The Church’s fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.1—Alan Jones, Episcopal contemplative priest The New Age believes that the teachings of the East and … [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…]
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…]
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…]
If there is one thing we don’t hear much about from today’s Christian leaders and pastors, it is the importance of testing the spirits. The idea comes from the Bible in 1 John 4:1, which states: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets … [Read more…]
Navigators is a Christian organization, founded in 1933 by a young man named Dawson Trotman, that eventually became a household name in the evangelical church.* The Navigators motto is, “To Know Christ and to Make Him Known.” However, Navigators and its publishing arm NavPress have been on a contemplative trend for over 15 years, and … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: I recently began reading A Time of Departing. A very well-documented book. I am blown away by the amount of research Ray Yungen put into that book! Thank you for publishing it. Thank you also for your posts dealing with the Spiritual Formation movement, contemplative prayer, etc. I do not know exactly … [Read more…]
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, often called the “Father of the New Age movement,” is on a list of “40 influential Christian books” on two popular Christian news sites, The Christian Post and The Christian Examiner. The article, which provides the list, states: Every thoughtful Christian can probably appreciate these 40 volumes in the journey to … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: I read the story behind Lighthouse Trails a couple of times, and it hit me that we are going to reach only a fraction of evangelical believers because the movement has progressed so much farther into Contemplative Spirituality (CS) than I had realized. I became aware of CS five years ago, so … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: This week, we received the following letter to the editor 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 his … [Read more…]
As we reported earlier this week, mega-church pastor (and son of Charles Stanley) says that Christian leaders need to “get the spotlight off the Bible.” Stanley may think he has come up with some unique idea and saying, but he hasn’t. It’s the same ol’ emerging talk that has been going on with emergent figures … [Read more…]
By Ray Yungen and the Editors at Lighthouse Trails In an article released in January 2016 written by New Age leader Deepak Chopra titled, “Will Pope Francis Become a Holy Man for the World?,” Chopra states, Pope Francis I is poised to be more than a very popular pontiff . . . He could rise … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: Wow, so glad to hear about your efforts to reach out to Christian Leaders to warn them about Jesus Calling. Whether they heed the warnings or not, thank you for doing this!! While I don’t have any names to add to your list, (you covered most of the major leaders), the idea … [Read more…]
To Lighthouse Trails: I have sent you some material I thought I would never be sending you. First of all, Dr. Clyde Narramore, founder of the Narramore Christian Foundation, has gone to be with the Lord on 7/27/15 at the age of 98. Second, the magazine Psychology For Living is put out by the Narramore … [Read more…]
In the Summer 2015 Journal of the Southern Baptist Convention, an article titled “Great Awakening” states: Thousands of messengers at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention knelt in prayer and raised their hands to heaven July 16 as they prayed for revival in the church and a great awakening across the United States. . . . … [Read more…]
In case you still aren’t sure about William Paul Young and his book The Shack—in case you still have some doubts as to whether Young is really of a New Age/New Spirituality persuasion—in case after reading articles at Lighthouse Trails revealing Young’s anti-biblical views on atonement and the Cross—and in case after reading Warren B. … [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 … [Read more…]
IF it is of God—Answering the questions of IF:Gathering by Cedric Fisher 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 others or for your own personal use. … [Read more…]
By David Dombrowski Editor at Lighthouse Trails The church of today is very much astir. Everywhere we turn, embellishments are being added to Christianity as if to improve it. The old ways do not seem to satisfy anymore. A great influx of new teachings and practices have exchanged the God of old as depicted in the … [Read more…]
by Ray Yungen If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their teachings are creeping past many Christians, then maybe the definition of creeping might help. The term means: slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent until you look back over a long time period. For instance, creeping inflation is not noticed in the … [Read more…]
By Berit Kjos (author of How to Protect Your Child From the New Age and Spiritual Deception) The Spiritual Formation movement is widely promoted at colleges and seminaries as the latest and the greatest way to become a spiritual leader. It teaches people that this is how they can become more intimate with God and … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: As many of you know, Roger Oakland, of Understand the Times, International, and Chris Lawson, of Spiritual Research Network, are former Calvary Chapel pastors/teachers, who both left the movement when their warnings about the infiltration of serious false teachings fell on deaf ears for several years and when they felt they could no … [Read more…]
Update: Feb. 23, 2014: When this article below was written on Feb. 13, 2014, the Faith Baptist Bible College bookstore was not carrying Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling (though they were carrying a couple of her other books). They had been carrying Jesus Calling last year but removed the book when Lighthouse Trails had informed the … [Read more…]
Greetings Lighthouse Trails: I never thought I would be writing you, but I would like to tell you how much I appreciate your efforts, for few are those doing your type of ministry, certainly not in my experience, especially at the local level by church leadership! Let me get straight to the point of my writing—my … [Read more…]
Not only are there political quests being achieved through the indoctrination of these young people, but these young followers are becoming convinced that a socialistic religion-killing society is the only solution for man. Jeff Bethke, the 24-year-old man who did the anti-religion YouTube video in 2012, is back in the news again. This time, he has a book about his subject … [Read more…]
To Lighthouse Trails: Recently my home church added a new pastor as the leader of Small Groups/Spiritual Formation. I am very concerned. Soon after taking this position he introduced a book by James Bryan Smith titled The Good and Beautiful God. This book is to be studied at each of our church’s small groups in … [Read more…]
Brennan Manning’s “New Monks” & Their Dangerous Contemplative Monasticism written by John Caddock 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. Below is the content of the booklet. To order copies of Brennan Manning’s “New Monks” & Their … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: Two and a half years ago the leadership of the Western PA District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance invited Ruth Haley Barton to speak to its pastors and lay delegates at its annual District Conference. I sat in amazement as I watched my fellow pastors nod their heads in affirmation as … [Read more…]
Over the past year, there has been a number of deaths among those whom Lighthouse Trails has critiqued for their doctrinal and theological teachings. Last week, we received the following e-mail: To Lighthouse Trails: As much as I disagree with the doctrines that are being taught by Rick Warren and his church, we should still “weep … [Read more…]
In a article titled “How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What Can Be Done About It,” Biola University professor J.P. Moreland says that evangelical Christians are too committed to the Bible. He states: “In the actual practices of the Evangelical community in North America, there is an over-commitment to Scripture in a way that is false, … [Read more…]
