Coming From the Lighthouse

Printer Friendly Version November 1, 2007

In This Issue -

A Shocking "Confession" from Willow Creek Community Church

Warren challenges Baptists to promote peace worldwide

Southern Baptist Church Continues to Promote Hindu Paganism

Rick Warren Welcomes New Age Proponent Ken Blanchard Back to Saddleback

Things Not Always As They Seem

Alumni "Shocked" Over Tai Chi, Yoga at Baylor University

Rethinking Robert Schuller

Belmont University (Baptist): Emergent Book More Popular than Bible

One Man's Efforts to Holding Pastors Accountable

If Yoga is Hindu, Why are Christians Doing it in Church?

Contemplative Terms - The "Inside" Language of the Contemplative Prayer

John Wimber's Paradigm Shift, *The River Movement and the Kundalini Effect

Another Jesus Now Here!.

Publishing News

Oakland, Yungen in BC, Canada Conference

Newsletter in Print - Coming Soon

Helpful Resources and Other Articles

A Shocking "Confession" from Willow Creek Community Church

 A Lighthouse Trails Commentary

The headlines on a Townhall.com article this week certainly catch the attention: "A Shocking 'Confession' from Willow Creek Community Church."The article talks about a survey Willow Creek performed and the findings of the survey. Townhall columnist Bob Burney explains:

Willow Creek has released the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry. The study's findings are in a new book titled Reveal: Where Are You?, co-authored by Cally Parkinson and Greg Hawkins, executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. Hybels himself called the findings "earth shaking," "ground breaking" and "mind blowing." And no wonder: it seems that the "experts" were wrong.

The report reveals that most of what they have been doing for these many years and what they have taught millions of others to do is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ. Numbers yes, but not disciples. It gets worse. Hybels laments:

"Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn't helping people that much. Other things that we didn't put that much money into and didn't put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for."

Burney quotes Hybels who talks about what he feels Willow Creek should have been doing:

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become 'self feeders.' We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.

This may sound quite noble to most that Hybels now realizes he should have been telling congregants to read their Bibles, but what are these "spiritual practices" that people should do "more aggressively on their own"? Will they be the meditative practices that are already incorporated into Willow Creek through their spiritual formation curriculum that contemplatives Ruth Haley Barton and John Ortberg created for Willow Creek? While Willow Creek may revise some of their big corporation, church-growing tactics and programs to accommodate the survey's revelations, it isn't too likely they will be getting rid of their spiritual formation emphasis. After all, "spiritual practices" (or disciplines) is what is at the heart of spiritual formation (with meditation at the forefront). Still remaining on their site is their Solitude page with recommended resources by contemplatives Henri Nouwen and Dallas Willard. And countless other such resources can be found on the Willow Creek website, including many from emerging leaders such as Erwin McManus and Brian McLaren.

What is Willow Creek's motive in wanting to make these changes? The Townhall article reveals a glimpse of that:

Perhaps the most shocking thing of all in this revelation coming out of Willow Creek is in a summary statement by [WC executive pastor] Greg Hawkins:

"Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture. Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he's asking us to transform this planet."

It is no new thing that Willow Creek wishes to "transform the planet." They are part of the emerging spirituality that includes Rick Warren and many other major Christian leaders who believe the church will usher in the kingdom of God on earth before Christ returns. This dominionist, kingdom-now theology is literally permeating the lecture halls of many Christian seminaries, and mysticism is the propeller that keeps its momentum. If Willow Creek hopes to transform the planet, they won't be able to get rid of the focus on the mystical (i.e., contemplative). Their new Fall 2007 Catalog gives a clear picture of where their heart lies, with resources offered by New Age proponent Rob Bell, contemplative author Keri Wyatt Kent, and the Ancient Future Conference with emerging leaders Scot McKnight and Alan Hirsch, as well as resources by Ruth Haley Barton and John Ortberg.

Time will tell what Willow Creek intends to do about strengthening its focus on "spiritual practices" and "transform[ing] the planet," but if what they have been doing over the last couple decades is any indication, it will only further the cause to unite the world through meditation and a false global peace. And in case some are thinking right now, "Well, let's give them a chance to show how they are changing for the good," take a look at the upcoming Shift conference presented by Willow Creek next Spring. Resources (and speakers) for the event include those by atonement denier Brian McLaren as well as emerging/mystic leaders Mark Yaconelli, Scot McKnight, Dan Kimball, and Shaine Claiborne. It is becoming more and more apparent that Willow Creek's "shocking confession" falls quite short of the truth. Under the guise of telling congregants to read their Bibles more is a paradigm shift that is anything but biblical and should be avoided at all costs.

Warren challenges Baptists to promote peace worldwide

Rick Warren, presenting a keynote address at the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas has encouraged Christians once again to "establish the kingdom of God" here on planet earth.

Rick Warren Welcomes New Age Proponent Ken Blanchard Back to Saddleback

Things Not Always As They Seem

The following letter we received on October 26th is a typical one. The man, Chris, is not aware of Rob Bell's "fruit" and sees only the deeds of righteousness that appear to be godly. But the Bible gives warning even about such deeds if the author of them is Satan rather than God.

To Lighthouse Trails:
I find it comical that there is a site that pits Christians against Christians. A person shall be known by his fruit. What is Rob Bell's fruit? Only thousands of people who have reconnected to their faith and represent Christ more like those of the "traditional" church.

What is the Lighthouse Trails Research Project's fruit? It spends countless hours demanding that their religion is a one size fits all.

Repent you modern day Pharisees! Stop being so legalistic and represent the true Christ.

Chris H.
California

Our reply:

Dear Chris,
Thank you for writing. We cannot always just look to righteous works (remember, the Bible says that Satan's ministers come as ministers of righteousness). The fruit of Rob Bell is that he points people to the spirituality of Ken Wilber. I don't know how much you know about Wilber, but check out his website and see if it lines up with what the Bible teaches. Here is a link to his site: http://www.kenwilber.com and one particular page you might want to look at: http://www.kenwilber.com/personal/ILP/MyILP.html

Chris, things are not always as they seem. While you see us as legalistic, we only desire to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only means of salvation, according to the Bible.

What Chris (and so many others) may not realize is that Rob Bell's "fruit" is leading people away from the Jesus Christ of the Bible. In Velvet Elvis, Bell tells readers to spend three months reading a book by Ken Wilber (and says it will be a "mind blowing" experience). Check out Wilber's site and see if you would want a friend or family member to spend three months studying his teachings. The book that Bell recommends in Velvet Elvis is called A Brief History of Everything, which is similar to Leonard Sweet's Theory of Everything in which God dwells in all humans and all creation. This is not what the Bible teaches - on the contrary. We must be born again through Jesus Christ - He is the only path to the Father.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. II Corinthians 11: 13-15

Related Article:
Many Pastors Promoting Rob Bell

Alumni "Shocked" Over Tai Chi, Yoga at Baylor University

After reading "Lightness of Being," my jaw dropped open and I thought, "Since when does a Baptist university have teachers teaching Chinese Taoism techniques?" Have I missed something? Is this the same Baylor I attended?

Tai chi is a form of moving meditation, an internal Chinese martial art to relieve stress and balance your "chi," which is the life force of Taoism. It is yin and yang or the god of paganism and hermetics. I know a lot about this because I have done in-depth studies of the occult and pagan belief systems.

I am a Christian whose son got involved in drugs and the occult. He is now a Christian, and we have a ministry to people who get hooked into it. I also studied the Bible in-depth for more than thirty years. I know pagan when I see it!

Tai chi and yoga are being advertised as harmless exercise and health programs. Nothing could be further from the truth! Any Christian that has been involved in the occult can tell you that these are gateways to get people interested in the occult. I understand that a university has to offer secular courses, even a Baptist one; however, this is taking it a bit too far. Click here to read this entire article.

The Rethink Conference - Rethinking Robert Schuller

Belmont University (Baptist): Emergent Book More Popular than Bible

"Belmont seeks broader identity"
Baptists say school has left religious roots

By Colby Sledge

If Yoga is Hindu, Why are Christians Doing it in Church?

Contemplative Terms - The "Inside" Language of the Contemplative Prayer

John Wimber's Paradigm Shift, *The River Movement and the Kundalini Effect

The Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship's success on the world stage is best understood within a Vineyard context, as that church was a Vineyard affiliate at the time of the revival's outbreak in January of 1994. It was Vineyard magnate John Wimber who ushered into popularity the term paradigm shift, an idea which brought the charismatic arm of the church to a radically new viewpoint of what biblical practice should entail. A paradigm is an example or pattern, and according to Wimber's purported discovery of the gaping differences between the Middle Eastern and Western mindsets, the Christian West needs to be turned on its theological head. Believers in Middle Eastern countries, Wimber taught, have an openness to the supernatural which allows them to experience personally an interaction between the physical and the spiritual realms. We in the Western world have become so deadened, the theory goes, to spiritual reality, it is difficult and often impossible for miracles, manifestations, and revelations from God to break through. Thus, Wimber says, we need a major alteration in our method of approaching God and allowing Him to approach us. The old study and learn method (commended by the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:13-16, and II Timothy 3:14-17) is no longer adequate. In fact, according to Wimber and a flood of Third Wave teachers, it never has been. Experience is what counts, they say, and all that head knowledge we've been accumulating all these years is a big waste of time. This teaching states that to really know God, His power and miracles, we need to shuck all that dead letter stuff and get into the life.1...

[Wimber] first introduced into mainstream charismatic congregations the incredibly strange manifestations that are supposedly initiated by the Holy Spirit. Pogoing (jumping up and down in place), rippling on or under the skin, tingling, shaking, convulsions, uncontrollable laughter--many of the same kinds of manifestations traditionally attributed to demonic influence--have now attained prominence in River meetings. This sounds much like the Kundalini Effect, which takes place during deep eastern-style meditation. It is shocking and frightening to see the similarities between this and Wimber's manifestations.

Symptoms can include headaches, nausea, tingling sensation, and uncontrollable twitching. The Sanskrit word Kundalini means the curled one, and is also called Kundalini awakening or the awakening of the serpent. Practitioners describe it as a curled channel in the tailbone area. It can rise through the chakras (psychic centers situated along the spine from the tailbone to the top of the head), creating physical symptoms ranging from sensations of heat and tremors to involuntary laughing or crying, talking in tongues, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, rigidity or limpness, and animal-like movements and sounds.

How is it that River revival movement signs are no different than the demonic symptoms described here? And yet, it is taught that those who don't experience these to some degree are rather deficient in their ability to receive God's "manifest presence." Although this too will be vehemently denied by a verbal majority in the River, that same majority calls the inhibited Christian "hard to receive." I know. As a member of New Covenant leadership I knew it to be standard policy to downplay the spiritual maturity of those who resisted or criticized these manifestations. We figured that if God was moving in our midst only spiritual babes, or those bound by fear or legalism, would be unable or unwilling to enter in and appreciate the wild goings-on in our meetings. And while we would listen to the teaching from the pulpit, it was widely recognized that it was merely a precursor to the real excitement, such being ministry time.

John Wimber's dependence on experiences to define spirituality is summed up in one overused word--fruit. Basically the idea is that if someone was hanging from the ceiling for hours during a spiritual encounter, we are not to judge the experience immediately, but rather look at the person's fruit. If the individual claimed a deeper love for Jesus after the experience, that would be enough to validate its being from God.

Where is the plumb line of God's Word in all this? In a 1983 Vineyard leadership conference, John Goodwin quotes Wimber as saying: "All that is in the Bible is true, but not all truth is in the Bible. We integrate all truth, both biblical and other, into our experience of living."3

As a self-described former Vineyard pastor for eight years who often accompanied Wimber on his travels, Goodwin notes that the fruit of this spiritual smorgasbord is partially the result of Wimber's borrowing theological thought from such notables as Agnes Sanford and meditation promoter *Morton Kelsey. Having twice read one of Sanford's books called The Healing Light,4 I can attest to its gross New Age content. It is replete with such ideas as thought vibrations, visualization, metaphysical healing techniques, and positive confession. Kelsey, in Healing and Christianity, equates the ministry of Jesus with shamanism,5 commends encounters with the dead as natural spirit-earth links,6 bases much of his book on paganistic Jungian psychology, and calls the atonement a "hypothesis developed" by the early church.7

With this anything goes mentality, the playing field is wide open. In one of our Sunday afternoon meetings, the wife of one of our elders shook, cried out, and fell unmoving to the floor. Pastor Tom Smalley strode forward from the pulpit, looked the congregation right in the eye, and said, "If you don't like what just happened here, then you've got a religious spirit, and you need to get rid of it!" ... The bottom line was that a manifestation could not even be questioned without the inquirer's spirituality being put on trial.

Disparaging and adding to the Word of God in River groups is common in the extreme. How many times have we heard that "God is bigger than His Word?" According to Goodwin, Wimber used the term often.8 Such reasoning sets up a false conflict between the Word of God and the Holy Spirit! How can God act outside the boundaries of His own written proclamation to His own covenant people? One of the main reasons for covenant is to assure that both parties will know what to expect from each other. If God were so completely unpredictable as those in the River assert, then what is the sense of even having the Bible? It becomes merely a convenient guidebook at that point, an elastic text with as yet unwritten pages. (This is an excerpt from The Other Side of the River by Kevin Reeves, 2007, pp. 166-169.)

*The River Movement is an offshoot of the Latter Rain revival, which began in Saskatchewan, Canada in the 1940s. Many other movements sprouted from Latter Rain. Followers believe that the Latter Rain revival is the latter rain referred to in such scriptures as Jeremiah 3:3, Joel 2:23, and Hosea 6:3.

*Morton Kelsey, an Episcopalian priest was a strong advocate for contemplative spirituality and said: "You can find most of the New Age practices in the depth of Christianity.... I believe that the Holy One lives in every soul (A Time of Departing, p. 67).

Notes:

1. John Wimber: 1934-1997. Wimber's "paradigm shift" is discussed and documented in several books and articles such as C. Peter Wagner's Acts of the Holy Spirit (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2000), p. 123.
3. John Goodwin, "Testing the Fruit of the Vineyard" (quoting John Wimber from the Vineyard '83, Leadership Conference, "The Five Year Plan," http://www.biblebelievers.net/Charismatic/kjcviney.htm, accessed 01/07).
4. Anges Sanford, The Healing Light (New York, NY: Ballantine Books, Ballantine Edition, 1983).
5. Morton Kelsey, Healing and Christianity (New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1973), p. 51.
6. Ibid., p. 332.
7. Ibid., p. 338.
8. John Goodwin, "Testing the Fruit of the Vineyard," op. cit.

Lighthouse Trails Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Another Jesus by Roger Oakland.

A new evangelization program is underway to win the lost brethren back to the Mother Church. How will this be done? Through the Eucharistic Christ.

Many Christians think that the Christian tradition of communion is the same as the Catholic tradition of the Eucharist. But this is not so. The Eucharist (i.e.Transubstantiation), is a Catholic term for communion when the bread and the wine actually become the very body and blood of Jesus Christ, thus when taken the partaker supposedly experiences the presence of God. These transformed elements are placed in what is called a monstrance and can then be worshipped as if worshipping God Himself. The implications are tied in with salvation.
With the Eucharist, salvation becomes sacramental (participation in a ritual) as opposed to justification by faith in Christ alone. While this mystical experience called the Eucharist cannot be upheld through Scripture, there appears to be an increase of interest by evangelical Christians towards this practice. In Another Jesus?: the eucharistic christ and the new evangelization, Oakland warns about this growing deception within Christianity that presents a different gospel and another Jesus.

Discusses the following:
1. Efforts to merge evangelicals and Catholics together
2. Catholic Evangelism and the Eucharistic Christ
3. Those who have been martyred for rejecting the Eucharist doctrine
4. The Pope's New Evangelization program to win the lost brethren back to the Mother church
5. Appearances of Jesus and Mary
6. The New Global Era
7. Christ's second coming and lying signs and wonders
8. Evangelicals who converted to Catholicism and why they did
9. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and why the film was made
10. The Mary Connection
11. What is true salvation?

Another Jesus
Roger Oakland with Jim Tetlow
Retail price: $12.95
192 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-9791315-2-3

Publishing News

Oakland, Yungen in BC, Canada Conference

November 9-11, 2007

Newsletter in Print - Coming Soon

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