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…]
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…]
(See Year in Review 2022, Part 1, The Chosen) While we receive numerous letters, comments, calls, and e-mails throughout the year, and consider them all important and of value, we believe the 10 letters and comments below illustrate very well what many of our readers are concerned about in these difficult days. Click the “Read more” … [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…]
To Lighthouse Trails Editors: Are you able to tell me the evidence that you gained by putting Grace College and Theological Seminary on your page of colleges you warn about? Our son is considering this college, and this was disappointing to see. C. Dear C., The school is on our list because they have incorporated … [Read more…]
The following is the new 2022 2nd edition of our 2013 booklet: Epidemic of Apostasy—How Christian Colleges Must Incorporate “Spiritual Formation” to Become Accredited. There is some important information in this updated edition, and we want to encourage everyone on this site to read it. Epidemic of Apostasy—How Christian Colleges Must Incorporate “Spiritual Formation” to … [Read more…]
Two years ago, Lighthouse Trails posted an article titled “Christian Colleges and Seminaries in More Trouble Than Ever as Many Plunge Into Emergent Spirituality.” As Christian parents are preparing to send their high-school graduate kids to Christian colleges and universities this coming fall, we hope that article (posted below) will provide a desperately needed warning. … [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: I thank you for the work you are doing for God’s kingdom. I enjoy your newsletters and have been taught many things to steer clear of because of your faithful and great teaching. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Our daughter, unfortunately, attended a Christian college in the mid 90s (Westmont College … [Read more…]
Hello Lighthouse Trails: I am grateful to God for using you and your website to open my eyes on so many spiritual war fronts. The reason I am writing this e-mail is because I am looking for a list of Christian higher education establishments that have signed on with the woke movement. I recently applied to … [Read more…]
Lighthouse Trails friend, author, and ministry colleague Chris Lawson (director of Spiritual Research Network) has created a new YouTube channel for Ray Yungen’s lecture and conference videos. We want to thank Chris for providing this resource; and we hope you will get a chance to check it out. For those who are not familiar with … [Read more…]
By David Dombrowski From the onset of Lighthouse Trails in 2002, we have always endeavored to be connected with the body of believers scattered throughout the world who are very concerned, as we are, with the state of the church today. Many of our readers have told us they feel very alone and even ostracized … [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…]
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…]
In 2020, a major motion picture called The Secret: Dare to Dream was released and is available through major outlets such as Amazon Prime and Netflix. The movie is based on a 2006 documentary and book called The Secret. In 2007, Lighthouse Trails reported on the documentary film and the book, The Secret, both which … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: For over a decade, Lighthouse Trails has been issuing warnings regarding the Church of the Nazarene’s embracing of contemplative and emergent teachings (i.e., Spiritual Formation). We have focused largely on the numerous Nazarene universities that have been training future Nazarene pastors with these unbiblical teachings. In 2004, our editors spoke with Dr. Jim … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: Since the inception of Lighthouse Trails in 2002, we have been researching and warning about what is happening in today’s Christian colleges, seminaries, and universities. The letter below from Manny Silva (co-founder of Concerned Nazarenes) (posted with his permission) illustrates the great dilemma in which many Christian parents find themselves today, and it … [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…]
By Ray Yungen God’s DesireJust what exactly is God’s desire for mankind? Does He want to send people to Hell? Does He want anyone to live eternally without Him? Scripture is very clear about this when it says: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to … [Read more…]
According to Wikipedia, Lent is: . . . a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks (40 days) later on Holy Thursday, the memorial of the Lord’s supper the Thursday of Holy Week before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of … [Read more…]
In 2013, we posted an article titled “What’s Up with Lilly Endowment – Funding Pastoral Sabbaticals with a Contemplative Agenda.” Below is a copy of that article (with excerpts from a related 2007 article). In it, it provides a link to the list of churches whose pastors were “winners” of the 2012 Lilly Endowment grants. … [Read more…]
Dear Lighthouse Trails: I know you have posted some things regarding the EFCA back in 2013-2014 and contemplative spirituality, but I haven’t seen anything more current so I thought I would share some things with you that I see. As a member (Technically) of an EFCA church, I accidentally stumbled across some things that, if correct, … [Read more…]
Three years ago today author and researcher Ray Yungen passed away at the age of 64. As regular Lighthouse Trails readers know, it was through Ray’s work that Lighthouse Trails began nearly 18 years ago. Interestingly, on the eve of this 3rd anniversary of Ray’s departure, we read an e-mail notice we received this week … [Read more…]
An April 2019 Religion News Service article titled, “For Millennials, Mysticism Shows a Path to Their Home Faiths” reveals how young (millennial) evangelicals are “[d]iscovering the Christian mystical tradition through the work of Franciscan friar Richard Rohr.” The article states: [Anthony] Graffagnino [28] was one of a number of millennials drawn to The Universal Christ—a … [Read more…]
Contemplative prayer is hearing the word of God … Contemplative prayer is silence.—Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 edition, p. 652 LTRP Note: Since 2002, Lighthouse Trails has continued to issue warnings about contemplative prayer. We began our warnings after meeting Ray Yungen in the year 2000 and examining his extensive research. One of the … [Read more…]
“I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus. The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away.’ By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. . . . to the LGBTQ+ community, I want to say that I … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is in regard to our article: Walk to Emmaus and Tres Dias – A Walk to Deception. To Lighthouse Trails: There are NO MANTRAS in the Walk to Emmaus or any other cursillo movement. We follow a strict Bible centered curriculum covered with prayer and praise. I … [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…]
Lighthouse Trails has known for several years that Calvin College is a contemplative-promoting institution, but it looks like that influence has seeped into a ministry of Calvin College, Hymnary.org, an online resource that provides the lyrics and information for thousands of hymns. A Lighthouse Trails reader brought to our attention this week that on the … [Read more…]
