Last week, a news release from InterVarsity Press, arrived in our inbox (Lighthouse Trails is on their e-mail list in order to track their continual flow of contemplative/emergent/New-Age sympathizing books). The news release was announcing the seven-year anniversary of the release of their book, The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and is … [Read more…]
By Ray Yungen Throughout my Christian life I have periodically heard fellow Christians suggest we are in the last days. Often these comments were initiated from current cases of violent crimes, sexual perversions, war, or natural disasters. Since I knew history had repeatedly encountered these calamities, such predictions of Christ’s imminent return rang hollow. However, … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: Thanks again for all your effort and time that you put into this; it is greatly appreciated by many of us. There was a friend in our Bible study who was very much connected with contemplative spirituality and New Age. I gave her a copy of A Time of Departing for her consideration, … [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: Lighthouse Trails wrote this report in 2014. Since then, we have watched “Spiritual Formation” explode within the church. After over twenty years of warnings, to our dismay, the issue has not been challenged or even questioned by most of today’s Christian leaders and pastors. By Lighthouse Trails Editors Is your church involved in … [Read more…]
By the Editors at Lighthouse Trails Over the past several years, a number of our readers have asked us why we have not written about the theologian A.W. Tozer and warned our readers about his often quoting and referencing medieval-period and other mystics (many of them Roman Catholics). Thus, we have known about Tozer’s affinity … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is asking about a practice called visio divina. Below her letter are our comments, and below that is our article/booklet on Lectio Divina. Dear Lighthouse Trails: I’m attending a Bible study at _________________________, and they recently had a women’s 2-day conference. I didn’t attend, because throughout the … [Read more…]
“The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will be nothing.”—mystic Karl Rahner With the Asbury “revival” spreading into various other colleges and universities (and even churches), and with so much talk about revival today, one question that needs to be asked is, what kind of Christian will the majority of today’s … [Read more…]
According to one definition, Lent is: While the Bible does not give any instruction to practice or participate in Lent, many churches do. In fact, since the contemplative prayer movement has come into full swing, more and more churches are observing Lent. And, in fact, Lent is often being used as the open door to … [Read more…]
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…]
LTRP Note: Please see editors notes below this letter. Dear Lighthouse Trails: Today my neighbor who’s in an emergent church . . . told me his church started a sermon series called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.” Hmm . . . I’ve left enough emergent churches to know a sermon series probably has a book. … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: I am enclosing some magazine articles put out by the Salvation Army during the summer of 2022. One of them is from Peer magazine that is for teenagers and college-age kids. The article from that magazine is about [the Catholic contemplative mystic] Henri Nouwen. The other article, “Meditation in Movement,” is from … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: It appears that Wycliffe Bible Translators has been introducing the deception of contemplative spirituality (i.e., Spiritual Formation) to its members as the letter to the editor and our own documentation below show. Lighthouse Trails Comments: Lighthouse Trails has substantiated our reader’s letter about Wycliffe Bible Translators as you can see in the links … [Read more…]
By Ray Yungen Contemplative advocates propose that something vital and important has been missing from the church for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have been lacking something necessary for their spiritual vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now the secret key … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: Are you familiar with the Lectio 365 app? It is being promoted at my church and the small amount of research I’ve done has me concerned. Thank you so much for your boldness in standing up for God’s Truth. C.D. Our comments: This group is connected with Pete Greig (Red Moon Rising) whom we … [Read more…]
By Ray Yungen Two authors from Great Britain portray a stunningly clear picture of New Age spirituality. They explain: [T]he keynote of it appears to be a movement for synthesis derived from an understanding of the underlying unity behind all things and the sense of oneness that this brings. This oneness of all life is the … [Read more…]
NEW BOOKLET: Drugs, Meditation, & “A Fully Developed Spirituality” by David Dombrowski is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet. The Booklet is 14 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are available. Our Booklets are designed to give away to others or for your own personal use. If you know someone who … [Read more…]
Without the mystical connection, there can be no oneness. The second always follows the first. Here lies the heart of occultism. By Ray Yungen Many Christians might have great difficulty accepting the assessment that what is termed Christian mysticism is, in truth, not Christian at all. They might feel this rejection is spawned by a … [Read more…]
Long-time Lighthouse Trails readers are well aware that InterVarsity Press (one of evangelical Christianity’s biggest publishers) began down the contemplative spirituality path many years ago. But most Christians are not aware of this and many turn to publishers like IVP for their spiritual nourishment. But doing so leads to spiritual disaster rather than spiritual benefit. … [Read more…]
Recently, we received an e-mail from a reader who is trying to explain to some people in a prominent Christian organization who are practicing contemplative prayer that contemplative prayer (i.e., Christian contemplation) is no different than Eastern meditation (i.e., mysticism). The following article by Ray Yungen explains what contemplative prayer is and how it is … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is one we received a few years ago, referring to a book review about Brennan Manning’s book, The Signature of Jesus. The review was written by John Caddock and was the first piece we ever read on the Internet refuting contemplative prayer shortly after we met Ray Yungen and … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is written by one of our readers out of a deep sadness and concern that K.P. Yohannon, in his 2020 book, Never Give Up, is showing a strong affinity to contemplative mystics. In that book, Yohannon says he is learning things from the Desert Fathers and the … [Read more…]
For many years, Lighthouse Trails has tried to warn the church about evangelical publishing houses that are releasing countless materials which promote and teach contemplative spirituality. One of the publishing companies that is at the forefront of this effort to bring the New Age/new spirituality practice of contemplative prayer into the church is InterVarsity Press … [Read more…]
By John LanaganThe Word Like Fire Ministries False teachers and false movements abound. Some do lasting damage. Some false teachings are short-lived. But there is one deceptive “prayer” practice in particular that continues to infect the visible church. This is contemplative prayer. The practice has a powerful teacher-advocate who has brought contemplative darkness to young … [Read more…]
By David Dombrowski The expression “Where are we going?” is not an uncommon one, but whether it be a child asking a parent or a fellow traveler posing the question, it usually denotes a sense of being lost and one of concern. Then, of course, posing the question to a stranger could be one of … [Read more…]
LTRJ Note: For 18 years, Lighthouse Trails has been warning about the contemplative prayer movement and its role in creating an “emergent” “progressive” church. Part of our investigative research scope has included Christian universities and seminaries, a majority of which now promote contemplative spirituality. Liberty University, one of the largest Christian universities in the U.S., … [Read more…]
By Lighthouse Trails Editors Is your church involved in a Spiritual Formation program? If so, you might want to ask the question, what exactly is Spiritual Formation? It’s a fair question, and one that, if not asked, could end up surprising you when your church changes in ways you never imagined. A Christianity Today article states: “Spiritual … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: I bought and gave the Be Still DVD to my last pastor prior to moving out of state. My husband and I had become horrified at the Beth Moore’s women’s gatherings that were being promoted at our church. I was already very familiar with Beth Moore’s stance on contemplative prayer. This gentleman, … [Read more…]
Since 2016, Lighthouse Trails has been sending out topical booklets three times a year to a growing list of pastors and Christian leaders. If you would like your pastor or a church leader to begin receiving these mailings, please send the name and a valid mailing address to us at editors@lighthousetrails.com. The names and addresses … [Read more…]
[I]f you were to jump off a cliff with the intent to fly saying the word “fly, fly, fly” as you jump off and someone else jumped off the same cliff with the intent to hit the bottom saying “fall, fall, fall” as he jumps off, in either case both will hit the bottom. – Ray … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following is a chapter from Castles in the Sand, a Lighthouse Trails novel based on true facts, exposing the dangers of contemplative spirituality. The story is about a young Christian college girl who is introduced to mysticism through her spiritual formation professor. In the following chapter, Tessa, troubled by some of the strange symptoms … [Read more…]
