The article I link to in this post says a lot and not just about contemplative prayer. It explains the demonic deceptions that are going on in many churches today in the name of being relevant to our postmodern society. I doubt that there are many large evangelical churches that are not to some extent being negatively influenced by this by either the pastor, some assistant pastor or one or more lay leaders. Certain influential national leaders are mixing various amounts of poison wrapped in Christian speak and Christian sounding programs and many are buying into their deadly deceptions because they never hear any biblical counter argument.

Someone needs to form an expense paid national conference for top pastors and evangelical leaders where they would hear the arguments of authors like John MacArthur, Roger Oakland, Dave Hunt, Bob DeWaay etc. to educate the church leadership on the doctrines of demons now being introduced in most large churches. Then the conference should be put on a internet site and on DVD and a copy should be given to all lay leaders in the church. We need some some Christian foundation or a group of discerning churches to fund this. If certain churches can put together postmodern rethinking and shifting conferences you would think that someone could also put together a biblical thinking conference to counter them.

Beware of This Doctrine of Demons

It’s called “contemplative” or “centering” prayer and if you haven’t heard about it yet, chances are unfortunately good that you will soon. It’s invading churches like a virus in which submicroscopic pathogens contaminate the body many hours or days before the victim is aware of its presence.
Contemplative prayer is one of a number of ancient mystical practices or spiritual disciplines, as their proponents refer to them, which are being encouraged at an alarming rate by evangelical churches. It is all part of something called Spiritual Formation and the Emergent Church, a movement that as John MacArthur states in his book, The Truth war, is subtly changing the beliefs and doctrines of the evangelical church as we know it.

In its pure form, contemplative prayer is practiced by sitting still, quieting, and concentrating on your breathing and repeating a word of choice (maybe the name Jesus, for instance) over and over again. You’re to concentrate on that word and your breathing, and work to eliminate all thoughts from your mind. Over a period of maybe 20 minutes — and with practice — you can enter into “the silence.” Your mind is blank. You have, in fact, hypnotized yourself. And it is in “the silence” where “God” allegedly speaks to you.

According to the testimony of one former, now-redeemed New Ager I recently read this is the exact method used by New Agers and Eastern mystics to enter an altered state of consciousness that opens a person up to demonic influence. Ray Yungen, author of the book, A Time of Departing, confirms this and says, “Unknown to most people, a blank mind in a meditative state is all that is necessary for contact with a spirit guide.” He also points out, “Those who lack discernment are at great risk.”

Read full article

This is a good article on the Emergent Movement that sums up things quite accurately. They are a bunch of heretics that the Bible clearly warned us would come in these last days to tickle the ears.

A Christian & Missionary Alliance Preacher Speaks Against Emergent Movement Heresy - CWN

To the Emergent Movement there is no systematic theology. The questioning of the absolute truth of the central doctrines of Christian teaching is sinful. Why you ask? Because it is not that they ask questions in order to gain greater understanding that would be fine. They ask for the purpose of calling into question the need to hold to the sacred teachings of the central doctrines of Christianity.

We are now told that unity and inclusiveness matters more than anything. Unity at the expense of truth is not something any true Christian is willing to give in to. When people who call themselves Christians begin to question the truth of the virgin Birth, the bodily resurrection, the inerrancy of the Bible, the substitutionary sacrifice, the Deity of Christ, man’s need of Christ for Salvation, and salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, there is a problem.

There is a word for this. It is not a politically correct word. It is the word “heresy.” We no longer have the right to use this word in a world that holds a relativistic world-view. It is pathetic what the Church has come to

The main principles of the Reformation are:

Solo Scriptura – The Scripture alone.
Solo Fide – By Faith alone.
Solo Christo – In Christ alone.
Sole Deo Gloria – To God alone be the glory.

This is too black and white for the Emergent Movement. These are being replaced by a relativistic world-view that places experience and human wisdom above the central doctrines of the Bible. The idea is not that the Bible is true and we come under its authority. The Emergent Movement is more of a “what does it mean to you?” Open interpretation is the view since Rob Bell says that all theological positions are only “opinion.”

So I ask the question; If you do not break fellowship with women who call themselves “Pastors” while at the same time are practicing Lesbians who not only practice homosexuality, but embrace it as “God given,” just when do you break fellowship? Since there is no absolute truth with these Emergent heretics, there is no belief that is absolutely wrong and thus never a doctrinal reason to break fellowship. Just put the name Jesus on it and your good to go. Furthermore, even if you do not put the name Jesus on it you are probably ok as well. What is going on?!!!!

Post modern Emergent Movement teachers are appeasing the human lusts with teaching that tickles the ears of those who do not want repentance as part of their religion.

Wake up and smell the truth! The Emergent movement is bad news. It is heresy pure and simple. I want to warn you though. If you take a stand you will be ostracized by many in your own church for not going along with this ungodly movement. I am sure I will be attacked by those in The C&MA who do not want me to call them out on this. Let them do what they will, and say what they will. I stand for the Bible.

The quotes are some excerpts from Debra Rae on “Only Imagine Tolle’s New Earth, Part 1″ It looks like it is going to be a very good series.

For those into Tolle’s recycled and refined New Age religion I want you to only imagine homonoeticus living forever in the Lake of Fire. Tolle and Oprah are only telling you a rehash of the same lie that the Serpent told Eve from the beginning, “That you can become like God”. No you can’t! You can become a very prideful deceived human like these two have become, believing that they are evolving into a superior race (homonoeticus). Believing Tolle’s nonsense will really only evolve you into a eternal place in the Lake of Fire.

If you read this article you will know why they hate Bible believing Christians and why they really want us dead and why people who think like them will be the force behind Christian and Jewish persecution in the future. Its because we will not worship them as homoneticus masters and we will try to stop them from deceiving others in the world by telling them the truth.

RaidersNewsNetwork.com – Breaking News, U.S., World, Science, and Mystery

Notwithstanding, secular and cosmic humanists alike actively reject and attempt to eradicate traditional theism. To Tolle, the sacred Name of God is attributed to a company of highly evolved masters (Jesus among them), each of whom claims transcendent consciousness and common divinity with all life—in Motulsky’s words, “fallible humans with total power.”

In Tolle’s misguided view, Christ is every man and woman. True, he references “universal law,” but Tolle ascribes the Ten Commandments as necessary only for those cut off from their own “I AM”-ness. Note that it was not Tolle, but rather co-Masonic Hierarch Alice Bailey who conceptualized and coined the term for this—namely, “Christhood.” This, my friend, exceeds folly. It is blasphemy. For such arrogance, even the angel Lucifer was cast in shame from heaven!

As evidenced in A New Earth, this burgeoning sect of evolutionary cosmic consciousness is allowed rigidity of expression that by no means is afforded traditionalists. For espousing absolutism analogous to those advanced by Tolle, Bible-believing Christians are to be feared. Their dogma allegedly represents a “mental dysfunction” perpetuating separation and conflict; therefore, Christians are (in Tolle’s word) “dangerous.” After all, he explains, the history of Christianity provides a “prime example” of how biblical dogma “corrupts to the point of insanity.”

Achieving mastery qualifies awakened adepts to act as “Custodians of the Plan” and to watch over and even guide all of humanity’s spiritual progress. In so doing, these work hard to extinguish forces of darkness/evil—i.e., Jews and Christians. The desired outcome is for the old “Piscean Age” with its obsolete traditionalism to give way to an anticipated “Age of Aquarius,” marked by promises of peace, harmony and brotherhood.

Said adepts comprise a superior species (homonoeticus) whose quantum leap to “consciousness” has fitted them for presumably higher levels of existence in the esoteric

Here is the take from the Lighthouse on Brian Mclaren’s newest book “Finding Our Way Again” Brian Mclaren is obviously a blind soul who could not even find his way with his seeing eye dog. What Mclaren teaches is not Christianity and I wish that Bible colleges and book stores would quit peddling his pagan delusions as something the church needs to learn about. We do not need to know these things any more then we need to know what was in the books that the early Church burned.

There is a common thread in all these emerging teachers. These are nothing but wolves dressed in old gnostic wolves sheep’s clothing. These religious perverts want us to believe that religion will unite on some higher plain where all paths lead to God through everyone looking inside themselves for some self deception. They think satanic illumination will bring peace and brotherhood to the planet. Oh brother! How demented can these people get and why is the church contemplating their teachings? Has the Christian church also gone nuts?

They believe the world is going to become united on mystical religion and they are right. Who do you think the Women that rides the Beast is? She is Mystery Babylon the harlot religion. So please understand that their purpose driven life is to merge Oprahitis with Mclarenstupiditis and come up with the Bell Tolled for all those that Foster this mother of all harlots.

From the Lighthouse

Brian McLaren’s newest book, Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices, is the first in a series of eight books by Thomas Nelson publishers. The General Editor of the series, which is titled The Ancient Practices Series, is emerging church proponent Phyllis Tickle. Other authors in the series include Dan Allender, Scot McKnight, Diana Butler Bass and Joan Chittister.

In Finding Our Way Again, McLaren thanks several contemplatives like Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Joan Chittister. He also says he is “indebted” to Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis and recognizes Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones for teaching him contemplative practices. It is not surprising that McLaren thanks these listed teachers - McLaren has been in the emergent camp from the beginning of its inception, and where there is emerging, there is contemplative.

The interfaith theme is threaded through Finding Our Way Again. In one section, McLaren says that even Christian communion is something to be shared with people of all faiths (in particularly with the Jewish faith and Islam); he states that this “sacred meal” is a celebration of “inclusion” and “reconciliation” (p. 26). This makes a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who told believers to do this in remembrance of Him, acknowledging His atonement for sin - a mockery because the beliefs of other religions reject Christ as being God and the slain Lamb who could take away sin.

As do other emerging/contemplative teachers, McLaren believes in a literal global kingdom of God on earth before Christ returns that will incorporate all the world’s religions and all creation, a “world yet to be born” that “desperately” needs “these spiritual practices.” He also relates: “[T]hese practices” have “enlivened the three Abrahamic faiths” (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) and should not be “allowed to go extinct” (p. 29).

Finding Our Way Again emulates McLaren’s previous writings on atonement, on Jesus being the only way to God and salvation, on the return of Christ and on the last days. The difference with this book is that the emphasis is on how we can attain to this awakened state - through mystical practices. One chapter is devoted primarily to these contemplative exercises, but the entire book is seeping with its core message - “reconciliation with God, one another, and all creation in a global community” (p. 42).

In the last chapter of McLaren’s book, “Theosis (via Unitiva),” he sums up his calling by stating that “The purpose of the via purgativa [the practices] is to prepare us for the via illuminativa [the awakening], and the purpose of the via illuminativa is to prepare us for the via unitiva [all is one], the union of our nature with the nature of God” (pp. 171-172). He calls God “fire” and says, “We join God in being fire … Before the beginning … God was All, and All was God” (p. 175). This is the exact same message that Eckhart Tolle and Oprah are propagating. But while many Christians are now condemning Tolle’s message, they don’t realize that the very same message is permeating their very own churches. For those readers who care about the spiritual future of their children and grandchildren, it is vital they understand the meaning of McLaren’s spirituality in particular and the emerging/contemplative movement in general. We believe this is an extremely compelling motivation and should prompt us as believers to defend the faith and the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries has written a really good article about Richard Foster and how he is connected with the Emergent Church movement and the Contemplative/Centering Prayer that is now being taught to future pastors in many seminars and Bible colleges. Below are a few excerpts from this article but read the entire article there is much good information here. But while your at it don’t stop at this article on Richard Foster. Apprising Ministries www.apprising.org has many well documented articles on the emergent/emerging church heresies which are leading institutional “Christianity” into latter day apostasy. It is this emerging harlot woman that will ride the Beast Antichrist into power in these last days.

All leaders in Christianity need to be able to discuss these issues because people in your congregations are buying their popular books and they are being heavily influenced by these emerging Gnostic teachers. In the final analysis, these doctrines are repackaged “New Age” thinking. They all dance around a pluralist all-ways to God paganism even if they happen to mention the name of Jesus.

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

WHO IS RICHARD FOSTER?

WHO IS RICHARD FOSTER?

Due to the importance of this topic of Contemplative/Centering Prayer, which is the primary source for a reemergence of Gnostic neo-pagan “Christian” mysticism in new evangelicalism, I began this series as quickly as I could. I am asking the interested reader to please keep an eye out for this work to be ongoing to cover various mystics who are influential in the new spirituality that is now infecting the evangelical community of our Lord’s Church. Let me also point out that each of these pieces will continue to be expanded as well when new information is forthcoming.

We will begin now with Richard Foster who is arguably the leading proponent of this so-called contemplative spirituality rooted in Rome. Undoubtedly however, he is certainly its most recognized teacher. Foster is also very highly respected in the marred and mystical Emergent Church as evidenced in an article in Christianity Today called “The Emergent Mystique.” None other than Brian McLaren, the prominent theologian in “Emergent, the emerging church network that he and several other church planters and pastors lead,” points to “Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, with their emphasis on spiritual disciplines, as key mentors for the emerging church.”

I cover Teresa of Avila in more depth elsewhere, but here you can clearly see that her mystic musings have undoubtedly impacted Foster. In fact in COD he includes this troubled Roman Catholic nun among “the great writers of the devotional life,” which he says goes “from St. Augustine to St. Francis, from John Calvin to John Wesley, from Teresa of Avila to Juliana of Norwich” (5, emphasis mine). You might make note here that the highly ecumenical Foster is undoubtedly influenced in his own aberrant mystic views by the apostate Church of Rome and in opposition to the theology of the Reformers the Guru of Contemplation obviously considers the Roman Catholic Church a part of the true Body of Christ.

This now brings us to another critical issue that has not been thoroughly explored in the study of this invasion of contemplative spirituality into the evangelical camp. The fact is that Guru Foster is himself a Quaker, or a member of The Religious Society of Friends, as they are also known. Therefore if someone wants to better understand how Foster’s own teachings about this supposed “inward life” were themselves shaped then it becomes necessary to have a working background of the theology inherent in this group he has been raised within. As a matter of fact Quakerinfo.com enlightens us that Richard Foster is “[p]erhaps the best known Quaker in the world today.”

This idea in Quaker theology that every man has this alleged “Inner Light” is further corroborated in GREAT RELIGIONS of the World which tells us that Fox “insisted that the ‘light of Christ’ glimmered in all men” (375, emphasis mine) We’ll be coming back to this “inner light” that is supposed to glimmer “in every human heart,” but first, in his classic two volume set A History Of Christianity (AHOC) the great historian Kenneth Scott Latourette adds a bit more background information about the person through whom the Quakers originated:

And here we have uncovered the reason why so many professing Christians today can believe that all religions should be friends now and seek our common ground as we work together to usher in “the kingdom” of God’s Global Peace. Take an honest look at the warped and toxic theology of men like Richard Foster, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Alan Jones, Steve Chalke and even the Pied Piper of Purpose Driven Rick Warren–all men involved to one degree or another in the practice of contemplative spirituality. You see no bold stance on their part that the only way any human being anywhere upon God’s planet can ever be saved from an eternity of conscious torment in a literal place our Creator called Hell is personal faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth and His vicarious penal substitutionary atonement on the Cross. In fact, you will see quite the contrary.

Carla at “More Books and Things” put together some good information and links on modern day false prophets such as Rick Joyner, Bob Jones, Mike Bickle, Paul Cain, and Benny Hinn. She also mentions and has links on Todd Bentley’s book “The Journey into the Miraculous” and Carla lets us find out what Jim Goll is saying. This is really pretty twisted stuff.

Like I have indicated before, the spiritual deception is not just coming from New Age teachers like Oprah. It is coming from the Emergent leaders and Word-Faith. You need to read the article and follow the links to begin to understand how fast this end time deception is taking shape. The intention is a religious paradigm shift toward a pantheistic spirituality to deceive the world. These movements use the name of Christ but they all reinvent Jesus Christ.

More Books and Things…: Bentley Book

Don’t know if anyone has been watching some of those crazy clips from the big new revival down in Florida. They say it’s another Toronto Blessing thing. And that’s a big deal…just look at the effects of the last one. Well, I have been quite horrified with some of the things I’ve been seeing

So it looks like it IS all converging…contemplative prayer, mysticism, different streams, New Age, and now the signs and wonders movement is converging into this same stream, with Bentley and his out of body experiences, angelic visitations, manifestations of kundalini serpent power symptoms, third heaven visions and visits with “jesus” with the Bambi eyes. Give me a break! Who would have ever thought that the Silence and the old “Be Still” thing was going to connect them all together?

This article does a real good job putting Oprah’s New Age promotions, Word-Faith and postmodern “Christianity” in the same boat. Essentially they all are saying that we can create our own reality through our own thoughts, words or deeds because we are all part of the force. There is way too much good information in this article to just read my snippet of it so if you want to know all about this paradigm shift to the dark side, read Marsha West’s article.

Marsha West — Oprah Shifts to the Dark Side

Rhonda Byrne and Joel Osteen may have significant differences, but the one thing they agree on is that “You are the Master of the Universe, and the Genie is there to serve you.” For Byrne the Genie is the Law of Attraction. For Osteen the Genie is God.

My reason for bringing up Word-Faith teaching is to show its similarities to the New Age movement. Actually, New Age movement is a tired old term. Devotees prefer “New Spirituality” or just plain “Spirituality.” Another term is Cosmic Humanism. No matter how you couch it, it’s Eastern mysticism.

New Agers outright reject the Jesus of the Bible and have adopted a Cosmic Christ. Who is this Christ? “In esoteric schools of thought, the Christ is considered to be a universal spirit or a cosmic force. The primary goal of this impersonal spirit or force is to guide the spiritual evolution of mankind.”[10]

As I brought to light in my article on ECM, New Agers are not the only ones who believe there is a paradigm shift taking place. Some Christians believe it, too. As a consequence “everything must change.”

“There is a growing movement afoot in the postmodern Church that does not abide in God’s Word…The movement calls itself ‘Emergent’ or ‘Emerging Church’ (ECM

This article will give you a good perspective of how the Emergent Church is sliding into unity with New Age and Eastern paganism and pantheistic universalism. It will tell you who the leaders in this religious paradigm shift are and some of what they teach.

Emergent Church Spreading Spiritual Cancer - CWN

Now a similar assault on historic orthodox Christianity is underway that’s gaining momentum. Some Christians believe a paradigm shift is taking place in the Church and as a consequence “everything must change.” This is anything but good news for Christendom, my friends. In a radio interview with Worldview Network’s Brannon Howse, Professor Peter Jones of Westminster Seminary warned listeners that the Christian theistic West has been turning back to pagan, pantheistic monism. Many in contemporary western culture now hold to a pantheistic belief in the unity of nature and God, of body and spirit — all is One.

n order to move the West away from theism, the shifters must first reinvent biblical Christianity. Enter Oprah Winfrey. It would seem Oprah has been planning The Shift for many years. In 1987 she read the late Eric Butterworth’s book “Discover the Power Within You.” His book changed how Oprah looked at life and religion. She was convinced that Jesus didn’t come to teach us about His divinity, as the Bible teaches, but to teach us about our divinity! (Oprah’s code word is “Christ consciousness.”) She recommended Butterworth’s book to her audience and sales soon skyrocketed.

Maharishi McLaren’s re-imaging of the modern Church is on it’s way — whether evangelicals want re-imaging or not. The transformation, he boasts, “is for the good of the world.”

You may not have heard about The Shift yet, but you will – soon! Shifters, like pod people, are in our midst. Some of your friends and acquaintances could be shifters, only you don’t know it yet. Shifters have wormed their way into church leadership (pastors deacons, elders), worship services, Bible studies, Sunday school, seminaries, Christian schools, youth groups, camps. They lecture, write for Christian news sources and they’re all over the Internet. Now they’re touring the country. Many shifters are familiar faces on TV and have become media darlings. Browse through your local Christian bookstore and you’ll find their names lined up on shelves. Brian McLaren, Jim Wallis, Tony Campolo, Marcus Borg, Dallas Willard, Leonard Sweet, Erwin McManus, Phyllis Tickle, Rob Bell, Dan Kimball, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Scot McKnight, Eddie Gibbs, Ryan Bolger, Jeff & Sherry Maddock, Peter Rollins, to name a few. Every one of them are theological liberals!

Now what view would that be that Bell and Pagitt need? Your satanic view out of hell?

‘InterSpiritual Day’ to feature panel of religious leaders (OneNewsNow.com)

The head of a spiritual discernment ministry says two prominent emergent church leaders are participating in an ecumenical forum today in Seattle because they believe dialogue with Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims will not only enrich their fellowship, but give them another view of Jesus the Bible doesn’t give.

Today marks the final day of the “Seeds of Compassion” gathering in Seattle. “InterSpiritual Day” will feature a panel of religious leaders discussing how to “nurture youth with spirituality.” The panel includes the Dalai Lama, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Muslim and Sikh scholars, as well as emergent church leaders Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt.

Your kids will be publicly introduced to Eastern religious paganism and the Dalai Lama at the “Seeds of Compassion Conference” by direct participation of your public schools. Now why does it not surprise me that heretics Desmond Tutu, Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt will be speakers at this conference.

They will even have a Yoga secession for children ages 6-10. How nice!

After reading what is going in the Emergent Movement and New/Age does any astute Christian still think they a Universal one world religion is not well underway?

Emergent Leaders and School Children follow “his holiness” the Dalai Lama to Seattle - CWN

Commencing this Friday (April 11, 2008) the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the world’s Tibetan Buddhists begins a five day conference in Seattle. His sold out speeches, workshops and panel discussions are expected to draw capacity crowds totaling 153,000 at venues around the city from the Bank of America Center at the University of Washington, Key Arena, where the NBA Sonics play and mammoth Quest Field, home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks. It is expected that millions more will watch on television and over the Internet where the events will be webcast in twenty-four languages.

First, though the local media has nearly gone silent on this aspect of the story, local school districts are busing in school children to the events. Say what?

The conference promotion states “Seeds of Compassion Children’s Day (Monday, April 14) is a day for youth from all over Washington State to come together and share their expressions of What Compassion Looks Like™ and to learn how to grow their experiences of compassion from the leaders in the compassion movement, most notably His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There will also be multiple programs focused on children who will have booths set up at Seattle Center to invite children to get involved with compassion. Children will return by bus to their schools.”

In preparation for the event, local school children here are this week being taught visualization techniques and phrases such as “concentrate on being a hero. Now concentrate on being compassionate. Now visualize yourself as a compassionate hero.” No, I am not kidding. Nor am I exaggerating. This is just an exercise from New Age Buddhist philosophy being employed in the public schools. What is most troubling is that these 3rd graders won’t know that the next step is the introduction of Spirit Guides (demonic powers) and the majority of their parents are sitting at home enamored with the whole thing!

Astute biblical Christians knew that these emerging birds would come to merge with the universal, pantheistic, pagan flock of vultures that claims it will soar up to a higher plain of cosmic consciousness.

“New age” leaders have fed the gullible this line for several decades. The difference now is that the leaders have changed their name to “New Spirituality” and they are now in the church teaching very dumbed down, biblically illiterate church members their doctrines of demons.

It seems that Western emerging “Christianity” needs the hope of a evolutionary mystical experience to replace their “Old Spirituality” that is now on life support.

The Emerging Church is Merging With New Spirituality - CWN

I received a press release today from a publicity firm soliciting an interview. It demonstrates that the evolution of consciousness promoted by hardcore New Agers like Barbara Marx Hubbard, Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch and so many others is merging with the emerging church. First, read this quote from Barbara Marx Hubbard’s Foundation for Conscious Evolution.

If you are keeping up with the emerging heretic of the week, here is a new one to add to your ample collection. He is brought to our attention by Carla at More Books and Things. Yeah, Rohr appeared before the Oprah and he gave the expected respects to Brian McLaren. You can get up to speed on this new addition to the Spiritually Blind Club at the morebooksandthings link.

clipped from morebooksandthings.blogspot.com Not only is Richard Rohr one of the essay contributors of the book Stricken by God?, his spirituality is much the same as Matthew Fox who believes in pantheism (that God is in all things) and panentheism (that all is in God). Rohr is a major advocate for interspirituality through mantra meditation (i.e., contemplative spirituality) and promotes those with the same spirituality. Alarmingly, his name is showing up on the shelves of Christian bookstores, in Christian colleges, and in churches. In this short youtbue video clip he says the future of Christianity is ecumenism, and mentions Brian McLaren in a comment about a generous orthodoxy (the emerging church’s pet term for compromise, ecumenism, and univeralism):

They say they put special emphasis on the Red letters because that is what Jesus was reported to have said in contrast to other scriptures that in their doubtful minds are more subjective. Yet, there is enough in Red Letters to destroy their Red Letter arguments. So  they go further and selectively choose which Red Letters they will use for their heretical arguments and which they will discard because it does not fit their view.

It is not a mystery why they do this. They want a Jesus that fits the Jesus they contemplated in their own mind. A Jesus who is their buddy or spirit guide. They make the same subjective reasoning errors in their worship services and prayer. They make man the ultimate judge of truth based on their own experience and on what they wish to believe.

On (Mis)Reading Jesus - CWN

One major emphasis of the religious left and the red letter Christians is the idea that Jesus is a friend of sinners, that he does not come to judge anyone, and that the religious right especially is quite wrong to go on about things like abortion, pornography and homosexuality. Jesus accepted everyone with open arms, we are told, and thus we should too.But is this the case? Even if we accept their emphasis of red letter-only texts, what do we find? We find a different picture than what some of these folk are trying to portray. They often claim, for example, that Jesus said little about sin and repentance. But is that so?

A quick check of the concordance will show that even in just the red letter bits, Jesus in fact did have a fair amount to say about these subjects. Just a few passages – of many – can be referred to here.

Here is a good commentary by Bob DeWaay on popular teachings that are now leading many Christians astray by equating images and thoughts formed in their own mind with answers from God or Experiencing God. Mysticism has a history of leading Christians astray and it will be no different with these who replace God’s word with extra-biblical techniques and experiences.

Critical Issues Commentary: Unbiblical Teachings on Prayer and Experiencing God

To a Christian, praying to God is privilege, a blessing, and a Biblically defined responsibility. We are called to pray. But a genre of literature exists that I call “prayer secrets.” Practitioners claim to have discovered new avenues of prayer that can create power, excitement, success, and even new revelations from God. These “prayer secrets” add unbiblical practices and claims to prayer in the hope of spicing up the topic to make it more interesting. And this is not a new development; mystical practices have been brought into the church under the guise of prayer since medieval times.However, since these teachings change in form and packaging, I will review three books about prayer and “experiencing God” subjectively. What they have in common is a form of pietism that promises better things than to go before the throne of grace to find help in time of need, as well as other basic Biblical teachings on prayer.

I think Carla makes the case on her blog that a Christan should not be quoting New Age paganism in his books. The question she asks, is this type of meditation just one more way to bring in the one world universal religion? Yes it is.

Peter Scazzaro, for some odd reason, chose to include that quote by the designer of the UN meditation room in his book. So does one benign little quote in a book like The Emotionally Healthy Church actually further the New Age and one world religion cause and help promote the interfaith goal of the UN? Maybe not, but it does show a lack of discernment when a Christian author and pastor uses such a quote. (This, by the way, became apparent in the next book by the same author called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, which was completely entrenched with contemplative spirituality [so called "Christian meditation"] and continues to be taught at various pastors retreats and church conferences: 

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