Fun Thing to Try

Here is a very challenging, fun thing to try with your Saturday morning coffee (but make sure you put the coffee down as you need every ounce of concentration, trust me). I must admit, it had my brain gears grinding. See how you do on this color test. As the words come up, click on the color of the word, not the word. And remember to think fast.

The Color Test
http://www.humorsphere.com/fun/8787/colortest.swf

*I will tell you my results if you tell me yours. :)

Disclaimer: I do not endorse the other things at the above link.

New Book - Son of Hamas

This week Joel Rosenberg introduces us to an amazing new book...

"...the book is called, Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices….it’s published by SaltRiver, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, and hits bookstores next Tuesday….the author is Mosab Hassan Youssef, the eldest son of the leader of Hamas….just since the Haaretz story was published, the book has skyrocketed on Amazon from #72,000 yesterday to #146 as of 11:00am eastern….it’s a phenomenal book — one of the most powerful testimonies of a Radical Muslim leader coming to Christ and turning from hatred for Israel to love for Israel that I have ever read..."

That's pretty incredible. Read more about it here:

BREAKING: SON OF HAMAS LEADER WORKED FOR YEARS AS DOUBLE AGENT FOR ISRAEL’S SHIN BET
flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com

This book looks like a powerful testimony to the Jewish people as well. In the Haaretz article about him, Yousef is quoted to say:

"Hamas cannot make peace with the Israelis. That is against what their God tells them. It is impossible to make peace with infidels, only a cease-fire, and no one knows that better than I. The Hamas leadership is responsible for the killing of Palestinians, not Israelis," he said. "Palestinians! They do not hesitate to massacre people in a mosque or to throw people from the 15th or 17th floor of a building, as they did during the coup in Gaza. The Israelis would never do such things. I tell you with certainty that the Israelis care about the Palestinians far more than the Hamas or Fatah leadership does.""
-www.haaretz.com

Hmmm...I hope he is living in hiding.

Could someone please mail a copy of this book to Brian McLaren?

~ ~ ~

***UPDATES about this book and its author from Joel Rosenberg:

EXCLUSIVE: SON OF HAMAS DISOWNED BY HIS FATHER, BUT VOWS TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST

EXCLUSIVE: HOW DID THE SON OF HAMAS COME TO CHRIST? Part One

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MOSAB: HOW DID THE SON OF HAMAS COME TO CHRIST? PART TWO

~ ~ ~

***ALSO SEE:

*Possibly related site of interest:

Answering Islam
www.answering-islam.org

*And by the way, this is an important reminder for us all...

A Reminder to Me
livingjourney.wordpress.com

{ADDITIONAL UPDATES WILL BE ADDED AS THIS CONTINUES TO BE A POPULAR POST}

UPDATE:

'They Need to Be Liberated From Their God'
The 'Son of Hamas' author on his conversion to Christianity, spying for Israel, and shaming his family.
The Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com

The Lie has Died

I don't normally find pleasure in watching things roll over and die, but hey, what a thrill to witness the death of this thing...

Manmade Global Warming: How a Lie Died
frontpagemag.com

Unfortunately, it's too late for Al Gore to give back his prize to its rightful owner, Irena Sendler.

Well, one lie may have died, but there will always be another to take its place. Meanwhile, now they just have to take back all those lies they put in the text books. Just like the evolution fallacies they removed. Yeah right.

Related things of interest:

Global Warming
www.answersingenesis.org

Global Warming Fraud: Somebody Needs to Go to Jail
www.canadafreepress.com

The Global Warming Scam
whatreallyhappened.com

Climate Change Fraud
www.climatechangefraud.com

McLaren's New Thing is Old and False

I know, it's old, boring news by now, but here's another book review of McLaren's latest book...

This is the one book I’m very glad Brian McLaren has written because he’s finally clear about what he believes and what he thinks Christianity should be. He’s quite explicit that it’s Christianity he recommends change; he’s not simply reporting to us what he believes. He’s suggesting A New Kind of Christianity for all of us. His project is transformation of the faith. Alas, he fails because his conclusions aren’t new; they’re quite familiar 20th century Christian liberalism. Finally we have clarity on what McLaren believes, what he thinks Christianity is or should be, and that we’re all talking about what we believe is the true and correct expression of the faith, not just our private beliefs....

More here:

McLaren's New Kind of Christianity Is Old and False
Stand to Reason blog

*Update: see also this highly related thing:

CHRISTIANITY TODAY REVIEW OF A NEW KIND OF CHRISTIANITY BY BRIAN MCLAREN
apprising.org

Expanded Edition Endorsements are No Big Surprise

It looks like there's an updated and expanded edition of The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero. And look who's endorsing it...

ACCLAIM FOR The Emotionally Healthy Church

“This book addresses one of the greatest challenges church leaders face—how to be healthy people creating healthy communities. “
— John Ortberg, Pastor and author, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

“Scazzero shows us how the gospel frees us to admit our brokenness and then gives us many practical ways to move forward. I recommend this book for pastors and church leaders. “
— Tim Keller, Pastor and author, Redeemer Presbyterian Church

[http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/resources/ehc.asp]

This is not surprising, and serves only as further proof of tainted water. You see, John Ortberg has already shown us his contemplative colors, and Tim Keller, who allows monkey business into his church and has already promoted Peter Scazzero and various other contemplative mystics, seems to be in the habit of...

"Trying to re-packing poison to make it easier for everyone to swallow"

More where that quote came from, here:

Tim Keller Endorses Emergent Church Book
surphside.blogspot.com

Things just keep getting more spurious by the day. But look at the bright side. It's not only RW adding to the potency of this spiritually poisonous water by promoting Trappist monk wannabe Scazzero, it now looks like everyone who wants to join the contemplative wagon train is crawling out of the woods to show us who they really are. That's why endorsements for books like this do bloggers like us a huge a favor, because then we don't have to work quite so hard or shout quite so loud to warn the sheep of the dangerous direction some of these false shepherds are headed. They seem to be making it rather obvious all on their own.

Also see:

RADICAL APOSTATES, RICK WARREN AND PETER SCAZZERO
apprising.org

CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY CATALYST PETER SCAZZERO
apprising.org

Yancey's First Quote

How interesting that I just noticed something in this book I've been skimming through this week. This probably means that other readers may have missed it as well, and that it has slipped in unnoticed, like so many things in Christianity today. It's Philip Yancey's very first quote under the very first chapter heading (Born Again Breech) of his book Reaching for the Invisible God-what can we expect to find? I, for one, certainly didn't expect to find this quote...

"Oh God I don't love you, I don't even want to love you, but I want to want to love you!"

Teresa of Avila

The thing is, St. Teresa of Avila was a levitating saint, a Spanish Roman Catholic nun and mystic who experienced horrific episodes of what many recognize today as demonic possession. Even so, her writings are being read, quoted, praised, and passed on by many who call themselves, or market their books and things for, protestant evangelical Christians today. Of course, they only quote the nice things she wrote. If they quoted her writings which describe the personal torment of her uncontrolled experiences of 'ecstasy' when she levitated in view of the other nuns, well, who would go for that? I believe it's called selective quoting.

So it's very subtle of Mr. Yancey and Zondervan, indeed, to slip that one in. I almost missed it, yet there it is on page 13. You would think that learned, highly educated, well known Christian authors or their Christian publishers would check these things out before slipping them in like that. Unless they have - and don't care. But then, this book is full of such quotes, and this is nothing new, as things have been slipping in unnoticed like this for quite some time now - for nearly thousands of years, in fact - as Jude 1:4 reminds us.

Sad to think how many people are reading this stuff though. While their Bibles gather copious amounts of dust.

Related:

Yancey, Influenced by Mystics
http://morebooksandthings.blogspot.com/2010/02/yancey-influenced-by-mystics.html

The Bible in Kentucky And Pagans in Colorado

Here's an interesting thing that just popped into my e-mail box:

The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has campus worship areas for Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists. It is now adding a worship area for Wiccans, Druids, and other Earth-worshiping religions on a hill above the campus. In the meanwhile, the Kentucky state senate prepares to vote on a bill to put Bible education in high school classrooms. These developments possess politically correct aspects, but they are also part of a greater spiritual battle for the souls of human beings...

Read the rest of this interesting article here:

The Bible in Kentucky And Pagans in Colorado
www.khouse.org

This is related:

Revisiting the Occult-Military Complex: Towards A Mystical Military
By Carl Teichrib (November 2009)

Deception is a Subtle Thing

Have I posted this before? It looks familiar. Nevertheless, at the risk of repeating myself...here's a gem:

The gospel’s most dangerous earthly adversaries are not raving atheists who stand outside the door shouting threats and insults. They are church leaders who cultivate a gentle, friendly, pious demeanor but hack away at the foundations of faith under the guise of keeping in step with a changing world.

No Christian should imagine that heresy is always conspicuous or that every purveyor of theological mischief will lay out his agenda in plain and honest terms. The enemy prefers to sow tares secretly, for obvious reasons. Thus Scripture expressly warns us to be on guard against false teachers who creep into the church unnoticed (Jude 4), wolves who sneak into the flock wearing sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15), and servants of Satan who disguise themselves as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Theological liberalism is particularly dependent on the stealth offensive…

-[SOURCE]

Another Writer for Our Daily Bread quotes Mystics

Speaking of Our Daily Bread, Monday's reading was written by one of their regular writers, David Roper.

Coincidentally, I just happen to have a book on my desk called Growing Slowly Wise by David Roper (Discovery House Publishers, affiliated with RBC Ministries, 2000). It is similar to, but not exactly the same as, this on-line version where it is called by another title:

THE BOOK JAMES WROTE
by David H. Roper
http://ldolphin.org/roper/dcroper/james.html

Growing Slowly Wise is about the book of James and focuses on living a life of holiness. Sounds good. Just like all of David Roper's writings in The Daily Bread.

However, there are a few odd little things about my copy of this book that are quite puzzling. Namely, some names and quotes that are in it...

• Meditations of a Hermit (Charles de Foucauld Catholic priest) p. 15
• Brennan Manning's Blessing
• an ancient Dominican prayer
• Dom Guigo -12th century Carthusian monk
• Jacob Needleman's book Money and the Meaning of Life
• St. John of the Cross
• Bernard of Clairveaux (Cistercian monk)
• Gandalf the Grey
• Snoopy

Most people will just skim over those as the book is filled with nice quotes from all sorts of nice people, even a Snoopy quote which may seem rather cute, until you get to the most unlikely out of place quote of them all, which is this one:

"An older generation of spiritual mentors referred to the practice of "spiritual reading," which is more than mere Bible study. It is reading with a desire to be thoroughly transformed by God's Word. It is "reading with a heart ready to repent." (Sister Macrina Wiederkehr)
-pg. 96 Growing Slowly Wise, David Roper

Spiritual reading, of course, refers to Lectio Divina. Sister Macrina Wiederkehr is a Roman Catholic nun who belongs to a Benedictine monastic community of women in Arkansas that follows the rule of St. Benedict. She also...

...travels throughout the U. S. and Canada as a retreat director. In her retreats seekers are guided through experiences of silence and contemplation, Lectio Divina and faith sharing...

-http://www.macrinawiederkehr.com/

Her bio says that she enjoys creating rituals, and has written some books, including one with Joyce Rupp called The Circle of Life, which shows readers a way to connect with life’s sacred center. [By the way, Catholic author, retreat and conference speaker Joyce Rupp has also written a book called Prayers to Sophia - as in 'goddess' Sophia - and says the Sufis Dance of Universal Peace (a circular dance of movements and chanted prayers from different traditions) is an important and compelling part of her spiritual life.] Sister Macrina believes that the "book of the earth is as holy as the book of scripture." All her retreats last year centered around her latest book, Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours, and were held at various Catholic and Jesuit spirituality retreat centers (one was at Bethlehem Retreat Centre in Nanaimo, BC). Incidentally, one of her top five favorite book picks of the year was The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (for study and expanding her consciousness about various matters). Her other favorite books include Christian Meditation by James Finley, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and The Cup of Our Life by Joyce Rupp. [Speaking of Rupp, did I mention she has a 'relationship' with Sophia (the feminine wisdom in the Hebrew Scriptures)? She says on her website that she took a Native American spirituality course from a man named Eagle Crux, who says you can use Native American spirituality in a positive way and still be faithful to your own spiritual tradition. She also says that Buddhism has helped her value the practice of mindfulness, and that she resonates with Sufism (Islamic mysticism) because of its connection with Roman Catholic mysticism which is why she leans toward the contemplative heritage and the monastic tradition.]

Anyways, back to David Roper. He seems to be a nice sort of Christian author, one that many evangelicals look up to, like Philip Yancey. I wonder why he chose to throw in random quotes from so many Roman Catholics, and especially Joyce Rupp's colleague, Sister Macrina. If he quotes her, he must have read what she wrote, and agreed with her. That should apply to anyone an author quotes favourably. And apparently these kind of things are not just in this one book either. In A Man to Match the Mountain: Overcoming the Obstacles of Life, David Roper also quotes in Yancey fashion from folks like Sören Kierkegaard, St. John of the Cross (see here), Thomas a Kempis, and Blaise Pascal. On page 97 (see here) he quotes from Thomas Merton, saying that "he has written with great wisdom." Go figure!

These things are puzzling, to be sure. Especially when David Roper's books are so full of Bible teaching, and he even says that his good friend and mentor was Ray Stedman, who I've always considered to be a good Bible teacher.

Can we just chalk these quotes up to a lack of knowledge when an author seems to be very well read and educated and biblically solid? Should it concern us that these names that are so often quoted are becoming common household names in the minds of Protestant Evangelicals? Or do we just yawn and say who cares? And what if one of these Our Daily Bread authors throws some of these quotes and things from their books into Our Daily Bread? Perhaps that is something to keep an eye out for in the future.

It's certainly food for thought. But for now, in the light of all I've just seen, I think it's safe to say that no book written by any man is 'safe.' It doesn't matter how trusted your traditional daily 20 second North American devotional book is. Only God's Word is 100% trustworthy and safe. Too bad more Christian authors can't seem to stick to quoting from God's Word and solid Christian examples instead of tossing all these very questionable names and things into their books.

Related:

Yancey, Influenced by Mystics
http://morebooksandthings.blogspot.com/2010/02/yancey-influenced-by-mystics.html

Yancey - influenced by Mystics

Speaking of Zondervan (see Books and Things that Zondervan Loves)...

Philip Yancey, author of many books and frequent writer for Christianity Today, has been with Zondervan for quite a few years (I read 30 somewhere). He's extremely popular. Christian book stores are filled with his books. Evangelical churches use his DVD’s and books for adult Sunday school classes. He is often quoted by pastors from pulpits. His writings are even the newest addition to America’s beloved Our Daily Bread. But what many people don’t know is that when it comes to prayer, Yancey turns to the mystical approach. In a recent *Publisher's Weekly interview, Philip Yancey’s own words about prayer reveal that instead of turning to the Scriptures, or to biblically solid authors of the past, he turns to mystics...

Publisher’s Weekly: Many of your books have been about how Christians feel the burden of spiritual practice. Which writers most influenced your thinking about prayer?

Philip Yancey: No Protestants come to mind, to be honest, so, much I have learned about prayer is from the Catholics. One book I discovered was by Mark Phibido, called, Arm Chair Mystic. Of course, if you want to go deeper, there’s Thomas Merton.

-thebereancall.org

Okay, so it's spelled wrong there. It's actually Mark E. Thibodeaux, S.J., and he is a spiritual director, retreat director, and Jesuit priest, and you can see his book here. It takes the reader through the first steps of contemplative prayer, prayer exercises, etc. Of course, this should not be surprising, as the Jesuits were founded by Ignatius of Loyola, who wrote a series of rules called the spiritual exercises (see here) which everyone seems to be teaching these days. Also not surprising is the sad fact that Yancey is only one of many highly respected authors read by evangelicals who have turned to mysticism (such as Eugene Peterson, for example). But the funny thing is, when you mention this to people they look at you as if you are loony. However, it’s a verifiable fact. For Yancey to say “if you want to go deeper, there’s Thomas Merton”, well, that is just so blatantly, obviously unbiblical, since Merton was a Catholic monk who said:

"I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity ... I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can."
-Thomas Merton - Contemplative, Mystic, Panentheist
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/merton.htm

But then, everyone from around the world seems to be drawn to the spirituality of Merton these days.

Yancey is not the only one promoting Merton and contemplative spirituality. It's everywhere. But it looks like it's time for those who call themselves Christians to start making a choice - to ride down the popular pantheistic slide of universalism into the pit of yuck, and stand idly by as your pastors and Christian books stores make the big compromise, or to open up your eyes (and mouth) and take a stand for the truth. Your choice. Some might say, so what if Yancey's nice little benign stories are showing up in Our Daily Bread? How does that affect me? Well, that's for you to decide. Will you choose to read books and things by authors whose foundation is God's Word, or the experiences of some ancient mystics?

Read more about the Yancey interview (or listen to mp3) here:

The Inspirations Of Mr. Yancey
www.thebereancall.org

*Read the actual Publisher's Weekly interview HERE.

~ ~ ~

Related post (more Yancey quotes):

Another book filled with more of the same old thing

Updates (November 2010):

GotQuestions.org drops links to Phil Yancey books
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=5391

PHILIP YANCEY – “turning the grace of God into lasciviousness” Jude 4
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=5408

Twilight Books and Vampirism

About those Twilight books and things...

WARNING: There's No Power in This Blood!

By Jan Markell

Christianity Today online says that vampires are hot stuff right now even for Christians. Visit a Christian bookstore or publishing house Web site and you might be surprised how many vampire-themed books you will see. What's wrong with the picture? Legions of people will tell you that nothing is wrong. They are, in fact, trying to sanctify vampirism....

To read the rest of this very good, brand new, relevant article, click HERE.

Related post:

The Twilight Book Series

Books and Things Zondervan LOVES?

If it's true that you are what you read, or love to read, what does this tell us about Zondervan...

Zondervan Publishing: Seven Resources We Love
christianresearchnetwork.com

They LOVE these books?

• Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Sex God and Nooma by Rob Bell
• Captivating by John Eldridge
• Sacred Marriage by (contemplative) Gary Thomas

*Please note that "Gary Thomas writes “Choose a word (Jesus or Father, for example) as a focus for contemplative prayer. Repeat the word silently in your mind for a set amount of time (say, twenty minutes) until your heart seems to be repeating the word by itself, just as naturally and involuntarily as breathing” (Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways, p. 185) He tells us "Mystics throughout the ages have sought to reach this destination, a quiet spiritual refuge" (Gary Thomas, Sacred Parenting)."-NEW AGE Pathways in the church (www.letusreason.org)

[*More about what Gary Thomas promotes in his book Sacred Marriage here.]

Related post:

The Best Sellers

'Already Gone' Book Challenged

The Already Gone book is making an impact. It's filled with research about why two-thirds of young people are leaving the church. One of the surprising things discovered was that those who had attended Sunday school regularly as kids generally were worse off spiritually than those who didn’t attend regularly.

But now, someone is challenging that...

…the vice president of Sales and Marketing at Gospel Light recently sent out an e-newsletter in which he rejected outright the results of the research by Britt and which was published in Already Gone. He quoted from other research in his attempt to discredit what Britt’s America’s Research Group had carefully researched and reported on—but in doing so he unfortunately quoted research that had nothing to do with those young adults who had left the church.

The research he cited had to do with those who are still in their denomination (or who changed their denomination) and who went to Sunday school as kids. This is like comparing apples with oranges!

You can read more about it here:

Gospel Light Sadly Misquotes to Defend Sunday School Curricula
blogs.answersingenesis.org

Anyways, the reason I was reading about that is because the author of Already Gone is coming to our area. That's right. Ken Ham will be here this weekend. Having watched a whole lot of his videos and things, I am definitely going to be hopping into my chariot to make the long journey out there tomorrow to listen to him speak and maybe even buy some books. Should be very interesting. Hope to see you there!

What came first, the chicken or the dinosaur?

As the evolution tree gets chopped into fire wood...

Here are some interesting things to read about the theory of evolution in regards to dinosaurs and birds...

Bird-from-dinosaur theory
www.onenewsnow.com

Discernment is needed for Christian Radio, not just Books and Things

Maybe you've heard Steve Brown's program on a Christian radio station. I used to listen to it when I drove more, and always thought he was a pretty cool guy with good advice, although every once in a while he would say some strange things that would make me go, huh? That was before I REALLY started studying the Bible. I haven't listened to him for a few years now, and from what I just read, that's probably a good thing.

Here are a few things I was shocked to discover that Steve Brown has recently been saying...

...Brown says people should burn Dave Hunt's book that criticizes Richard Foster (because Foster is a hero of Brown's); and he told a whole audience to burn John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus — when he hadn't even read it!

...Brown frequently speaks of how much insight he's gotten from this or that Roman Catholic or otherwise heretical writer, on various aspects of Christian living.

...Brown says in particular that … Annie Lamott is a wonderful Christian person who he thinks is so great and loves to provide a soapbox on his radio show.

-Source: Steve Brown's "Grace in the Church" course at RTS: impressions and analysis by Dan Phillips [teampyro.blogspot.com]

Hmmm...and that's not all.

If you go over to Steve Brown Etc., you will see that he has been promoting Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero (here). And while you are there, you will also notice his promotion of The Shack by William Paul Young on SBE, as well as Shane Claiborne, and Anne Lamott. And let's not even talk about the February lineup that includes Tony Campolo and Sara Miles.

[If you're not sure why that is not a good thing, read about Anne Lamott and Sara Miles here, Peter Scazzero's book here, The Shack here, Shane Claiborne here, and Tony Campolo here and here and here and here and here and here and here.]

So you see, it's not just books and conferences and retreats that Christians need to be spiritually discerning about these days…it’s Christian radio programs, interviews and podcasts! But of course, every one already knows that. Right?

Right...

I love this...

All I will say is that I loved reading this thing today.

~ ~ ~

Related things about that:

When New Age creeps into America's colleges
by Jim Fletcher
www.wnd.com

The Twilight Book Series (Updated)
morebooksandthings.blogspot.com

Being thankful for the things we never think about (but should)

Today I was thinking about all the stupid things we Christians complain about that are NOT important or even worthy to mention. Just the other day, I listened to someone grumbling about setting up the chairs and tables every weekend for the church potluck in their church basement (this church is paid for), when things like this are happening elsewhere...

A group of 48 Christians were forced from their homes in Katin village, Saravan province, Laos in January by approximately 100 officials and villagers. The believers, who had gathered for Sunday worship, were expelled from their church at gunpoint and brought to an open field. Officials then confiscated personal belongings from 11 Christians' homes. Six of the homes were later destroyed.

Be thankful you have a church.

Another person told me that the preacher at their new church was pretty good, and taught the Bible, but the worship team was awful and needed a good guitar player. Meanwhile, things like this are happening elsewhere...

A Christian in Kazakhstan, Zhanna-Tereza Raudovich, has been fined for hosting a worship service for local women and children in her home. Kazakh police raided Zhanna-Tereza's home...on January 17. Three days later, she was fined for "leadership or participation in the activity of an unregistered social or religious organization." Authorities have warned her that she will face criminal charges if she does not pay the fine, which amounts to approximately 100 times the minimum monthly wage in the country. There is concern over how Zhanna-Tereza will pay the fine, as she has six children and is currently unemployed.

Be thankful you are free to worship.

And last month I had to blow the dust off my study Bible that had been sitting on a pile of books for a few weeks. It's so much easier to read on the computer. I take all these things for granted, and think they will always be there. Meanwhile, things like this are happening elsewhere...

On February 4, approximately 60 Moroccan authorities raided the home of a Christian...where a Bible study was being held for believers from around the country. Authorities seized Bibles, books, two laptops, a digital camera and one cell phone. They also detained 18 of the believers, including five small children, for 14 hours and interrogated them. The visiting Christians were then released and sent back to their homes. One of the detained, a U.S. citizen, was deported immediately after interrogation. A report by the Interior Ministry claimed that the raid took place "following information on the organization of a secret meeting to initiate people into Christianity, which would shake Muslims' faith and undermine the Kingdom's religious values."

Be thankful that Bibles, and Bible studies, are not illegal in your country.

*These things and more can be found here:

The Voice of the Martyrs
Persecution and Prayer Alert
www.persecution.net

Be thankful. And pray for the persecuted church around the world.

Another book filled with more of the same old thing

In my spare time, I've been paging through a book my friend asked me to look at. I had no idea it was so loaded with these names and things. Kind of makes me wonder...is Philip Yancey a Roman Catholic? He is being read and praised by so many Christians I know, and I don't know much about him at all, and I don't know about all his other books, but this one, Reaching for the Invisible God, is over flowing with quotes and references to Roman Catholic and Jesuit priests, contemplative mystics, saints, etc. And what do you know...there's even a quote from Dag Hammarskjold, the mystic who designed the meditation room at the UN. I don't know why, but it seems like these authors have always got to throw a quote from old Dag in their books about God, in spite of his occultic spirituality that lives on, and was/is in opposition to God. For example, Peter Scazzero's book does the same (on pg. 73, The Emotionally Healthy Church).

Anyways, about this book, fortunately for me, my discerning friend has circled all these names and written notes in the side columns of Yancey's book, and done all the ground work for me. Some days I feel like a little ant, scouring every crack for crumbs. It's not so easy on the eyeballs, and is a very different pastime from curling up in a chair and reading a novel. So far, from what I've read, it looks like Yancey starts off each morning with centering prayer. Surprise, surprise. Who knew? But then, so does another author popular with Christians, Tony Campolo, who recently said he has tapped into Roman Catholic spirituality, St. Ignatius and Thomas Keating, and centering prayer, and how he experiences God by going into a deep silence every morning. Interesting thing how Campolo practices contemplative meditation, and centers himself down to get into the silence, or the thin place (see here). Therefore, why should it be surprising to find out that Yancey also practices centering prayer (pg. 84-86)?

Quote:

When I begin the morning by intentionally centering on God, from that still point I hope that serenity and peace will expand to effect the most of my day...even if I get only that half-hour of calmness...the effort still proves worthwhile." (p 85, 86, Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God)

Oh, and looky here, a few paragraphs below that he writes about universalist Anne Lamott. Looks like my discerning friend missed that one. Which does make me wonder, how many more things are slipping past the eyes of the undiscerning Christian who is reading all these books instead of the Bible? Seems everyone in the post-modern church is praising Lamott these days (see here and here). Go figure.

Funny how so many of these best selling authors are all writing supposedly about God, but when you take a closer look, they seem to throw in the same old people and their same old mystical experiences and practices. One might almost think we are in an unseen battle against some creepy conspiracy to get us all interested in ancient mysticism and meditating and distract us from the truth in God's Word.

How odd that some churches are now replacing Bible studies with many of these books. I know of one church that is using Philip Yancey's books and things in their Sunday morning adult classes. Oh, one more thing, funny how they are now using Yancey as one of their writers in the very popular, widely read Our Daily Bread. Surprise. And that's not all. But that's a huge can of crawly worms to open for another day, and soon to be blogged as well.

It takes time to trudge through the sludge, (or swim through the sewage, as one reader referred to it) and when I have finished checking out these books and things I will definitely blog about them, but not this week. Later...

I finally figured out what the "new" kind of Christian is!

Eureka! I finally have figured out what all this McLarenism stuff means. You know, this 'new kind of Christian' thing, and the 'new kind of Christianity'. In fact, McLaren himself, with his new book, has really made it so simple. Here it is, no longer a mystery, in a nutshell.

The new kind of Christian is simply this - a spiritually dead man who despises God {but a nice friendly sort of rebel who likes Jesus and does good things but is dead in his sins, has no assurance of eternal life, is walking in his own strength, trying to follow the teachings of Jesus while staying on the wide path, is very good at conversing along the way, smiles alot, speaks Humpty Dumpty to all who will listen, and is often very hard to spot among sheep.}

It's all here:

BRIAN MCLAREN INVITES YOU ON HIS QUEST TO DESTROY CHRISTIANITY
apprising.org

A Thing called Reiki

This is amazing. As I watched this clip from the TV show, I wondered how many more Americans will now be doing this thing?

Dr. Oz Tells Millions of Americans: “Try Reiki!”
www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com

Did you hear Dr. Oz say that this might be...

"ultimately the most important alternative medicine treatment of all"

In other words, vitamin supplements and herbal remedies are not as effective as awakening your chakras and getting attuned by spirit guides through a channeller called a Reiki master. Of course he didn't say it quite like that. Meanwhile, what the nice woman whose headache was going away does not know is that Reiki is a dangerous occultic practice.

Read more about it here:

Reiki a universal energy technique to Heal
www.letusreason.org

McLaren's New Book Earns Him a Spot with the Spiritual Teachers of this World

Oh brother...this is about Brian McLaren's new book, A New Kind of Christianity...

With the ringing endorsement of his heretical new book A New Kind of Christianity by the interspiritual website Spirituality & Practice Brian McLaren has finally made the cut into the Living Spiritual Teachers Project (LSTP) of Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

It was only a matter of time. To fully understand the ramifications of this, read the whole thing, and click on all the links, here:

New Living Spiritual Teacher Brian McLaren
christianresearchnetwork.com

Sadly, there are 11 copies of McLaren's new book in stock at the big Christian book store in our city, as well as at least a dozen other books authored, or co-authored, by him. That doesn't even include all the books that have his endorsement on the back cover.

When the Christian owners of a Christian book store sell books that are detrimental to a Christian's spiritual health by an author who is considered to be in the same league as Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, and Marianne Williamson...what does that tell you?

Christians, are we awake yet? What will it take?

The Best Sellers

So I'm throwing it in the garbage when it catches my eye. It's the flyer for the 10 best sellers at our Christian book store. I missed the sale, they were 30% off last week, but there are only three I would have bought anyways, another one is questionable, and here are the others...

• Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
• Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
• The Shack
• What's so Amazing about Grace? by Philip Yancey
• Facing the Giants by Max Lucado
• The Purpose Driven Life by RW

And that is an indication of the sad state of the Christian book publishing industry, because there is no money in selling the unpopular truth.

They Reject John 14:6

A sad thing I read...

~ ~ ~

Presbyterian Church USA: Some reject John 14:6
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, KY - A poll of members of the Presbyterian Church USA shows a significant percentage of them now reject the exclusivity of the gospel message.

The Statement of Faith of the nation's largest Presbyterian denomination says God through Jesus Christ delivers followers "from death to life eternal."

But a poll done by the Presbyterian Panel's "Religious and Demographic Profile of Presbyterians" found that 36 percent of members disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement: "Only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved."

Another 39 percent, or about two-fifths, agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.

-www.onenewsnow.com

~ ~ ~

A shocking thing, isn't it? To have the Bible, and be free to read it without being thrown in jail, but to not even believe it.

For those who can't for the life of them remember what Bible verse John 14:6 is, it's Jesus's answer to Thomas, who has just asked him how can we know the way (to the Father's house, or heaven)...

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

According to the poll, 1/3 of Presbyterians don't agree with Jesus, but I wonder how many in the emerging church today would vote the same way...

Bentley got 'bammed' for a change - but will he change?

Yikes, yikes, and triple yikes, and throw in a BAM and a SHEEKA BOOMBA too! No, I'm not talking about Fred Flinstone. I'm talking about Todd Bentley (remember him?) and the latest things that have been going on...

Here's a re-cap. The story goes like this. Mr. Bentley goes to Florida and has this big healing revival which many of his followers ran to so they could 'get some' (which is Bentley's sadly irreverent way of inviting folks to receive the Holy Spirit's anointing through him). So while he's having this 'revival' and 'preaching,' he is drinking alcohol and having an affair on the side (with the girl standing beside him at the big baptism) until the whole thing gets discovered. End of 'revival.' End of story, right?

Wrong.

He then gets a divorce, marries the other woman, goes through highly publicized 'restoration' process, and is now back in the ministry spotlight, teaching and preaching more of the same. All under Rick Joyner at Morning Star Ministries, who has been bending over backwards to build up another Todd Bentley revival. (See what kind of disturbing things go on at Morning Star here.)

Anyways, here's what happened just a few days ago. Some men (I believe they were Pentecostal preachers) who were under the conviction of the real Holy Spirit attended one of these meetings at Morning Star where Mr. Bentley was 'preaching' and publicly confronted him!!!!

No kidding. It's quite the inspiring thing to see, and if you want to find out more, they have blogged about it, and have included the videos, here:

Confronting Todd Bentley
confrontingtoddbentley.blogspot.com

It looks to me like these men did this in the right spirit, as the prophets of old would have done, out of conviction and righteous holy anger on behalf of all those who are being deceived. They waited until the right time to speak. Personally, I think they were way too nice - Elijah wasn't quite so nice to the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:27) - but while they didn't mock Bentley in their public rebuke, he mocked one of them, if you will watch closely you will see.

Needless to say, they were all ushered out, one by one, and apparently the police were even called in. Meanwhile Bentley, although he didn't show it, surely must have been shaken up but continued talking in the mike to drown out their words of truth as they called out for him to repent. You may notice at the end of the video of that same service (that continued on), instead of trembling in fear of the Lord, Mr. Bentley still asks for money (will that be cash or credit?).

Sickening.

And that, my friends, is the classic sign of a false prophet.

I blog this not just to gossip, to spread an interesting story, or to get blog ratings, but for that one person who has been misled along the signs and wonders path and is searching for the truth. Please read and listen to what these men who confronted Mr. Bentley have to say on their blog.

Related:

Todd Bentley and his "DARK ANGELS"
www.youtube.com

The One World Religion Thing

Wow...this is quite the thing. So you don't believe in the progression towards global one world religion? Take a look at this!!!

The Global Interfaith Avatars
watcherslamp.blogspot.com

Can you see it all blending together? Can you see how contemplative spirituality and mysticism is diluting the Christian faith? Can you understand how it is going to become increasingly more unpopular to say that Jesus is the only way?

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 14:6
~ ~ ~

Oh, one more thing. I was thinking about this and remembered seeing these somewhere. Found them. It's all along the same lines...

Coexist.
defendingcontending.com

What Coexist Really Means
truedsicernment.com

What the Publisher of The Message says is one of the Best Known ways to Ponder God

Can you guess where I read the following thing?

"One of the best-known ways to ponder God's character, works, and ways is a format originated by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Loyola's methods, recorded in his book Spiritual Exercises, have been used for hundreds of years. He urged people to enter into Scripture with all five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell."

No, it wasn't on a contemplative, RC, or Jesuit website. No, it's not on the website of a monastery. No, wasn't in a book by Peter Scazzero (although it might be). It's something I found on the website of a major Christian publisher - Navpress - when I clicked on "spiritual formation" and wound up here:

Spiritual Exercises
http://www.navpress.com/landing/SpiritualFormation.aspx

Navpress makes it sound so nice, so normal, so tried and true - when in fact, this thing called
“spiritual exercises” was actually a set of rules written by Ignatius of Loyola, Catholic priest and founder of the Jesuits. Most Bible believing evangelicals today would have serious theological issues with this set of rules. If you are curious, find out what these rules are here and here. If you don’t feel like going to the trouble of looking these things up, I will tell you what the first rule was. Here is the first rule:

First Rule: All judgment laid aside, we ought to have our mind ready and prompt to obey, in all, the true spouse of Christ our Lord, which is our Holy Mother the Church Hierarchical.

Okay, did you get that? It says to obey the church, the RC church to be precise, not the commandments of the Lord as the Bible instructs us to do.

Here is another rule:

Sixth Rule: To praise relics of the saints, giving veneration to them and praying to the Saints; and to praise stations, pilgrimages, indulgences, pardons, cruzadas, and candles lighted in the churches.

Wait a minute. Isn't that icon and idol worship? Works instead of grace? Praying to the dead?

Now for a thing or two about Ignatius - it is said that Ignatius suffered a spiritual crisis like his contemporary Martin Luther, but...

“unlike Luther, he found his salvation in mystical experiences and not in the Scriptures. He was willing to accept the beliefs already available so he felt no desire to develop a new creed. He had complete obedience to the Catholic Church and its faith.”
-http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Jesuits.htm

Aha! Mysticism. Experiences. Obedience to Rome. Now does that sound like someone who was devoted wholly to God and His Word, or to religion and the Catholic church? As Ken Silva of Apprising Ministry puts it:

“…Ignatius was a major figure in the Counter Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church where he was extremely instrumental in defending the doctrines of demons advanced by seducing spirits in the Church of Rome against the Reformers who were raised up by the Lord.”
-WHO IS IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA?

Woah there! Just think about those things for a minute. Don't you think it's surprising that Navpress, the publisher of a large percentage of Christian books you find in today’s Christian book stores, says that "one of the best known ways to ponder God’s character, works and ways" is the format originated by this Ignatius guy? Really now, one of the best known ways? I think most Bible believing Christians would argue that the best way to ponder God's character, works and ways is to read, study, and fill our minds with His Word. Don't ya think?

Perhaps this explains why Navpress publishes so many books by contemplative authors, including The Message. (Next time you pick up a new book, you might want to check the publisher before you buy it, and if you still feel you must give your hard earned money to them, at least keep your discernment antennas up.)

Well, that was my surprise of the day. Thanks for listening. You may now return to your cozy mouse house couch and watch your favorite previously scheduled television program.

Assembly of God leader promotes heretical author [UPDATED!]

~To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak~
Ecclesiastes 3:1,7
~~~

What would you do if this were you?

What would you do if a Superintendent of a large denominational district wrote an article promoting a universalist author? And what if this article was published and distributed in a popular denominational magazine? What if, in several months of back and forth emails, the Superintendent never took steps to correct this, and in fact, continued to express his admiration for the universalist?

Think about that for a moment. If you had months of dialogue that went absolutely no where with someone who is a 'way up there' kind of church leader, would you call it? Would you speak out? Or would you burrow down into your cozy safe hole, dig up your popcorn and peanut stash, and watch your favorite TV show?

Well, some Christian bloggers are much bolder than the average cowering church mice. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent, and a blogger who is bold in the Lord's strength knows the difference. It was probably a hard call, one that required much prayer, but it's all about obedience, you know. Obedience to our Holy God, and to His Word. If you like, read what this bold blogger is saying here (yesterday's post):

Assembly of God leader promotes heretical author
mywordlikefire.wordpress.com

And here is the next post by the bold blogger (today's post):

The Ham of God...
mywordlikefire.wordpress.com

The bold blogger has spoken. Will anyone listen? Has he inspired any of you to do the same? Or will you dig deeper into your cozy safe mouse house?

~~~

To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
Jeremiah 6:10
~~~

Related:

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Professor Earl Creps Promote
Contemplative Spirituality
www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com

Assembly of God Fall Further into the Ditch: Contemplative Prayer Seminars at Central Assembly
truedsicernment.com

~ ~ ~

*Note: Ann Lamott (promoted by the above AoG leader) has also recently been highly promoted by another well known Christian ministry. See here.

~ ~ ~

***UPDATE February 16:

In the continuing saga of the disappearing articles that often mysteriously vanish when people are alerted to the truth, here's the latest on this thing...

Pentecostal Evangel removes pro-universalist article
mywordlikefire.wordpress.com

The curious thing about the Pentecostal Evangel article in question is whether the real issue got buried, or whether it is being dealt with. Hopefully it's the latter.

Aaaaaannnnnnnnd...just as I'm adding this, I have noticed that there's another brand new update on this as well:

Here is what AOG Pentecostal Evangel deleted
mywordlikefire.wordpress.com

***Note: I just learned that there is a catched version of the Pentecostal Evangel article here.

Book of Isaiah Study

Question: Who believes these things and what does it say about them:

• They have engaged in such a strong drive to establish unity and harmony on earth that they are not only prepared to support Christian ecumenists but also interfaith ecumenical ties. They see the collaboration among all religions as the only way forward to pursue peace and working together to exclude conflict....
• They are so sold out to the humanistic ideology of positive thinking that they do not even consider ‘negative’ concepts such as judgements, sinners, spiritual deception, false apostles, etc. They preach a non-offensive gospel in which nobody is referred to as a sinner....

Give up?

Answer: Those who have an unbiblical kingdom vision because of a poor understanding of Old Testament prophecies.

Want to learn a ton of things about this and more from the book of Isaiah? Read and study your way through this - it's a long one, but good:

Israel and the Messianic Kingdom: A Concise Exposition of Isaiah
By Prof. Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (January 2010)
www.bibleguidance.co.za

I haven't read the whole thing yet, so I plan on doing that this week. This should take me a while to get through...

We blog these things for the few

Do you believe everything you see? No? That's good. Are you sure? Well then, do you believe that I have been blogging all week? If you think so, you are wrong. Other than okaying a few comments, until this morning I hadn't looked at or touched my blog for a week. If this makes you curious, read on...

It all started last Saturday morning when I watched that video - you know, the cheery little conversational thingy that McLaren and Burke recorded while driving in circles in the car last week. Maybe I should't have watched it. I was already feeling toxic from reading too much about error and false teaching and contemplative mystics and their books and things for way too long. So maybe I just started getting car sick or something, but as I watched these two apparently happy looking guys who so positively promote, spread and teach falsehoods with their polite conversations and pleasantly smiling faces, making it seem as if they were going about God's work in a biblical way, suddenly I got completely sick of this whole thing. And I don't just mean the emerging church or this little blog, but the whole thing about deception and the days we are living in. So what happened next is that I did a quick bit of power-blogging and pre-scheduled a string of back burner posts - a whole week's worth actually - so I could lay the blog thing to rest for a while. Then I brought everything before the Lord and let the spiritual poison slowly drain out of my brain.

I've spent the entire week since then soaking up God's Word, having gravitated to an amazingly timely study in the Old Testament prophets. These guys had guts and said some very unpopular things, but continued to warn God's people amidst the false prophets (who were saying nice, positive things - but were dead wrong). I wonder if those false prophets had nice smiles on their faces as they gave their positive, nice prophecies, while God's judgment was imminent. The unpopular job of the true prophet was to keep telling the masses who rejected their message of truth, for the sake of the few who would listen. They simply obeyed God, who, because He is merciful and just, was giving His people time to repent of their idolatrous ways, even though He knew they wouldn't listen.

There is huge a parallel here for the church to learn regarding the times we live in now. There are those today who are telling you nice things. These are wolves disguised as sheep, who call themselves God's people, but they won't talk about judgment, hell, sin or repentance. Instead they love to ooze about in conversations about the journey, kingdom, peace and justice here and now, or the new theories of atonement, the power of questions, and their favourite heretics and false teachers who have endorsed their new books. The saddest part is that there are those who are listening to these false prophets and believing everything they say, because they are not studying God's Word - let alone defending or contending. But how can you pick up your battle sword if you can't remember what it looks like? When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness Satan used Scripture. He also offered his kingdom, here and now, in exchange for worship - he is the ruler of this world - and Jesus answered back with Scripture. The devil has apparently read the Bible and knows scripture very well, but he twists it. It seems like the key to defeating the enemy is knowing how to use God's Word better than the enemy does. But how many Christians can do that?

No, we post-modern Christians would rather read a book to learn about who God is than sludge through the Bible. Isn't that right? Just take a look at your local Christian book store and wander over to that best seller section. See that fiction book up there? Yes, that book. Do you know its author just got an award for his book, even though he openly denied the penal sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross in a recent interview (transcript is here)? Doesn't that make this nice, popular author (who is speaking in churches across the land spreading his nice fabricated false fable) a false teacher?

So how do we combat today's false prophets and authors and speakers (who the Bible calls ministers of Satan)? Every Christian should be able to spot them and point them out and avoid them, but they can't because they are not spending time in God's Word (I mean studying, not doing a Lectio Divina). And so this is why some unworthy sinners saved by grace are called upon by God to warn His people today, because He is merciful and just. Even so, God said that the people who love listening to the false prophets will not listen to God's truth, even when He sends it to them.

So why would any person in their right mind spend three hours of their much needed beauty sleep posting a well researched article with a dozen live links, all previously searched out during long hours of burning the midnight oil, to warn Christians about false teaching when maybe 30 of them will skim through it and nod their heads in agreement, 30 might quickly browse the headline and decide it’s not bad enough news to bother reading, another 30 will politely disagree, yawn and move on to a more interesting website, and 9 more may read it, shake their head in disgust, and leave a very nasty comment? Here is why - we who blog these things blog for the few; the remnant, for that one person to whom God is speaking, who may read the truth, be convicted, will not harden their heart, and will have the guts to come out of the popular deception.

This is just one little blog of many, but is not for everyone - it is here for the few. Not that it's got all the answers, and I may not have all my theological ducks in a row, but this blog is basically here for the ones who are not quite ready to believe the lie, because God is calling them. It's for the person in the church down the road who is confused by a recommendation from the pulpit by the nice assistant pastor who is reading books by Ruth Haley Barton. Or that person who might have gone to that retreat centre run by those really nice people I know who teach their guests nice contemplative practices, and that St. Teresa of Avila (the mystic who lived in bondage and terror to her bouts of demonic levitation) had an "amazing encounter with God that set her free." It's for the young woman in our nice local Christian university who is being told to read Thomas Merton and practice the Examen of Ignatius of Loyola by her nice English professor who leads nice retreats at Merton's monastery. Or the confused young man who wasn't quite sure if he agreed with what the very popular Tony Campolo said in chapel at his Bible college campus. And it's for that person on the other side of the country who knows there is something not quite right about bringing the 12 steps of AA into the church, even though so many nice people are saying it's okay. And for the burnt out church leader who just returned from a nice, quiet Focus on the Family retreat but wonders what was not quite right about those popular Scazzero books they gave him to read.

This is why some of us (I can't speak for all Christian bloggers) blog the things we blog. For the few who will listen to the truth. (I'm not claiming to be a prophet or anyone important at all, as all prophecy has been written already, but we can speak forth God's Word, and that is what we should listen to above all. We all have to answer to Him alone.)

As for me and the little brown blog, I think I'm going to keep doing my Bible study for the next little while, but I'll be back when it is time...there's a time for everything, and every once in a while I need to unplug, drink in the living water of the Word, take my daily Prasch pill, blow the dust off my Bible teaching CD's, and detox. Hope some of you will be doing the same. Til later...

In the meantime, you be on the watch...

¹³For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

2 Corinthians 11

Bible Paraphrase Author Discourages Reading the Bible

Yes, it is true.

Incase you didn't know, this is not old news by any means, but I would like to remind some good folks that...

CONTEMPLATIVE EUGENE PETERSON DISCOURAGES READING THE BIBLE
apprising.org

Reading the Bible can get us into a lot of trouble, says the extremely contemplative Peterson, unless you do it the contemplative way. Otherwise you will get messed up. That's what The Message's author says. Even so, The Message continues to be a best seller in Christian books stores everywhere.

Christians may not be in the dark ages anymore, but sadly, a good portion of them are clearly in the mess age.

Selling Sorcery to Kids

Along the same lines as yesterday's post (Widz Kidz), how about this...

Thanks to ToysRus, there are now toys of divination available for 8 year old children.

Playtime for Kids and It's Called Divination
By Jan Markell
Olive Tree Ministries

And if you think that's a bad thing, nothing quite tops this in the occult indoctrination of our children...

Parent Alert: Harry Potter Theme Park Soon to Open in Florida
www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com

I tried going onto the theme park site to take a look but was creeped out and had to leave it alone.

If that's not bad enough, I was in Chapters last week and noticed that all the best selling teen and pre-teen fiction had something to do with witchcraft or vampires. Any Christian who is not bothered by this stuff has had their senses dulled and they are not spending time in the Word of God.

~solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. ~ Hebrews 5:14

There is only one thing we can do about all this, and that is - pray for our children!

~ ~ ~

For related helpful information, please see these:

Harry Potter "a Sorcerers tale"
www.letusreason.org

What's wrong with Harry Potter?
www.letusreason.org

Why Harry Potter is dangerous for our children?
carylmatrisciana.com

The Magic of Harry Potter Spellbinds Through “The Goblet of Fire”
carylmatrisciana.com

'Widz Kidz' is a New Age Thing

Do your kids watch a thing called the Widz Kidz (www.thewizkidz.com)?

If so, that might be something you want to rethink. Did you know it's some kind of New Agey mind science for kids? See this:

Mind Science For Kids
www.thebereancall.org

Not only that, when you order Widz Kidz DVD's, you get all kinds of (New Age spirituality) free gifts and things that are reminiscent of The Secret. There's even Free Chapter & Free Healing Cards from...

From beloved actress and healer Dee Wallace: a free chapter from her new book "Conscious Creation: Directing Energy to Get the Life You Want," PLUS a free set of "I AM" cards.

Wasn't she the really nice mom on ET? Well that explains a few things. Who knew?

Sounds like a no brainer, but thought I'd blog it anyways, as it's one more subtle, innocent looking way of the enemy to capture the minds and hearts of children.

Largest book in the world

An interesting thing, if nothing else…it's a rather large book make by a Dutch merchant, a 6 foot high atlas, which takes six men to lift....

Largest book in the world to go on display

The largest book in the world – an atlas made for King Charles II upon his restoration – is to be opened up for public display for the first time in its 350 year history.

Read about it here @ www.telegraph.co.uk.

Those old Ephesian books

Here's a timely thing to consider...

The burning of these old Ephesian books!
firstjohnfourfive.wordpress.com

For those who think that there can't be books like that in Christian book stores today...well, think again, and start doing some research.

More Book Awards

As the ancient disciplines of the desert fathers make their huge come back, it appears there are some more book awards...of the contemplative variety...as the Christian book publishing industry slides further into the contemplative abyss of nothingness.

The Golden Canon Leadership Book Awards
The best of the past year.
posted 1/18/2010
www.christianitytoday.com

Among the books that were awarded as the best of the best were:

• Knowing Christ Today - Why we can trust spiritual knowledge by author and Renovare staff member, the contemplative Dallas Willard.
• Longing for God - Seven paths of Christian devotion by Richard Foster and Gayle Bebee (IVP) which is about seven devotional paths illustrated by Thomas Merton, Blaise Pascal, Julian of Norwich, etc.

The Bible is being questioned as Christianity is in upheaval

An interesting read I found over at Discern It:

War on the Saints

Never since the days of the Reformation has there been such pressure upon the true body of Christ. No longer can a man even speak of being a Christian without making some form of doctrinal clarification to define what he means. Protestant Christianity is in an absolute upheaval as the majority of the prominent leaders claiming to represent the true Christian church tend to be liars, cheats or teachers of dubious doctrine.

The Bible itself as God’s infallible Word is bombarded daily by false accusations questioning its credibility, authenticity, accuracy and recently its clarity. ( The argument is that the scripture may be God’s word but who can truly understand what it is saying??)

That's over HERE if anyone wants to read more.

Books as Tools

Tim Keller seems to be a popular author these days. But here is a not so good thing – whether knowingly or unknowingly, one of the books he is promoting is just another tool of the contemplative prayer movement to deceive Christians and turn them back to the bondage of Roman Catholic spiritual disciplines. Shocking, really...

TIM KELLER ALSO PROMOTING MYSTIC GURU PETER SCAZZERO?
apprising.org

In the meantime, while well known, popular folks are promoting well known authors of spurious books and things to spread deception, I am encouraged to discover that some not so well known faithful followers of Jesus are using not so well known books as tools to spread the truth.

Surely, there must be more things we can do like this to hold back the contemplative tide and rescue others from deception. Pray and ask God to use you to shine His light in the darkness.

What do we do about those Unsettling Emerging Books and Things?

Here's a very good thing to read by Eric Barger (I'm sure many of us can relate)...

Divorced FROM Church?

Repulsed by Emergent thinking, liberal theology, endorsements of the book "The Shack," or the Purpose Driven and "Seeker" philosophies, many authentic believers are being confronted with one of the most unsettling situations a Christian will ever be confronted with. Since alarming numbers of once-trustworthy pulpits and leaders are trumpeting varieties of Emergent and other heresies, what is the dedicated Bible-believer to do? Should we stay or must we go? While God may call some to try to warn others and to initiate a return to orthodoxy within their local churches, many are faced with either accepting or putting up with error or with leaving.

A recurring painful theme I read in many emails each month is the plight of so many brothers and sisters who've been treated as theological outcasts due to their continued stand for God's truths. Often, the letters start out by saying "We've been members of the "so and so" church for 40 years but now we just stay home."

The fact is many saints have been disfellowshipped without a hearing and have been disenfranchised for simply believing the Bible.

Read it all HERE [Eric Barger – Take a Stand].

Book Award

Look who just got an award...

Warner Pacific awards "The Shack" author W. Paul Young with honorary degree.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Warner Pacific recognized alumnus and best-selling author William Paul Young ’78 with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree during Winter Commencement ceremonies, Dec. 19, at New Hope Community Church, in Portland. Young is the author of the international best-selling book “The Shack,” which has over ten million copies in print and has been translated into 30 different languages.

-www.warnerpacific.edu/news.aspx?id=6458

By the way, there was recently another interview. This time on 100 Huntley Street...

"The Shack" 1/2 - William Paul Young

January 14, 2010

http://www.100huntley.com/video.php?id=AY954mG0-cw

To find out what is wrong with The Shack, click HERE.

J I Packer's Book and his view on Mother Teresa

Here's something new from Take Heed:

J I Packer and ‘Mother’ Teresa

At the beginning of this year I was contacted by a friend and fellow-believer in England who asked me if I had any information or views on an addition included in the second printing of a book by J I Packer called ‘Rediscovering Holiness’. This addition dealt with Mr Packer’s views of difficulties/doubts experienced by the late ‘Mother’ Teresa. I had not been aware of this addition to Mr Packer’s reprinted book and in the course of my investigations I came across a very helpful article…

Read the rest over HERE @ www.takeheed.net.

Here are a few choice excerpts from this article:

"Packer bases the entire afterword on the premise that Teresa is a genuine believer, in spite of her devotion to Roman Catholic teachings…
the Manhattan Declaration represents another step toward accepting the false notion that being a Christian is demonstrated by doing something about social issues. It seems clear to me that J. I. Packer has taken that step."

And this is an important thing to read because - JI Packer is considered to be one of the most important evangelical theologians of the late 20th century [see: Biographical Sketch of JI Packer @ Monergism].