller. The author is a contributing writer for DaySpring, and she has a blog that receives 40-50 thousand visitors every week.1  Voskamp has risen quickly in popularity, with invitations to various conferences and other events. (In April, she spoke in … [Read more…]

Posted in: Book/Film Reviews, Concerns for Calvary Chapel, New Evangelicalism, pantheism & panentheism, Saddleback Tagged: ann voskamp, Calvary Chapel, conjugal spirituality, focus on the family, Gary Thomas, mary anne mcpherson oliver, one thousand gifts, panentheism, Rick Warren, sexuality, spirituality

Emanuel Swedenborg’s Occultic Beliefs Influence Rick Warren’s Health Advisor and Now the Christian Church

January 18, 2011 by Guest Writers

This is a  follow up article to our article,  Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many. Exclusive Lighthouse Trails Commentary by John Lanagan Free-Lance Writer My Word Like Fire Ministries “You can become a Reiki master in three weekends.” –Lisa Oz, wife of Dr. Mehmet Oz Perhaps it is not … [Read more…]

Posted in: Mystical Practices, Reiki/Energy Healing, Rick Warren, Saddleback, The Role of Meditation Tagged: dr. oz, Gary Thomas, Henri Nouwen, john lanagan, meditation, mysticism, Reiki, Rick Warren, Saddleback, spiritual deception, swedenborg

Mark Driscoll IS a Contemplative Proponent

December 21, 2009 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

Mark Driscoll is a name that has grown in popularity among evangelicals especially over the past few years. Somewhat known for his vulgar and crass language in public, he has been invited to speak at conferences by a wide assortment of Christian leaders–John Piper and Robert Schuller to name two. Driscoll also shared a platform this … [Read more…]

Posted in: Calvinist/Reformed, Contemplative Spirituality, Spiritual Formation Tagged: Contemplative Spirituality, driscoll, Gary Thomas, Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill, meditation, mysticism, Rick Warren

Search the Research

Categories

  • A Global Spirituality (605)
    • Chrislam (37)
    • Ecumenism (207)
    • One-World Religion (127)
  • Book/Film Reviews (701)
    • A Course in Miracles (4)
    • Book/Music Excerpts (328)
    • JESUS CALLING (74)
    • THE CHOSEN (20)
    • THE SHACK (69)
  • CHILDREN AT RISK! (662)
    • Abortion (66)
    • Child Abuse (104)
    • Children and Homosexuality (48)
    • Children and Meditation (94)
    • Education (67)
    • Homeschooling at Risk (31)
    • Kids and the Occult (25)
    • The Lisa/Isabella Miller Case (26)
    • Transgenderism (103)
    • Youth and Drugs (2)
  • Christian Organizations (143)
    • The Salvation Army (1)
  • Christian Publishers/Bookstores (139)
    • InterVarsity Press (66)
  • Churches in Crisis! (1,075)
    • Alpha Course (9)
    • Assemblies of God (27)
    • Bethel Church (Redding) (19)
    • Calvinist/Reformed (116)
    • Charismatic (47)
    • Christian & Missionary Alliance (18)
    • Concerns for Calvary Chapel (196)
    • EFCA (12)
    • Mennonites (8)
    • Methodists (63)
    • Nazarene Church (38)
    • Saddleback (247)
    • Southern Baptist Convention (106)
      • Beth Moore (45)
      • Priscilla Shirer (31)
    • Wesleyan Church (41)
    • Willow Creek/Hybels (59)
  • Conference Alerts (117)
  • Contemplative Spirituality (1,034)
    • Contemplative Churches (66)
    • Contemplative Colleges (207)
    • Contemplative Denominations (272)
    • Contemplative Organizations (108)
    • Contemplative Practices (272)
      • Enneagram (6)
      • Labyrinths (6)
      • Lectio Divina (77)
    • The Ancient Mystics (81)
  • Critical Race Theory (44)
  • Defending the Faith (1,065)
    • Creation/Evolution (64)
    • Discernment (100)
    • God's Word Under Attack (10)
    • Legalism (14)
    • Persecution (219)
    • REVIVAL (9)
    • Spiritual Deception (332)
    • The Preaching of the Cross (151)
    • The Word of God (256)
  • General Information (346)
    • RESOURCES (272)
  • Health (305)
    • Coronavirus (70)
    • Drugs/Marijuana (27)
    • Mindfulness (49)
    • Reiki/Energy Healing (38)
    • Shepherd's Bible Verse Tea (7)
    • YOGA (96)
  • Hinduism (40)
  • Homosexuality (420)
    • Same-Sex Marriage (183)
    • Transgenderism (116)
  • Interspirituality (199)
  • Israel (159)
  • LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (348)
  • Missions (132)
    • BRYCE HOMES FOR WIDOWS & CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL (97)
  • Music (49)
  • Native Spirituality (47)
  • New Age movement (439)
    • Oprah Winfrey (29)
    • Paganism (26)
    • pantheism & panentheism (109)
    • Roma Downey (14)
  • New Evangelicalism (119)
  • On Christian Faith (361)
    • Encouragement (67)
    • The Gospel (105)
  • Publishing News (70)
  • Purpose Driven Movement (282)
    • Rick Warren (143)
  • Remembering Communism (134)
    • Marxism/Socialism (85)
  • Remembering the Holocaust (129)
  • Road to Rome (266)
    • The New Evangelization (100)
  • Signs of the Times (1,213)
    • "Wokeism" (6)
    • Canada (64)
    • Dominionism (15)
    • Eschatology (113)
    • False Signs and Wonders (68)
    • FOR MILLENNIALS (30)
    • FREEDOM (252)
    • Hate Crime Laws (70)
    • Human Trafficking (7)
    • Islam (79)
    • Politics (436)
    • Pornography/Sexual Abuse (52)
    • The "New" Sciences (28)
  • Spiritual Formation (198)
  • The Emerging Church (533)
    • Social Justice (19)
    • The New Missiology (36)
    • Universalism (33)
  • The New (False) Spirituality (119)
  • The New Spirituality (233)
  • The Role of Meditation (288)
    • Mystical Practices (120)
  • World in Crisis (224)
  • YEARS IN REVIEW (87)

RSS Recent Posts

  • “Colorado Appeals Court Rules Against Jack Phillips, Masterpiece Cakeshop in Trans Cake Case” January 27, 2023
  • “U.S. Is ‘Most Permissive Country’ When It Comes to Transgender Treatments, Study Shows” January 26, 2023
  • “New Zealand’s Prime Minister Is The First Covid Tyrant To Fall, But She Won’t Be The Last” January 23, 2023
  • What Christian Leaders and Pastors Need to Know – The Final Outcome of Practicing Contemplative Prayer January 17, 2023
  • The Story of Mask-e-pe-toon – A Powerful Cree Chief Who Found the Truth Through Forgiveness January 16, 2023

Archives

  • “Colorado Appeals Court Rules Against Jack Phillips, Masterpiece Cakeshop in Trans Cake Case”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 27, 2023 at 1:16 pm

    “Colorado Appeals Court Rules Against Jack Phillips, Masterpiece Cakeshop in Trans Cake Case” LTRP Note: The following news story is posted for informational and research purposes. Lighthouse Trails has been posting reports on the case of cake baker, Jack Phillips, for a number of years now. Mr. Phillips has been in a legal battle because he refused to create a cake honoring transgenderism because of his Christian beliefs. ... [Read more...] The post “Colorado Appeals Court Rules Against Jack Phillips, Masterpiece Cakeshop in Trans Cake Case” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • “U.S. Is ‘Most Permissive Country’ When It Comes to Transgender Treatments, Study Shows”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 26, 2023 at 2:33 am

    “U.S. Is ‘Most Permissive Country’ When It Comes to Transgender Treatments, Study Shows” LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes. When Lighthouse Trails posts clips of out-of-house secular or religious news stories, it is not intended to be an endorsement of the source itself. But given that Lighthouse Trails is a research ministry, we post such items to provide information on events that are ... [Read more...] The post “U.S. Is ‘Most Permissive Country’ When It Comes to Transgender Treatments, Study Shows” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • “New Zealand’s Prime Minister Is The First Covid Tyrant To Fall, But She Won’t Be The Last”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 23, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    “New Zealand’s Prime Minister Is The First Covid Tyrant To Fall, But She Won’t Be The Last” LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes. By Helen RaleighThe Federalist New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation this week after being the nation’s leader for six years. She cited “burnout” as the reason. But many believe Ardern chose to exit early because she expected to face a humiliating defeat in ... [Read more...] The post “New Zealand’s Prime Minister Is The First Covid Tyrant To Fall, But She Won’t Be The Last” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • What Christian Leaders and Pastors Need to Know – The Final Outcome of Practicing Contemplative Prayer
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 17, 2023 at 8:02 pm

    What Christian Leaders and Pastors Need to Know – The Final Outcome of Practicing Contemplative Prayer LTRP Note: With the majority of Christian colleges and seminaries now bringing in contemplative spirituality via Spiritual Formation programs, and with Christian leaders such as Rick Warren and Beth Moore endorsing the movement, and with countless pastors giving it a thumbs up to their congregations, isn’t it time professors, pastors, and leaders understand what the ... [Read more...] The post What Christian Leaders and Pastors Need to Know – The Final Outcome of Practicing Contemplative Prayer appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • The Story of Mask-e-pe-toon – A Powerful Cree Chief Who Found the Truth Through Forgiveness
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 16, 2023 at 1:07 pm

    The Story of Mask-e-pe-toon – A Powerful Cree Chief Who Found the Truth Through Forgiveness By Egerton Ryerson Young(Missionary to the Cree people in Manitoba in the late 1800s) The following incident occurred years ago on the great plains of the Canadian Northwest, long before the waves of Anglo-Saxon civilization began to surge over those glorious fertile prairies which for so many generations were hid from the gaze of the ... [Read more...] The post The Story of Mask-e-pe-toon – A Powerful Cree Chief Who Found the Truth Through Forgiveness appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • “Federal Judge Finds West Virginia Law Barring Transgenders From Girls’ Sports Constitutional”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 13, 2023 at 1:47 pm

    “Federal Judge Finds West Virginia Law Barring Transgenders From Girls’ Sports Constitutional” LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes. By Michael TennantThe New American A federal judge upheld a West Virginia law requiring student athletes to compete with other members of their biological sex, dealing a blow to both the transgender movement and the Biden administration, which had supported the lawsuit challenging the ... [Read more...] The post “Federal Judge Finds West Virginia Law Barring Transgenders From Girls’ Sports Constitutional” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • My Journey Out of Catholicism
    by Lighthouse Trails author on January 12, 2023 at 4:00 pm

    My Journey Out of Catholicism By David Dombrowski Over the years, I have encountered many Christians who wonder, “What’s wrong with being Catholic? After all, they believe in the Cross; they believe Jesus is the Son of God. It can’t be all that bad.” If you are a Christian who has wondered about these things, this special testimonial report is ... [Read more...] The post My Journey Out of Catholicism appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • “Social Media’s Antisemitic Underbelly”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 7, 2023 at 1:13 pm

    “Social Media’s Antisemitic Underbelly” LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes. It is from the Christian publication, Israel My Glory. The publishers, The Friends of Israel, just released a special edition on antisemitism: “A Biblical Look at Antisemitism. Below is one of the articles in that edition. You may read the entire edition by clicking ... [Read more...] The post “Social Media’s Antisemitic Underbelly” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • “Exiled Moscow Chief Rabbi: Jews Should Leave Russia Before They Are Scapegoated”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 7, 2023 at 12:49 pm

    “Exiled Moscow Chief Rabbi: Jews Should Leave Russia Before They Are Scapegoated” LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes. By Ash ObelTimes of Israel Amid rising antisemitism, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt warns that historical precedent indicates Jewish community will be blamed for country’s problems Moscow’s exiled former chief rabbi, Pinchas Goldschmidt, has warned Russian Jews that they may become scapegoats for hardships brought on ... [Read more...] The post “Exiled Moscow Chief Rabbi: Jews Should Leave Russia Before They Are Scapegoated” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

  • Lighthouse Trails 2022 Year in Review—Final Part—Top 10 Articles
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on January 2, 2023 at 3:43 pm

    Lighthouse Trails 2022 Year in Review—Final Part—Top 10 Articles (See Year in Review 2022, Part 1 – The Chosen; see Year in Review 2022, Part 2 – Letters and Comments) The Final part of the Lighthouse Trails 2022 Year in Review lists the top 10 articles we posted this past year from guest writers and Lighthouse Trails authors. Listed in order of when they were ... [Read more...] The post Lighthouse Trails 2022 Year in Review—Final Part—Top 10 Articles appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

SHARE
Call Now
https://www.lighthousetrails.com

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

HOME ABOUT US RESEARCH JOURNAL BOOKLETS RESOURCES OUR WEBSITES

Copyright 2002-2023. Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Inc.