Coming From the Lighthouse

Newsletter

Printer Friendly Version (click here) March 10, 2008

In This Issue -

SPECIAL REPORT:...Cedarville University Controversy Escalates - Draws Broader Attention

ACSI (Association of Christian Schools) Recommends Brian McLaren and Defends Mysticism

They Say "I AM" - "For Many Shall Come in My Name"

700,000 commit to exploring East-West-hybrid mysticism

Ancient-Future Heresies

COMING SUMMER 2008! God's of the New Age

Publishing News

Newsletter in Print - Coming Soon

SPECIAL REPORT:

Cedarville University Controversy Escalates - Draws Broader Attention

There's been a controversy raging at Cedarville University for some time now, and on March 7th a major news source caught wind of the situation. In an article titled "Termination of 2 Tenured Bible Professors Leads to Unease at University in Ohio," The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Cedarville's firing of two tenured professors has "prompted the American Association of University Professors to open an investigation."

The firing of the two professors, David Hoffeditz and David Mappes, took place last summer just a few months after new annual contracts had been issued by the University to the two professors. According to Hoffeditz, whom Lighthouse Trails spoke to on the 7th, neither professor received any warning that this action was going to happen. In a statement posted online by Hoffeditz, he said the following:

I was never able to view any evidence for the charges being leveled at me, denied the opportunity to listen to my accusers, or cross-examine them, and the Administration was permitted to submit accusation leveled at me by nameless witnesses. 1

Now, according to the Chronicle article, "a grievance panel at the institution [has] reached a split decision in favor of one of the fired professors [Hoffeditz], citing administrative missteps as part of its rationale."

While the Chronicle focuses primarily on the firing and after affects of Hoffeditz and Mappes, a number of other events have taken place over the last year and a half that would indicate the problem is not isolated to the two professors fired last summer.

Cedarville University came to the attention of Lighthouse Trails Research in June of 2006, when we reported on Christian colleges and universities that had begun to incorporate Spiritual Formation into their schools. Cedarville was among those named. 2 Our report pointed to a Recommended Book List put out by Cedarville President, Dr. William (Bill) Brown. The list included the names of emergent leader Brian McLaren, New Age guru James Redfield (The Celestine Prophecy), Leonard Sweet (no longer on the list), and Philip Yancey.

In October of 2006, Lighthouse Trails issued a second report titled Cedarville University Heading Down the Contemplative Road?. The report focused on a 64-page handbook where contemplative Dallas Willard was quoted in two sidebar commentaries. The quotes came from Willard's book, The Spirit of the Disciplines. Willard's book carries a disturbing endorsement on the back cover - that of Sue Monk Kidd. Monk Kidd, once a conservative Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher now promotes panentheism and goddess worship. In her book, When the Heart Waits, she states:

There's a bulb of truth buried in the human soul [everyone] that's only God ... the soul is more than something to win or save. It's the seat and repository of the inner Divine, the God-image, the truest part of us.

In addition to Monk Kidd's endorsement on the cover of Willard's book, Willard favorably quotes Thomas Merton in his own book and helped to launch Richard Foster's Renovare Spiritual Formation Study Bible. On Willard's website, he recommends a number of contemplative panentheists and has also written the foreword to contemplative proponent Ruth Haley Barton's book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence. Willard is currently very involved with the Spiritual Formation Forum, working with Richard Foster to bring the contemplative message to all who are open. There is a reason that Willard is connected to Monk Kidd, Barton, and Foster, and that is because they all resonate with each other.

During the course of the 2006-2007 school year, David Hoffeditz and David Mappes were not the only faculty dismissals that took place. According to a document by The Coalition of the Concerned (a group of retired and current faculty members who represent over 500 years of service to Cedarville), "five Department of Biblical Education faculty members [including Hoffeditz and Mappes] were either terminated or resigned at the conclusion of the 2006-07 academic year." All five members were known to be theologically conservative. The Chronicle article reported that "a climate of fear at Cedarville" exists now and "many faculty members worry that tenure means little. "There is a general reluctance on the part of faculty to disagree" with the administration "for fear of retribution."

R. Bartholomew, ('57, faculty emeritus) has created a website titled Cedarville Situation, in an effort to clarify and document both the terminations of these faculty members as well as the influence that non-biblical theologies (such as emergent) are having on the school. Bartholomew explains:

Essentially (though not inclusively) the doctrinal issue is between those who hold that truth cannot be known with certainty and those who hold that truth can indeed be known with certainty.

The Coalition of the Concerned describes this problem as a move toward a "non-foundational, post-conservative" view of evangelical Christianity. In essence, Bartholomew and the Coalition have identified the influence that the emerging church is having on Cedarville (and most other Christian higher learning institutions). To put it simply, emergent spirituality states that biblical doctrine cannot be defined in stable terms (i.e., it is always changing because culture, questions, the world is always changing). Thus there can be no certainty of truth or doctrine.

As is the case with so many Christian colleges and universities now, Cedarville University has faculty members who would be sympathetic to this emergent framed Christianity, and those faculty members who might oppose this from happening are often hesitant to speak up for fear of losing their positions or being reprimanded in some form.

This controversy at Cedarville came to a head recently after the school invited emerging church activist Shane Claiborne to speak at Cedarville on February 11th, then soon after cancelled the event. Lighthouse Trails reported in January of the Claiborne event and explained that proceeds from Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, would be going in part to emerging church ministries such as Brian McLaren's home church, mysticism proponent Rob Bell's church, and other emerging type organizations that would not resonate with Cedarville's historical theological standing. Unfortunately, Cedarville did not cancel a scheduled speaking engagement with Brad Kallenberg, author of Live to Tell: Evangelism for a Postmodern Age.

Christianity Today picked up on the story of Cedarville's cancellation of Claiborne and quoted Cedarville Vice President of Student Life Carl Ruby as saying that most of the opposition for the event came from off campus. The CT article stated that one Cedarville student believed his peers "were upset ... because the administration was bowing to the will of various bloggers, thus sheltering them." However, one source told Lighthouse Trails this week that there could be as many as 80% of the faculty at Cedarville that are against emerging spirituality and the non-foundational, postmodern approach to Christianity. But, as The Coalition for the Concerned stated, faculty and department heads "are often left out of the decision making process" (p. 3).

In our preparation for that January report, Lighthouse Trails spoke with Carl Ruby. He said he visited the Lighthouse Trails Research website and was very fond of many of the people we critique. Given the fact that all of the names we critique promote mantra-style mysticism and given the fact that Ruby told us he had no reservations about having someone like Claiborne speaking, we should be very concerned about the welfare of Cedarville University students. And based on what has happened to several of the faculty members, we perhaps should be very concerned about the faculty too. With the rapid growth of contemplative and emerging spirituality within Christian colleges and universities today, what is taking place at Cedarville may be what will happen at other schools too where those professors who try to maintain biblical integrity could soon be standing in unemployment lines.

Related News and Documentation:

Cedarville University Bringing Emerging Church Activist to Campus

Cedarville University Cancels Shane Claiborne Event

SPECIAL COMMENTARY: Christianity Today Blames "Bloggers" for Resistance

Public Statement by David Hoffeditz

The New Christians

ACSI (Association of Christian Schools) Recommends Brian McLaren and Defends Mysticism

On January 28th, Lighthouse Trails reported that ACSI (Association of Christian Schools) has begun to promote contemplative spirituality through their Spiritual Formation program, in which contemplative books are being recommended and offered to ACSI members. In addition, ACSI is telling attendees of the Early Education Conference on April 19, 2008 to read Henri Nouwen's book, In the Name of Jesus for preparation for the conference.1 (p. 3) Now, we are sorry to report that ACSI is recommending to its 5300 member schools Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christian. McLaren, who has made many public statements that attempt to derail biblical Christianity, is part of the emerging church movement.

In addition to the McLaren recommendation, ACSI president Ken Smitherman speaks favorably of emerging leader and mysticism proponent Rob Bell's book, Velvet Elvis. Bell shows in that book his propensity toward the New Age by calling Ken Wilber's book, A Brief History of Everything , "mind blowing," telling readers to spend three months studying it. 2

In a March 2008 letter written by Smitherman to members, he defends his embracing of mystical spirituality. He explains:

Does the term mystic bring concern? There is much writing today about what a mystic does and about what mysticism is. Sadly, mysticism gets relegated to only addressing the realm of the paranormal or the occult. A little research, however, provides a rich and robust history of mysticism and its role in the Christian faith.

To substantiate this "robust history of mysticism," Smitherman points to an article by Will Reaves titled "Reclaiming Mysticism for Christ." In that article, Reaves talks about the "reinvigorating" of the church:

Mysticism has been a powerful force in shaping Christian spirituality, with people as diverse as the original desert fathers to Blaise Pascal seeking to know God in deeper ways than reason can provide. It has also provided the spark for reform movements, giving the church a prophetic voice in times of trial. The work of Richard Foster and others has helped kindle interest in how previous generations of Christians met God. In the area of mysticism, particularly, we have much to learn from them.

In Smitherman's March letter, he tries to distinguish between what he calls "occult" mysticism and Christian mysticism. But by directing people to read Dallas Willard, Henri Nouwen, Michael Zigarelli 3, Rob Bell, and Brian McLaren, he is promoting the very thing he says is wrong. And if ACSI members (which represent nearly 1.2 million students worldwide) take Will Reaves advice, they will turn to Richard Foster, from whom Reaves says "we have much to learn." But what people will learn from Richard Foster involves the spirituality of panentheist and eastern-style mystic Thomas Merton.

In Smitherman's letter, in his efforts to convince readers that mysticism is a good thing and should be practiced, he quotes theologian Francis Schaeffer from his book True Spirituality:

Christian mysticism is communion with Christ. It is Christ bringing forth fruit through me, the Christian, with no loss of personality and without my being used as a stick or a stone. (True Spirituality, p. 49)

But Smitherman has misconstrued what Schaeffer was saying, and in actuality, Schaeffer's comments about "Christian mysticism" condemn contemplative spirituality (that of Foster, Willard, Bell, Zigarelli, Merton, etc). In Schaeffer's book, he uses the term Christian mysticism to explain the born-again experience. Taking his quote above in context puts a different light on Schaeffer's comments:

Christ really lives in me if I have accepted Christ as my Savior... Christ lives in me. The Christ who was crucified - the Christ whose work is finished - the Christ who is glorified now has promised (John 15) to bring forth fruit in the Christian... Here is true Christian mysticism. [It is based] on propositional truth.

Schaeffer identifies the born-again experience (Jesus Christ coming into the heart of a sinner through faith) as a mystical experience. Ray Yungen elaborates on this. It is vital to understand what is being said here:

While certain instances in the Bible describe mystical experiences, I see no evidence anywhere of God sanctioning man-initiated mysticism. Legitimate mystical experiences were always initiated by God to certain individuals for certain revelations and was never based on a method for the altering of consciousness. In Acts 11:5, Peter fell into a trance while in prayer. But it was God, not Peter, who initiated the trance and facilitated it.

By definition, a mystic, on the other hand, is someone who uses rote methods in an attempt to tap into their inner divinity. Those who use these methods put themselves into a trance state outside of God's sanction or protection and thus engage in an extremely dangerous approach. Besides, nowhere in the Bible are such mystical practices prescribed. For instance, the Lord, for the purpose of teaching people a respect for His holiness and His plans, instated certain ceremonies for His people (especially in the Old Testament). Nonetheless, Scripture contains no reference in which God promoted mystical practices. The gifts of the Spirit spoken of in the New Testament were supernatural in nature but did not fall within the confines of mysticism. God bestowed spiritual gifts without the Christian practicing a method beforehand to get God's response.

Proponents of contemplative prayer would respond with, What about Psalms 46:10? "Be still and know that I am God." This verse is often used by those promoting contemplative prayer. On the surface, this argument can seem valid, but once the meaning of "still" is examined, any contemplative connection is expelled. The Hebrew meaning of the word is to slacken, cease, or abate. In other words, the context is to slow down and trust God rather than get in a dither over things. Relax and watch God work....

It should also be pointed out that being born again, in and of itself, is mystical. But it is a direct act of God, initiated by Him--the Holy Spirit has regenerated the once-dead spirit of man into a living spirit through Christ. Yet, we notice that even in this most significant of experiences when one is "passed from death into life" (John 5:24), God accomplishes this without placing the individual in an altered state of consciousness.

We can take this a step further by looking at the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts, chapter 2 where those present were "all filled with the Holy Spirit" (vs. 4). Notice that they were "all with one accord in one place" (vs. 1) when the Holy Spirit descended on them. From the context of the chapter, it is safe to assume this was a lively gathering of believers engaged in intelligent conversation. Then, when those present began to speak in other tongues, it was not an episode of mindless babbling or vain repetition as in a mantra. Rather it was an event of coherent speech significant enough to draw a crowd who exclaimed, "we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God" (vs. 11). Other observers who suspected they were in an altered state of consciousness said, "They are full of new wine" (vs. 13). Notice that Peter was quick to correct this group in asserting that they were all fully conscious. Would it not then stand to reason that their minds were not in any kind of altered state? Next, Peter delivered one of the most carefully articulated speeches recorded in Scripture. This was certainly not a group of men in a trance.
So, through the lens of perhaps the two most meaningful mystical experiences recorded in the New Testament (i.e., being born again and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost), an altered state of consciousness was never sought after nor was it achieved. In fact, a complete search of both Old and New Testaments reveals there were only two types of experiences sanctioned by God where the recipient is not fully awake--namely dreams and visions--and in each case the experience is initiated by God. Conversely, every instance of a self-induced trance recorded in Scripture is adamantly condemned by God as we see summarized in the following verses:

When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:9-11)...

[N]owhere in the Bible is the silence [such as taught by Richard Foster] equated with the "power of God," but the "message of the cross" (1 Corinthians 1:18) most certainly is! (from A Time of Departing, ch. 2)

The very fact that Francis Schaeffer said what he was referring to was based on "propositional truth," proves he was NOT talking about contemplative spirituality. In the contemplative/emerging camp, there is an all out effort to dispel "propositional truth." That can be seen ever so clear, for instance, in Tony Jones' new book, The New Christians, where he says that biblical truth cannot be pinned down and defined; he says it "simply can't be done." That's the opposite of what Schaeffer says.

As ACSI seems to be heading further into the contemplative/emerging camp, we ask the same question we asked in January, Is that really what ACSI wants for Christian schools and over 1 million school children? We pray and hope not.

They Say "I AM" - "For Many Shall Come in My Name"

by Ray Yungen

My research has brought me to a point where the full implication of Paul's words are surprisingly real. I believe the Bible contains an important signal that the changes of times and seasons may indeed be at hand. In Matthew 24:3-5, which is a chapter dealing with the tribulation period, Jesus spoke these revealing words to His disciples concerning the signs of His coming and the end of the world (age):

And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign [indication] of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

A basic tenet of New Age thinking is that of the Master Jesus. Adherents to this idea believe that during the unrecorded period of His life, Jesus traveled to various occult centers and Mystery Schools in such places as Tibet, India, Persia, and Egypt where He learned the metaphysical secrets of the ages. Thus, they claim He spent seventeen years of travel on a pilgrimage of higher consciousness. According to this theory Jesus of Nazareth became the Master Jesus, one who has gained mastery over the physical world by becoming one with his higher self.

You will recall that one of the terms that New Agers regularly use for the higher self is the Christ consciousness. To them, Christ is not a person, but a state-of-being. Excerpts from the following New Age sources explain it this way:

Jesus Christ educated His followers to discern the real man. He taught that there is a power in man that gives him authority over the things of the world. This principle is the higher self, the spiritual man, the Christ.1

The Christ Consciousness or Christ Principle represents the idea of a Saviour, but not, as taught in orthodox religions, a physical, material person. Jesus became the Saviour as He rose to the heights of His inner powers and became a True Son of God.... In other words, when Jesus, the man, was ready, the Christ Principle or Consciousness took over and predominated.2

After reading innumerable such statements in New Age material, I decided to take a closer look at Matthew 24:5. What I found astounded me. The Greek word for many in this verse is polus which means a very great or sore number, as in millions and millions. A term derived from this word is hoi polloi, which translates the masses. The Greek words for shall come in my name means they shall come claiming to represent what He represents by using His name or authority. Therefore, Matthew 24:5 is saying that a very great number of people shall come claiming to represent what He represents, but are in fact, deceiving people. In light of come in my name, consider the following remarks taken from a variety of New Age sources:

Jesus was an historical person, a human being; Christ, the Christos. is an eternal transpersonal condition of being. Jesus did not say that this higher state of consciousness realized in him was his alone for all time. Nor did he call us to worship him. Rather, he called us to follow him, to follow in his steps, to learn from him, from his example.3

Jesus was one soul who reached the state of Christ consciousness, there have been many others. He symbolized the blueprint we must follow.... The way is open to everyone to become a Christ by achieving the Christ Consciousness through walking the same path He walked. He simply and beautifully demonstrated the pattern.4

The significance of incarnation and resurrection is not that Jesus was a human like us but rather that we are gods like him--or at least have the potential to be. The significance of Jesus is not as a vehicle of salvation but as a model of perfection.5

Jesus was aware of himself as a finished specimen of the new humanity which is to come--the new humanity which is to inherit the earth, establish the Kingdom, usher in the New Age.6

This view, then, is that Jesus is a model of what the New Age or Aquarian person is to become. I would say these statements can be called coming in His name or claiming to represent what He represents.

Now let us look at the second part of verse 5 in Matthew 24, "saying I am Christ." Again, we find a multitude of statements such as the following:

Every man is an individual Christ; this is the teaching for the New Age. The experiences of contacting the Christ Self and the subsequent vibrational lifting are not to be reserved for a favored few. Every person in the world, sooner or later, will receive this lifting action. No one will be left out or left behind. Everyone will receive the benefit of this step in human evolution. (emphasis mine)7

Could it be that many Christians have been looking for "the Christ" in all the wrong places? Could it be that when Jesus said "no man knoweth the hour" of his return, it was because the return of the Christ comes now, within us, and is beyond space and time? Jesus may have been hinting at this when he told us that the kingdom of God is within you--not in some time, nor in some place, but within. When we look within, through meditation and the expansion of consciousness, we move beyond time, and meet face-to-face with the Christ.8

The Christ is You. You are the one who is to come--each of you. Each and every one of you!9

Christhood is not something to come at a point in the future when you are more evolved. Christhood is--right now! I am the Christ of God. You are the Christ of God.10

Even more specific evidence ties the New Age into Jesus' prophecy. In Luke 21:7-8, we find the same discourse as in Matthew 24:3-5. Again, note the warning:

And they asked Him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near; go ye not therefore after them" (Luke 21:7-8).

Notice "Christ" is italicized in verse 8, meaning that it was not in the original manuscript. The translators of the King James Bible probably thought it awkward that it said, "Many shall come saying, I am." Probably for the sake of clarity and to be consistent with Matthew 24, the translators added the word "Christ." It is very interesting that New Agers refer to themselves (or their higher selves) as the "I AM," (one of the names of God). Note the following:

The first experience of unification with the Christ consciousness may come with the initial crossing of the psychic barrier and contact with the Christ Self or I AM Self.11

This Inner Self is called by many names such as: God-self, Higher-self, Christ Consciousness, I-AM, Buddah Nature, and many others.12

This I AM is God ... this I AM is You.... Universe and Individual Consciousness.... God knowing Itself as God, God knowing Itself as You, and You knowing Yourself as God.13

So what Jesus may have been saying is many shall be saying "I AM."

Because of these statements, I firmly believe what Jesus Christ was prophesying in Matthew and Luke was the current New Age movement when it reaches its full fruition world-wide. He clearly stated that just before His physical return a huge number of people will proclaim their own personal divinity and that "many" (polus) will deceive--not some, but "many." There was a good reason for Him to preface these prophesies with the warning, "Take heed that no man deceive you." These people will be offering a spiritual message that will look, feel, and sound like it is of Jesus Christ but is not. (from For Many Shall Come in My Name, pp.151-1556)

Notes:
1. Charles Fillmore, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary (Unity Village, MO: Unity School of Christianity).
2. Donald H. Yott, Man and Metaphysics (New York, NY: Sam Weiser, Inc., 1980), p. 73.
3. John White, "Jesus, Evolution, and the Future of Humanity" (Science of Mind magazine, September 1981), p. 15.
4. John Davis and Naomi Rice, Messiah and the Second Coming (Wyoming, MI: Coptic Press, 1982), p. 49.
5. John White (Science of Mind magazine, October 1981), pp. 40-42.
6. John White, "Jesus, Evolution, and the Future of Humanity," op. cit, p. 15.
7. Armand Biteaux, The New Consciousness (Willits, CA: Oliver Press, 1975), p. 128.
8. Gregory Barrette, "The Christ is Now" (Science of Mind, March 1989), p. 17.
9. Life Times, Vol. 1, No.3, p. 91.
10. John Randolph Price, The Planetary Commission (Austin, TX: Quaratus Books, 1984), pp. 143, 145.
11. Anne P. and Peter V. Meyer, Being a Christ (San Diego: Dawning Pub., 1975), p. 49.
12. John Baughman, The New Age (Self-Published, 1977), p. 5.
13. John Randolph Price, The Planetary Commission, op. cit. p. 98.

Related Information:
The Moses Code - Taking the Next Step Toward a World Wide Awakening

Brennan Manning and Beatrice Bruteau's "I AM"

700,000 commit to exploring East-West-hybrid mysticism

BY CATHLEEN FALSANI Religion Columnist
Chicago Sun-Times

Oprah Winfrey has been spiritually educating her viewers for years. On Monday, she began offering formal instruction to more than 700,000 students across the globe.

Before the first session of "A New Earth" -- a free, 10-week online class taught by Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle, the German-born spiritual teacher and author of the current Oprah's Book Club pick A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purposes -- according to Oprah .com, hundreds of thousands had registered to take part in the 90-minute cyber sessions each at 8 p.m. on Mondays.

A New Earth is not light reading. It's esoteric and high-minded. Literally. In his best-selling tome, Eckhart encourages readers to view the book as an opportunity for enlightenment.
Click here to read this entire article.

Ancient-Future Heresies

McMahon, T.A.

The Berean Call

Here's an idea. Let's go back through historical church eras and glean from such time periods those issues deemed to be of value in the development of the Christian faith. Let's review the first-century church, the church between A.D. 100 and 600, then consider the medieval era (A.D. 700 to 1500), followed by the Reformation period (A.D. 1500 and later), and so on. To be effective in this endeavor, it's important to have a good understanding of the cultural context in which the Christians of each era practiced their faith. In addition, we'll need to study the Church Fathers and gain the insights they provided. Why? Well, those who are promoting this "re-presenting the past" believe that today's Christianity will greatly benefit as it "re-invents itself" in order to effectively bring the message of the gospel to the postmodern world. If you think this may not be a good idea, you could be labeled a "traditionalist," one whose faith and practice is inflexible and out of touch with our rapidly changing culture-and church.

That's the view that Christianity Today (CT) has of what's going on in evangelical Christianity. In introducing its February 2008 feature article with a cover-page declaration, "Lost Secrets of the Ancient Church: How evangelicals started looking backward to move forward," CT senior managing editor Mark Galli writes:

You might say a number of CT editors have a vested interest in this issue's cover story. David Neff, Ted Olsen, Tim Morgan, and I have been doing the ancient-future thing for many years, at Episcopal and/or Anglican parishes. And if this were not enough immersion in the topic, in his spare time, David Neff heads up the Robert E. Webber Center for an Ancient Evangelical Future, founded by the father of the ancient-future movement.

Acknowledging the magazine's inherent (and historic) bias, Galli notes that "the ancient church has captivated the evangelical imagination for some time [yet] it hasn't been until recently that it's become an accepted fixture of the evangelical landscape. And this is for the good " (emphasis added). That, of course, is Galli's opinion and, sadly, a growing multitude of influential Christian leaders agree. Click here to read this entire article.

COMING SUMMER 2008! God's of the New Age

Lighthouse Trails is pleased to announce the Summer 2008 release of Caryl Matrisciana's God's of the New Age. This is a Lighthouse Trails special updated edition of the 1985 Harvest House release. The book is the biography of Caryl Matrisciana and is an excellent and powerful resource in understanding the New Age movement and its implications in our world today. Raised in India and eventually becoming part of the New Age movement herself, Caryl Matrisciana's insights are unique and valuable.

God's of the New Age

ISBN 978-0-9791315-3-0
Summer 2008

Publishing News

Lighthouse Trails released four new books in 2007: Faith Undone, For Many Shall Come in My Name, The Other Side of the River, and Another Jesus. In addition, we now have a DVD/CD of Anita Dittman telling her Holocaust experience to a live audience. This is one story you will want your family to hear.

Special Note: Lighthouse Trails bookstore is carrying the retail edition of Deceived on Purpose and The Light That Was Dark, both by former New Age follower, Warren Smith. Wholesale orders for these two books can be ordered through Bookmasters.

See our Falling Sparrow series.

Click here for more publishing news.

THREE WAYS TO ORDER DIRECTLY FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS PUBLISHING:

1. Online Store

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We ship both retail and wholesale orders within 24 hours of receiving order.

BOOKSTORES AND OUTLETS for small retail orders: Lighthouse Trails books are also available to order from most bookstores (online and walk-in). If your local bookstore isn't carrying one of our titles, you can ask them to order it for you. While you may have to wait longer to receive your order, the advantage of ordering through bookstores is that you will have no shipping charges.

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SAMPLE CHAPTERS OF LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS BOOKS:

Lighthouse Trails Publishing now has sample chapters available online for most of the books we publish. We believe you will find each of these books to be well-written, carefully documented, and worthwhile. Click here to read some of the chapters.

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Note: Lighthouse Trails is a Christian publishing company. While we hope you will read the books we have published, we also provide extensive research, documentation, and news on our Research site, blog, and newsletter. We pray that the books as well as the online research will be a blessing to the body of Christ and a witness to those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Newsletter in Print - Coming Soon

If you would like to receive the Coming from the Lighthouse newsletter in print form by mail, please send an email to newsletters@lighthousetrails.com. Be sure and include your mailing address in the email. We will be issuing a printed newsletter several times a year for those who prefer that over the email edition or for some reason need both.

Both email and printed editions will be free.

These two important books expose the truth about contemplative spirituality and the new age.

A Time of Departing
and
For Many Shall Come in My Name

HOLOCAUST: LEST WE FORGET

A true story that will change your life and challenge your faith ...

"Will sweep you into 1930s Germany and back with your faith intact ... [Trapped in Hitler's Hell] carries a stark message for today's Western Christian ... will refocus your priorities and recharge your spiritual life."-Leo Hohmann, Read entire review at The Messianic Times Trapped in Hitler's Hell

See all books and DVDs on the Holocaust

The Other Side of the River by Alaskan Kevin Reeves

When mystical experiences and strange doctrines overtake his church, one man risks all to find the truth ... a true story.

Read more about this important book.

Some of the topics this book addresses:

Word Faith movement
Holy Laughter
"Slain" in the Spirit practice
Emphasis on humanity of Jesus over Deity
Gifts & Calling for the unbeliever?
Experience versus Scripture
Repetitive chanting & singing
Paradigm shift
Understanding true worship