Mom4Truth

With the expediency with which the world, and most notably Christians, are turning to syncretism with eastern religions (Hinduism/Buddhism) it seems to make sense that Avatar has grown to be a generational movie masterpiece. I have chosen not to see it because I choose to engage cultural trends very sparingly, however, I do know of the Hindu beliefs that birthed the "Avatar" concepts and found this article by T.A. McMahon very interesting:

Movies are today's most popular means of influencing cultures on a worldwide scale. They have been effective in that way for the greater part of a century. They are, and always have been, teaching machines.

Although most people regard them as simply escapist fare or a mode of entertainment, they nevertheless always teach something. That fact became shockingly clear to me in my pre-Christian days when I was in Iran as a screenwriter on a Hollywood production. The time was just prior to the overthrow of the Shah in 1979. The revolution was literally ignited by Muslim clerics who had ordered their followers to set fire to movie theaters (packed with audiences). It was a protest against the teaching and influence of Western culture contained in the films, particularly the immorality and degenerate conduct displayed. With obviously less drastic reactions and consequences, no place seems to be out of the reach of the influence of movies no matter where one travels these days.

That is certainly true of one of the most expensive films to date, the quarter-of-a-billion-dollar production of Avatar, which has already grossed 2 billion dollars. No film thus far has matched its stunning production value in creating a fantastic world of computer-generated characters that seamlessly match and interact with the physical actors and the world we know. Believability is the "do or die" quality of every movie of any kind, and Avatar makes believers of all but the most critical film goers – few of whom could complain that this extraordinary production did not give them their money's worth.

My objective in writing this article is not to complain about the movie production (I paid the matinee, senior-citizen price, so I hardly felt cheated) but rather to give my view of the theology communicated in Avatar. We at TBC have received questions from concerned parents who aren't sure the film would be appropriate for their young teens to see and want to know how to discuss the movie's content with them. Avatar's theology is my primary concern.

First of all, it shouldn't be surprising that the beliefs of most people are not derived from Sunday school or church teaching but rather religious ideas they pick up from a wide variety of sources as they go through life. Prior to being born again and becoming a biblical Christian, for example, I had received a great deal of religious instruction, growing up Catholic, to which I added all kinds of contrary spiritual ideas, from reincarnation to the denial of hell to the universal salvation of everyone. I've had conversations with those who claim to hold the Bible as their only source of faith and practice yet who also hold ideas they have gleaned from Oprah Winfrey or some of her New Age guests. Humanity in general seems to be a magnet for all kinds of beliefs about God, and this would include not only the very religious but the agnostic and the atheist as well.

Movies often teach theology. Some have greatly influenced our last two generations about the character and qualities of God and perhaps none more than the Star Wars series, which began in the late 1970s. This series promoted the supreme deity as an impersonal, amoral energy "Force" that could be tapped into and used for one's own end through mental techniques. "May the Force be with you" was even interpreted by some sincere (but sincerely wrong!) Christians as Jesus being the true "Force." Such a promotion attributes characteristics to Jesus that both distort and demean His character as presented in the Scriptures – resulting in "another Jesus." Star Wars wrapped the beliefs and practices of Hinduism in a high-tech, science fiction saga. Obi Wan was a sorcerer; Yoda was a yogi by design and practice, and the incredibly successful film series propelled Eastern mysticism into the minds of Western youth. Avatar does the same for shamanism.

Shamanism is the religion of nature and spirits and is the most widespread of all the religions in the world. It's found among every indigenous people group throughout the earth, and its beliefs and techniques are the same wherever it is found. This is due to the fact that shamanism is a practice that comes from the spirit realm, with the spirits themselves not restricted by distant geographical locations. The term shaman comes from the Tungus people of Siberia and has been preferred by anthropologists over "witch doctor," "medicine man," "wizard," "sorcerer," etc. According to noted authority Michael Harner, an anthropologist and shaman,

"a shaman enters an altered state of consciousness at will to acquire knowledge, power, and to help other persons. The shaman has at least one, and usually more, 'spirits' in his personal service. To perform his work, the shaman depends on special, personal power, which is usually supplied by his guardian and helping spirits."

Avatar is a spectacular platform for preaching shamanism. The story line is neither unique nor complicated. A distant moon planet called Pandora is colonized by a corporation that is mining a metal of great value for the earth, which has been ravaged by the exploitation of its own natural resources. The enterprise, however, is hampered by a tribe of indigenous humanoids called Na'vi, whose village and land cover the main core of the precious metal. Diplomatic attempts to persuade the Na'vi to resettle elsewhere have ended in failure, primarily because of the Na'vi's religion of shamanism. They worship Eywa, a goddess akin to what the Greeks called Gaia, or Mother Earth. Eywa appears to be an impersonal, godlike force that is responsible for maintaining the balance of all life. Everything in Pandora is linked to Eywa mystically and biologically. The biological emphasis amplifies the critical nature of preserving the planet's physical ecological system for future survival. Demonstrating the connectedness of all life forms, the spirits of animals that are killed for food or in self-defense are addressed by the Na'vi either in thanksgiving or apologetically.

Nothing of the sort is found among the humans. The mining enterprise is protected by mercenary soldiers who are gearing up to remove the Na'vi should they ultimately refuse to vacate their land.

The hero of the movie is a paraplegic former marine (Jake Sully) who learns the way of the Na'vi by utilizing a Na'vi-human hybrid body, a creation of incredibly advanced bio-technology. It is called an avatar. Jake, in his avatar body, is accepted by the Na'vi because of initial signs that he is favored for some purpose by Eywa and the spirits.

Director and writer James Cameron makes his theological (and ecological) bent quite clear in nearly every frame of the film. The movie's title and image of the Na'vi are derived from the Hindu god Krishna, a blue-skinned incarnated avatar of the god Vishnu. Hinduism teaches that throughout history avatars have manifested in human and/or animal forms to restore the balance of good and evil. The emphasis on trees in the movie is consistent in all shamanism. The huge Hometree that housed the Na'vi clan and is destroyed in the attack by the humans is representative of Eywa providing for the Na'vi through "Mother" nature. The luminescent Tree of Souls, which provides direct communication with Eywa, is also a power center that can transfer souls to other bodies. In traditional shamanism, the tree is a universal communication medium for such cultures to connect with deceased shamans, ancestors, and the spirits themselves.

Cameron has added his own twist to native shamanism by having the Na'vi communicate with the Eywa, spirits, and animals through fiber optics in their braided hair tails. The Na'vi plug the strands into similarly compatible devices found in animals and plants. Although at odds with the actual practice of shamanism, this does reflect the necessity of "experiencing" a god that cannot be "known" through reason, intellect, or science. It also solves a problem for Cameron the filmmaker. In what was no doubt a box office-related decision, he avoids the method commonly used by shamans to contact the spirits: inhaling or imbibing hallucinogenic drugs. Na'vi "doing drugs" would have forced Avatar out of a PG-13 rating, eliminating an age group that is prone to seeing such a movie many, many times, as well as being a top consumer of Avatar-related merchandise.

In true shamanism, there is no physical "plugging into" or direct biological connection to the spirits. The spirits are nonphysical entities. Other than the drugs that are taken to produce an altered state of consciousness, connecting with the spirits is a mental process. Yet Cameron's deviation from true shamanism ultimately leads to the belief in Eywa. Dr. Grace Augustine, the female scientist in the movie, declares that all of the so-called spiritual phenomena she has observed on Pandora can be explained biologically. In the end, however, Dr. Grace undergoes a conversion. As she lies dying beneath the Tree of Souls, her final words are those of a materialist who allows her "experience" to override her "science" as she declares her belief in the panentheist goddess of the Na'vi: "Eywa – I see her. She's real!" Grace became what C. S. Lewis described as the ideal work of Satan – a "materialist magician." She submitted to a "Force" god without acknowledging the reality of personal spirits behind such an entity, i.e. demons. Jake, on the other hand, although he initially disdained what he called the "tree-hugging" stuff of the Na'vi, fully commits himself to their "natural" way of life and their mother goddess Eywa.

After reading dozens and dozens of comments by young people enamored with the theology in Avatar, it is apparent that its false gospel is finding fertile soil worldwide as it introduces and attracts millions of moviegoers to shamanism.

James Cameron has presented what the Bible calls the "doctrine of devils" promoted by Satan, the father of lies, and taught directly by demons. Cameron's pagan beliefs are diametrically opposed to what the Bible teaches. Furthermore, his idealistic view of the natural purity of an indigenous tribe such as the Na'vi is pure propaganda (see my interview with a former Yanamamo shaman in TBC 11/03). The belief that naturalism produces a life of harmony, fruitfulness, and peace is a lie taught by many anthropologists yet contradicted by the experience of every shamanic society wherever they may be found. How can I be so sure? All indigenous groups are made up of people, who, like all people everywhere, are sinners. This innate evil, moreover, is compounded by seducing spirits bent on deceiving and destroying the humans who find themselves in bondage to them. No anthropologist has ever produced a tribe that was an exception to this destructive condition.

Cameron is certainly entitled to preach the shamanic gospel of Avatar. Christians, however, need to be aware of what they are being fed along with the overpriced popcorn. It is a general lack of discernment among them that is often maddening and spiritually treacherous for the upcoming generation of believers. The maddening part comes when professing believers attempt to read Christianity into popular movies that are thoroughly antichrist. It happened with Star Wars, the Harry Potter series, and too many others to list. It's a foregone conclusion that we will see much of the same for Avatar. Christianity Today, for example, often leads the way in anointing the world's popular delusions as Christian. In its supported blog site directed at women and titled Her·meneutics (ironically a play on the word that fosters accurate Bible interpretation), a female Princeton Seminary student writes the featured article, suggesting that the character of Grace (mentioned above) may have been "Avatar's Christian character," and then adds a qualification, "Well, Christian-ish anyway."

Christian-ish?! James Cameron would be appalled at the suggestion; I am angered. The only insertion of any thing "Christian" in the entire movie is the name of a floating mountain range ("Hallelujah") and the mention of the Lord's name, which is used as a curse word. That's also a paradox for a story set more than a thousand years from today, seemingly far removed from the religious content missionaries supposedly used to "spoil the purity" of the noble savages. Although Christianity has obviously died out in the movie's future setting, ironically its God remains in the psyche and on the foulmouthed lips of the characters in the movie.

Christianity Today, the Emerging Church Movement, Rick Warren's Global P.E.A.C.E. plan, and those among some mission and parachurch organizations (e.g., those that follow the leadership and teachings of C. Peter Wagner) have a penchant for trying to find buried nuggets of Christ in the culture, or accommodating Christianity to the culture, and vice versa. Many are about sanctifying and redeeming the paganism of a society, or at least trying to harmonize and work with all religions. This is all fodder for syncretism and ecumenism. They are contributing to the religion of the Antichrist. We must note that Moses did not enter into a panel discussion with the Israelites for finding some spiritual merits of the golden calf, nor did Elijah trade edifying insights with the prophets of Baal, and neither did Jesus seek a meeting of the minds with the Pharisees. Furthermore, promoting a "group hug" among contradictory religions with the intention of solving the world's problems is a grand delusion at best. Isaiah, speaking for Jehovah God, makes His view absolutely clear:

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this [God's] word, it is because there is no light in them" (Is 8:20).

Warnings are also clear in the Word of God that a great spiritual battle is being waged all around us, that we are in the days of rampant apostasy in the church, and that we are being subjected to an increasing antichristianity in the world. What then must a believer do? We must diligently follow the Lord's prevention and protection program, the heart of which is found in Psalm 1:

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

But certainly there's more: prayer and fellowship, for example. We need to circle the wagons at times – for spiritual protection, counsel, encouragement, and ministry to one another. If such things become our disciplined practice of life, though the Apostasy dries up the spiritual environment around us, we and our families nevertheless shall be fruitful in the Lord.

I have yet to receive a formal response from Dr. Reagan, or from his ministry, however, I did post my letter to their website blog and his webmaster, Nathan Jones, did respond, in part, to my concerns.

Nathan Jones:

As Christians we are indeed called to share the Gospel (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8), leading hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. But, we are also called by Jesus in Matthew 5:13-18 to be "salt and light" in the world, showing by our loving example what Jesus stands for. As Hebrews 13:16 states, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

And so, it is not just us sharing the Gospel that the Lord wants, though that's primary, but for us to share Jesus' love with everyone (Lk. 10:27) based the example He demonstrated for us while on earth. And, what was Jesus' example while on earth? He healed the sick, fed the poor, showed mercy to the sinner, and gave the world the truth.

Are we actively following what Jesus told us to do, or are we in (self)righteous indignation just talking the talk?

And my response here:

Nathan-

Thank you for taking the time to go through those Scriptural bullet points. I agree that we are called to be good-doers as servants of Christ. I pray, first, that Christians are earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 3) AND allowing their light to so shine before all men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven. (Matt.5:16) I do hope you agree that our "works" cannot simply be stuffing envelopes for crisis pregnancy centers, serving lunch at a homeless shelter, and holding the door for a stranger- we are more closely judged on how unblemished we remain from the world. (James 1:27)

Most importantly, I wanted to question Dr. Reagan on his use of the desert monk to illustrate his point. Your response didn't address that concern. As I stated in my previous post, the monk that he references was an eastern mystic. We certainly can agree that an eastern mystic is not a fitting example as one who did something righteous for God. The world is full of non-believers, New Agers, mystics, and Catholics who DO many good deeds, but that is not enough- one must have the true Christ and be grounded in His Word. Without that foundation, one should not be used as en example as someone to emulate. Perhaps Samson- who had a very similar story to the example produced by Reagan? However, Samson was a repentant man of God- according to Scripture, our ONLY proper and fitting source. My biggest question and concern was simply- I have read Dr. Reagan's posts, as well as yours, fondly, for quite some time, and I didn't understand his anti-Biblical selection of a mystic. This concerned me even greater when seen in context of a mystical usurping of Christianity. I drove by a local church just the day before I read his post that was citing a Ghandi quote on their church marquee. Why stray from God's Holy Scripture to illustrate a point you agree is a Scriptural value?

I look forward to your response.

I just received Dr. David Reagan's newest e-article from his Lamb and Lion Ministries, and was quite suprised at what I read. With the growth of apostasy into mysticism in today's Christian churches, I was suprised by the article's contents. My hope is that if we would all begin to ask questions of our church leaders or beloved ministry leaders when they seemingly step-off the narrow path that leads to Heaven, we would begin to see healthy accountability. Here is a link to his article for your review:

http://community.icontact.com/p/lamblion/newsletters/pna/posts/are-you-standing-for-righteousness

And here is my response (I will post their response as soon as I receive it):

 Mr. Reagan,

I just received your most recent article on Standing for Righteousness. Sir, while I most appreciate your wisdom, I do take issue with the article and I am hoping for your ear.

I agree that all too often Christians stay on the sidelines when it comes to "action", however, I did not see one Biblical reference supporting your suggestions to, "Pray that God would burden your heart with an issue, ask for his guidance in how to act, and then, "Just Do It!" Biblical support leans more towards the Great Commission- spreading the Gospel, Truth, and NOT toward enacting social change. If we are doing our job of spreading Truth, hearts and minds will be changed which will, in turn, change behaviors. Not to imply that I am against standing on the street corner at an abortion clinic, sharing Truth with women entering it's ranks.

It seems your article advocated mysticism. With no Biblical support for your suggestions, you simply claim that God will lay it on your heart, which seems to imply extra-Biblical revelation. His Word tells us that it contains ALL we need pertaining to life and godliness. 2 Tim 3:16,17

Further, and more specifically, I see no Biblical support to say that we don't have enough time or room to care about or fight all evils. First of all, our greatest example, Christ, was not an outspoken advocate for or against the social ills, barring apostasy, but was greatly concerned that the Word was spread. So, in Him, our greatest fight is in sharing Truth and in resisting deception!

Sir, my heart was further grieved when I read your example included, "A Monk Who Challenged An Empire." Telemachus, a monk he was, a noted eastern aesthetic (eastern mystic). You claim he, "lived alone as a hermit seeking God." We have many examples of mystics who lived their lives as hermits "seeking (g)od", but a Christian that does not make. I fear when I see Christian leaders compromising on the Truth's of Scripture to give examples of non-Christian good deeds, especially when Scripture is replete with Godly martyrs. Further, you included a quote by Edward Gibbon. I disagree with the quote, as I believe it really only applies, and greatly so, to our King, but more importantly, Mr. Gibbon converted to Roman Catholicism at an early age (which I would hope you wouldn't argue is a Christian faith) and his book from which you retrieved that quote, The Decline and Fall…, was, for a time banned in several countries because of it's aggressively anti-religion/ anti-Christian content and it's highly anti-Semitic content. Also, he was a noted champion of Enlightenment.

I am concerned that you either agree with your post, or you were unaware of the truths of what you posted. We, as you know, are being confronted with a mysticism movement within the ranks of Christianity that I believe has grown to such a terrifying size it surely is the great falling away. True Christians are seeking after teachers of Truth in these dark days, not wanting to be perverted by those lacking discernment. I pray that you will consider my words and look forward to your response.

I pray, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Col 1:10

The season of Lent is fast approaching, and, as always, I am stunned at how the evangelical community has embraced this unbiblical, pagan practice with such enthusiasm.

Whatever happened to the Berean fact-checkers? Acts 17:11

John MacArthur covers this topic (and the demonic emergent church/contemplative spirituality movement) properly:

"From various ancient sources, it seems that Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis (the First), apparently was high priestess of the Babel religion and the founder of all mystery religions. After the tower was destroyed, and the multiplicity of languages developed, she was worshiped as a goddess under many different names. She became Ishtar of Syria, Astarte of Phoenicia, Isis of Egypt, Aphrodite of Greece, and Venus of Rome—in each case the deity of sexual love and fertility. Her son, Tammuz, also came to be deified under various names and was the consort of Ishtar and god of the underworld.

According to the cult of Ishtar, Tammuz was conceived by a sunbeam, a counterfeit version of Jesus’ virgin birth. Tammuz corresponded to Baal in Phoenicia , Osiris in Egypt , Eros in Greece , and Cupid in Rome . In every case, the worship of those gods and goddesses was associated with sexual immorality. The celebration of Lent has no basis in Scripture, but rather developed from the pagan celebration of Semiramis’s mourning for forty days over the death of Tammuz (cf. Ezek. 8:14) before the alleged resurrection—another of Satan’s mythical counterfeits.

The mystery religions originated with the idea of baptismal regeneration, being born again merely through the rite of water baptism, and the practice of mutilation and flagellation to atone for sins or gain spiritual favor. They also began the custom of pilgrimages, which many religions follow today, and the paying of penance for forgiveness of sins for oneself and for others.

Several pagan practices were especially influential in the church at Corinth . Perhaps the most important, and certainly the most obvious, was that of ecstasy, considered to be the highest expression of religious experience. Because it seemed supernatural and because it was dramatic and often bizarre, the practice strongly appealed to the natural man. And because the Holy Spirit had performed many miraculous works in that apostolic age, some Corinthian Christian s confused those true wonders with the false wonders counterfeited in the ecstasies of paganism.

Ecstasy (Greek, ekstasia, a term not used in Scripture) was held to be a supernatural, sensuous communion with a deity. Through frenzied hypnotic chants and ceremonies worshipers experienced semiconscious euphoric feelings of oneness with the god or goddess. Often the ceremony would be preceded by vigils and fastings, and would even include drunkenness (see Eph. 5:18). Contemplation of sacred objects, whirling dances, fragrant incense, chants, and other such physical and psychological stimuli customarily were used to induce the ecstasy, which would be in the form of out-of-body trance or an unrestrained sexual orgy. The trance is reflected in some forms of Hindu yoga, in which a person becomes insensitive to pain, and in the Buddhist goal of escaping into Nirvana, the divine nothingness. Sexual ecstasies were common in many ancient religions and were so much associated with Corinth that the term Corinthianize meant to indulge in extreme sexual immorality. A temple to Bacchus still stands in the ruins of Baalbek (in modern Labanon) as a witness to the debauchery of the mystery religions.

A similar form of mystical experience was called enthusiasm (Greek, enthusiasmos), which often accompanied but was distinct from ecstasy. Enthusiasm involved mantic formulas, divination, and revelatory dreams and visions, all of which are found in many pagan religions and philosophies today."

The world is changing. So is the Christian evangelical church. There was a time— not that long ago—when the Bible was considered to be the Word of God by the majority of evangelical Christians. Now that we are well into the third millennium and the post-modern, post-Christian era, the term evangelical can mean almost anything. What has happened? Why is this happening and what is the future for mainstream Christianity?

For the past several years, I have been speaking around the world on current trends that are impacting Christianity. After these presentations, I am approached by Christians who come from many different church backgrounds. Many are expressing their concerns about what is happening in their churches, troubled by the new direction they see their church going. While they may not always be able to discern what is wrong, they know something is wrong and that it needs to be addressed.

Further, many have told me they have attempted to express their concerns with their pastors or church elders. In almost every case, they were told they had a choice to make—get with the new program or get out of the church.

This move towards a reinvented Christianity (one designed to “reach people”) seems to be here for the long haul. It is not just a passing fad. I am often asked by concerned brothers and sisters in Christ to provide an explanation in order to help them understand what they have encountered. They want to know why these changes are underway and what to expect in the future. As well, they want to know what, if anything can be done, to stem this tide. It is for this reason I am writing this commentary—to provide biblical insight regarding the Emerging Church and where it is heading in the future.

The Gospel According to the Scriptures

Throughout church history, various trends have come and gone. While culture changes from place to place, biblical Christianity has always been based upon the central message of the Bible which is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message never changes.

This gospel message is about who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done. A child can understand the gospel message. This message proclaims that life here on planet earth is finite and that life after death is eternal. The good news is that we can be saved from our sins if we will repent and simply ask for forgiveness and follow Him.

How we respond to the gospel message during the time we have on earth determines where we spend eternity—heaven or hell. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, provided a way and the only way we can spend eternity with Him. It is a matter of making a personal decision whether or not we will accept the plan He has provided.

God’s adversary does not want mankind to understand the simple message. His plan is to deceive the world. If he can blind people from the gospel or convince them that they believe the gospel when indeed they do not, his plan has been successful. Throughout the ages, countless billions have been duped, either rejecting the truth, or believing that they had believed the truth when instead they had been deceived.

The Gospel According to Postmoderism

Times change! However, the gospel must remain the same no matter what else changes. We are now living in the postmodern era. In a sincere attempt to reach the postmodern generation with the gospel, it seems many Christians have become postmodern in their thinking.

Perhaps the term postmodern is new to you. Let’s examine what it means.

First, the modern era was characterized by a time of rational thinking based on factual observation. Many claim the modern era ended in the mid 1900s.

The postmodern mindset moves beyond the rational and the factual to the experiential and the mystical. In other words, in the past it was possible to know right from wrong and black from white. In the postmodern era all things are relative to the beholder. What may be right for you may be wrong for someone else. There is no such thing as absolute truth. The only thing that is absolute is that there is no absolute.

We now live in a time in history that is characterized as postmodern. Professors at universities teach students there is no right or wrong. All things are relative. The gospel message to the postmodern mindset is far too dogmatic and arrogant. They say it is necessary to find a more moderate gospel that can be accepted by the masses.

Many church leaders are now looking for ways to reach the postmodern generation. They believe they can find the appropriate methods to do so without changing the message. However, in their attempt to reach this postmodern generation, they have become postmodern themselves and have changed the message. As the gospel is fixed upon the Scriptures, the gospel cannot change, unless of course it becomes another gospel. I believe this is what is happening in the Emerging Church.

He Didn’t Come

Many have noticed that since the turn of the millennium, their churches have changed positions on Bible prophecy and the Second Coming of Jesus. Many have given up on the return of Jesus. From the ‘60s on there was an excitement about the imminent return of Jesus. The Jesus People were excited about Bible prophecy and could see signs that Jesus would descend from the heavens for His Bride at any moment.

The year 2000 was of particular importance. When Jesus didn’t show up, it seems many were apparently disappointed. “Perhaps Jesus has delayed His coming,” some have said. Others are even taking the position that He may not be coming at all, at least not in the manner we have been taught. They are now convinced that we need to be busy about “building His Kingdom” here on earth by “whatever human effort is required.”

The Gospel of the Kingdom

One of the main indicators that something has changed can be seen in the way the future is perceived. Rather than urgently proclaiming the gospel according to the Scriptures and believing the time to do so is short, the emphasis has now shifted. No longer are “signs of the times” significant. The battle cry is very different. A major emphasis among evangelicals is the idea that the world can be radically improved through social programs.

This concept, while on the surface may sound very good, has some serious biblical implications. According to the Scriptures, there will be no kingdom of God until the King arrives. All the human effort man can muster up will fall short of bringing utopia. In fact, according to the Scriptures, fallen man will lead us further down the road to a society of despair and lawlessness just like it was in the days of Noah.

Thus, this purpose-driven view of establishing global utopia may be a plan, but it is “driven” by humanistic reasoning and not led by the Holy Spirit. While it is of course good to do good unto others, all the goodness that we can do will not be good enough. Pastors and church leaders who get involved in such man-driven programs can usually be identified by certain characteristics:

• Sound biblical doctrine is dangerous and divisive, and the experiential (i.e.,mystical) is given a greater role than doctrine.
• Bible prophecy is no longer taught and is considered a waste of time
• Israel becomes less and less important and has no biblical significance
• Eventually the promises for Israel are applied to the church and not Israel (Replacement Theology).
• Bible study is replaced by studying someone’s book and his methods
• Church health is evaluated on the quantity of people who attend.
• The truth of God’s Word becomes less and less important
• God’s Word, especially concepts like hell, sin and repentance, is eventually downplayed so the unbeliever is not offended.

Spiritual Formation and Transformation

Much of what I have described provides the formula for a dumbing-down of Christianity that paves the way for an apostasy that will only intensify in the future. This trend away from the authority of God’s Word to the reinvented form of Christianity has overcome all evangelical denominations like an avalanche. Few Bible teachers saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, few realize it has even happened. 

However, there is another big piece to the puzzle that must be identified in order to understand what is emerging in the Emerging Church. While biblical Christianity has been dumbed-down and the light of God’s Word diminished, another avalanche of deception is underway that is equally devastating.

This is best described by the Word of God giving way to experiences that God’s Word forbids. The best way to understand this process is to recall what happened during the Dark Ages when the Bible became the “forbidden book.” Until the Reformers translated the Bible into the language of the common person, the people were in darkness. When the light of God’s Word became available, the gospel according to the Scriptures was once again understood.

This trend, which is underway today, shows us that history is in the process of repeating itself. As the Word of God becomes less and less important, the rise of mystical experiences is alarming and these experiences are being presented to convince the unsuspecting that Christianity is about feeling, touching, smelling and seeing God. The postmodern mindset is the perfect environment for the fostering of what is called “spiritual formation.” This teaching suggests there are various ways and means to get closer to God. Proponents of spiritual formation erroneously teach that anyone can practice these mystical rituals and find God within. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is not a prerequisite.

These teachings, while actually rooted in ancient wisdom (the occult), were presented to Christendom post-New Testament and not found in the Word of God. The spiritual formation movement is based upon experiences promoted by desert monks and Roman Catholic mystics – these mystics encouraged the use of rituals and practices, that if performed would bring the practitioner closer to God (or come into God’s presence). The premise was that if one went into the silence or sacred space, then the mind was emptied of distractions and the voice of God could be heard. In truth, these hypnotic, mantric style practices were leading these monks into altered states of consciousness. The methods they used are the same that Buddhists and the Hindus use as a means of encountering the spiritual realm

Such methods are dangerous, and are not sanctioned in the Bible – God gives no instruction for this. On the contrary, he warns severely against divination, which is practicing a ritual or method in order to obtain information from a spiritual source. While proponents of spiritual formation (like Richard Foster) say these methods show that the Holy Spirit is doing something new to refresh Christianity, I would suggest that what is happening is not new and is not the Holy Spirit.

The spiritual formation movement is being widely promoted at colleges and seminaries as the latest and the greatest way to become a spiritual leader in these days. These ideas are then being exported from seminaries to churches by graduates who have been primed to take Christianity to a new level of enlightenment.

As well, these contemplative practices are being promoted by emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Robert Webber, Dallas Willard and others. Publishers like NavPress, InterVarsity and Zondervan are flooding the market with books promoting contemplative practices based on Eastern mysticism. Pastors and church leaders read these books and then promote the ideas as if they were the scriptural answer to drawing close to God.  

Signs the Emerging Church is Emerging

There are specific warning signs that are symptomatic that a church may be headed down the emergent/contemplative road. In some cases a pastor may not be aware that he is on this road nor understand where the road ends up.

Here are some of the warning signs:

• Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.
• The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
• More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.
• The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.
• The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.
• The teaching that the Book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has been already fulfilled in the past
• An experiential mystical form of Christianity begins to be promoted as a method to reach the postmodern generation.
• Ideas are promoted teaching that Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.
• The pastor may implement an idea called “ancient-future” or “vintage Christianity” claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.
• While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.
• These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, experiencing the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.
• There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church.
• Some evangelical Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far. They are reexamining the claims of the “church fathers” saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.
• There will be a growing trend towards an ecumenical unity for the cause of world peace claiming the validity of other religions and that there are many ways to God.
• Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave.

What does the Future Hold?

If the Emerging Church continues unfolding at the present pace, mainstream evangelical Christianity will be reinvented and the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures will be considered too narrow and too restrictive. In other words, the narrow way to heaven that Jesus proclaimed will eventually be abandoned for a wider way that embraces pagan experiential practices. I call this reinvented, re-imagined form of Christianity that is unfolding—“Christian Babylonianism”.

This new form of Christianity will replace biblical faith with a faith that says man can establish the kingdom of God here on earth. The Word will continue to become secondary to a system of works driven by experiences.

An ecumenical pattern towards unity with Rome will become more apparent. Those who refuse to embrace this direction will be considered spiritual oddballs that need to be reprimanded. Those who stand up for biblical faith will be considered the obstructions to the one world spirituality that is promoted as the answer for peace.

The best way to be prepared for what is coming is to gain an understanding of what is happening now. While there are not many who seem to discern the trend underway, there are some. Without the Bible and the Holy Spirit as our guide, the darkness that is coming would be overwhelming. However, the light of God’s Word penetrates the darkness and there are those who are being delivered from deception and see what is taking place.

I am convinced we are seeing apostasy underway, exactly as the Scriptures have forewarned. This means that this current trend is not likely to disappear. We must continue to proclaim the truth in the midst of deception with love. As Paul instructed Timothy:

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Timothy 2: 24-26).

There are still pastors and churches who are dedicated to proclaiming the truth. Find out where they are and support them. If you are in a location where this does not seem to be possible, seek out materials that are available from solid Bible-based Christian ministries and hold Bible studies in your own home.

And keep looking up! Jesus is coming soon.

Thanks to Roger Oakland of Understanding the Times for this post!

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. –Isaiah 14:12-14

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die….  –Genesis 3:4

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  –2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe [the] lie.  –2 Thessalonians 2:10-11

Incredibly, the first sin of those whom God created took place in a perfectly holy environment: heaven. That would seem to be incomprehensible, given what Scripture tells us about heaven, the dwelling place of God. Just as astonishing, Adam and Eve, who were also in a perfect environment and had yet to know sin, were seduced by the same sin as Lucifer ("light bearer"), later called Satan ("adversary") and "that old serpent" (Revelation 12:9; 20:2).

Scripture doesn’t tell us specifically what was in the hearts and minds of Lucifer and Adam that prompted them to sin; regarding Eve, however, we get a little more insight. She "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6). One thing, however, becomes obvious concerning all three of these created beings: they chose self over God. That is the bottom line of all sin.

Again, it all began in Heaven with Lucifer. His "I will’s" are all about self–from self-improvement to self-esteem to self-exaltation to self-deification. That progression inevitably leads to two other selfisms: self-delusion and self-destruction. Satan, being completely self-deceived, and perhaps looking for more support to prove his "I will be like the most High" thesis, brought his lie to earth, where he seduced Eve with the offer that she also could be "as gods."

Godhood as a goal for humanity is the Adversary’s religion, and it will culminate with a man who is possessed by Satan himself. As we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, the Antichrist "opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." This may be the only way the Devil can achieve his ultimate objective of having the whole world worship him. The very thought that he could entice the Lord, his Creator, to "fall down and worship" him (Matthew 4:9) demonstrates not only his egotistic ambition but also just how self-absorbed and self-deceived he is. This is a major trait of humanity as well.

Scripture indicates that following Adam and Eve’s sin, their first response to God was to defend themselves. After their futile attempt to hide from God, each one shifted the blame: Adam accused Eve, and Eve blamed the Serpent for their disobedience. As a consequence, a self-serving bias (the tragic result of their sin) had impregnated the hearts of humanity. As we can see from its beginning to our present day, this bias has moved through the entire human race like an unstoppable plague.

Self rules in the heart of every person, even at times among new creatures in Christ. Satan has not missed any opportunity to entice the world into seeking his delusionary prize of godhood. The idea that man could become a god, or part of God, or that he is a god but doesn’t yet realize his divinity, may seem farfetched to some people, but that’s because they are simply unaware of how prevalent this belief is. Furthermore, from a biblical perspective, the criterion for being a god is rather simple. Everyone who has not submitted to Jesus Christ and has not been reconciled to God through faith in Christ’s finished sacrifice as payment for his sins qualifies as a god–that is, an autonomous, or self-governing, being who has elevated self over his Creator. As Dave Hunt has noted, "The basic cause of the many problems in the world today is not that man fails to recognize his godhood but rather that there are about seven billion gods on this planet, each one doing his or her own thing."

Satan has long sold godhood, in some form, as religion, or as some facet of a particular religion. Nearly one billion Hindus believe they are gods–and so is everyone else–because, in their view, everything is God. Their godhood is achieved, or realized, through yoga and self-realization in the attempt to reach the ultimate spiritual state: union with Brahman (God). Five-hundred million Buddhists reject a transcendent Creator God but seek the equivalent of godhood (known as Buddhahood), which is attained as enlightenment, or perfect wisdom, by following the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Tibetan Buddhism is promoted throughout the Western world by the Dalai Lama, who has inducted hundreds of thousands (including thousands in U.S. cities) into the Kalachakra Tantra Initiation. Kalachakra is both a Tantric deity and a meditation practice. The former is a manifestation of Buddha, who is called upon to lead the initiate into becoming a bodhisattva, or enlightened god, a status claimed by the Dalai Lama himself.

Eastern Mysticism, with its goal of godhood, has come to the West like a tsunami, depositing its blasphemous debris throughout Christendom. Yoga (yoking oneself with Brahman), which decades ago became a staple offering at YMCAs (Young Men’s Christian Association), is now offered and practiced in numerous Christian churches, including many that profess to be evangelical. Hindu gurus, such as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Swami Muktananda, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, helped spawn the New Age Movement, a homogenized hodgepodge of Eastern mystical beliefs and practices refashioned in order to make them readily acceptable to the culture of the West. Muktananda speaks for all gurus and New Age advocates alike: "Honor your self, worship your self, meditate on your self, God dwells within you as you."

The late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles, revised his Spiritual (read "Hinduism") Regeneration Movement into the more acceptable, incredibly profitable, and allegedly scientific technique of Transcendental Meditation. TMers have all but taken over the town of Fairfield, Iowa, site of the MaharishiUniversity. The school claims to have transformed the community through the Maharishi Effect, a TM-Sidhis program begun in the early 1980s, claiming to reduce crime by the positive effect of collective meditation. Statistics for Fairfield/Jefferson County during the decade of the nineties, however, belie the claim, showing a constant increase in crime (http://www.behind-the-tm-facade.org/maharishi_effect-mdefect-fairfield.htm).

The lie of godhood is always followed by the deceit of the so-called god-men. Rajneesh was deported back to India after his chief disciples were arrested in Oregon on attempted murder charges. Maharishi took in hundreds of thousands of dollars selling the fraudulent ability to levitate through TM. Muktananda, the guru to many Hollywood celebrities in the 1980s, though preaching celibacy, was accused by top leaders in his cult of a history of seducing young women. Ironically, his successor is a woman, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda. Gurumayi, who teaches the mantra, "Om Namah Shivaya" ("I honor the divinity that resides within me") is guru to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best-selling, Eat, Pray, Love. The Oprah Winfrey-endorsed book documents Gilbert’s time at Gurumayi’s ashram in India and is now being made into a theatrical film produced by Brad Pitt and starring Julia Roberts.

Deifying self is hardly exclusive to Eastern religions. Where the leaven of mysticism is found, it inevitably spreads to some form of union with God, meaning becoming God. Consider Mormonism, Islam, and Roman Catholicism, for example. All three are quite legalistic while at the same time very experiential. Mormon males are taught that they can become gods through closely following LDS teachings: "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." Most Mormons claim that the veracity of the doctrine of godhood (and for women, a goddesshood of eternal pregnancies) is affirmed through prayer, followed by a "burning in the bosom" sensation from "God." In contrast to its Sharia legal system, Islam’s mysticism is found in Sufism, where devotees whirl themselves into altered states of consciousness in order to reach union with Allah.

The ancient Roman Catholic mystics known as the Desert Fathers (who have become spiritual icons for the "evangelical" Emerging Church Movement) developed beliefs and practices little different from the yogis, gurus, and priests of Hinduism and Buddhism. That’s one reason why modern Catholic mystics such as Trappist monk Thomas Merton and priests Henri Nouwen and Thomas Keating have such large followings among the Church’s priests and nuns (as well as among many evangelicals). One need not go to their writings to find the Church of Rome’s position regarding godhood. It’s spelled out quite clearly in paragraph 460 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Godhood as a doctrine plays a large part in the methodology of the Word/Faith, Positive Confession teachings. Kenneth Copeland’s version of "the lie" was similar to what most of his fellow Prosperity teachers were promoting:

Another leader of the Word/Faith Movement declares the practical necessity of godhood: "Until we comprehend that we are little gods and we begin to act like little gods, we cannot manifest the Kingdom of God." The modern roots of this heresy can be traced back to the religious science cults such as Christian Science and Unity School of Christianity, which gleaned many of their basic beliefs from Hinduism (see The Seduction of Christianity: Spiritual Discernment in the Last Days by Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon for details, promoters, and many other connections related to this article).

Fulfilled biblical prophecy is irrefutable proof that God’s Word is exactly that, and we can easily recognize what He said would come to pass when it does. The Lord will have raptured us out of this world before the Antichrist declares himself to be God, so we won’t be around for that event. However, there is a verse related to self-deification that has so much evidence, no reasonable person can deny its present-day fulfillment. In 2 Timothy 3:1-2 the Apostle Paul writes, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…." Although humans have been enamored with themselves since the Garden of Eden, there is no generation in history that has been so preoccupied with self, even to the point of making self the key to solving all of mankind’s problems. Here is a litany of popular selfist concepts and activities: self-esteem, self-image, self-confidence, self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, self-assertion, self-improvement, positive self-regard, positive self-talk, positive affirmation, positive mental attitude, positive thinking, possibility thinking, human potential, etc., etc. The prerequisite for all of these is self-love, the cornerstone of humanistic psychology and, consequently, because of the overwhelming influence of so-called Christian psychology, a false but popular doctrine among evangelicals.

The connection between psychology and Eastern mysticism, with their necessary emphasis on self, is clear, as American philosopher and historian Jacob Needleman observes:

The Antichrist, empowered with lying signs and wonders and seeking worship, will be the ultimate therapist and spiritual guide. Although claiming to be God, he will offer the potential of godhood, including the demonically enabled powers he exhibits, to all those who will follow him in deifying self. The lie from the beginning is the lie at the end.

The leaven of the lie seems to have worked its way through the entire world, including much of the church, which has looked more to the world than to the Word. What is God’s response? He will send strong delusion upon those who have not a love for the truth, that they should believe the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). Yet the Lord has not left believers without a defense against being seduced by the lie. To the Father, Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17). His exhortation in John 8:31-32, if obeyed, will free us from the stronghold of self: "If ye continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." TBC

I thought my daily Psalm to be incredibly apropos and encouraging for the anti-Christian rampage happening within our government and within our own country. Sometimes I need a reminder of WHO WINS! I have highlighted several verses that I thought were excellent in showing that, when we feel we are in a losing battle, our God will deliver the righteous! Please sit down and read all of Psalm 37 as it is a beautiful illustration of God’s love for His people.

Psalm 37 (KJV):

1-3: Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nether be thou envious against workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily shalt thou be fed.

7: Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

9-15: For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be…but the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

17: For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

19-20: They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

39-40: But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

For those of you who stumbled upon this blog who are, as yet, unsaved, please know that, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:7-8

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (you and I) that He gave His one and only son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

These times we sit in are perilous, "This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come." 2 Tim 3:1

The last days are upon us, but you still have time to repent and be saved! You need not "clean up" first, all you must do is, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved!" Romans 10:9

Congratulations. And welcome to the family of God. "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43

After leaving our home church after 7 years, my husband and I felt inexpressibly wounded by a church that wish to “give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.” Who’s coffee-house sermons had begun to “tell them what their itching ears want to hear.”

They define themselves as a post-modern church, or post-christian church, that believe that truth bends as new information comes in and subscribe to Rob Bell’s theology that those who believe that Scripture is God-breathed and the only worthy blue-print by which to live are “warped and toxic.”

My husband and I confronted them on this issue, one of MANY that were contrary to the Word, and we were told that if we didn’t like it, we could leave. So, we did, and have been church shopping ever since. As we have done so, we have begun to unearth the wide-spread danger of a new deception that has taken over the church and is “deceiving, if possible, the elect.” It is called contemplative spirituality. Known by many other names, it blends eastern mysticism with Christianity, and you come out with a Nephalim-hybrid. I began to blog and interact with an online community, operated by the ministry Lighthouse Trails, who seek to expose this new spirituality (Think New Age), and I was reminded of a VERY important Scripture:

1 Kings 19:18 “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

What a promise! God has indeed reserved a remnant. I have not yet come across a church that has not begung to dabble in this practice, afterall, it is seeped in many large ministries and ministry leaders (Beth Moore, Max Lucado, Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, etc.) and my husband and I have struggled feeling like we are alone. But I know for a fact I have very close friends that know much about this and are trying to fight it in their own churches. Yet, a remnant is just that, a remnant. We’re not talking about a large group here, and it will surely dwindle as we move ever closer to His glorious appearing.

Scripture tells us that the road to desctruction is wide and many will enter that gate, but narrow the road and the gate that leads to eternal life and FEW will find it. I am seeing that come true. Many are falling away thanks to this new practice of syncretism. God promises us in the book of Zephaniah that He will wipe from the face of the earth those that practice syncretism.

Be warned!

Will you be part of this remnant?

http://www.mom4truth.com/the- emerging- spirituality/

www.lighthousetrailsresearch. com

There is a movement going on inside the bowels of Christianity. It is a spiritual deception of great; a plague of biblical proportions, with far-reaching consequences that I fear is the Matthew reference that will “deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Satan attempted the first time to prevent the coming of Jesus, our Messiah, by trying to curse the bloodline through ancestral-sin, and when that didn’t work, he’s had to try to curse the spiritual bloodline through deceptive spirituality to try to prevent Christ from claiming that which he paid for.

I’m speaking about the contemplative spirituality movement, a.k.a the New Age movement, the emerging church, spiritual formation, the “silence”, the “stillness”, “ancient wisdom”, “spiritual disciplines”, a new kind of Christian, holistic spirituality, meditation- several guises that mean the same thing. In fact, Lighthouse Trails, an organization that exists to shed light into this spiritual deception, shares at least 32 names that this practice might otherwise be known- Lectio Devina, Yoga, Centering Prayer, Labyrinths, Breathing Prayer- the list goes on. Warning us about this coming deception, the book of Acts tells us, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Touted by leading “evangelical” leaders, leaders of other religions, and secularists of all kinds, this Not-So-New Age deception is spreading like a wildfire in its attempts to rectify all religions and bring them under a unilateral doctrine, or interspirituality, teaching, both pantheism (God IS all things) and panentheism (God is IN all things), thus nullifying the necessity of the Cross.

The definition of “contemplative spirituality” is: “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.”- Lighthouse Trails

The definition of “spiritual formation” is: “A movement that has provided a platform ad 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.”- Lighthouse Trails

Finding its roots in Buddhism, Hinduism, and previous Gnostic religions, and garnering new enthusiasm throughout the Catholic Church, it has begun spreading through evangelical churches at an alarming rate. These “New Age” or emerging church pastors feel that Christianity as we know it just isn’t cutting it, so they cut it. In Brian McLaren’s book, ‘A New Kind of Christian’, as in so many other similar books, our sinful nature is deemphasized, any idea of Hell is cast away, therefore, negating the reason for which our Savior came.

To quote a postmodern pastor, who sums up this new theology quite well, “I do believe that 20 years from now, a large portion of the modern (evangelical) movement is going to wake up and go, “Where did everybody go?” This is the contemplative mantra- change or die. The old way of “doing Christianity” is not working. Corporate, Christian teachings of old- the Bible as the infallible, inerrant word of God- unchanging and undaunted by time, that there is, within man, a sin nature, and without the sacrifice of Christ, we would be eternally separated from God, and the locale for our rejection of and failure to believe in the sacrifice made at Calvary by a sin-less man, God in the flesh, the one and only Jesus the Christ, is that fiery get-away known as Hell. There is no escaping it if you are not declared righteous through the blood of Christ, “not by works lest no man should boast.”

Practitioners argue that “prayer as usual” is not good enough, nor will it allow you to experience the full power of this “god”, and encourage the seeker to simply “fill in the blank” when praying to their preferred spirit, kind of like an A.A meeting. This practice is known as “contemplative prayer” or “centering prayer.” One need only find a quiet spot where they can be alone and can begin this process. You begin by taking in deep, repetitive breaths, and begin reciting, or chanting a word or phrase that will help you in your “centering” attempts. We all can conjure up images of monks in traditional attire, high upon their mountains, eyes rolled back in their head, hands upright, meeting together just in front of their face as they repeat over and over, “Ohmmm, ohmmmmm.” This is the central teaching of this prayer practice. The Lord exhorts us in the book of Matthew, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do.” Those who practice Lectio Devina read portions of their holy scripture, out loud, in a 4-part, repetitious manner- reading, reflecting, expressing, and resting, so as to fully experience their god. Realize that while it may sound innocent enough, it completely refutes the deity of God- the Lord of the Bible.

Often you will find “emergent” churches that emphasize missional and relational ministries, that use scripture more as a lovely poem and wonderful guideline for how to live out relative moral doctrine- be kind to others, the Golden Rule, help the poor, the orphans, and the widows, very important, yet surface area of scripture, while avoiding harsher, more polarizing themes of sexual immorality, homosexuality, abortion, and politics, and using stories and parables from scripture as illustration of an abstract point, and refusing to teach gospel truths- prophecy, sin, judgment, consequences, our need for a savior, the Trinity, and the eventual, and imminent return of Jesus Christ to judge the world and establish his Kingdom.

I have personally been amazed and shocked at the number of people associated with the contemplative movement. I have quickly learned that, many who I thought would never be involved, are really in deep. This is not just a fringe of religious fanatics incorporating these practices into their teaching, rather it is quite mainstream and is transforming the face of Christianity.

Representatives speaking out against this last-days apostasy addressed the New Age movement by saying that if we are really holding true to Truth, biblical guidelines and rules, God-driven morality, and staying faithful to Jesus, we, as the church, would not need to reinvent ourselves to “attract” people, rather the Holy Spirit would be able to do His best work in bringing in the people. Tell this to Rick Warren, author of ‘The Purpose-Driven Life’, who actually prayed in the name of “Isa”, the Muslim false “Jesus” at the inauguration, or to William P. Young, author of “The Shack”, which teaches, again that God is in, around, and through all things. Oprah is a leading proponent of this movement with her suggestions and courses through apostate books such as “The Secret”, “A New Earth”, and “A Course in Miracles,” which teaches that the crucified Jesus is nonsense because we have no sin from which to be redeemed. Another leading “false prophet” is Rob Bell, author of ‘Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith’ and creator of a largely popular series of films called “NOOMA”. As quoted in ‘The Eastern Mystique’, Rob Bell reveals, “We’re rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life.” This is the essence of this “doctrine of devils.” He sits at the feet of, gleans from, and oft quotes Ken Wilbur, who runs an extremely sexualized, New Age mysticism, voodoo website and ministry. Even more scary and troublesome are the amount of pastors and church leaders who are promoting this unknowingly, through book recommendations or through bible studies. Even the renowned The Navigators ministry has been infected.  Women’s devotional leader, Beth Moore, and popular author Max Lucado, came out in support of the Be Still DVD, which advocates for contemplative prayer and spirituality.

I’m sending out a S.O.S to all Christians! Scripture addresses this very topic in the book of Zephaniah when the Lord tells us He will “cut off from this place (the world)…those who bow down and worship the Lord and who also swear by Molech (represented by pagan religions).” This form of worship is known as “syncretism,” which is defined “as reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion.” And practitioners are promised in the Word of God that they will be swept away from the earth in God’s judgment! We are also warned that in the last days people will give heed to “seducing spirits” and “doctrines of devils”, again, “deceiving the elect.”  Beware of this yeast, which affects the whole bunch. “Be clever as snakes and as innocent as doves” while walking through these last days, wise and discerning, always testing the spirits to see if they are from the one and only God.

A very useful, important, and discerning website on this topic: www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com

A must-see video on the topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z6jAXuSaYI&feature=related. It takes about an hour to watch, but is well worth the time.

Other discernment ministries: Apprising Ministries- www.apprising.org

                                                     Discerning the World- www.discerningtheworld.com

                                                     Dr. Gary Gilley