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Survey Reveals Americans' Feelings About Wicca - Jan. 26
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BARNA SURVEY

Survey Reveals Americans’ Feelings about Wicca

January 26, 2009

(Ventura, California)- As Americans make lifestyle transitions needed to restore the nation to stability, the nation’s adults are demonstrating their willingness to accept religious perspectives and groups that conflict with some of their core beliefs and lifestyle practices. A new national survey conducted by The Barna Group shows that while many adults are not familiar with Wicca, nearly half of the adult population has reserved having an opinion on that religious group even though its best-known practices directly contradict the religious faith that they personally embrace.

Wicca is Largely Unknown

A slight majority of Americans (55%) say they have not heard the term "Wicca."

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Brian McLaren: Lessen Your Focus on Eternity
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SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (BP)--The emphasis Christians place on the traditional Christian doctrines of hell and the second coming of Jesus inhibits believers from living effective lives of service in this world, according to speaker and author Brian McLaren.

McLaren explained his views April 9-10 at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., as a featured speaker during the Willow Creek Association's annual Shift student ministries conference. During the conference's opening session, Bo Boshers, executive director of student ministries for the Willow Creek Association, said he does not agree with all McLaren's views but that all youth ministers should consider his thoughts.
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Monastic Evangelicals--C. Today
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Monastic Evangelicals

The attraction of ancient spiritual disciplines.

A growing number of evangelicals—younger evangelicals in particular—are maturing the movement in another way. They are taking their newfound love affair with Christian tradition and the early church beyond the realm of books and talk and into their churches and Christian lives. Covenant's Kenneth Stewart noted at the Wheaton conference that more and more traditionally evangelical congregations are now experimenting with advent candles, sampling practices associated with Lent, and marking Holy Week with special services like Tenebrae—an evening service featuring songs, readings, and the gradual extinguishing of lights to represent Christ's death.

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Church to Darwin: We're Sorry We Doubted You
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Some say the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is making a monkey of himself with a half-baked apology to Charles Darwin for misunderstanding the author of "Origin of the Species" 126 years after his death.

Nevertheless, that's just what the Church of England plans to do today – make an act of contrition to the godfather of evolution.

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A Warm Protestant Welcome for Mary
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Time was, for Protestants, that the Virgin Mary was a once-a-year thing. "We dragged Mary out at Christmas along with the angels and placed her at center stage," says religious essayist Kathleen Norris. "Then we packed her safely in the crèche box for the rest of the year." That attitude, Norris and other Protestants say, has long denied the mother of Jesus her rightful place in Christian tradition.

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Discernment: Spiritual Survival for a Church in Crisis--MacArthur
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Discernment:
Spiritual Survival for a Church in Crisis

John MacArthur

The conquering of the city of Troy is one of the famous stories of ancient history. Greek soldiers had laid siege to the city for over ten years, but were unable to conquer it. In exasperation Ulysses, a brilliant strategist, decided to have a large wooden horse built and left outside the city walls as a supposed gift to the unconquerable Trojans. The Greeks then sailed away in apparent defeat. The curious and proud Trojans brought the wooden horse inside their fortified walls. That night Greek soldiers hidden inside the horse crept out and opened the city gates to let their fellow soldiers into the city. The soldiers massacred the inhabitants, looted the city, and then burned it to the ground. Ever since, the Trojan horse has been a symbol of infiltration and deception. View Full Article

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The Feminine Side of God--Rob Bell
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Rob Bell: We Need to See the Feminine Side of God

Rob Bell’s recent Nooma video is a doozie. The video, entitled “SHE”, is introduced this way:

A lot of us are comfortable with male imagery for God. But what about female imagery for God? Is God limited to a gender?

After looking at an increasingly androgynous Rob Bell in this video, I’d say Bell doesn’t seem limited to a gender either. Any time the feminine side of God is touted by religious leaders, support for homosexuality is never far behind. After all, the thinking goes, if man is made in God’s image, why would he/she be limited to a gender either, right? The goddess, feminine theology, introduced here by Bell and also by the recent Shack novel, will go a long way to push this thinking forward.
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The Twilight Phenomena--Matrisciana
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The "Twilight" Phenomena
By Caryl Matrisciana

Incredibly, this Christmas Season, when Jesus, the Light of the world used to be highlighted by the Church, many Churched and Christian ministries are promoting another light, “Twilight” the movie!

Based on Mormon, Stephenie Meyer’s 4-book “vampire romance” series, the Twilight movie was released last week (Nov 21, 2008) in 3419 cinema theaters across the nation and grossed over $70 million its first weekend. It’s the hottest pop culture phenomenon since Harry Potter mania.

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Bringing Twilight Out Into the Son--Barger
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Bringing Twilight out into the Son

Blockbuster books and hit movie confuse evil with good

By Eric Barger

By now most of you have heard about the bestselling Twilight saga series written by Stephenie Meyer. Thus far there are over 17 million books in print from the series. However, if you've been hanging around in a cave somewhere just waiting for a reason to flutter, let me sum up the storyline. Vampires are cool. Some may be bad, but in general Vampires are cool and Edward Cullen is the newest heart throb.

High school junior, Bella Swan, moves from Arizona to Forks on the Washington coast (the setting for the majority of the movie) and falls in love with Edward Cullen, who as it turns out, is a member of a family of vampires who have learned to survive from the blood of animals rather than that of humans.

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Out of India
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(A BOOK WE RECOMMEND TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF SPIRITUAL DECEPTION!--jm)

What do Fortune 500 companies, Oprah Winfrey, and the Star Wars movie franchise all have in common? The answer might be surprising to some, but the common thread is Hinduism. Many Fortune 500 companies today offer yoga classes as a regular employee benefit; Oprah Winfrey often has programs on both her TV and radio shows which espouse a mystical, Hindu worldview; and George Lucas' very popular Star Wars series has entranced millions of unsuspecting teens with the eastern idea of a neutral, universal energy called "the Force" which anyone can tap into and use for either good or evil.
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The Dual Covenant Heresy--Markell
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The Dual Covenant Heresy: More End-Time Deception

By Jan Markell

If you hadn't guessed, Olive Tree Ministries is pro-Israel. In fact, we would be labeled a "Christian Zionist" organization, which certain radio ministries have derided in a most non-Christian manner. We love the Jewish people and I have or had many Jewish family members who were believers. Others went to their graves ignoring the Messiah and His message.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to various "Nights to Honor Israel" being held around the country. A local mega-church in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area has had some in recent years. I attended in 2007 and was so bitterly disappointed -- in fact, sickened --that I chose not to go back last week. Forgive me if this takes on a twinge of being harsh. That is not my purpose. I am just passionate that all come to a knowledge of the Savior while there is time. I would also like to know when was the commandment to take the Gospel to the Jew abrogated? (Romans 1:16)
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Dual Covenant Theology
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Can you explain the two covenant theology and how it ties to classic dispensationalism? I have heard this mentioned several times, and not sure I clearly understand the implications.

Q. Can you explain the two covenant theology and how it ties to classic dispensationalism? I have heard this mentioned several times, and not sure I clearly understand the implications.

A. Two (or dual) covenant theology maintains that God’s covenant with the Jews is different than the one He gave the Gentiles and makes it unnecessary for them to receive Jesus as their Messiah to be saved. It makes this claim even though Jesus came to Israel, fulfilled Jewish Messianic prophecies, and presented Himself as Israel’s King and Redeemer.
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The Clear and Present Danger of Contemplative Spirituality
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The Clear And Present Danger Of Contemplative Spirituality

By Ken Silva

Apprising Ministries

Christ Jesus Himself Is The One Who First Taught Us Sola Scriptura

Though some take exception to what I have been writing concerning corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) no one credible writing concerning this spurious CSM masquerading as so-called Spiritual Formation, as espoused by Dallas Willard along with his friend Richard Foster, is trying to say that worshiping God in spirit and in truth isn’t…well, spiritual.

The issue is: How in the Bible did God say we are to approach Him spiritually? Pastor Bob DeWaay gets to the heart of the matter when he says:

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Brian McLaren Calls "The Cross False Advertising for God and a Distraction"
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A SHORT YOU-TUBE Hear McLaren Comments

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Richard Foster's Spiritual Formation
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A Life Formed in the Spirit

Richard Foster's disciplined attention to spiritual formation began early on.

Interview by Mark Galli | posted 9/17/2008 10:23AM

Related articles and links | 1 of 6

Thirty-one years ago, not many evangelicals thought much of the "spiritual disciplines," and when they did, they thought of them negatively—as one more form of works righteousness. That began to change substantially 30 years ago, with the publication of Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. This book, arguably more than any other, introduced evangelicals not only to the disciplines, but also to the wealth of spiritual formation writing from the medieval and ancient church. Today you are almost as likely to hear an evangelical talk about Thomas à Kempis's The Imitation of Christ as Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life.

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How Can We Discern Spiritual Truth from Error?--Matrisciana
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HOW CAN WE DISCERN SPIRITUAL TRUTH FROM ERROR?

The work of the Holy Spirit from that of other spirits? AND, how do we recognize supernatural deception?

Addendum: What lessons can we learn from Todd Bentley’s Rise and Fall?

When Todd Bentley, called the “New Mystic” was to appear in LA, I had to check him out for myself and see the Canadian Evangelist who’d been the focus of many concerned enquiries I’d received over the last few months.

People had been asking me, Who is he? What is his New Revival all about? Are his healings, miracles, signs and wonders for real? His behavior seems contrary to Biblical teaching (he’s covered from head to toe in tattoos, applies violence over people he heals, has visitations from a female angel called Emma and….so the questions went on) yet, they said, his “fruits” seem legitimate (he claims up to 30 resurrections from the dead and hundreds of miracles, sign, wonders and more!) – So what’s up?
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The Consequences of Role Reversal in "The Shack"
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By Larry Debruyn (Hear our radio program on this August 16, 2008 at "Radio Archives." -- jm)

The Shack is big on relationships. Forty-odd times the author employs the word “relationship(s).” Indeed, one of the strengths of the story, though perhaps overdrawn, exaggerated, and even at points, profaned, is the emphasis upon “relationships” between the allegorical members of the trinity and Mack.
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A New Obsession with Angels
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A New Obsession With Angels

There are spirits in the material world and they’re not all good ones. In fact, there’s a recent obsession with angels in certain church circles, such as the emergent church and the apostolic/prophetic movement.
But before we accept any angelic manifestation as something from God, let us not forget the "angel" Moroni whose image decks the walls and graces the roofs of Mormon temples everywhere. Joseph Smith must have figured, if it’s paranormal, it must be of God.

I was reminded of Moroni when I received an email recently from the "Elijah List" with the headline: "ANCIENT ANGELS OF ‘FAITH’ EMBEDDED in the Walls of Many Churches are being ACTIVATED!" (Emphasis in the original.)

Sounds like a trailer for a horror movie! But they are dead serious. Have you seen some of the depictions of "angels" in church architecture? Could they be talking about gargoyles implanted in both Catholic and Protestant cathedrals that can be seen peering through the corners of the beams in the ceilings? And when they’re "activated" will they resemble a scene from the movie Ghost Busters?

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The Twisted "Truths" of The Shack--Kjos
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Two books (one new, one old) have suddenly grabbed public attention and captured the hearts of multitudes. One is long and instructional -- a dictation from a channeled spirit guide. The other is a fictional testimony full of tear-jerking dialogue. A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is obviously occult, while the more subtle message of The Shack by William P. Young has been widely accepted in postmodern churches.

The two books share a common message. I saw a stark preview of it back in 1992. Skimming through a magazine called Well-Being Journal, I noticed this New Age "insight" from the author's "inner guide:"

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The Foolery of Atheists--WND/Comfort
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The foolery of atheists

Exclusive: Ray Comfort tells of unbeliever who threatened lawsuit over bumper sticker

Posted: July 31, 2008

Recently, an atheist threatened to take us at Living Waters to court because he didn't like our "National Atheist Day" bumper sticker. What bothered him was the fact that we quoted the Bible, which says, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1).

He maintained that because we said he was a fool, he could never sit for public office because we had undermined his character. He was deadly serious, so we temporarily removed the sticker from our site and contacted our lawyers for their thoughts. They told us to leave it in their hands to contact the atheist directly.

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Exposing the Emerging Church
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Various articles written by Roger Oakland. View List of Articles

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The Seductive "Shack"--Markell
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The Seductive and Subversive "Shack"

By Jan Markell

Many have asked me to comment on William P. Young's ragingly popular book The Shack. Is this work of fiction really Christian? It is called by some as one of Christianity's most influential books. One prominent endorser says it will "leave you craving for God."

Yet people I respect highly, including Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Seminary, calls it "undiluted heresy." He maintains there is no way it can seriously address the issues of Christian faith.

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Todd Bentley and the Beautiful Side of Evil--Kjos
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What's driving Todd Bentley? Why do thousands of people flock to his revival meetings?

Some reasons are obvious. Many seek healing, financial success, spiritual experiences, prophetic knowledge and sensual entertainment. After all, Bentley puts on quite a show! Known for his heavenly visions, angelic "partners," mystical tattoos, and irreverent "teaching," he makes them laugh. One of his many Youtube performances includes this outrageous dialogue with an unbiblical "God":

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The Continuing Coup in the Evangelical Church
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The Continuing Coup in the Evangelical Church
Linda Harvey

What happens when the word of God about homosexuality is greeted with hostility at an “evangelical” church, while open and unrepentant homosexuals are welcomed with open arms?

On June 8,2008, a group called Soulforce visited Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC) in South Barrington, IL in suburban Chicago. Soulforce is an activist group of proud homosexuals and cross-dressers who call themselves believers, yet they want a few in-house changes to God’s truth. Those who disapprove of homosexuality are guilty of “spiritual violence,” according to Mel White, the founder, who is an ex-speech writer for Jerry Falwell. White conceived of Soulforce after he left his wife and kids for a homosexual lover while maintaining he was still a Christian.

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Albert Mohler audio on "The Shack"
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Mohler's commentary begins 10 minutes into the program. Listen to Mohler Commentary

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Treason in the Church: Trading Truth for a "Social Gospel"--Kjos
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Infiltration and deception have been tools of conspirators through the ages, and the Church has been a primary target! After all, God warns us that "the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) One of his most effective schemes is to redefine God's Word and divert Christians from His unchanging Truth to man's shifting ideals.

For example, God calls us to serve the poor and fills our hearts with love for the needy. That's why His true followers around the world have willingly given their lives to share His truth and love in perilous places. But today's world-centered church illustrates a different kind of service. Designed to please man rather than God, it trains its servers to hide the "offensive" truths of the gospel.

Like Rick Warren, it uses the Bible to validate its purposes but emphasizes organizational behavior rather than Biblical beliefs -- in short, deeds instead of creeds.[3] Behind its noble appearance hides a postmodern version of the century-old "Christian Socialism."

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A Critique of Greg Boyd's Open Theism--DeWaay
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The Foreknowledge of God Part 1

A Critique of Dr. Greg Boyd’s Open Theism

by Bob DeWaay

“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” (Isaiah 46:9)

“[A]lso we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11)

In recent years, some evangelicals have rekindled an old controversy by asserting that God does not have exhaustive foreknowledge. That is to say that He does not know everything that is going to happen. Jonathan Edwards devoted many pages of his famous 1754 book, A Careful and Strict Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will, Which is Supposed to be Essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame (commonly known as Freedom of the Will for obvious reasons). Edwards wrote:

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Oprah and the Gospel of Me
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Paul Proctor

There are a couple of You Tube video clips making their rounds on the Internet that have aroused a lot of attention lately. I know this because they keep showing up in my email inbox from readers of this column.

I’ve seen two versions – both of which reveal celebrity talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, denying the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the only way to God – going so far as to tell members of her studio audience:

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Could the Apostasy be Upon Us?
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The Church is obviously backslidden. The greater question it provokes is: Could we be in the Great Apostasy and not be aware of it?

After having spent the last two years studying this subject in scripture, I was forced to acknowledge that two of my long-held assumptions regarding it have been wrong.

First, I came to realize that this falling away would not primarily be an obvious, outward renunciation of Christianity; it would be much more an issue of what is occurring in people's hearts (e.g., Matthew 24:12 -- Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold... [NIV]).

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Hanegraaff's Replacement Theology: Are the Last Days Over?
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Hank Hanegraaff’s Replacement Theology: Are the “Last Days” Over?

“Does the Bible Make a Distinction Between Israel and the Church?” Hank Hanegraaff asks in the CRI Journal, Vol. 31/Number 01, page 54. If you “Ask Hank” (which is the title of the featured page), the answer is unequivocally, “No.”

Here is an excerpt from the current Bible Answer Man: View Full Article

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From Truth to a New Spirituality--Kjos
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"The hope of the New Age faith, or New Spirituality, is that when this One Humanity has achieved its 'divine potential' and all separation has been purged from the world, then world problems such as 'tribalism' and poverty and hatred and violence will be left behind. The world will then be transformed by this New Humanity into a divine new world of peace, love, good will, and sharing where everyone can be free to worship his own inner (immanent) 'God' of his own understanding in his own way.

"The call for this New Age 'kingdom of God' is now being so widely heeded, even in today’s Christianity, that the building of humanity’s Ark of Oneness is suddenly nearing completion." Tamara Hartzell

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Rob Bell and the Purpose of Christian Yoga
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CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW: INGRID SCHLUETER

“In the yogic tradition, the breath is intimately associated with prana, a Sanskrit term that means “primordial impulse” or “life force” . . . the vital energy that animates every molecule in the universe. Pranayama – the formal practice of regulating the breath – allows us to calm, cleanse, or invigorate our bodymind. In fact, many master yogis believe that pranayama is the essence of yoga. There are many pranayama techniques you can use to enhance your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. One of the most valuable practices is simply staying conscious of your breath as you practice your yoga postures. By focusing on the breath, the mind becomes more clear and quiet.”

–Deepak Chopra, in the February, 2008 edition of his Namaste Newsletter.

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Where Are the Elders who Guide the Flock?
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CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW

Where Are the Elders Who Guard the Flock?

By Bob DeWaay

This past weekend I received a call not unlike many dozens of previous communications from Christians concerned about unbiblical practices being introduced into their local churches. This particular one expressed a committed Christian’s concern that their large evangelical church was introducing mysticism and eastern practices under the guise of youth ministry. This church had even created a shrine of sorts in the church basement for young people to practice this mysticism.

The caller had researched this subject for several months, documented her church’s new practices and described why the practices were dangerous and unbiblical. Confident that her findings would help correct the church’s direction, she brought her research to the church leadership, only to be mollified and warned about having a bad attitude. In response she asked the leaders to compare these practices to Scripture, but to no avail. The story is all too common; why does it continue to happen?

Most evangelical churches have elders; these elders are responsible for the Lord’s flock.
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Rethinking Eschatology: Dominionists on the Move
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This past weekend, December 4, 2007, in Dallas, Texas, there was an Acts 29 Conference. It was called Eschatology and the Marketplace: Rethinking the Future and sponsored by the marketplace transformation apostles. This conference is an interesting precursor to another marketplace transformation conference, which is immediately following Robert Schuller's Rethink Conference (see previous blog posts), and called Reclaiming the 7 Mountains the 2008 Church in the Workplace Conference. This Reclaiming the 7 Mountains Conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia on January 24-26.
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The Future Lies in the Past
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CHRISTIANITY TODAY

Just what was going on in this veritable shrine to pragmatic evangelistic methods and no-nonsense, back-to-the-Bible Protestant conservatism? Had Catholics taken over?

No, this was the 2007 Wheaton Theology Conference, whose theme was "The Ancient Faith for the Church's Future." Here, the words spoken 15 years ago by Drew University theologian and CT senior editor Thomas Oden rang true: "The sons and daughters of modernity are rediscovering the neglected beauty of classical Christian teaching. It is a moment of joy, of beholding anew what had been nearly forgotten, of hugging a lost child."

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Can a Pagan Practice be Christianized?
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CAN A PAGAN PRACTICE BE "CHRISTIANIZED?"

By Marsha West

January 25, 2008

NewsWithViews.com

Is yoga just a way of reducing stress or is there more to it than that? I mean, everyone's doing it so it has to be a good thing…right? The short answer is that there's more to yoga than meets the eye. So bear with me as I explain the reasons practicing yoga "stretches traditional Christian boundaries" and why Christians should avoid yoga and seek other alternatives.

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Entertained to Death
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(HEAR ERIC BARGER ON OUR "RADIO ARCHIVES" FOR NOV. 10, 2007 AND JAN. 19, 2008).

Since the very beginning one of the focuses of our ministry has been to speak out about the effects of entertainment on society, in particular the Church. Though others, such as the late Neil Postman (Amusing Ourselves to Death), have denoted that particular mediums through which people are entertained (i.e. television) are destroying our culture, in all of these years I have never intimated that being entertained is in itself wrong.

I don't believe this is what Spurgeon was driving at either. To have a harmless diversion, hobby, activity or interest -something we refer to as "entertainment" is not necessarily an evil practice. As with Spurgeon, my concern is the trend of making entertainment a basis for Sunday services and an enticement to draw people to church.
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Mohler: Evangelical-Muslim Letter Troubling
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Mohler: Evangelical-Muslim letter troubling

Posted on Jan 11, 2008 | by Garrett E. Wishall
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--When Christians enter into conversation with Muslims, their conversation should be clearly and distinctly Christian, R. Albert Mohler Jr. said on his national radio program Jan. 8.

Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., was responding to a full-page letter endorsed by nearly 300 Christian leaders that appeared in The New York Times in December. The letter, drafted by scholars at Yale Divinity School's Center for Faith and Culture, said conversation should take place between Christians and Muslims centered on the "common ground" that Muslims and Christians share.

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Don't Wait! Meditate
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for December, 2007

Waiting Rooms Turned Into Meditating Rooms

Peaceful Earth, LLC has come up with the Meditation Challenge... A way to help people develop the habit of meditation and experience peace in their lives and their relationships. Waiting rooms across the country are turning into Meditating rooms as part of the Don’t Wait—Meditate™ campaign of the Meditation Challenge.
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Christian Leaders Betray Christ for World Peace
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CHRISTIAN LEADERS BETRAY CHRIST FOR WORLD PEACE

By Paul Proctor

November 28, 2007

NewsWithViews.com

Once again, leaders from the so-called "church growth movement" are demonstrating for us the Hegelian Dialectic -that transformational Marxist process of compromise and consensus made famous by Georg William Friedreich Hegel which seeks to rid the world of its divisive absolutes in the interest of global peace and unity.

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Hanegraaff's Trashing Israel--Ice
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Hanegraaff's pro-Palestinianism has been advanced at the expense of the modern state of Israel. When I stated in an article that, "Hanegraaff is no lover of Israel,"[2] he responded by saying that my statement "is flatly false."[3] Hanegraaff cited from his book, The Apocalypse Code[4] his most positive statement about Israel in defense, which merely says, "the modern state of Israel has a definitive right to exist."[5] If that is all he said it might have been acceptable. However, when compared to what he says about and against the modern state of Israel, his answer does nothing to rebut my statement that Hanegraaff is no lover of Israel.

Trashing Israel:

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Christians Are Mixed Up--In Mysticism
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Any person who honestly believes "we are one" as do pantheists should consider this: When you die you will become "absolute nothingness." Isn't that comforting?

Christianity believes that the born-again Christian's resurrected body will spend eternity in heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He's the gift that keeps on giving!

Understand that pantheists are not saved.
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A Look at the Future of a New Christianity
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for August, 2007

LTRP Note: This past weekend, Lighthouse Trails author Ray Yungen visited believers in the Vancouver, BC area. Ray visited the Vancouver School of Theology and its Thomas Merton reading room. The pictures on this post are from the visit. Please note the one of Merton and the Dalai Lami, who resonated with each other; also see the photo with Merton and the Buddha statue. Ray has asked us to post the following excerpt from his book along with the photos. He believes that this type of interspirituality is what lies ahead for Canada, the US, and the rest of the Western world - a mystical, apostate Christianity in which eastern mysticism (rather than the Word of God) will be the foundation. May God bless and protect all Christian believers, including faithful pastors, as they stand for the faith and defend the gospel.
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Keating, Kundalini, and Contemplative Prayer
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Keating, Kundalini and Contemplative Prayer

By Brian Flynn

The class began with a meditation exercise that we were to practice everyday when we awoke and again each evening. Elinor instructed us to sit with our feet firmly on the ground and to close our eyes. She then asked us to imagine roots or cords extending from the soles of our feet down into the earth. She said to imagine going deeper and deeper to the light, with the heat and power of the earth below us. Her words flowed from one to another and had an almost hypnotic effect on me:

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Three Questions for Emergents
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for July, 2007

TOWNHALL

As far as my “information and experience,” that comes from the following pro-emergent sources: Brian McLaren (homepage), Doug Pagitt (homepage), Tony Jones of emergentvillage.org, Steve Chalke (Wikipedia), and perhaps the best text in support is Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger’s Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Baker, 2005) (Amazon).

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Health and Wealth in Africa
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for July, 2007

Bishop of the Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) since 1988, Okonkwo presides over the annual Kingdom Life World Conference of 150 prosperity-oriented churches. But tonight he yields the podium to the Rev. Felix Omobude, who urges the crowd to dream big. "There are so many dream killers around," he says. "Don't let them kill your dream."

Omobude prophesies: "Your tomorrow will be better than today. In 2007 you will take your place."

The crowd is thrilled. Omobude promises that women will find husbands, audience members will buy new cars, and the barren will birth twins.

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Evangelicals and Interfaith Cooperation
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for May, 2007

On evangelicals and interfaith cooperation: an interview with Tony Campolo by Shane Claiborne
Cross Currents, Spring, 2005 by Shane Claiborne

Tony Campolo is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Church and professor emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania.

Shane Claiborne is a founder of the Simple Way Community in Philadelphia and a prominent Christian activist.

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What do "The Secret", Yoga, and Harry Potter Have in Common?
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for April, 2007

CARYL MATRISCIANA--Scroll down on her blog

What do “The Secret”, Yoga and Harry Potter have in common?
Are you discerning of the times in which we live and able to recognize the “technique” common to these three apparently unrelated “phenomenon”?

The root of THE SECRET, Yoga, and the power of the young witch Harry Potter, once acknowledged as “heathen” and the foundation of The New Age Movement, is today sweeping through Christendom. While remaining true to its New Age tenets, the “new mysticism” has been sanitized with Christian terminology, seductive packaging and is being embraced by the Christian Body as The Emerging, Seeker Friendly, Purpose Driven Church, Christ-centered Yoga, Contemplative Prayer and Christians for Harry Potter.
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Lecto Divina: Ancient Practice Has Fresh Message
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for March, 2007

Lectio Divina: Ancient Practice Yields Fresh Messages
Whitney Hopler
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Tony Jones' new book, Divine Intervention: Encountering God through the Ancient Practice of Lectio Divina, (Think Books, 2006).

If you’re looking for a fresh message from God’s Word, you may discover it through an old practice: lectio divina (“sacred reading”). This ancient way of approaching Scripture can be a powerful way for you to tap into what God wants to tell you today.

Here’s how you can use the ancient practice of lectio divina to discover new messages from God:

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Grunge Christianity--MacArthur
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for February, 2007

Grunge Christianity and Cussing Pastors? What Next?
John MacArthur

We keep hearing from evangelical strategists and savvy church leaders that Christians need to be more tuned into contemporary culture.

You have no doubt heard the arguments: We need to take the message out of the bottle. We can’t minister effectively if don’t speak the language of contemporary counterculture. If we don’t vernacularize the gospel, contextualize the church, and reimagine Christanity for each succeeding generation, how can we possibly reach young people? Above all else, we have got to stay in step with the times.

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Seminaries Crank Out Eco-Theologians
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for February, 2007

SEMINARIES CRANK OUT NEW BREED OF ECO-THEOLOGIANS

By Debra Rae

A Moral Imperative

Canadian billionaire and 1992 Rio Earth Summit Secretary-general, Maurice Strong contends that global ecosystems will be preserved only when affluent nations lower their standards of living. Countering the culture of abundance with “a rite of atonement for the sin of excess” apparently resonates with Protestant underpinnings of colonial history. Increasingly, evangelical Christians align with this moral mandate.

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New Age Pandemic in the Church
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for January, 2007

New Age “spirituality” is corrupting Christians, most of whom have no clue that they’re partaking in sorcery. Astrology, “Christian yoga,” meditation to achieve an altered state of consciousness, calling on angels, and even some of the martial arts, falls under the category of sorcery. Such practices attract a large number of Christians, like moths to a flame.

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Another Gospel: The Dangers of the "Seeker Senitive", Man-Centered Gospel
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for December, 2006

Another Gospel

The dangers of the "seeker-sensitive,"
man-centered Gospel.

Though few seem to realize it, Satan has been in the "another gospel" business for a long time. His goal, since the glorious good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ burst onto the world scene nearly 2000 years ago, has always been to produce a counterfeit gospel, which would replace the true, and keep men in darkness and spiritual slumber.

In the early days Gnosticism suited his purposes well. The early church found itself in a battle for its theological life, as this heresy rose up and persuaded many that Christ was a spirit-being and had not truly come in the flesh, or truly died on the cross. Paul's epistle to the Colossians is a strong refutation of this ancient heresy, and serves as a continual warning to believers throughout the ages to "beware, lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
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Evangelicalism Moves Left--Markell
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for December, 2006

Nothing stays the same anymore; it is always morphing into something it shouldn't. So it is with evangelicalism. My alma mater, Bethel University in St. Paul, MN, recently featured the king-pin of the "religious left," Jim Wallis. Wallis heads Sojourners' ministry and magazine, a ministry devoted to social issues though called evangelical.

In his e-newsletter Wallis refers to his Bethel experience where he spoke to a packed chapel service.

He says, "I was at Bethel University, known as a conservative evangelical school--fertile ground for recruiting by the ‘religious right.’ But the wind is changing at Bethel as it is among the new generation of evangelical students across the country for both faith and politics in America."

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Rick Joyner's "Latter Rain" Teachings
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for October, 2006

It is very important to realize that in the prologue to “The Call”, Rick Joyner indicates that he received some questioning response from people who read the first installment, “ The Final Quest”, and that he is out to set the record straight. This means that he has had to defend the remarks and doctrines that he set forth in “The Final Quest”, as it seems it may have provoked a fair amount of controversy among the reading public, despite press to the contrary from the greater Charismatic world. He flatly contradicts many of the previous statements he made in “The Final Quest”, even though the "vision" was supposed to be in the "trance level", or two levels higher than the level of inspiration under which the apostles wrote the New Testament! He states this exact thing in the first few pages of “The Final Quest”.

“The Call” also takes place on this supposed "fourth level" of revelation, and discloses quite a bit more of Joyner's Latter Rain teachings than his previous work. Latter Rain doctrine was condemned by the General Council of the Assemblies of God in 1949, because of the move’s aberrant teachings. In the forefront of the Latter Rain doctrine are a denial of the rapture for believers, the false teaching that the Church is built upon the foundation of present-day apostles and prophets, and the dominion mandate, which states that the Church must overcome the world and destroy all evil preventing the return of Jesus, and when all enemies of the faith are finally dealt with by the Church, Christ will be released from heaven to return, at which time Christians will present the world to Him as His footstool.

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Red Letter Leftists
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for October, 2006

"Red Letter" Leftists
By Mark D. Tooley

Frustrated by the conservative tendencies of most religiously active Americans, a group of liberal religious activists have started "Red Letter Christians" to espouse political themes of the left.

Referring, of course, to the fact that words of Jesus in Bibles are often printed in red letters, these new "red-letter" communicators and activists want to steer Christians away from concerns about marriage and abortion and towards anti-war activism and environmental causes.

Red-Letter evangelist Tony Campolo, in a column for Beliefnet.com, explained earlier this year what this new activist group is all about:

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Queen of All
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for July, 2006

(NOTE: We carry this product on our Web site and print newsletter as well as the DVD "Messages from Heaven."--jm)

Apparitions!

She appears as a living, breathing, three-dimensional lady enveloped in exquisite light. Visionaries and seers describe a beautiful, young woman glowing in radiant splendor. Seers, while describing her as brilliant to behold and arrayed with every splendor, admit that the "Queen of Heaven" transcends human description.

Marian followers also report seeing strange lights and glorious visions that often accompany an apparition. Visions of angels, glowing orbs, tongues of fire, mysterious solar phenomena, and peculiar luminous clouds have been sighted. Because of the tremendous pleasure and joy experienced by visionaries during an apparition, the term ecstasy[1] is the word most often used to describe this event. Those who have witnessed her, admit that they are paralyzed and enraptured by her beauty and charm.

Numerous healings and miracles have been reported at apparition sites around the globe. In addition, the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary has repeatedly announced that her most significant signs and wonders are yet future! She admits that she has not yet revealed her full glory to the world. She predicts heavenly signs and wonders that the whole world will soon witness. Consider the following messages received by three separate visionaries:

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Potter Influence Unchallenged in Homes and Churches
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for May, 2006

(Ventura, CA) – Each generation has its popular legends and heroes – from Superman to G.I. Joe, and Rambo to Luke Skywalker. Through the years, these stories and many others have formed a type of American mythology.

One of the country’s newest heroes is Harry Potter, the coming-of-age wizard who stars in J.K. Rowling’s imaginary world. Featured in a decade-long stream of novels and movies, the child wizard has generated a massive following among today’s youngest Americans. According to a study conducted by the Barna Group, exposure to Harry Potter – including reading at least one book or watching at least one movie – has doubled in the last three years. Currently, more than four out of every five teenagers (84%) have personally read or watched Potter.

Missing in Action?

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Foundations for Apostasy: 1950-1985
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for April, 2006

Foundations For Apostasy: 1950-1985

How Did We Get To Where We Are Today?

In the 1940s and 50s, a foundation was laid that would, in the decades to follow, shake Church structures to the core. In this article, we'll be looking at the last fifty years and examining the process that brought apostasy to the Church and put it on the road leading toward the New Age Christ. We will begin by looking at the forties.

The Forties

I only want to mention two things about this decade. One is a man and the other is an organization.

40s: DAVID DU PLESSIS. In 1947, the First World Pentecostal Conference was held in Zurich, Switzerland. This conference brought into prominence David Du Plessis, "Mr. Pentecost," who went on to organize three other World Conferences.

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The Age of the Church of Laodicea
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for March, 2006

The age of Laodicea has arrived next comes the rapture and the tribulation

by Don Koenig

Most Bible prophecy teachers would say the Laodicean church age started around AD 1900. This is correct but when Laodicea appeared among Thyatira (Catholics), Sardis (the near dead denominational churches) and Philadelphia (the Church of true believers), she was not the predominant church of that time period. That is no longer true today. Now there should be no question for those of us who believe that there are seven church ages, that Laodicea has arrived as the predominant church type of our age. Laodicea is the final church age before Jesus comes for his Church and when Jesus does come for the Church He vomits this Laodicean church out of His body into the tribulation. I am not saying that Laodicea was part of His body to start with but only that this church type identified with him. After Jesus tasted of their lukewarm doctrine, He would not digest it and they would have no place in His Body.

We have had lukewarm denominational country club type churches for quite some time now but they did not cross denominational lines and movements and become the predominant Christian identity until very recently. The large seeker friendly mega churches are the fastest growing movement in Christianity today and they are achieving this growth at the expense of smaller traditional Evangelical and Pentecostal Bible churches.

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Ancient Labyrinths are Re-Emerging
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for January, 2006

Ancient Labyrinths are Re-emerging

There is a sharp increase in the building and use of labyrinths in the West, which occurs in conjunction with the resurgence of other mystical practices such as Yoga and Eastern meditation. In the USA, more than 1000 labyrinths have been built in meditation garden settings, at retreat centres, churches, hospitals and prisons. The popularity of labyrinths is also increasing in South Africa and many other countries.

Labyrinths have been in existence for about 4000 years and are encountered in many of the religions and cultures of the world. They are found in various shapes, of which the seven circuit and eleven circuit ones are the most popular. The word “circuit” is used to describe the number of times the path circles around the centre. When a person walks the labyrinth he meanders back and forth, turning 180 degrees each time he enters a different circuit. It is said that each time the person shifts his direction he also shifts his awareness from the left brain to the right brain, or vice versa. For this reason, labyrinth walking is accredited with inducing receptive states of consciousness, which also helps to balance a person’s chakras (the body’s psychic centres). View Full Article

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What is Dominion Theology?--John MacArthur
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for October, 2005

"What is Dominion Theology?"

Answer

Have you heard about that? Dominion Theology, that's a new label, for a new kind of theology, and there are always new theologies. Dominion Theology comes in a lot of forms, but I think what you are probably talking about is John Wimber, who is now advocating a new kind of Dominion. Let me give you this very simply, ok?

Dominion Theology, espoused primarily by John Wimber, who is networked through a group of churches called "The Vineyard Churches," basically is saying, "That as believers, we are to take power over Satan and demons, we are to exercise dominion over them." There is another kind of theology, that is existing today, that is called "Liberation Theology." It is a form of theology that says, "That the Church is to take dominion over the institutions of the world." That's another form of Dominion Theology, or Kingdom Theology.

And what it basically says is that the Church's mandate is to take over the institutions of the world, that's the Liberation Theology side. What Dominion Theology says is that we are to take over the Powers of Darkness; we are to take over the demons; and we are to take over the spirits; and we are to dominate Satan. We are to take dominion, and that's why they talk about "Power Evangelism" and "Power Healing." In other words, he trains people, supposedly, to invade the Satanic World and take dominion over demons.

That we as Christians, by living in the natural world, and by just moving around in the visible world, have failed to exercise the power that we have, to literally take over the Satanic World. You hear them talk about, "Binding Satan," have you heard that? "Binding demons; Pleading the Blood on demons; Pleading the Blood on Satan; Taking dominion over, not only demons, but all of the institutions of the world, that are infiltrated and influenced by demons.

And they believe that whatever people's problems are, tend to be demon induced. And it gets extreme, no matter what it is, it’s a demon, and you have to take dominion over these demons. And that is why they talk about Power Evangelism. They say that you cannot evangelize without signs and wonders. You have to overpower the demonic world, and demonstrate your divine power to the lost, in order for them to be saved. Power Healing, break the bondage of demons and so forth.

It is unbiblical. We are never told, never told, to take dominion over demons. We are told by James, "Resist the devil and he will" what? "Flee from you." We are never told to bind Satan. We are never told to bind demons. We are never told to plead the Blood on Satan and demons. Listen to Jude 9, "Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'" Even Michael, who is "superangel," did not dare rebuke Satan. But rather said, "Lord, you take care of him." And if Michael, as a holy angel, does not take to himself the exercise of authority over fallen angels, where would we find a mandate to do that?

The Bible simply tells us, that if you want to deal with the enemy, you put on the whole armor of God, right? You put on the whole armor of God, and you'll be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We are not called to take dominion over the institutions of this world. We are not called to take dominion over demons and over the devil. We are called to get on our spiritual armor, to resist that demonic world and trust in the power of God, who does take care of them.

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The Rising World Religion
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for September, 2005

The Rising World Religion

Neo-paganism, Neo-satanism or Neo-christianity - What's the Difference?

"Stop looking too far into things and ruining it for the youth. ... Stop casting judgment on symbols.... I am a Satanist, but don't judge me as a Satan worshipper. I have no guilt of what I do. It is Christians who should feel guilt." Jasyn, a visitor to our website

"I believe in GOD. I go to church, I pray. I love Harry Potter. It's a fun movie, and in NO way promotes 'evil' witchcraft. That is why the characters are 'good' characters." Laura, a visitor to our website.

"I play Dungeons & Dragons, read comic books, watch Star Wars, play video games, and believe in one of God's great mysteries: evolution. I am also a Christian. These things are not mutually exclusive. Stories are a gift He gave us to entertain, explain, and educate. By telling and glorifying something like magic, we don't teach that it is right. We teach that it is fun." Louis, a visitor to our website

"...the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light...." John 3:19

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Faulty Premises of the Church Growth Movement
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for September, 2005

Faulty Premises of the Church Growth Movement

By Pastor Bob DeWaay

Please read the entire article at
www.twincityfellowship.com/cic/articles/issue89.htm

“They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1John 4:5, 6)

“It is my deep conviction that anybody can be won to Christ if you discover the key to his or her heart. . . . It may take some time to identify it. But the most likely place to start is with the person’s felt needs.”1 (Rick Warren)

...the Apostle John... says that the world will not listen to a true, unsullied Christian message. Rick Warren says that anybody can be won to Christ if we discover a message that will interest them through promising to meet their felt needs. These concepts are contradictory. The Biblical idea is that we must speak God’s unchanging message of the gospel whether the world hates us or not:

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).

The Church Growth idea is that we must study man (using the latest sociological, psychological, and anthropological insights) to determine how to create a church that will grow and a message that will be popular through appealing to a target audience. Someone is wrong here....

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Compromise and Confusion in the Churches--Mohler
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for July, 2005

Compromise and Confusion in the Churches
Friday, July 01, 2005

The church today finds itself assaulted without--and even within--by a culture and worldview of untruth, anti-truth, and postmodern irrationality. In fact, researchers increasingly report that a majority of evangelicals themselves reject the notion of absolute or objective truth. The seductive lure of postmodern relativism has pervaded many evangelical pulpits and countless evangelical pews, often couched as humility, sensitivity, or sophistication. The culture has us in its grip, and many feel no discomfort.

The absence of doctrinal precision and biblical preaching marks the current evangelical age. Doctrine is considered outdated by some and divisive by others. The confessional heritage of the church is neglected and, in some cases, seems even to be an embarrassment to updated evangelicals. Expository preaching--once the hallmark and distinction of the evangelical pulpit--has been replaced in many churches by motivational messages, therapeutic massaging of the self, and formulas for health, prosperity, personal integration, and celestial harmony.

Almost a century ago, J.C. Ryle, the great evangelical bishop, warned of such diversions from truth: "I am afraid of an inward disease which appears to be growing and spreading in all the Churches of Christ throughout the world. That disease is a disposition on the part of ministers to abstain from all sharply-cut doctrine, and a distaste on the part of professing Christians for all distinct statements of dogmatic truth."

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The Bloodless Gospel
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for May, 2005

Understand The Times Radio Commentary
by Roger Oakland
www.understandthetimes.org

BLOODLESS GOSPEL

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not the gospel unless the blood of Jesus was shed. Man can not be saved unless he understands and accepts this, ask for forgiveness of our sins and repent. There are many in the church today who say the gospel is too “bloody” and “offensive” for seekers. Can the gospel be watered down and diluted?

There is a trend in the church today known as “seeker-friendly.” The goal of the church is not to teach the body the scriptures. If we make the services more contemporary and less threatening then we can attract more seekers, they say. Eventually these seekers will find out what they are really seeking and discover Jesus. However, if you shock these seekers by confronting them with the “blood of Jesus” or telling them braking God’s law is sin, they will run away instead.

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Christian "Self-Esteem"
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for April, 2005

Havner wrote at a time when the work of one of America's most influential pioneers of Christian happy-talk was fomenting what is still a powerful factor in the happy-talk world. A follower of Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller has become the face and voice of today's "Christian" self-esteem movement. Of course, there is nothing Christian or biblical about Schuller's self-idolatry message. It is clearly more akin to New Age thinking.

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Mary for Protestants?
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for March, 2005

Mary for Protestants? A New Look at an Old Question
3/18/2005
Albert Mohler

Should Mary be venerated by Protestants? That question frames the March 21, 2005 cover story for TIME magazine. David Van Biema has written an expansive and insightful report on contemporary developments among Protestants--developments that may influence some evangelicals.

Van Biema begins by introducing Reverend Brian Maguire, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Xenia, Ohio. Pastor Maguire has decided to combine his church's Good Friday observance with a Marian Festival, calling this move "a beautiful, poetic opportunity." As Van Biema notes, this kind of attention to Mary, the mother of Jesus, would have been controversial just a few years ago.

Nevertheless, the situation has changed so much that TIME's cover carries this explanation: "Catholics have long revered her, but now Protestants are finding their own reasons to celebrate the mother of Jesus." What's going on here?

The TIME cover story is part of a larger phenomenon, with many mainline Protestants turning to a reconsideration of Mary and incorporating the veneration of Mary into personal devotions and corporate worship. Some are going so far as to acknowledge Mary as an intercessor, addressing prayers to her as well as to other saints.
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Reiki, Thomas Merton & Richard Foster
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for February, 2005

M]ystical pragmatism is growing particularly fast through various New Age healing techniques. One such procedure is called Reiki (pronounced ray-key), a Japanese word that translates universal life energy or God energy. It has also been referred to as the Radiance Technique. Reiki is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist healing system, rediscovered by a Japanese man in the 1800s and only recently has come to the West.

The Reiki technique consists of placing the hands on the recipient and then activating the energy to flow through the practitioner and into the recipient. One practitioner described the experience in the following way:

When doing it, I become a channel through which this force, this juice of the universe, comes pouring from my palms into the body of the person I am touching, sometimes lightly, almost imperceptibly, sometimes in famished sucking drafts. I get it even as I’m giving it. It surrounds the two of us, patient and practitioner.
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Christian Leaders Speak Against Israel--Koenig
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for April, 2004

Influential Christian Leaders Speak Against Israel's Biblical Significance and Her Land - Bill Koenig

Leaders of replacement theology churches, ministries and preterists/amillennialist do not acknowledge the biblical and prophetic significance of what is unfolding in Israel and the world today.

Below are examples from a commentary and sermons from Chuck Colson, Dr. Joseph (Skip) Ryan and Dr. John Piper on Israel, Jews and the covenant land.

These men are very influential and are major voices throughout America. Colson has an excellent relationship with President Bush and his top staff. His Prison Fellowship Ministry will be a financial benefactor of the president's faith-based initiative program. Skip Ryan of Dallas is the pastor of one of President Bush's closest friends whom we have spoken to about Israel for two years. John Piper is a Minneapolis pastor with a national radio ministry and a new best selling book "The Passion of Jesus Christ."

"Eye to Eye" is a tool that is being used to show specific examples of the seriousness and consequences of endangering the 'apple of God's eye' and dividing His land. We encourage you to get "Eye to Eye," read the book, and then give it to another person to read. Pray that the Spirit of God will open their 'eyes and ears' to what the Spirit is saying about God's special relationship with Israel.
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MacArthur: Re-Invented Gospel Being Preached Today
--> Posted to Spiritual_Deception for January, 2004

Pastor Says Some Churches Preaching 'Reinvented' Gospel

A well-known Christian author and pastor is concerned that a growing number of Evangelical ministers are watering down the gospel message in order to be "seeker sensitive."

Dr. John MacArthur says many Evangelical pastors are presenting what he calls a "reinvented designer pop gospel" in hopes of making Christianity appear more attractive or culturally relevant.

The pastor of Grace Community Church in San Valley, California, says those who preach in that fashion have a weak view of the authority and power of scripture.

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