YEAR IN REVIEW

Coming From the Lighthouse

                     Printer Friendly Version (click here)     December 31, 2008

In This Issue -

YEAR IN REVIEW: 10 Events in 2008 Worth Mentioning

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 Lighthouse Trails Stories

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 Stories by LT Authors

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 LT Stories by Other Ministries

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 LT Out-of-House Stories

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Conference Alerts

LT PUBLISHING NEWS: 2008 Year in Review and Preview of 2009

Franklin Graham on Rick Warren: "He must be doing something right."

Rick Warren Wins Approval by Homosexual Singer

"Controversial minister Warren delivers King Day service"

Publishing News

Choosing the Right Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the last issue of the Coming from the Lighthouse newsletter for 2008. The new spirituality that is being ushered in has unfortunately made great strides this past year. This spirituality is mystical, seductive, and highly deceptive--and is being portrayed and introduced as a new Christianity. However, once its outer layers are stripped away, this new spiritual paradigm is anything but biblical Christianity.

In 2008, Lighthouse Trails covered a large number of stories. Two, in particular, have had dramatic effects in the lives of many. The first was the Todd Bentley "revival," which came and went like a whirlwind. The second is the release of The Shack, a novel that has made it to the New York Times Best Seller List--and it is still there today, 31 weeks later. Our coverage on The Shack may be viewed on our research site. Coverage on the Bentley revival can also be accessed on our site. Both stories have illustrated the tremendous lack of biblical discernment in the lives of countless proclaiming Christians, pastors, and leaders.

Since our publishing ministry began in 2002, we have sold and given away over 100,000 books. That's a low number compared to the distribution in large publishing houses, but we believe these books have provided useful tools and encouragement to thousands of devoted biblical Christians who are working hard to defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We won't pretend our job here at Lighthouse Trails is easy. It is expensive, low-profit, and time-consuming to publish and market books in today's world; in addition, we are often ridiculed and sometimes even threatened because of our work. Like many of you, we have lost friendships and been accused of being divisive and evil. But also like many of you, we are trusting in the Lord and seeking to keep our eyes on Him and our hearts and minds in His Word. It is only by His grace we carry on; and it is because of that wondrous grace we are able to go forth in an attitude of love, strength, and truth. Jesus truly is the light of the world--may all we do honor Him (II Corinthians 4).

 

YEAR IN REVIEW: 10 Events in 2008 Worth Mentioning-

1/The Election is Over--What About the Department of Peace: Now that the election is over, Lighthouse Trails has a question, and that is, "What about the Department of Peace?" Most Christians have probably never heard of it. Those who have been tracking the news through Lighthouse Trails for some time most likely have. One thing that may happen with the new administration is that the Department of Peace will become a reality.

2/They Say the Emerging Church is Dead - The Truth Behind the Story: According to a September 19th Christianity Today blog article, the emerging church is dead. "An overused and corrupted term now sleeps with the fishes," the article states. But is this even remotely true? Or rather could it be that the emerging church, or what we call the "merging" church, is morphing into its next "higher" level, and just as a butterfly would not want to be called a worm, neither do many in this evolving movement want to be called "the emerging church" any longer. However, unlike the beauty of a golden butterfly broken from its cocoon, the merging church does not share such grandeur. In reality, it is a dangerous pied piper leading millions over a deadly cliff of deception. And just as the "birth" of the emerging church was a well-thought out, highly-financed "dream" of millionaire corporations and futurists, so too will be its supposed "death" and rebirth. But don't be fooled, the emerging church and the spirituality behind it is alive and kicking.

3/Why Christian Leaders Should Not Promote Henri Nouwen: Henri Nouwen embraced a New Age spirituality after many years of drawing from the wells of mysticism. From his earliest writings, Nouwen was interested in Thomas Merton (whom he met once at the Gethsemani monastery in Kentucky), the Catholic monk who helped to bring contemplative spirituality out of the monasteries and into Christianity at large. After turning to mysticism himself, Merton came to believe that Divinity (God) dwells in all human beings.

4/Brian McLaren's Hope for the Future - The Minds of Your Grandchildren: In McLaren's recent book, he gives a detailed analysis of how the emerging church is God's answer to a stifled, fearful Christian church. He explains that this merging church must infiltrate the "institutions that rejected it," adding that "conservative Protestants have repeated their Catholic sibling's earlier mistakes (referring to the Catholic church's one time rejection of Galileo). Then he says: "But over time, what they reject will find or create safe space outside their borders and become a resource so that many if not most of the grandchildren of today's fundamentalists will learn and grow and move on from the misguided battles of their forebears [biblical believers]." You see, McLaren and his emerging church fellows (Pagitt, Sweet, Warren, et.al) want to change the minds of our children and grandchildren. That is why Rick Warren once said that the older traditional ones will have to leave or die because they won't change, thus the emphasis in the emerging church on the youth.

5/Will Department of Defense Turn to Meditation?: An article, "A proven enlightened counter-measure," written by Dr. David Leffler, an eight-year US Air Force veteran, now the Executive Director at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS), appeared in The Aljazzera Magazine, an "independent media organization established in 1992 in London" reporting on world events that affect the Middle East.

In the article, Leffler discusses US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Gates' recent speech at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Gates said that "[e]nlightened counter-measures ... will bolster the internal strength of vulnerable states so they will not harbor violent networks seeking to launch the next attack." Leffler suggests that in the DoD's "struggle to eliminate violent extremism," eastern-style meditation techniques should be used.

6/Saddleback IS a Contemplative Church: As Lighthouse Trails has reported many times in the past, Rick Warren (pastor of Saddleback Church) has been promoting the spiritual formation (i.e., contemplative prayer) movement for many years. This report will show that Saddleback Church is directly recommending numerous contemplative materials to those under their influence through "spiritual formation" and what they term "maturity."

7/Christianity Today Proclaims Ancient Future Church At Hand: In the February issue of Christianity Today, the cover article titled "The Future Lies in the Past"" proclaims that the "ancient future" church is now a reality. The cover photo shows a young man kneeling in a pile of sand (shovel sitting next to him), and he has just dug up a medieval looking Christian cross. The caption reads "Lost Secrets of the Ancient Church: How evangelicals started looking back to move forward."

8/Warren, Blanchard, Hybels, Laurie, Buford - Launching New York Leadership Center: the New York City Leadership Center. This is a inter-religious venture that is being supported by some of the country's most prolific Christian figures including Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Greg Laurie, Ken Blanchard, Bob Buford and Frances Hesselbein (representing the late Peter Drucker). The new Leadership Center hopes to "see the redemption of [their] communities through leaders leading together."

9/Obama Foreshadows Coming Spirituality (Mar. 2008): Rick Warren and Barack Obama share views on global peace and world-wide unification. Obama, who was a speaker at the "Pentecost 2006: Building a Covenant for a New America" conference, used "the speech as a call for continued dialogue and bridge-building between religious conservatives and progressives." This "bridge-building" is the same kind of talk Rick Warren uses when he is discussing his "new reformation" that will include all religions, in which he states that he will do "whatever it takes" and work with anyone at all to accomplish this new reformation in his lifetime.

In Obama's address at Pentecost 2006, he talked about the "connection between religion and politics." This is what Rick Warren talks about with his "three-legged stool" philosophy that government, religion and business have to work together if global peace is ever going to happen. In light of the popularity of both these men, and given the possibility that Rick Warren could potentially be "the President's pastor," their views on global peace should not be overlooked.

A recent USA Today article, "Saddleback founder Warren driven to expand his reach," begins by asking the question "Could California pastor Rick Warren possibly be everywhere at once?." The article mentions Warren's global travels, while promoting his Purpose Driven Peace Plan and the recently launched Peace Coalition. The question that should be asked is "Can pastor Rick Warren possibly serve both God and man at the same time?." With modern technology, jet travel, Internet and other high speed communication, and millions of dollars at Warren's disposal from book sales, the first feat may not be too difficult to accomplish--in essence Rick Warren is everywhere at once. But the second, serving both God and man at the same time, is utterly impossible.

 

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 Stories by LT Authors

"Churchless" Christianity by Roger Oakland: With Rick Warren saying your religion should have no bearing on your spiritual life, Erwin McManus saying he would like to destroy Christianity, and missionary societies telling new converts they can have Jesus without Christianity (or baptism), the results could be devastating and will very likely undo the tireless efforts of many dedicated missionaries around the world. These Bible-believing missionaries have risked their lives and given up comforts and ease to travel around the world sharing the good news that becoming a Christian (having Jesus Christ come into your heart and life) is the way to eternal life. Now, right behind them, come emerging church missionaries who say Christianity is a terrible religion, and Christians are out to lunch--so just become a Christ-follower, and you don't even have to tell anyone about it. In fact, you can still live like you always have.

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).

The Great Heretical Idea: Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift by Warren Smith: With friend and New Age author Marianne Williamson simultaneously teaching A Course in Miracles daily on Oprah & Friends XM Satellite Radio, Oprah now offers two very public New Age classes. These classes are teaching millions of people that the way to save themselves and the planet is not by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but rather by accepting "the Christ within."

An Enlightened Race? by Caryl Matrisciana: The Germany of the 1920s and 1930s was in social and economic despair, looking for a leader who would free her from the Great Depression. The man with the promise of hope was Adolph Hitler. A man with an affinity for the occult and "an abiding belief in astrology," he claimed he was ordained by God to usher in one thousand years of peace and prosperity with a super race of humans. A student of Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine (the Theosophical Society's "bible"), Hitler manipulated an entire nation to surrender its collective mind to him.

"I Just Had a Vision!" by Kevin Reeves: I believe that most of what are reported as visions are not such at all, but could be more appropriately termed mental pictures. The two are certainly not synonymous. Mental pictures occur constantly during our waking hours but don't necessarily have anything to do with the spiritual, whereas visions always have their origin in the supernatural realm. As we speak in conversation, we see mental images, memories, etc., to correspond with the dialogue; reading gives us the same experience. Even television viewing offers the same scenario, as the images dancing across the screen click on our own past experiences or connections with our present situations. This can transpose into our times of prayer, giving us mental pictures that may or may not be of God.... The practice itself can be dangerous, actually maneuvering an innocent Christian in the wrong direction.

Obama's Fictitious Pro-Israel Team by Jan Markell: Much is being made of several Jews who are now a part of the Obama administration. Some seem to think that a few are very pro-Israel Jews and that we will thus see a new course of American-Israeli relations. I hate to burst bubbles but they are dead wrong.

Shaping the Minds of the Youth by Roger Oakland: In the late 1960s, two youth workers in their twenties, Mike Yaconelli and Wayne Rice (who happened to be working for Youth for Christ at the time), wanted to change the way youth ministry was viewed and approached. They self-published a small booklet called Ideas, began talking to senior pastors and churches, and in 1970 held their first conference. They called the company Youth Specialties. Interestingly, the late theologian Francis Schaeffer attended their second annual conference. Schaeffer would be very surprised if he had known that thirty years down the road this young, sprouting organization would become one of the major catalysts for the emerging church movement.

Those Who Resist by Kevin Reeves: These are critical days for the body of Christ. We are in the epoch of church history spoken of by the apostle Paul as "perilous times" (II Timothy 3:1). What makes the danger all the more imminent is that not much of the church believes it. Many of us have owned the glorious but erroneous vision of an end-times remnant walking in unconquerable power, transforming entire societies. The result has been nothing short of catastrophic. How soon we forget. Every cult in the world has sprouted from the fertile soil of deception, always initiated by a drastic move away from the primacy of the Word of God into the nebulous, self-defining atmosphere of experience.

Meditation Explosion - 17 Million Meditators! by Ray Yungen: In 2003, Time magazine reported (in a feature article on meditation) that 10 million Americans practiced meditation. Now, four years later, Dr. Rick Levy, in his book Miraculous Health, claims that number is now 17 million in the United States alone.

"Servant Leadership" ... A Christian Idea ... Not Exactly by Warren Smith:

Today, there is much talk about teaching people to become good leaders. In reality, what is happening is people are being taught to be good followers. The term (and the concept) Servant Leadership, used by many of the most prolific Christian authors and teachers today, did not originate with them.

 

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 LT Stories by Other Ministries

 

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Top 10 LT Out-of-House Stories by Various News Agencies

Washington Post/Newsweek--Rick Warren, Interfaith Activist

L.A. Times--Rev. Robert H. Schuller ousts his son as "Hour of Power" preacher

Chicago-Sun Times--Millions of Christians Now Practicing Yoga

CNN--Brian McLaren, Advisor to Obama--Obama Seeking Emerging Church Voters

CNN, AP--"An Evangelical Manifesto" criticizes politics of faith

Christian Post--Rick Warren Launches Coalition to Combat Five "Global Giants"

Vatican City, AFP--First-ever Catholic-Muslim forum to open at Vatican

Chicago-Sun Times--700,000 commit to exploring East-West-hybrid mysticism

The Guardian News & Media (UK)--Contemplative Retreat Center Being Built for World Leaders

 

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2008 Conference Alerts

 

LT PUBLISHING NEWS: 2008 Year in Review and Preview of 2009

Publishing Year in Review

In 2008, through our publishing ministry, we released two new books, Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman and Out of India by Caryl Matrisciana. We also released Standing Fast in the Last Days DVD by Warren Smith and started carrying Roger Oakland's 4-DVD series on the emerging church and the new spirituality.

Things We Couldn't Say is the true story of a Christian resistance worker in Holland during WWII.  Diet Eman is alive today at 88 years old. Her story is one of incredible courage and faith. Lighthouse Trails is so honored to be able to represent both Diet Eman and Anita Dittman (Trapped in Hitler's Hell), two women who survived one of the most horrific times in human history.

Out of India, an apologetic biography, tells the story of India-raised Caryl Matrisciana, who is a long-time Christian film producer and the founder of Caryl Productions. Born and raised in India, Caryl saw firsthand the effects that Hinduism had on the people of that nation. After leaving India as a young adult, she became involved in the counter-culture New Age movement, only to find that the elements of Hinduism and the New Age were very much the same. Later as a Christian, Caryl discovered that this same spirituality had entered the Christian church through various avenues. 

Lighthouse Trails also launched websites for two of our authors in 2008: www.atimeofdeparting.com for Ray Yungen and www.deceivedonpurpose.com for Warren Smith. On these sites, you can learn more about the authors, get book information, donate to them, and find links to many of their articles.  Our other author websites can be found by clicking here. Lighthouse Trails is very grateful to have the opportunity to publish books by men and women who so sacrificially work to defend the Christian faith.

Faith Undone, Roger Oakland's powerful book on the emerging church and the new spirituality, was released in the summer of 2007. Since then, the book has been distributed around the world, and we believe it has made a difference in the lives of many Christians as well as entire churches.  

Coming in 2009

In 2009, we will be releasing a 3 part DVD lecture series by Ray Yungen, addressing the New Age, mysticism, contemplative spirituality, and interspirituality.

We also have signed a contract with Carolyn A. Greene, a Canadian author who has written a novel, Castles in the Sand. This will be Lighthouse Trails' first fiction story. It is about a young Christian college girl named Teresa, who is introduced by her Spiritual Formation professor to the writings of a young mystic girl from the 15th century, Teresa of Avila. The story shows the dramatic influence this has on the 21st century Teresa, as she plunges into mysticism. This will be "fiction with a message" that will hopefully help readers to see the true nature behind contemplative spirituality (Spiritual Formation), which has so quickly pervaded Christian colleges, seminaries, and universities across the globe.

In 2009, we also hope to release Roger Oakland's biography, Let There Be Light. Roger, raised in a Christian home, received his degree in Biology and became a devout believer and teacher of evolution, until he discovered there was a Creator and a God who loved him and sent His Son to die for him. Roger's biography reveals the intimate details of his life, including the death of two sons and the victories and heartbreaks of ministering around the world. The book will be another Lighthouse Trails Apologetic Biography, showing the faithfulness of God in a believer's life while providing information and truth for the exhortation and edification of the saints and an evangelistic emphasis for the unbeliever.

Lighthouse Trails will also be releasing its first Spanish translation, Faith Undone. This edition will be distributed with a special focus in Mexico, Central and South America. We are very grateful to our translator, Sally, and the editors she works with in Columbia. She is currently translating A Time of Departing, which will be released in late 2009 or early 2010. 

 

Franklin Graham on Rick Warren: "He must be doing something right."

LTRP Note: The following recent article by Christianity Today quotes Franklin Graham as saying that Rick Warren is a "minister of Jesus Christ" and that "he [Rick Warren] must be doing something right" if the gays and the liberals are mad at him.1 We present this article as an example of how Christian leaders (such as Graham) are not warning the body of Christ about Rick Warren's teachings and beliefs that include a three-legged global peace plan and the new reformation/new spirituality. The Christianity Today article states they are presenting a "special section" on Rick Warren in this month's online edition. The section lists numerous articles CT has written on Rick Warren over the past decade. Lighthouse Trails would like to provide its own "special section" on Rick Warren as well. Please click here to view our special section on our coverage over the last 1/2 a decade.

"Franklin Graham: Obama/Warren Criticisms Ludicrous"

Sarah Pulliam
Christianity Today

Evangelist Franklin Graham knows a thing or two about getting flack for praying at an inauguration. He took heat after praying in Jesus's name at President Bush's inauguration in 2001. I just spoke with Franklin Graham, who gave his take on Obama's decision to ask megachurch pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. We have also compiled our coverage of Warren over the years in a special section.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

[Obama] is including evangelicals at his inauguration, but I don't know if he'll include them in his administration. Time will tell. But Rick Warren will have Obama's ear on important issues.

Do you have any advice for Rick Warren?

My advice to Rick is to stay true to your convictions, and don't back up one step. I don't think he will. When you have the far left and the gay advocates mad at you, you must be doing something right. Click here to read this entire article.

 

Rick Warren Wins Approval by Homosexual Singer

LTRP Note: The following out-of-house article by the Huffington Post is for research and informational purposes. The writer, Melissa Etheridge, who met Rick Warren a few days ago at the MPAC Convention, believes that the world is on the brink of a new era. 

"The Choice is Ours Now"
by M. Etheridge, Huffington Post

"This is a message for my brothers and sisters who have fought so long and so hard for gay rights and liberty. We have spent a long time climbing up this mountain, looking at the impossible, changing a thousand year-old paradigm. We have asked for the right to love the human of our choice, and to be protected equally under the laws of this great country. The road at times has been so bloody, and so horrible, and so disheartening. From being blamed for 9/11 and Katrina, to hateful crimes committed against us, we are battle weary. We watched as our nation took a step in the right direction, against all odds and elected Barack Obama as our next leader. Then we were jerked back into the last century as we watched our rights taken away by prop 8 in California. Still sore and angry we felt another slap in the face as the man we helped get elected seemingly invited a gay-hater to address the world at his inauguration."
Click here to read this entire article.

Related:
Rick Warren "Annoyed" with Those Who Challenge Him - Serving Two Masters Not Working

 

"Controversial minister Warren delivers King Day service"


ATLANTA (AP) - The Rev. Rick Warren, whose selection to deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration has angered gay activists, will be in the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to deliver the keynote address at the Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative service.
The Jan. 19 service at King's former church on the federal holiday marking what would have been his 80th birthday comes the day before the inauguration ceremony in Washington.


King Center President Isaac Newton Farris Jr. said holiday organizers tapped Warren to speak at the service for his "unifying spirit" and commitment to his conservative faith, which is part of the concept of the "beloved community" embraced by King.
Click here for source.

 

 

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