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Who We Are
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Lighthouse
Trails is a Christian publishing company. While we hope you will read the
books we have published and support our authors, we also
provide extensive free 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.
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What is Contemplative
Spirituality?
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definition: contemplative spirituality: a
belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states
of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult
but often wrapped in Christian terminology; the premise of contemplative
spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all).
spiritual formation: a
movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which
contemplative prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being
used, and in nearly every case you will find contemplative spirituality. In
fact, contemplative spirituality is the heartbeat of the spiritual
formation movement.
How Widespread Has Spiritual
Formation Become?
Read our list of
ministries that are promoting it. Please pray for the leaders of these
groups that their eyes may be opened.
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CONTACTING US
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Important
Note: If you try to reach Lighthouse Trails through email and do not
receive an answer from us within a timely manner, please either re-email
your comments or call us. Unexplainably, we do not receive all our email,
and some of our email to others does not reach its destination.
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Using Our Material
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Lighthouse
Trails Research Project exists as a service to the body of Christ, helping
to equip in the defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the biblical
Christian faith. While all of our own articles (and books) are copyrighted
material, we want the material to be available to be used on other
websites, in newsletters, newspapers, on radio, in articles, and in books.
Please click
here for guidelines
to using our material.
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To Forward Newsletter
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Important Note: If you
would like to forward this newsletter to others, please use the link
provided near the bottom of this newsletter ("Forward email to
friends") If you forward the email by just clicking
"forward" in your email program, the recipient might unsubscribe
you without your knowledge.
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Rick Warren, Reader's Digest Join Forces for New Purpose
Driven Publication
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According
to a press release issued by Rick Warren's media outlet,
Rick Warren has formed a partnership with Reader's Digest, which
will be launched early next year. The headline for the release states:
"RICK WARREN AND READER'S DIGEST ASSOCIATION CREATE A MULTI-PLATFORM
PARTNERSHIP TO SERVE PURPOSE DRIVEN READERS: New Purpose Driven Connection
to Deliver Spiritual Content and Community in Category-Busting Formats
Worldwide."
Referring to his organization as the "Purpose Driven Connection
movement," Warren says: "Since the book was published, we've
received hundreds of thousands of requests from readers asking for more
help." The press release states that Rick Warren and Reader's
Digest will use "international staffs and global networks of both
organizations" to provide "synergistic development of tools,
training and community to service the millions of readers of Warren's book,
The Purpose Driven Life."
Warren says the Purpose Driven Network began in 1985 and was a service to
pastors, but the new Purpose Driven Connection "will service the
general public." This service will come in the form of a quarterly
magazine, The Purpose Driven Connection but will also include
several other formats such as multi-media materials for small groups and a
"social networking" service. Warren plans to use this new
partnership to bolster his newest campaign, 40 Days of Love and says (of
the partnership): "It is unlike anything else and has the potential to
change hundreds of millions of lives."
The premier edition of the new Purpose Driven/Reader's Digest magazine
will feature several well known Christian figures including Max Lucado,
Bill Hybels, Kay Warren, Lee Strobel, and Tim Keller. It will also feature
an interview between Rick Warren and Barack Obama.
Calling the Purpose Driven Connection "revolutionary" where
people can "discover their purpose for life" and "interact
with others through the online community, small group network and the
global PEACE initiative."
To better understand the nature of Rick Warren's movement, please read Faith
Undone and Deceived on Purpose. This is a highly deceptive
movement that is capturing the attention and loyalty of millions across the
world. Rick Warren is a major "evangelist" for contemplative
spirituality as well as for the emerging church, both of which embrace mystical
and New Age spirituality and both of which are building bridges to form a
one global religious body. Interestingly, while Reader's Digest may
be considered to be in a more "conservative" camp, leaders of RD
may not realize that Rick Warren is on the "Leadership Council"
of a very liberal organization, Service Nation, an organization that is working toward required
volunteer service by every American. The motto of Service Nation,
"Be the Change," is taken from Hindu guru, Mahatma Gandhi.
"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 11:14-15
For more information:
Deceived on Purpose Ministries
Books/DVDs exposing the emerging church
Research on the Purpose Driven Movement
Some Important Articles on the Purpose Driven Movement
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Canadian Parents Oppose Relaxation Training for Kids
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'We firmly believe it's a Buddhist practice,' mother says
Jennifer McFee
Coquitlam NOW
A program aimed at promoting relaxation is causing stress for some
Coquitlam parents.
Ken and Rebecca Kavanagh are speaking out against mindfulness education in
local schools, saying it contravenes B.C. legislation to keep religion out
of the classroom.
Last spring, actress Goldie Hawn visited a local classroom to promote a
mindfulness education program developed in 2005 through her charity, the Hawn Foundation.
The program encourages students to focus on their senses and use breathing
techniques to clear their minds and increase concentration.Click here to read this entire article.
Related News:
Breathing or Buddhism, parents ask
Washington Students Take Up Yoga
National Pilot Project to Study Contemplative Kids -
Message Bible for Little Kids Instructs on Contemplative
Meditation
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Non-Contemplative
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College Closes
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Lighthouse
Trails has just learned that one of the few non-contemplative Christian
colleges in North America is closing its doors this December.
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, MN made the announcement in October. Reasons given for the
closure were national economic conditions coupled with school deficits
caused by declining enrollment.
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College has been listed on the Lighthouse Trails
Research website along with 14 other Christian colleges/seminaries as a
school that does not promote spiritual formation/contemplative
and/or the emerging church. We call it our good-college list. Sadly,
most families are not looking for biblical learning institutions but rather
popular, contemporary, and seeker-friendly ones.
We applaud Pillsbury and the other dozen or so schools for not succumbing
to the pressure of dropping biblical truth in order to increase enrollment.
Biola University, Moody Bible Institute, Bethel University, Wheaton
College, and many, many other schools are going down the
contemplative/emerging path, and taking too many students with them.
Want to know a quick way to find out where your school is at? See if any of
these authors show up in the textbook list: Henri Nouwen, Rick Warren,
Richard Foster, Rob Bell, Pete Scazzero, and Dallas Willard. All these men
promote contemplative spirituality. If your school does NOT carry any of
these and other contemplative/emergent authors and does NOT have a
Spiritual Formation program, please let us know, and perhaps we can add
your school to our "good-college list."
In the meantime, farewell to Pillsbury - thanks for standing in these
difficult times. We're sorry to see you go. Click here to see our "Good-college list."
Related:
List of contemplative colleges.
Moody Bible Institute Looks for New President
Biola University Contacts Lighthouse Trails - Accuses of
Libel
Jonathan Falwell Becomes Vice-Chancellor at Liberty
University
William Carey Institute Promoting Contemplative
Spirituality
Christian Colleges in Crisis
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Christian Publishers - Which Ones Are Contemplative?
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During
this time of year, Christian bookstores are visited more now than perhaps
any other time of the year. And the majority of the books and DVDs filling
the shelves of most of these Christian walk-in stores are from the largest
Christian publishers. Unfortunately, most of the larger Christian
(evangelical) publishers are releasing books and DVDs that promote
contemplative spirituality, the Purpose Driven Movement, and the emerging
church, all of which are conduits for the unbiblical "new
spirituality."
Lighthouse Trails has monitored the books and DVDs being released by the
large Christian publishers for several years. Below is a list of the
publishing companies most responsible for the influx of contemplative/emerging
material into mainstream Christianity. If you are buying books/DVDs from
any of these publishers, we hope you will contact them and ask them not to
publish or produce products that promote contemplative and emerging
spirituality.
"Christian" Publishers That DO Publish Contemplative
and Emerging Spirituality Books/DVDs:
Baker Books
Bethany House (a division of Baker)
Chosen Books (a division of Baker)'
David C. Cook
Group Publishing
Guideposts Books
HarperCollins
InterVarsity
Multnomah Books
NavPress
Thomas Nelson
W Publishing (div. of Thomas Nelson)
Zondervan
The list above is not comprehensive but lists the most prolific Christian
publishers today. (More on contemplative Christian publishers)
List of Christian publishers that are NOT releasing
contemplative/ emerging/Purpose Driven books.
Important Note: Please note that listing these companies below is
not necessarily an endorsement or recommendation. While we believe the
companies below do not offer contemplative/emerging/Purpose Driven
materials, please use discernment whenever you turn to a book or DVD other
than the Word of God for guidance or inspiration. As Christians, we must
"Test all things" and "Try the spirits" through the
screen of Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1). Most of companies
listed below are smaller publishing companies, and your local bookstores
may not be carrying their titles. But often you can request your bookstore
to order their titles. With the exception of Barbour and Kregel, the larger
Christian publishing companies could not be placed in this "good"
list.
Non-Contemplative Publishers
Barbour Publishers
Believers in Grace
Caryl Productions
Eastgate Publishers
Eternal Productions
Kregel Publications
Lighthouse Trails Publishing
Proclaiming the Gospel
Sword Publishers
The Berean Call
Understand the Times
** Harvest House and Moody Publishers have some good publications, but use
discernment and caution because of some indications that they are being
influenced by contemplative, emerging and/or Purpose Driven. Please contact
them and ask them to steer clear of these types of materials.
Related Information:
Christian and Secular Publishers on Contemplative/Emerging
Frenzy
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Movie/Book Warning: Twilight
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If
my goal was to undermine Christianity, incite rebellion against parents,
eradicate Biblical values, and spread moral chaos, I would urge teens to
read the Twilight series. I would prompt them to immerse their minds
and emotions in the dark, emotional whirlpool of sensual occultism. And I
wouldn't warn them of the consequences.
Of course, my real goal is the opposite: to expose this assault on Biblical
faith and to equip potential readers with information that enables them to
resist the temptation to join the collective journey into the mind-changing
realm of the occult. The following points show the raging spiritual war
that's sure to intensify in the years ahead. Click here to read this entire article.
Related:
Harry Potter and the Superconsciousness by Ray Yungen
Harry's Last Battles & Rowling's Beliefs by Berit
Kjos
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USA Today: "Evangelicals Adopting Advent"
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By Cathy Lynn Grossman
USA TODAY
Evangelical Christians
are adopting--and adapting--the rituals of Advent, the four weeks leading
up to Christmas that are traditionally celebrated by Catholics, Lutherans,
Eastern Orthodox and other liturgical churches.
They're giving a new, personalized spin to the prayers, candles and
calendars to track the building excitement, and set a spiritual tone day by
day. This year Advent begins on Sunday.
Popular evangelical authors are offering readings and composing prayers for
the Advent season. And Family Christian Stores, the nation's largest
Christian retailer with 301 stores nationwide, has seen sales of
Advent-related items climb 35% in the past year....
Evangelicals may have avoided or discarded Advent traditions in the past as
"too formal, too Catholic," says Wright, whose blog, Pursuing
Truth, offers Advent resources. "But we have found it a way to connect
more deeply with our Christian history and heritage." Click here to read more.
To understand the significance of this story, read the following:
Home to Rome by Roger Oakland
Another Jesus by Roger Oakland
Wesley Theological Seminary and Contemplative Lauren Winner
Promote Advent
Feeling Renewed By Ancient Traditions by Washington
Post Cites Lighthouse Trails:
"It
is the same style of meditation that is basically being performed by
Eastern religion practitioners ... It's being presented as Christianity,
and we're saying this isn't Christianity -- not according to what the Bible
says. . . . We believe it really does deny the gospel message."
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Emergent Leader Tony Jones Comes to the Table on
Homosexuality
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by Marsha West
Email Brigade News Report
"Tony Jones Continuous Leftward Slide into
Apostasy"
Emergent
Church guru Tony Jones, the former national coordinator of Emergent Village, has
been holding the issue of homosexuality "in abeyance" because
"homosexuality is one issue that I don't want to get wrong." On
November 23 he came out with his personal view on this hotly debated
topic....
Evidently what the Bible teaches on sodomy made Tony feel uncomfortable, so
he decided to hold back his opinion until he could come to terms with what
he was "feeling." I say "feeling" because his
conclusion doesn't comport with the written Word of God, which he professes
a belief in, but decides things from his gut, I guess. Heaven forbid he
should offend the "gay" community!
On Tony's "blogalogue" he wrote a carefully crafted statement to
start the "conversation" rolling - with no mention of Scripture
to back up his "enlightened" view. Before Tony gets to the point,
he shares his personal story and tells how he viewed homosexuality in his
early years. He wasn't a conservative, nor was he a liberal; he says he
"pretty much walked the middle of the road." Click here to read this entire article.
More on Tony Jones:
Book Review on Jones' "The New Christians"
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Assist News Interview with Caryl Matrisciana - Out of India
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"Out of India"
New Age Influence on
the Church
By Dan Wooding
Assist News Service
MENIFEE,
CA (ANS) -- India born Christian author and former model, Caryl Matrisciana
said at the launch of her latest book, "Out of India" that the
New Age philosophy has entered the Christian Church through the West's
fascination with Yoga and Hindu-Christian blended contemplative prayer
combined with other mystical meditative practices.
Matrisciana told ANS, "When I was twenty years old, my family returned
from India, where I was born and lived for most of my life, to England, our
homeland. It was during the turbulent sixties, and I was introduced to a
movement that didn't even have a name at that time.
"Only now, with the benefit of hindsight can I see that the strange
and mystical religion that I had been surrounded by in India is now at the
heart of a form of spirituality that influences millions around the world
including the Christian Church.
"Most people have no idea what they're doing when they practice the
rituals of Yoga and think that they're only basic physical exercises. They
have no clue that all the 'asanas' (postures) are designed to prepare the
Hindu practitioner for his belief in the "cycle of death" known
as reincarnation."
In "Out of India," which has been described as a
"fascinating and compelling apologetic biography," Caryl
Matrisciana explains the spirituality that lies behind the New Age
movement, its dangers, and its deception. It also explains how much New Age
spirituality has entered the Christian Church as a new "ancient
strand" of Christianity and teaches philosophies rooted in eastern
mysticism which were adapted by so-called Christian mystics also know as
the Dessert Fathers. . . .
"I realized the exploitation was coming from within the Church-body by
so-called fellow Christians who'd become tools for spiritual principalities
to 'exploit' just as I'd been in the 60s.
"So now, two decades later . . . comes . . . 'Out of India' - an
update on what used to be called 'The New Age' but the term 'age' has been
dropped and it now calls itself the 'New Spirituality' and is alive and
well in the church as the growing 'contemplative movement.'Click
here to read full interview.
For
information on Caryl Matrisciana's new release, click here.
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A Still Small Voice
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"Contemplative Prayer and the 'Elijah Experience' of 1
Kings 19:12"
By Pastor Larry DeBruyn
Elijah's Mt. Horeb
experience, when he heard "a sound of sheer silence" (1
Kings 19:12, NRSV), has stimulated a tradition of desert spirituality which
pursues solitude in order to hear the voice of God. Practitioners of lectio
divina (i.e., reading sacred things) also desire such encounters. They
say:
"When we read the
Scriptures we should try to imitate the prophet Elijah. We should allow
ourselves to become women and men who are able to listen for the still,
small voice of God (I Kings 19:12); the 'faint murmuring sound' which is
God's word for us, God's voice touching our hearts. This gentle listening
is an 'atunement' to the presence of God . . ."[1]
About Elijah's experience of hearing God's "still small voice"
(KJV, NKJV), questions arise. Does 1 Kings 19:12 endorse contemplative
spirituality? Was the prophet's encounter with God in the cave on Mt.
Horeb/Sinai a mystical "atunement"?
At first glance, the translation "a sound of sheer silence" (NRSV)
seems oxymoronic. Mystics often describe their experiences in cryptic and
self-contradictory phrases such as "mute language,"
"dazzling obscurity," "teeming dessert," and
"whispering silence."[2] So at the face of it,
the description of what the prophet heard-"the sound of sheer
silence"-projects a mystic nuance about it. Nevertheless, it must
be asked, how does sheer silence give sound? Other English versions grapple
with the problem, and therefore, translate the Hebrew phrase as "a
still small voice" (KJV, NKJV); "a tiny whispering
sound" (NAB); "a sound of a gentle blowing"
(NASB); "a gentle whisper" (NIV, NLT); "a soft
whisper of a voice" (GNT); and more. To understand what happened
to Elijah, we must look more closely at the context.
The Hebrew word for "sound" (qôl) normally means, and is
predominately translated, "voice" in the Old Testament (See
Genesis 3:8-10.). As this and other contexts bear out, "voice"
can refer to the content of what is said (Compare v. 13 to Genesis 3:17;
Exodus 3:18; Isaiah 40:3; etc.). That the "voice" was quiet
contrasts to the violent theophany of the Lord's earlier passing by the
front of the cave (vv. 11-12a). God spoke to Elijah in a gentler way than
He spoke to Moses and Israel at Mt. Sinai centuries earlier (Exodus
19:16ff.). Yet as suggested by the Hebrew noun (qôl), the "voice"
possessed verbal content (KJV, NKJV, and RSV). But what did the
"voice" say to Elijah? Click here to read this entire article.
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The Race for Africa
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by evangelist to Africa Loren Davis
In
1988, my wife and I went to Africa and have been working there ever since.
When we first arrived there, we had little money and lived meagerly in
harsh,
brutal conditions our first ten years. From August 2000 to November 2005,
through our generous partners, God has enabled us to build 132 churches in
unreached villages deep in the interior of Africa, evangelizing them and
providing
them with competent Bible-believing pastors. We have also preached 36
major crusades in Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya where
hundreds
of thousands have attended and have come to Christ.
By living so close to the people for so long, we have learned to love and
appreciate them. Some of the most intelligent people I have ever met are
African. Even the primitive people in the bush are very smart. I would say
they are bush smart. Outsiders could never endure and survive in similar
conditions.
We have seen their sufferings first hand and have heard them tell the
stories about their lives. Most of their lives are hard, but they desire to
succeed
and to make something better for their families and themselves.
Their great faith and yearning to succeed has made them vulnerable though
to every shrewd scheme brought in to exploit them. Not only have we lived
among the different tribes for many years, we have read much of the history
of Africa, from slavery to colonial times, to now. We are now seeing a
bigger
outside threat coming to Africa, perhaps greater than has ever even
happened
in the past. No doubt about it-there is a race for Africa. To read more, click here.
The race includes: The Race for Slaves,
the Race for Colonization of Africa, the Catholics Race for Africa,
the Paganized Gospel of Money Race for Africa, the Purpose-Driven Race for
Africa, and finally the true Gospel's Race for Africa
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2008 Fall Book/DVD Special from Lighthouse Trails
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Normally, Lighthouse Trails offers a wholesale discount when
customers buy 10 or more copies of any one title. For a limited
time, choose any combination of 10 copies of the titles shown here,
and receive our wholesale discount for the 10 books/DVDs. This is a special
limited time offer for our online readers. Click here for more information.
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Publishing News
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THREE
WAYS TO ORDER DIRECTLY FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS PUBLISHING:
2.
Toll Free Order Line: 866/876-3910
Quantity
Discounts: 40% off retail for orders of 10 or more copies, 50% off for
international orders of 10 or more copies
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.
BOOKSTORES MAY
ORDER DIRECTLY FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS OR FROM INGRAM OR SPRINGARBOR.
LIBRARIES MAY
ORDER DIRECTLY FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS OR FROM BAKER & TAYLOR.
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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Newsletter in Print
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Our
print newsletter has been delayed. However, we are still taking names. 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 to 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. We apologize for
the delay.
Both email and printed editions
will be free. The first issue of the print newsletter has not yet been
issued.
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Book Spotlights
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Book Spotlights
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These two
important books expose the truth about contemplative spirituality,
spiritual formation, and the new age.
A Time of Departing
and For Many Shall Come in My
Name
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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
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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, especially now in light of the Todd Bentley
"revival" in Florida.
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Find out the truth about the emerging church
and the avenues through which it is entering Christianity.
Faith Undone by Roger Oakland
Find out more about the book that tells it like it
is.
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