Day: September 13, 2017

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Dear Lighthouse Trails:
A while back I alerted you to the fact that
Awana was joining forces with Josh Griffin who was the youth pastor for
Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. Josh Griffin is also associated with
Youth Specialties, an organization that promotes occult [contemplative]
practices to youth.

Unfortunately, Awana is continuing down the emergent road. Here are some examples:
1. On February 22, 2017, Steve Kozak, the
executive director of Awana YM, (Youth Ministries) wrote a blog post
encouraging youth leaders to promote Lent. Lent is very popular among
those in the emerging church. Wikipedia says “The purpose of Lent is the
preparation of the believer through prayer, doing penance, mortifying
the flesh, repentance of sins, and self-denial.”(1) Kozak in his blog
said, “Teach your students to go without, so that they can experience an
overflowing of Christ.”(2) Nowhere in the Bible is the practice of Lent
mentioned.
2. On April 6, 2017, Awana YM held a youth
leaders round table event at Bill Hybels’ Willow Creek Community Church.
Participants were Josh Griffin, Sean McDowell, Dr. Larry Acosta,
Elizabeth Bjorling Prest, Steve Kozak, (Director of Awana Youth
Ministries) and Ryan Guard, (Director of Student Impact at Willow Creek
Community Church.)(3)
3. Awana is promoting several books that they
feel youth group leaders should be reading. The following books are a
compilation from two different blog posts. I am not familiar with all
the authors, but I know many of these authors to be troubling.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen [recommended by Sean McDowell]
The Celtic Way of Evangelism by George G. Hunter
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
Bloom Where You’re Planted by H.B. London
Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields with a forward by Rick Warren, published by Youth Specialties/Zondervan
Your First Two Years In Youth Ministry By Doug Fields, published by Youth Specialties/Zondervan
Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark Devries
Sticky Faith by Kara E. Powell, (Who spoke at the Youth Specialties National Convention) and co-authored by Chap Clark
Growing Young by Kara E. Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad Griffin
Leading With a Limp by Dan Allender
St. Augustine’s City of God (St. Augustine is very popular in the Emerging Church Movement)
Christian Origins of the Question of God (4 Volumes by N.T. Wright
The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan(4)

Sincerely, L.F.
Footnotes:
1. Lent- Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent
2. Awana YM Lent: More Than Giving Up by Steve Kozak, February 22,2017 https://awanaym.org/blog/lent-more-than-giving-up
3. Awana YM
https://awanaym.org/events/youth-leaders-round-table-4-6-2017
4. Awana YM
(1)Books Youth Leaders Should Be Reading
April 7,2017; https://awanaym.org/blog/5-books-youth-leaders-should-be-reading
(2)Must Have Books For Every Youth Leader by Steve Kozak July 20,1017
https://awanaym.org/blog/6-must-have-books-for-every-youth-leader
Related Information:
Letter to the Editor: AWANA Now Teaching Children to Hear the Voice of God
A History of AWANA’s Contemplative Track Record and the Implications of Their New CEO
Revisiting Awana’s Move Toward Contemplative – And Another Look at “Perspectives on Children’s Spiritual Formation 
________________________________________________________
SEE ALSO:
http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/spirituality/lighthousetrails/awana.htm

 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

By David Dombrowski
Lighthouse Trails Editor

Over the past decade and a half, we have
watched with a mixture of surprise and sadness at how an apostate church
has materialized before our eyes. It all began for us here at
Lighthouse Trails when we met Ray Yungen in 2000. Though we were not
publishers back then, he shared with us his manuscript for  A Time of Departing,
which spoke of a coming apostasy in the form of mystical practices and
“spiritual disciplines.” Stirred by the content of that book, we agreed
to help him find a publisher. But, at the time, we never imagined how
relevant and prophetic that book would be nor how quickly this apostasy
would flourish in the mainstream churches. Today, it is even difficult
to find a church that has not been compromised by some form of
eastern-style mystical practice or emerging church philosophy. Now
e-mails and letters pour into our office telling how readers who either
just discovered us or were at one time skeptical of our warnings are now
shocked to see that these things have entered their churches.

How did all this happen, and how did it happen
so quickly? We think this can partly be explained by what we discovered
years ago. After meeting with Ray, we felt compelled to help him find a
publisher for his book, but after contacting a number of Christian
publishing houses, we soon learned that they were only looking for books
that could sell well—and that meant books considered non-controversial
and by well-known authors. At that point, we prayerfully decided to
start our own publishing house. But just the lack of interest that we
saw in the publishers was indicative of what was to happen in the
church.

Whether we realize it or not, there is tremendous
spiritual warfare taking place in our world today. In numerous
instances, we are hearing stories of young people going to Christian
colleges only to have their spiritual lives shipwrecked. They may have
been safer in secular colleges. At the same time, we know of countless
numbers of Christians who have no church to go to because the ones that
are available have abandoned the simplicity of the Gospel for a
universal emerging “spirituality.” These believers are now witnessing
the apostasy and are looking to ministries like ours for encouragement
and help. In many cases, the only encouragement we can offer these
people is to assure them that they are not alone in what they see.

As singer/songwriter Trevor Baker sings in his song The Lonely Road, committed Christians may have to endure much loneliness or isolation in the future for lack of genuine fellowship.

Please remember that while Jesus said we cannot
know the day or the hour of His return, He also instructed us to
observe the seasons. In saying this, Jesus was sharing a principle that
is both profound and very simple:

 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when
his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer
is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that
it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24: 32-33)

In other words, Jesus was saying that various
things must occur before He returns, and when they do occur, we can know
that His coming is near. Today, the stage is being set for the
fulfillment of these events described in Matthew 24, and in fact, things
are moving at a highly accelerated rate. While the church has slept,
tares have been sown into God’s wheat field (Matthew 13:25). The
apostasy that we see in the church today is the result of Satan sowing
these “tares” in the church.

As we have watched events unfold in the
apostate church in recent years, it has been very sobering to see how
nearly identical its intents and actions are to that of the New Age
movement in moving toward a one-world global order. As you are reading
this, religious leaders are shaking hands with political figures in
bringing about a more highly evolved society. Alice Bailey, who
had much to do with the development of the New Age movement, with all
its occult practices and mysticism, predicted that this movement rather
than having to move around the church would move through it. In fact,
she saw the church as helping to propel the world into this higher level
of consciousness.1 Sadly, we are hearing almost daily of highly
respected Christian leaders with large followings who are now embracing
the writings of mystics and contemplative authors. Perhaps they do not
realize that the contemplative prayer and mysticism they are now passing
on to their followers is no different than the occult practices of
Alice Bailey with a new twist. And as long as the name of “Jesus” is
used, everything is O.K., they think.

Looking again at the fig tree, we can see that
more fruit is developing and getting heavier. Also, as Rick Warren
points out (and promotes), we will see a blending of religious,
political, and economic forces as future events unfold. Unity
will be a key to the future and will be an increasing theme as the world
awaits the Antichrist. Considering that we are even now moving toward a
one-world order, let us look at our fig tree whose fruit is already
there and beginning to get ripe; the events we already see, only to
increase, are:

The unifying of the world’s religious thought
where eastern-style mystical practice to include yoga, contemplative
prayer, and healing practices like Reiki are joining east with west.

The Purpose Driven P.E.A.C.E. Plan where
political, economic, and religious forces are being brought together to
form a unified effort.

Plans for a global currency paving the way to the use of the “mark.”

The accelerating significance of the United Nations leading toward a confederation of nations.

Increasing interest in the world finding a
Christ figure who can solve the world’s economic and political problems
and unite the world in peace.

Increasing moral decay throughout the world
to include abortion, violence, pandemic divorce, the dissolution of the
family unit, homosexuality, and pedophilia.

Increasing hatred toward born-again believers.

The growth of a spirit of Anti-Semitism throughout the world including in much of the organized Christian church today.

Increased natural disasters to include earthquakes, weather phenomena, and possible volcanic activity.

Intensifying of wars and rumors of war and man-made disasters.

Increased skepticism about the Lord’s return to include an abandonment of biblical prophecy.

The appearance of false christs culminating
in the appearance of the Antichrist. As a result of mystical practices,
to include contemplative prayer, people are already being conditioned to
seeing themselves as having a “divine center” where the “Christ” or “I
am” resides. Man has become divine.

An increasing curiosity and dependence on
signs and wonders rather than the Word of God. Of special significance
today are Mary apparitions and Eucharistic wonders, which point people
to another Jesus of another gospel. Signs and wonders will be seen in
the future as the final proof of truth holding sway over many people.
This will make it possible for the Antichrist to lead the whole world in
a grand delusion as he will be a master at performing signs and
wonders.

Let us pause to look at our fig tree again; I
see a couple more figs developing there. One of them is called “the
bridgers” and the other is called “the silencers.” Unfortunately, both
of these figs are growing on the same branch—and the branch has a name
on it – it says, “the church.” This is odd because these two figs look
putrefied, yet they are growing on a branch that looks very healthy.

You
may remember a number of years ago a radio interview between LT editor
Deborah Dombrowski and radio host Ingrid Schlueter. The title of this
broadcast was“Beware The Bridgers: Orthodoxy Is More Than A Doctrinal Statement.”   
This program talked about the emergence of what one might call a
welcoming committee within the church where things God considers foul
and unclean are invited in. Oddly enough, it is not the dissenters in
the church who are doing this, as would have been the case fifteen or so
years ago, but our pastors and Christian leaders—many of whom have had
very large followings and been respected as being both conservative and
of sound doctrine. But the problem is that these leaders are now
gleaning from the writings of New Age, occultic, or mystical authors and
quoting them to their followers, oftentimes with a word of
recommendation if not persuasion to buy these writings and read them in
their entirety. We won’t take time here to discuss God’s view on these
things, but if you are curious, you might want to pause to look at
Deuteronomy 18:9-14. The question is, why are pastors and respected
Christian leaders promoting mystics and occultists? And we use the word
“promoting” because this is more than the occasional slip of quoting
someone for their clever or witty anecdote. These leaders are both
bringing the nail and driving it in. However, in many cases these
leaders are obscure as to whether they practice these things themselves;
they seem content enough in bringing their followers to the bait, then
leaving their followers to fend for themselves. Ingrid Schlueter coined
the term “the bridgers” because these leaders in their obscurity seem
quite innocent, yet due to their positions of respect and large
followings, they are wittingly or unwittingly pulling large numbers of
otherwise conservative followers into  a trap that these followers
would  not have ventured to on their own accord. In other words, these
bridgers are introducing the more conservative flock to what the Bible
calls an abomination.

Then there is the other fig called “the
silencers” that we looked at a moment ago, and it is getting larger. It
too looks putrefied though it is on a healthy looking branch
labeled “the church.” This fig represents those in the church who regard
themselves as having a special corner, and almost elitist attitude, on
discernment. While they proclaim their humility, they also pride
themselves as having the educational credentials and biblical know-how
to steer the church on a straight course. They speak of the
embarrassment other ministries are to the body of Christ who are not
deemed worthy to hold the compass. A case in point was brought to our
attention when two men stood before an audience and proceeded to praise
each other as the purveyors of sound wisdom, discernment, and biblical
scholarship. Then, in turn they engaged in a joint attack of verbally
punching down those they deemed unworthy of discerning the things of
God. This ganged venture began when one of them made reference to
“housewives and home-school moms” who have no business interfering in
things they know nothing about. One referred to such women as
“discernment divas” saying that their “greatest ability for
[discernment] is not some rational understanding of doctrinal truths but
an ability to use a really sharp tongue.”  Both men on the
stage maintained that such things belong to men of wisdom, like
themselves. By the way, the one who said this is said to be the
“right-hand man” to one of the most popular and looked up to Christian
figures today.

After the program, however, this same man, in
realizing that he had put his foot in his mouth–figuratively
speaking—proceeded to try to remedy the matter lest there be an influx
of home-schooling moms and irate husbands knocking at the door. He
attempted to remedy the matter by pointing out that he did not mean all home-schooling
moms but two in particular—namely Ingrid Schlueter of Crosstalk and
Lighthouse Trails Publishing’s Deborah Dombrowski.2 Hoping to put out
the spot fires he started, he referred to these women as discernment divas, then proceeded to provide his own derogatory definition of the term.

We must not forget the seriousness or the
ramifications of what can happen when someone who is endeavoring to help
the Body of Christ is knocked down, verbally or otherwise. Again, we
are in a spiritual battle—very real, with its own victories and
consequences.

The fact is that the darkness hates the light,
and when you bring light where there is darkness it means exposure. We
live in a corrupt world where not even the organized church is willing
to have the light shine in the dark corners.

But we at Lighthouse Trails were founded on the
principle that there is a growing body of believers who have heard
God’s heart cry to repentance. It is our belief that repentance is meant
to be a part of the Christian life, and as we become aware of our
imperfections we endure rather than resist God’s refining process in our
lives. When John wrote his letters to the seven churches, he did it
with this in mind, but history tells us not all seven of them heeded his
letters.

Here at Lighthouse Trails, we have endeavored
to blow the trumpet over the years, sounding the call to repentance and
to a return to the sound doctrine of the Bible. But many have become
annoyed with the repeated blasts of the trumpet. All we can say to this
is that the time is short, and we remember the words of Jesus when he
said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the
night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). We will continue to
sound the trumpet for as long as we can while doors of opportunity are
still open.

Some will say that it is better for Christians
to be silent and just let God take care of things. But it is through
silence that the church in America has lost so much ground. Rather than
helping the process, silence accelerates the work of the enemy. It was
through silence that a man called Hitler was able to come to power and
murder millions of innocent people.

Keep praying and do what you can to help sound the trumpet. The enemy forces are advancing; in fact, they are within our ranks.

I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. (Jeremiah 6:17)

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But
exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12)

Notes:
1. See A Time of Departing for more information on Alice Bailey’s “revitalization” of the churches.
2. Though Deborah Dombrowski’s name was not
mentioned, it was inferred by saying Lighthouse Trails Publishing