Month: April 2013
UNDERCOVER VIDEO OF BRONX, NEW YORK ABORTION FACILITY COUNSELING
WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS ABOUT ABORTION COUNSELING AT AN ABORTION FACILITY IN THE BRONX, NY. FOR MATURE VIEWING ONLY
This video from YouTube was uploaded by Live Action Films:
“CHRISTIAN” HOMESCHOOL PUBLISHERS PRESENTING EVOLUTION
Dave Mosher of Christians United Against Apostasy has a very good post about how some publishers of homeschool materials are including evolutionary theories in them.
See: http://davemosher.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/parents-beware-christian-homeschool-publishers-increasingly-including-evolutionary-theories/.
THE MESSIANIC TABERNACLE EXPERIENCE HOSTED BY DEBRA GROLLER MINISTRIES AT CAMP HALUWASA, HAMMONTON, NEW JERSEY
What is the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness?
See: http://the-tabernacle-place.com/articles/what_is_the_tabernacle.
See Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabernacle.
______________________________________________________________
The Tabernacle Experience is another ministry of First Presbyterian (Reformed/Covenantal) Church of Florence, South Carolina, http://www.florencefirst.org/tabernacle_experience.html, and is described here: http://www.tabernacleexperience.com/journey.shtml, and below in their words:
“Your Journey Awaits!
“If you had believed Moses you would have believed me because he wrote about me!”
The narrated journey through the Tabernacle Experience is individual, private and intimate. The Tabernacle Experience is simple, yet utterly profound. The LORD’S profound Love, Compassion and Mercy towards us is evident in every aspect of The Tabernacle. His plan for our redemption is revealed and His desire to live among us is evident.
It is our mission to travel from location to location bringing a life-size Tabernacle of The Wilderness and the full Spiritual impact it brings revealing Jesus the Christ in every aspect.”
RON CANTOR: “WHEN GENTILES FORGET JEWISH ROOTS, JEWS START DYING”
A Messianic/Hebraic ministry called “Messiah’s Mandate” headed by Ron Cantor www.messiahsmandate.org, is purporting to claim that the identity of Jesus was robbed of His Jewishness in his book “Identity Theft”, and therefore should be called Yeshua by Christians and Jews. Likewise, Cantor claims that all the apostles, Mary, Peter, Paul etc. were renamed by transliteration from Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek.
In “Eight Reasons Gentiles Should Care About the Jewish Roots”, http://messiahsmandate.org/category/jewish-roots/, Cantor attempts to place a load of guilt on Christians by alleging that when such roots are not continuously remembered and honored, certain unfortunate consequences result almost by default: accusations of Jewish deicide (killing of God), holocausts (i.e. death of Jews), replacement theology (Church replaces Israel), Jews ignorant of their own Messiah, Christians being “cut off” for mistreating Jews (misuse of Romans 11:17-23). Other spurious claims are that Jesus will come back as a Jew to Jerusalem, and “no Israel equals no salvation”.
This is just one more Messianic ministry attempting to convince Christians they are and have been neglecting their Jewish roots, and that they ought to reform their thinking, beliefs and worship to be more Jewish, and to help Israel accept Jesus as Messiah.
OBAMA BASHES PRO-LIFE AMERICANS, PRAISES PLANNED PARENTHOOD DURING SPEECH: ‘God Bless You’
Christian News Network reports: http://christiannews.net/2013/04/27/obama-bashes-pro-life-americans-praises-planned-parenthood-during-speech-god-bless-you/.
The New American blasted Obama at: http://thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/15237-obama-addresses-pro-abortion-gala-condemns-efforts-to-protect-unborn.
Quote from this article:
“Ridiculing the over 40 states where lawmakers have introduced or passed laws to protect the unborn, Obama quipped to the supportive chuckles of the pro-abortion audience: “When you read about these laws you want to check the calendar. You want to make sure you’re still living in 2013. Forty years after the Supreme Court affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to privacy, including the right to choose [abortion], we shouldn’t have to remind people that when it comes to a woman’s health, no politician should get to decide what’s best for you.””
POPE SAYS JESUS CAN ONLY BE FOUND WITHIN CATHOLIC (MOTHER) CHURCH
Christian News Network reports here: http://christiannews.net/2013/04/25/pope-francis-during-feast-of-st-george-mass-it-is-not-possible-to-find-jesus-outside-the-church/.
PASTOR DAVID ASHCRAFT OF LCBC MANHEIM, PA PLAGIARIZES ANDY STANLEY SERMON FOR EASTER SERVICE
It is evident that David Ashcraft, senior pastor of LCBC Church (Lives Changed by Christ) of Manheim, PA, http://www.lcbcchurch.com/, has brazenly plagiarized a sermon for his recent Easter service, once given by Andy Stanley titled “The Juno Dilemma”. For the most part this was a word for word plagiarization.
This is the six campus mega-church of about 11,000 members which recently was joined by the Branch Creek Community Church www.branchcreek.org, of Harleysville, PA headed by Craig Bishop,
whose leadership was originally composed of disaffected, parting of the ways Mennonites from the mother Franconia Mennonite Church & Conference, among other Mennonite churches in the Souderton, Montgomery County, PA area. Montgomery Media reported on this September 12, 2012 here: http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2012/09/12/souderton_independent/news/doc5049422921736647302467.txt.
Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith has this audio comparison, section by section, of the two pastors, showing that it is truly word for word.
UPDATES ON BOY SCOUTS HOMOSEXUAL POSITIONS
Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality, www.aftah.org, has an important update regarding the Boy Scouts new positions about homosexuality within its ranks:
Boy Scout’s Treacherous “Compromise” … Splitting the Baby? |
WHAT GOES ON AT JOHN MACARTHUR’S “THE MASTER’S COLLEGE”
A followup report from Ralph Ovadal, pastor of Pilgrims Covenant Church, Monroe, Wisconsin, pcc@pccmonroe.com, about the youth events at The Master’s College is below.
U.S. ARMY BLOCKS SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION WEBSITE FOR “HOSTILE CONTENT” (HATE GROUP)
The New American has reported that a U.S. Army officer has not been able to access the Southern Baptist Convention website. See: http://thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/15212-u-s-army-bases-block-access-to-southern-baptist-website.
“So the Southern Baptist Convention is now considered hostile to the U.S. Army…it just corroborates the recent string of events highlighted by AFA,” the officer wrote in an email to American Family Association.
This is just another example of the Christian faith coming under attack in the military. Earlier this month, an Army email listed prominent Christian ministries like the Family Research Council and American Family Association as “domestic hate groups.”
ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER’S WIFE CO-OWNS ABORTION CLINIC BUILDING RUN BY INDICTED ABORTIONIST
Jill Stanek of Life Site News reported at http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/breaking-eric-holders-wife-co-owns-abortion-clinic-building-run-by-indicted/, that Attorney General Eric Holder’s wife Sharon Malone Holder (both pictured here), the same Eric Holder who wants to deport the Romeike German homeschooling family, co-owns with her sister an Atlanta area abortion clinic building.
The building is located at 6210 Old National Highway, College Park, Georgia. The business itself is called Old National GYN, http://www.oldnationalgyn.com/.
This is the deed as recorded:
CBS GIVES VOICE TO (AND CELEBRATES) ATHEISTS, HERETICS & APOSTATES
CBS Television ran a 30 minute broadcast titled “Religion and Spirituality in a Changing Society”
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50144670n, with comments from Diana Butler Bass,
http://www.dianabutlerbass.com/, described within this program by CBS as a “church historian” (actually a liberal/progressive one), and wherein a variety of liberal “christians,” humanists, atheists, hedonists, homosexualists, feminists and pagans explain how America is rejecting Bible-based (real) Christianity.
Here is a video of Bass being interviewed about her book “Christianity After Religion”,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5DoQMGyjC0, in which she describes her preference for a new form of experiential spirituality rather than a reformation of old forms of spirituality and old institutions which are supported by the openly gay Catholic Andrew Sullivan and Ross Douthat of the New York Times debating “bad religion” in this video:
BOY SCOUTS-NEW “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POSITION SHOWS MORAL RELATIVISM FOLLOWING “LISTENING EXERCISE”
The latest from the Boy Scouts as reported by the New York Times is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/us/boy-scouts-move-to-lift-ban-on-gay-members.html?_r=0.
The Membership Standards Study executive summary is here: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/us/2013/scoutsummary.pdf.
The proposed resolution is here: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/us/2013/scoutresolution.pdf.
GUN CONTROL DEFEAT-“PASTOR/UNIFIER-IN-CHIEF” BLAMES GUN LOBBY LIES
Obama and company never looked so sad that gun control legislation was defeated. Despite the down-turned lips and downcast expressions, Obama will bypass Congress and implement executive orders to get his way.
RUTH HALEY BARTON TO SPEAK AT ASSEMBLY OF GOD “BELIEVE” CONFERENCE AUGUST 2013
As reported by this blog previously, Barton will bring her contemplative ideas to the Assembly of God conference, “Believe”. Now, Lighthouse Trails Research expands http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20130415.htm.
The full text is here:
SPECIAL REPORT: Assemblies of God “Believe” Conference Makes Bold Move –
Brings in Contemplative Key Player Ruth Haley Barton
|
This August, in Orlando, Florida, the Assemblies of God USA will be presenting their General Council Conference, which takes place every two years. The title of this year’s event is ”BELIEVE.” Scheduled to speak to “women in ministry” on one of the nights is Ruth Haley Barton. This is a bold move that the Assemblies of God is making because Barton is a major player in bringing contemplative mystical (i.e., mantra-based) prayer into the evangelical church. The mission statement for the conference is “Believe we are on the cusp of an unparalleled Spiritual awakening.”1 On the conference website, it states: GENERAL COUNCIL is the Assemblies of God’s largest gathering. It takes place every two years bringing church leaders together from all around the world.2 It also says that the event will inspire encounters with God, shape the Assemblies of God movement, and enhance [AOG leaders] ”skills and be inspired to advance the kingdom of God.” While the Assemblies of God denomination has been going in the contemplative direction for some time, especially within the AOG theological seminary, to bring a major contemplative player in as a speaker to the movement’s main leadership conference illustrates how much AOG has absorbed contemplative spirituality over the last few years especially. As a little background, in 2005, Lighthouse Trails addressed the issue of contemplative coming into AOG when we discussed Professor Earl Creps, director of the Doctor of Ministry at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Creps is probably one of the earliest figures within the AOG movement to bring contemplative into AOG. In one document titled “Leading Others and Myself,” Creps lists a number of New Spirituality, emerging church and contemplative proponents as people he turns to.3 A 2006 LT article, “Assemblies of God: Committed to Spiritual Formation, Contemplative and Emerging,” stated: If Assemblies of God Theological Seminary is any indication, then AOG is heading straight towards contemplative spirituality and the emerging church. Earl Creps . . . is a heavy proponent of both contemplative and emerging. In his course syllabi over the last five years, Creps has classes with titles such as “Leading the Emerging Church” and “Models of Ministry in the Emerging Church.” Syllabus reading materials include those from Henri Nouwen, Brian McLaren, Ken Blanchard, Dan Kimball, . . . and Leonard Sweet. A visit to Creps’ “Spiritual Adventures” blog gives a hearty helping of emergent discussion. In one blog, Creps tries to show how there might be a union between Pentecostalism and the emerging church [i.e. contemplative], saying the relationship is “gaining some traction.” As in most cases now, contemplative starts coming into a denomination through seminaries, colleges, and universities, and in time reveals itself in the main body of that movement. That is now what is happening with AOG bringing in Ruth Haley Barton to the General Council event this year where AOG leaders from around the world will be participating. For those who have followed Lighthouse Trails, you will know that Barton was trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, DC where she, according to her own words, was “under the guidance of Tilden Edwards, Rosemary Dougherty and Gerald May.” On Ruth Haley Barton’s Transforming Center website, she enthusiastically acknowledges being trained there, but the site gives a vague and almost oxymoronic disclaimer saying: “While she values allthat she has gained from the teachers and institutions in which she has studied, this does not imply endorsement of everything taught in these environments.”4 (emphasis added) We could talk about the beliefs of Tilden Edwards, Rosemary Dougherty, and Gerald May, but we have in other articles that can be looked up on our research site and read. Basically, these teachers are contemplative mystics who adhere to panentheism and universalism. It was Edwards who said that, “This mystical stream [contemplative prayer] is the Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality (Spiritual Friend, p. 18). In other words, contemplative spirituality draws all religions together in unity under the common denominator of mysticism. Who is Ruth Haley Barton? After Barton finished her training at the Shalem Institute, she became the Associate Director of Spiritual Formation at Willow Creek Community Church and co-authored (with John Ortberg) a Spiritual Formation curriculum for Willow Creek. In time, Ortberg moved on to become pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian in California, and Barton left to found the Transforming Center, which claims to train thousands of pastors and leaders in the contemplative way. She has written a number of books – virtually all having the core message that you gain intimacy with God through the silence (that is her predominant message). Some of these books are: Invitation to Solitude and Silence (foreword by Dallas Willard), Sacred Rhythms, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, and one of her more recent ones Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups. So what is it exactly that Barton teaches? In a Christianity Today article titled “Drawing Closer to God,” Barton describes the practice of contemplative prayer, saying, “Ask for a simple prayer to express your willingness to meet God in the silence . . . a simple statement . . . such as ‘Here I am. . . . ’ Help yourself return to your original intent by repeating the prayer that you have chosen.” In Barton’s popular book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, she goes into more depth: Identify your sacred space and time. Explore all the possibilities for a time and physical space in which you can be alone on a regular basis (p. 40) Begin with a modest goal, especially if silence is a new practice for you. Ten, fifteen or twenty minutes of time spent in actual silence is realistic, depending on such factors as your personality, pace of life, reliance on words and activity (p. 41). Settle into a comfortable yet alert physical position (p. 41). Ask God to give you a simple prayer that expresses your openness and desire for God. Choose a prayer phrase that expresses your desire or need for God these days in the simplest terms possible. It is best if the prayer is not more than six to eight syllables so that it can be prayed very naturally in the rhythm of your breathing. Pray this prayer several times as an entry into silence and also as a way of dealing with distractions. Distractions are inevitable, so when they come, simply let them go by like clouds floating across the sky. Help yourself return to the prayerful intent by repeating the prayer you have chosen. Use your prayer phrase for as long as it captures what is most true about your heart’s desire for God, and link it with a body posture that also helps you express your spiritual desire (pp. 41-42). In regard to Barton’s disclaimer on her website, she can say that she does not endorse everything she was taught at Shalem Institute, but the fact of the matter is what she just described above is the essence of what Shalem believes and teaches. Everything they teach stems from this mystical prayer. Perhaps she is implying that she does not adhere to their panentheistic (God in all) and universalist (all are saved) views, but that would be ironic because these are the things that are produced by practicing contemplative prayer. Ray Yungen calls them the “fruit” of contemplative prayer. In A Time of Departing, Yungen discusses Shalem and its role in Barton’s spiritual life. He includes a quote found on Shalem’s website to show the underlying roots of Shalem’s ultimate goal: In Christianity and other traditions that understand God to be present everywhere, contemplation includes a reverence for the Divine Mystery, “finding God in all things,” [panentheism] or “being open to God’s presence, however it may appear. (5)
Yungen shares his concerns about Ruth Haley Barton: “[Barton] echoes [goddess worshipper]
Sue Monk Kidd in many ways, including the general malaise or condition of the human soul.
Barton recounts: A few years ago, I began to recognize an inner chaos in my soul . . . No
matter how much I prayed, read the Bible, and listened to good teaching, I could not calm
“The following scenario Barton relates could be the wave of the future for the evangelical
church if this movement continues to unfold in the manner it already has: I sought out a
spiritual director, someone well versed in the ways of the soul . . . eventually this wise woman
said to me, . . . “What you need is stillness and silence so that the sediment can settle and
the water can become clear.” . . . I decided to accept this invitation to move beyond my
addiction to words (“Beyond Words”)
“By ‘addiction to words’ [Barton] means normal ways of praying. She still uses words, but only
three of them, ‘Here I am.’ This is nothing more than the Cloud of Unknowing or [Henri Nouwen’s]
prayer of the heart. Like Richard Foster, Barton argues that God cannot be reached adequately,
if at all, without the silence. In referring to I Kings 19 when Elijah was hiding in a cave, Barton
encourages: God loves us enough to wait for us to come openly to Him. Elijah’s experience
shows that God doesn’t scream to get our attention. Instead, we learn that our willingness to
listen in silence opens up a quiet space in which we can hear His voice, a voice that longs to
speak and offer us guidance for our next step. (“Beyond Words”)
“What Barton fails to mention here is that Elijah was a valiant defender of the belief in the one,
unique God – Yahweh (as seen in his encounter with the 450 prophets of Baal), and he never
went into an altered state of silence in his personal encounter with God.” (A Time of Departing,
2nd. ed., pp. 172-173)
Those reading this who are skeptical about what we are saying may be asking, “What’s so
wrong about repeating a word or phrase and going into an altered state of silence?” To this
we answer, this state of silence is the same state that occultists and Eastern meditation
practitioners enter when practicing transcendental meditation (TM). We can prove this by the
words of one of the men who trained Ruth Haley Barton – Gerald May (from Shalem Institute).
May wrote the foreword to a book titled Zen for Christians. In that book, he says the following:
I began to explore Eastern religions . . . I was taking my spiritual business elsewhere. Or
so I thought. What surprised me, eventually, was that my foray into Buddhism led me in a kind
of circle, back to my Christian roots. Over time, Buddhist practices [meditation] somehow
revealed to me the rich resources of Christian contemplative tradition that had been there
all along . . . I was not alone in that experience. . . [Those on the contemplative road] in their
searching, many turned toward the East and experienced exactly what I had – an
eventual discovery of deep nourishment [Eastern enlightenment] within their own original
traditions. The phenomenon happened so frequently that we gave it a name: “pilgrimage
home.” May was correct in stating that so-called “Christian” contemplative prayer is the
same as Buddhist meditation. As one adherent admitted, “The meditation of advanced
occultists is identical with the prayer of advanced mystics” (Kirby, Mission of Mysticism, p. 7).
Who are the “advanced mystics”? There are plenty of them, names you probably know:
Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster, Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr, and to that list we add Ruth
Haley Barton. Consider this: On Barton’s website, she sells books by Catholic priest and
contemplative activist Richard Rohr. In addition, she quotes him (in a prominent spot)
in her recent book Pursuing God’s Will Together from his book, Everything Belongs.
Typical of other contemplatives, such as Thomas Merton, Rohr believes that everything is
connected together and that all is divine (thus, everybody belongs to the kingdom of God).
In his 2011 book, Falling Upward, Rohr implies that we all are ”immaculate conception[s]”
(p. ix). If these things are true, then there was no need for Jesus Christ to die on the Cross
for the sins of mankind. We would not need a Savior because we would already be
divine ourselves. In truth, contemplative spirituality is the antithesis of the Gospel. That is why
there are countless mystics who claim to know God (or Jesus) but will have nothing to do with
the Cross.
In a YouTube teaching video “Sacred Rhythms Group Bible Study” by Barton, she tells viewers,
“You have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain [if you follow her instructions],”
but we say you have everything to lose and nothing to gain if you go down the contemplative This is what Tilden Edwards meant by the bridge to Far Eastern spirituality. Merton didn’t *David Steindl-Rast, “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” (Monastic Studies, |
UPDATE: CHALLENGE TO MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY OF MSNBC WHO SAYS YOUR CHILDREN BELONG TO THE COLLECTIVIST STATE
Pastor Ralph Ovadal of Pilgrims Covenant Church, Monroe, Wisconsin, www.pccmonroe.org, has commented on the remarks of Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC. He recommends that all Christians should remove their children from the Godless government school system and that the Bible declares that it is the parents’ responsibility to educate the children. Listen to his excellent 26 minute sermon here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=41213917230, or see srmonaudio.com at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=41213917230 for download.
What other pastors have dared to speak out on this issue? We will attempt to find them, but don’t hold your breath!
Meanwhile, there has been outrage from secular media about this issue, comparing Harris-Perry’s remarks to those of Hitler:
Here again is Harris-Perry urging a collectivist mindest when it comes to education of our children. Go to 8 minute mark for the tirade:
and also:
Harris-Perry has a history of exploding at people who don’t agree with her thoughts and ideas, such as in this video. Just hold your ground and don’t cower or knuckle under to her demagoguery.
Hitler Youth and Nazi Education:
The Adolf Hitler schools:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnXB2wA3hhU.
REPOSTED: “CATHOLICS COME HOME”-JUST SAY NO! REJECT THE CORRUPT COMPROMISERS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THE CATHOLIC CHURCH INSTEAD:
Richard Bennett’s Berean Beacon www.bereanbeacon.org. He is an ex-Catholic Benedictine priest, educated by the Jesuits. See the latest YouTube video from Richard here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BheUebiKZaI.
A prior video from Richard about Rick Warren given at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London:
Mike Gendron’s Proclaiming the Gospel
http://www.proclaimingthegospel.org/.
The following videos show how the Catholic Church has morphed over the centuries, and how tradition is equal to and/or above the Word of God:
http://apprising.org/2013/03/12/rick-warren-asks-us-to-fast-and-pray-for-god-to-help-apostates-elect-their-new-pope/.
http://apprising.org/2013/02/13/whats-next-for-rick-warren/.
http://apprising.org/2013/01/29/rick-warren-and-his-brother-his-eminence-timothy-cardinal-dolan-archbishop-of-new-york/.
http://apprising.org/2011/11/08/rick-warren-and-teachings-of-demons/.
http://apprising.org/2010/04/01/the-inadequate-gospel-of-rick-warren/.
http://apprising.org/2010/04/19/rick-warren-awards-purpose-driven-roman-catholics/.
http://apprising.org/2010/07/13/rick-warren-and-roman-catholics/.
http://apprising.org/2008/08/20/refuting-rick-warren/, includes Bob DeWaay’s extensive refutation of Warren. This is a followup: http://apprising.org/2008/06/01/pastor-bob-dewaay-on-his-meeting-with-rick-warren/.
http://apprising.org/2007/05/25/southern-baptist-pastor-rick-warren-is-openly-promoting-apostate-roman-catholicism/.
http://apprising.org/2010/04/20/rick-warren-and-purpose-driven-roman-catholics/.
Bob DeWaay of Critical Issues Commentary http://cicministry.org/, has the following on Warren:
http://cicministry.org/commentary/worldview0034.htm.
John MacArthur of Grace to You www.gty.org, on Catholicism, uploaded April 8, 2013:
John MacArthur on Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life”:
MacArthur and R.C. Sproul on Catholicism:
Roma Downey:
Dave Mosher Blog has a group of excellent posts http://davemosher.wordpress.com/?s=roma+downey on Roma Downey and her New Age beliefs and associations, in particular this one:
http://davemosher.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/touched-by-an-angel-roma-downeys-new-age-ish-little-angels-series-for-preschoolers-claims-to-be-christian/, revised March 27, 2013. In it we see Roma Downey on the cover of OM Times, http://omtimes.com/, a New Age publication. See Downey’s biography and interview at OM Times here: http://omtimes.com/2011/07/roma-downey-truly-an-angel/.
David Cloud’s Way of Life reports:
Roma Downey, the Roman Catholic co-creator (with her husband) of the History Channel’s popular “The Bible” miniseries, says Pope Francis is “a new pope of hope” (“Roma Downey,” Christian Post, April 4, 2013). Downey, famous for her role as “the angel Monica” in the new-agey TV series “Touched by an Angel,” plays the part of Mary in “The Bible” miniseries. She says the example of Pope Francis will cause “the seeds of hope to flourish in people’s hearts and people’s lives.” In an earlier interview, Downey said, “I have prayed to Mary and loved her my whole life” (“The Bible: An Epic Mini-Series,” Catholiclane.com, Feb. 28, 2013). Roma attended the University of Santa Monica http://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/, offering Master’s degrees in Spiritual Psychology, “founded by New Age spiritual and self-help guru JohnRoger” (“Roma Downey Happy Out of Spotlight,” Beck/Smith Hollywood, April 23, 2013). She says that she listens to books on tape by New Age guru Eckhart Tolle, who teaches the divinity of man. The creators of “The Bible” miniseries have not been afraid to add to and change God’s Word.
Christian Research Network discusses Downey and the “Bible” miniseries:
http://christianresearchnetwork.org/2013/03/15/roman-catholic-roma-downey-producer-of-the-bible-miniseries-says-francis-i-will-be-a-pope-of-hope/.
Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church invited Downey and Burnett to do a “question and answer” time during February 2013 showing of the Bible miniseries: http://saddleback.com/blogs/communityblog/mark-burnett-and-roma-downey-coming-to-saddleback/.
Don Green sermons from Vimeo video:
“Why Are We ‘Protestants’? We Reject the Papacy”: http://vimeo.com/62695090.
“Why Are We ‘Protestants’? We Affirm Sola Scriptura”: http://vimeo.com/62713346.
Robert Zins, http://www.cwrc-rz.org/, debates a Roman Catholic priest who believes in universal salvation (universalism):
RUSSIAN ROSOBORONEXPORT HELICOPTERS BEING BOUGHT FOR DELIVERY TO AFGANISTAN BY OBAMA DESPITE BEING ILLEGAL
“Defying Congress, Obama Sends U.S. Taxes to Russian State Arms Firm”, http://thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/15074-defying-congress-obama-sends-u-s-taxes-to-russian-state-arms-firm, The New American further references RiaNovosti’s article, http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130405/180451358/Pentagon-to-Buy-Russian-Helicopters-Despite-Ban.html.
Arthur R. Thompson, CEO of the John Birch Society has serious concerns about the expansion of Russian production and export of military weapons to various countries in BRICS, the new Communist Bloc, in this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaWnuGPsUh8.
Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has authored and sent a letter to Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense, and signed by 10 lawmakers demanding to know the reasons: http://delauro.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1211:bipartisan-group-urges-hagel-not-to-purchase-from-rosoboronexport&catid=2:2012-press-releases&Itemid=21.
The above reads in part, followed by the letter to Hagel:
“Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) led a bipartisan group of members today urging Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel not to purchase additional helicopters from the state-owned Russian arms dealer Rosoboronexport. That company has continued to transfer weapons to the Assad regime, enabling mass atrocities. The group sent the letter amid reports that the Department of Defense is considering purchasing 20 helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces from the firm.
NEW RON PAUL HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM (FREE UP TO GRADE 5)
The New American has announced the new Ron Paul Homeschool Curriculum http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/, here:
http://thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/15060-ron-paul-announces-phase-2-of-the-revolution-a-new-homeschooling-program.
Here are two YouTube video introductions:
UPDATE TO APRIL 7, 2013 POST: ARMY OFFICER SENDS 14 PAGE EMAIL TO SUBORDINATES ABOUT ANTI-GAY CHRISTIAN GROUPS
APRIL 12, 2013 UPDATE:
U.S. MILITARY IS BRIEFED THAT CHRISTIANITY IS NUMBER ONE THREAT
Rich took inflammatory and incendiary language directly from the website of the anti-Christian Southern Poverty Law Center, then purposely and specifically chose AFA and FRC as examples of “domestic hate groups.”
There are thousands and thousands of people enlisted in the United States Army who are themselves Christian and would resent the fact that this one lieutenant colonel is purporting to speak for the whole Army by saying AFA and FRC don’t represent “Army values.”
HOLMAN PUBLISHERS INSERTS ARTICLE BY CONTEMPLATIVE PROPONENT INTO KING JAMES BIBLES
NOTICE: Lighthouse Trails Research has released important warnings to Christians about Holman Publishers, Calvin Miller and Marcus Borg:
Lighthouse Trails learned that Holman Bible Publishers (the oldest Bible publisher in America) has inserted an article by a strong contemplative proponent into several of their King James Version Bibles (some of which Lighthouse Trails WAS carrying) including: the Ultra Thin Reference Bible, the Pocket-Sized Bible Classic, the Large Print Ultra Thin Bible, and the Personal Reference Bible. The article in the Bibles is titled, “Why You Should Read the King James Bible,” written by the late Calvin Miller (died 2012). Calvin Miller is an advocate for contemplative/centering prayer.
The two warnings are as follows, in their entirety:
This is a major issue, and let us tell you 4 reasons why we believe Holman should not have done this:
1. Calvin Miller is an advocate for contemplative/centering prayer. Ray Yungen discusses Miller in A Time of Departing:
In Into the Depths of God, [Calvin] Miller encourages readers to engage in centering prayer and explains it as a union between man and God:
“Centering is the merger of two ‘selves’—ours and his [God’s]. Centering is union with Christ. It is not a union that eradicates either self but one that heightens both” (p. 107).
Into the Depths of God is an exhortation in contemplative spirituality and is brimming with quotes by Thomas Merton and other contemplatives. Miller speaks of the “wonderful relationship between ecstasy [mystical state] and transcendence [God],” and says that “Ecstasy is meant to increase our desire for heaven” (p. 96) (A Time of Departing, p. 186).
Into the Depths of God is riddled with favorable quotes by and references to a number of contemplative mystics. In addition to Thomas Merton, there is Evelyn Underhill, St. John of the Cross, Esther de Waal, Kathleen Norris, Hildegard of Bingen, Annie Dillard, Bernard of Clairvaux, and St. Anthony (a Desert Father). In Miller’s newer book, The Disciplined Life, Miller again turns to the mystics. Miller also wrote The Path to Celtic Prayer (Celtic spirituality is another avenue through which contemplative is entering the evangelical church).
2. Secondly, Calvin Miller resonates with emergent teacher Marcus Borg. In Miller’s book, The Book of Jesus (2005), Marcus Borg writes an entire chapter for the book. Miller would never include an entire chapter of his own book if it was written by someone he did not resonate with. As Lighthouse Trails has revealed in past articles and books, Marcus Borg denies the tenets of the Christian faith including the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, and His atonement for sin. Roger Oakland discusses Borg in Faith Undone:
Borg explains in his book The God We Never Knew that his views on God, the Bible, and Christianity were transformed while he was in seminary:
“I let go of the notion that the Bible is a divine product. I learned that it is a human cultural product, the product of two ancient communities, biblical Israel and early Christianity. As such, it contained their understandings and affirmations, not statements coming directly or somewhat directly from God. . . . I realized that whatever “divine revelation” and the “inspiration of the Bible” meant (if they meant anything), they did not mean that the Bible was a divine product with divine authority.” (p. 125)
This attitude would certainly explain how Borg could say: “Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the world” (p. 125) (from p. 196, Faith Undone).
There’s no possible way that Calvin Miller could have been familiar with Borg’s writings and not been aware of his blatantly anti-Gospel stance. This is a common problem that Lighthouse Trails has had in the past and continues to have that people we are critical of tend to resonate with those who are blatant in their New Age views, but they themselves appear to be relatively benign to the larger evangelical community. (See a book review of one of Borg’s books.)
3. As we have shown above, Calvin Miller holds to contemplative persuasions. And yet, these Bibles have an article written by him within their pages. What this will do is point Bible readers to Miller and his writings and possibly even to Marcus Borg and his writings. To have Calvin Miller’s article in a Bible seems to be a terrible dichotomy: i.e., the Bible points people to the Gospel’s message of the Cross and man’s sinful state and need of a Savior while contemplative, as a movement, points people to man’s supposed divinity and diminishes the need for a Savior.
4. In view of Calvin Miller’s contemplative propensities, let’s briefly examine his article in the Holman Bibles, “Why You Should Read the King James Bible.” In the article, he lists three reasons why the KJV should be read: 1) it is the version your parents and grandparents read 2) it has literary and poetic strength and beauty, and 3) there is ease in memorizing verses in the KJV because of its “high literary resonance.” While these reasons all produce merit, the article seems to turn the KJV into more of a poetic book than the Word of God. While Lighthouse Trails is not in the category of what some call King James Only (in that that is the only version someone can get saved through), we do see it as a standard high above many of the Bible versions available today. Thus we have come to trust it more than others. We find it noteworthy of these two things: one, that emerging church figures (such as Phyllis Tickle who suggest it is a lovely book of poetic literature but not an authority in our lives and Tony Jones who minimizes the authority of the Bible as the Word of God) have done much to disregard the Bible as God’s inspired Word, and two, that the Holman Bibles include someone (Miller) who resonates with a man (Borg) who rejects the basic fundamentals of Christianity and Miller himself speaks of the poetic nature of the Bible.
Another Possible Ramification:
There are serious implications and possible ramifications regarding what is going on here. For instance, something many may not have considered: The King James Bible has no copyright on it because of its age. Bluntly put, anyone can do anything they want to that Bible and still call it the King James Bible. As an example, in some of Holman’s editions, they have changed the spelling of some words (e.g., Saviour to Savior). This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but how do we know what a particular publisher is changing and not changing? If they can change the spellings of words, they can also omit or change words and phrases. For instance, they could change or remove references to homosexuality (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:9, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:27) or to the deity of Christ (e.g., Romans 9:5, Isaiah 40:3 – see more). While we do believe that the Lord will preserve and protect His Word, the “editing” of the Kings James Bible could become a free-for-all to emergent-leaning publishers.
Conclusion: Perhaps it would be a good idea to check inside your own Bibles and ones you are giving as gifts and make sure there are no articles written by contemplative and/or emerging authors. If any reading this feel compelled, here is the contact information for Holman Bible Publishers. If you do contact them, please ask them to remove the article by Calvin Miller in their Bible editions.
Note: Lighthouse Trails has put in two calls into Holman, but we have not yet heard back from anyone regarding this matter.Update: On the afternoon of April 8th, shortly after this article was posted, we received a phone call from someone who works at Holman Publishers. She is going to be passing this article onto the editorial department. We were told that LifeWay Resources is the parent company of B & H (Broadman & Holman).
Holman Bible Publishers
127 9th Avenue N
Nashville, TN 37234-0002
(615) 251-2520
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BOOK REVIEW: Putting Away Childish Things, a Tale of Modern Faith by Marcus J. Borg |
LTRP Note: While reading this book review on Marcus Borg’s new book, please bear in mind two things: one, that Borg rejects essential tenets of the biblical Christian faith (such as that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he was born of a virgin, and that He was God), and two, that numerous emerging “progressive” church leaders have at various times shown admiration for Borg and his writings (these would include Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Calvin Miller (included Borg in his book, The Book of Jesus), Walter Brueggemann (helped write Richard Foster’s “Bible”) and at least on one occasion, Leonard Sweet). After you read this book review, you may better understand why Lighthouse Trails is so concerned about the “new” spirituality that has entered the Christian church and been embraced by so many of its leaders and pastors. BOOK REVIEW: “Putting Away Childish Things, a Tale of Modern Faith” by Marcus Borg |
EASTERN NAZARENE COLLEGE REJECTS THE BIBLE; MOVES TOWARDS AFFIRMATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY
OBAMA SAYS HOMESHOOLING IS NO FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT; WANTS ROMEIKE FAMILY DEPORTED BACK TO GERMANY
Home School Legal Defense http://www.hslda.org/legal/cases/romeike.asp, is asking that you sign the petition to the White House to demand that the Romeike family be allowed to remain in the United States and to continue their homeschooling:
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LGBTQ SOULFORCE, RICHARD ROHR, MYSTICAL PROPHETIC ART, AND OBAMA’S INCLUSIVENESS
Christian News Network, http://christiannews.net/2013/04/04/homosexual-activist-to-present-lion-of-judah-painting-to-obama-during-easter-prayer-breakfast/ has reported that Obama has received a framed painting of the Lion of Judah as a gift from a “prophetic artist”, Latimer Bowen Ramsey, http://latimerramsey.com/. It was presented to Obama by the Reverend Doctor Cindi Love, Executive Director of Soulforce, http://www.soulforce.org/, and http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=104474, at the annual Easter prayer breakfast, calling Obama the “Great Includer”.
Rev. Dr. Cindi Love http://www.revdrcindilove.com/, http://revcindilove.blogspot.com/, is a licensed professional minister ordained by Metropolitan Community Churches worldwide (gay affirming). She also holds standing in The Church of Uncommon Hope in San Francisco, CA. She is Executive Director of Soulforce, a member of the United Nations Compass Coalition for LGBT Human Rights, member of the Human Rights Campaign Religion & Faith Council in Washington, D.C., one of eight Country & Thematic Specialists for Amnesty International and author of Would Jesus Discriminate? The 21st Century Question. Rev. Love was the Pastor in Residence for the HBO documentary film All Aboard by Rosie O’Donnell. Rev. Love lives in Abilene, Texas with her legally married spouse, Sue Jennings. They have two adult children. She is also working for the Huffington Post and this is her biography there: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-dr-cindi-love/.
Ramsey delivered a letter of prayer to Obama http://latimerramsey.com/press/, wherein she states: “I am praying that—His Holy Spirit will be upon you and will be bubbling up and over our land and that all darkness will flee and nothing but His glory, love and truth will remain.”
In this video, Ramsey clearly shows her mystical side in word, music, and art, although her own sexual and spiritual preferences are as yet unknown, pending further research. However, based on her associations, Ramsey is either neutral about the gay lifestyle and/or she’s sympathetic and affirming, as well as totally non-judgmental when it comes to our evil president. At least we can declare without hesitation that Obama is not worthy of such a gift, not worthy of another inappropriate title (like Andy Stanley’s naming Obama “pastor-in-chief”). Ramsey is talking about and painting pictures of a stylized, mystical, effeminate distortion (as in: “Nostril to Nostril Close”, http://latimerramsey.com/nostril-to-nostril-close/), of a Jesus of her own imagination, a Jesus who returns to unite believers and unbelievers, saints and sinners, Christians and pagans alike within a universalist one world religion. This is absolutely a blasphemy of the first order, since the real Jesus of the Bible will return like a roaring lion to destroy the evils these people call good, not the tame lion “just getting along” with the other animals. So, as Ramsey seeks to spread her false gospel to billions across the globe by using her iconic, so-called “prophetic” artwork, we will recognize it for what it is, another heresy that denies the true Jesus who will hold these to accountability.
Brock Cravy, a professing Christian who operates the art gallery The White Buffalo, who arranged the presentation, likewise claimed that God had arranged the homosexual activist to present the painting to the White House.
“Soulforce is a religious organization that promotes homosexuality nationwide. It was founded by Mel White, the former ghost writer for Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, who later came out as a homosexual.
Apprising indicates in http://apprising.org/2009/06/29/richard-rohr-letter-of-endorsement-for-soulforce/, that Soulforce was co-founded by two men, Mel White and Gary Nixon, who also happen to be “Christian” homosexual lovers:
During the past six years, Mel White and his partner, Gary Nixon, have traveled across the country, speaking on university campuses, teaching the “soul force” principles of Gandhi and King, organizing people of faith…the Rev. Dr. Mel White was awarded the ACLU’s National Civil Liberties Award for his efforts to apply the “soul force” principles of Gandhi and King to the struggle for justice for sexual minorities.Currently, Mel is writing a sequel to his best-selling autobiography, Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay And Christian In America… For 30 years, Dr. White had served the evangelical Christian community as a pastor, seminary professor, best-selling author, prize-winning filmmaker, communication consultant and ghost writer to its most famous and powerful leaders…Mel and Gary met and fell in love fifteen years ago at All Saints Episcopal Church where Mel served on the vestry and Gary sang baritone in the Coventry Choir… Dr. White has dedicated his life to a ministry of change. “Until this nation accepts God’s gay and lesbian children as full members of the human family,” White explains, “we must go on telling that truth in love, whatever it might cost us.” (Online source)
Soulforce is also behind the youth tour “Equality Ride,” which visits Christian colleges and universities across the country to urge students to become open and accepting of the homosexual lifestyle.” See: http://juicyecumenism.com/2013/04/03/evangelical-colleges-inching-toward-affirmation-of-homosexuality/.
Promo video about “Equality Ride”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7T5hskkKrs.
Soulforce is behind the “right to marry” for LGBTQ persons:
Soulforce did a “meditation mob” OM at the state capitol building in Austin, Texas, on Veterans Day, 2012, and this video is narrated by Cindi Love, who claims she was once a fundamentalist Christian whose “understanding has evolved”:
Meditation Mob http://medmob.org/, has been organizing OM meditations all around the country, as in one of their events in 2011, also at the state capitol in Austin, Texas. Over 300 people joined in unison for a one hour silent meditation followed by a sound-bath of OMs that resonated throughout the capitol dome. The intention of the movement is to organize meditations open to all walks of life, all over the world, expanding peace on the planet by exposing the world to meditation, & accelerating our personal and planetary evolution:
Apprising, however, pointed out the connection between Richard Rohr, quasi-universalist, mystic Catholic Franciscan priest, and his endorsement of Soulforce here: http://apprising.org/2009/06/29/richard-rohr-letter-of-endorsement-for-soulforce/.
Rohr is also quoted in full at: http://www.archives.soulforce.org/2000/10/08/fr-richard-rohrs-letter-of-endorsement/. Here is the full letter:
committed to freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people from religious and political oppression through relentless nonviolent resistance.