THIS IS JUST 3.5 MINUTES AND IS VERY BOLD ON PIPER'S PART - !
http://worldviewtimes.com/article.php/articleid-4518/Brannon-Howse/John-Piper
Defining a Cult...read from this link...
http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artGeneral.article_1
There are many individual powerful practices which characterize the methods of deception employed by false teachers, but the twisting of Scripture is universal among them.
Few, if any, people go into a cult or aberrant religious movement by reading the Bible alone, so they must have some help from false teachers. These false teachers must come to terms with the authority of Scripture. They deal deceptively with this issue in several ways.
Read more...
http://www.watchman.org/cults/cultwist.htm
A watchman is someone who is committed to being alert and awake, ever ready to warn of approaching danger. He has clear eyes focused on the enemy's advances and stands at his post, poised to sound the alarm and warn the people he serves.
The 21st century has come! With its arrival, comes a general feeling that we, as the church, are in the final hours of history before the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we look out upon the vast ocean of humanity, we see a world largely lost in sin and in desperate need of this Savior we are (or should be) in such earnest expectation to see. Indeed, the world can be a savage place and we are eyewitnesses to this generation's increased ungodliness. False teachings and demonic wisdom abound within and without the church. Delusion and confusion are spreading far and wide. There's never been a more crucial time for working and moving in the ministry of the "watchman"!
ENTIRE ARTICLE: http://www.erwm.com/WatchmanArise1.htm
FIRST, THE DEFINITION OF NEW AGE: http://www.watchman.org/profile/nwagmpro.htm
7 TEACHINGS
ENTIRE ARTICLE: http://www.jeremiahproject.com/prophecy/newage01.html
(1) Jesus was not and is not the only Christ, nor is He God.
(2) "God" is impersonal, cosmic, a God of energy forces.
(3) Man is himself God, for he consists of and is the creator of "the forces." Man already exercises the powers inherent in his divinity and needs only to awaken to this fact.
(4) Man should seek and accept spiritual instruction and direction directly from the spirit world.
(5) All religions and religious teachings lead to the same goal. All are equally of merit.
(6) The "ancient wisdom" of Babylon, Egypt,a nd Greece - not the Bible - is the basis of all truth.
(7) Sin and evil do not exist. Peace and love are the ultimate realities.
A Spiritual Walk for the Christian? NO WAY! (article)
Labyrinths (Myticism, Part 4) (article)
Ancient Labyrinths are Re-Emerging
Walking Away from Christ: Labyrinths in the Episcopal Church (article)
Labyrinths...Oh My! (video)
Labyrinth Locator
If you can't build one, you can order a portable labyrinth! Oh My!
Caution on Mark Driscoll!!! Are you really sure he's "good" for you as a teacher/leader? Really certain? http://thoughtsactions.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/john-macarthur-on-mark-driscoll/ PART 2: http://defendingcontending.com/2009/04/17/john-macarthur-on-mark-driscoll-part-2/
CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY:
A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). Common terms used for this movement are "spiritual formation," "the silence," "the stillness," "ancient-wisdom," "spiritual disciplines," and many others.
Recognize these "inside" terms used by contemplatives:
Labyrinths
Enneagrams
Prayer Stations
Breath Prayers
Jesus Candles
The Jesus Prayer
Lectio Divina
Taize
Palms Up, Palms Down
Yoga
The Silence
Sacred Space
Ancient Prayer Practices
A Thin Place
Divine Mystery
Spiritual Direction
Ignation Contemplation
Contemplative
Centering
Centering prayer
Prayer of the Heart
Dark night of the soul
Practicing the Presence
Divine Center
Inner light
Mantra
Awareness of Being
Slow Prayer
Being in the Present Moment
Beyond Words
Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual Formation
SPIRITUAL FORMATION:
A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplatiave prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being used, and in nearly every case, you will find contemplative spirituality. In fact, contemplative spirituality is the heartbeat of the spiritual formation movement.
Great information from Watchman.Org.
What is Yoga?
When did it begin?
Is yoga a religious or spiritual practice?
Is yoga compatible with Christianity?
http://www.watchman.org/na/yogaoverview.htm
http://www.watchman.org/na/yoga.htm
Whatever you believe on the topic of the rapture will not affect your salvation. Just be informed.
Information for thought ...
Some people do not believe in the rapture and claim that Margaret McDonald had a vision that began this theory. Strange, though, is the fact that she NEVER believed pre-trib but something totally different. Do your own research and decide for yourself.
ANOTHER ARTICLE TO READ - Dave MacPherson's the rapture plot - weighed and found wanting.
Christian Yoga is rooted in Hindu occultism. Read more here. This so good that I had to list it even though I cannot locate part 2.
This link will take you to so much information on how The Shack is bad that you need go nowhere else!
Check out the names on this list from Lighthouse Trails Research web site (my favorite resource!).
If you see these names being recommended by speakers, authors, at conferences, in books, or recommended as favorable resources - BEWARE!
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/christianmysticspast.htm
Another List of Who's Who from Apprising Ministries - excellent site!
YOGA IS NOT FOR CHRISTIANS!!!
Does God Approve of Yoga?
A Hindu prior to converting to Christianity - Caryl Matrisciana on YOGA! (This is a 30+ minute CrossTalk audio file. Begin around minute 8 or 8.5 and you'll get the yoga portion. This is worth your time!)
Can Believers in Jesus Christ Do Yoga and SWG? (3of3) See youtube.com for parts 1 and 2
Do yourself a favor and view this DVD http://www.carylmatrisciana.com/shop/catalog/Yoga-Uncoiled-p-16188.html
The Pilates Method Article: http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artGeneral.article_7
If yoga is risky spiritually, what about Pilates?
Decide for yourself after you read this article.
http://www.pastornet.net.au/response/articles/121.htm
Excellent article on Oprahficiation of America
Oprahfication vs Truth (brief article)
(also view videos on this blog)
(all info from WorldviewWeekend.Com)
Adults & Students at Risk:
Researchers continue to come up with increasingly grave statistics that explain how serious the condition is. Among Christian adults:
64% believe moral truth depends on the situation;
60% believe male/female co-habitation outside of marriage is acceptable;
55% believe a good person can earn his or her salvation;
44% believe Jesus Christ committed sins while on earth.(1)
And consider the peril of college students:
67% of college professors approve of homosexuality;
84% of professors approve of abortion;
65% embrace socialist and communist ideals;(2)
88% of students from “Christian” homes deny their faith before they graduate from college;
91% of students from evangelical churches do not believe in absolute moral truth.(3)
Recognizing the life-and-death nature of the issue, the Southern Baptist Convention, to its credit, has even done a self-study and found that 88% of young people from SBC homes deny their faith before they graduate from college. After fielding questions and e-mails from thousands of students, Worldview Weekend can tell you they are eager for worldview training. In fact, they’re dying for it (pun intended). What they cannot figure out is why you are not interested and why you think they would not be interested. They even wonder why you don’t make them go through worldview training regardless of whether they say they want to or not. After all, your kids were not interested in eating their vegetables, but you made them. They didn’t want to sit in a car seat or wear a seat belt, but you insisted. They balked at having to check in with you and tell where they were going with their friends, but you required it. You were resolute in making sure they were physically nurtured and protected, but they think you’ve thrown them to the wolves spiritually. Most students say they did not learn enough Bible content growing up to enable them to make biblical life decisions, let alone defend essential Christian doctrines in the face of vicious opposition. That is because no one made them. Hence, CODE BLUE is upon us. Many of the 88% that are denying their faith before they graduate from college never return because they were never truly saved; they are false converts.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING
Rapture / Blessed Hope
Christ comes in the air for His own.
Rapture of all Christians.
Christians taken to the Father’s house.
No judgment on earth.
Church taken to heaven.
Imminent – could happen any moment.
No signs (before it)
For believers only.
Time of joy.
Before the “day of wrath” (Tribulation)
No mention of Satan.
The judgment seat of Christ.
Marriage of the Lamb.
Only His own see Him.
Tribulation begins.
Second Coming / Glorious Appearing
Christ comes with His own to earth.
No one raptured.
Resurrected saints do not see Father’s house.
Christ judges inhabitants of earth.
Christ sets up His kingdom on earth.
Cannot occur for at least 7 years.
Many signs for Christ’s physical coming.
Affects all humanity.
Time of mourning.
Immediately after Tribulation (Matthew 24)
Satan bound in abyss for 1000 years.
No time or place for judgment seat.
His bride descends with Him.
Every eye shall see Him.
1000-year kingdom of Christ begins.
Rapture Passages
John 14:1-3 2 ................Thes. 2:1
Romans 8:19 .................1 Timothy 6:14
1 Cor. 1:7-8 ...................2 Tim. 4:1,8
1 Cor. 15:51-53 ............Titus 2:13
1 Cor. 16:22 ..................Hebrews 9:28
Phil. 3:20-21 ................James 5:7-9
Phil. 4:5 ........................1 Pet. 1:7,13
Col. 3:4 .........................1 Pet. 5:4
1 Thes. 1:10 .................1 John 2:28-3:2
1 Thes. 2:19 ................Jude 1:21
1 Thes. 4:13-18 ..........Rev. 2:25
1 Thes. 5:9, 23
2nd Coming Passages
Daniel 2:44-45 ..........Acts 1:9-11
Daniel 7:9-14 .............Acts 3:19-21
Daniel 12:1-3 .............1 Thes. 3:13
Zech. 12:10 ................2 Thes. 1:6-10
Zech. 14:1-15 ............2 Thes. 2:8
Matt. 13:41 ................1 Pet. 4:12-13
Matt. 24:15-31 .........2 Pet. 3:1-14
Matt. 26:64 ...............Jude 1:14-15
Mark 13:14-27 .........Rev. 1:7
Mark 14:62 ...............Rev. 19:11-20:6
Luke 21:25-28 .........Rev. 22:7,12,20
List of Authors and Books Not Recommended (so be aware)
by Christian Research Service
Revised and Updated: January 17, 2009
PDF FILE: http://www.christianresearchservice.com/MasterList.pdf
A list of Who's Who in Bible Prophesy. We won't all agree, so just use this as a reference. :)
http://www.soundchristian.com/prophecy/who/
Christians are saying they understand the Trinity better since reading The Shack.
That should concern us all! Pastor Mark Driscoll has some wise words to say about this issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny70Y
DISCLAIMER: Caution on Mark Driscoll!!! Are you really sure he's "good" for you as a teacher/leader? Really certain? http://thoughtsactions.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/john-macarthur-on-mark-driscoll/
PART 2: http://defendingcontending.com/2009/04/17/john-macarthur-on-mark-driscoll-part-2/
Be sure to read the January 20th post about The Shack.
Revered Bible teacher Michael Youssef (Leading The Way Ministries) shares 13 heresies from The Shack written by William Paul Young. Fiction in this form is very dangerous, confusing, and misleading. Many respected Bible teachers are beginning to take a stand, bringing to light the decline in the understanding of our Christian beliefs. Even if you are one who likes the book, or it "changed your life," etc., watch this video explanation of the 13 heresies and let the LORD change your life! No book is better than HIS book - the Holy Bible.
http://www.leadingtheway.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sto_TheShack_13heresies
In Marjorie Thompson's book Soul Feast she teaches principles that should be red flags to Christians.
- In chapter 7 (pp. 107++) she endorses the need for a "spiritual director" or a "spiritual guide." This concept sounds appropriate and helpful in her book but let's discern for a moment here...What does God's Word show us? Jesus is our mediator. We don't need anything or anyone else!! The idea of a "spiritual guide/helper/director" on the surface doesn't sound so dangerous but where could it possibly lead us? The "guide" is to listen to us, help us notice things, help us respond to God with greater freedom, points us to practical disciplines of spiritual growth, and makes us not dependent upon Christ or the Holy Spirit but on our "human guide." Where in God's Word does it say we need another human to be our guide? What if that human guide's "guide" is not trustworthy? What, specifically, grows them spiritually?
- On page 106, Ms. Thompson encourages the "art of self-examination" and she says "with practice, the examination of the consciousness teaches us how to discern the movements of the spirit in our heart," and she calls this "discernment the spirits." Let's think clearly here....as a Christian, are we supposed to look INWARD to OUR hearts? NO! What does God's Word say about OUR hearts? Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Proverbs says for us to ask GOD to search our hearts, not OURSELVES!
- Then, she endorses St. John of the Cross (p. 124), a Christian "mystic" from the 1500s and a modern day contemplative. Should you trust that he is a good resource?
- Henry Nouwen wrote the forward to her book. Do you even know who he is and can you trust him blindly? He is a Dutch Catholic Priest and father of the contemplative movement. If you are not familiar with this movement, you could possibly be influenced by it and be unaware of its effects on your belief system.
It all started with a phone call from a dear friend. "Have you ever heard of this book?" my friend asked. "No," I said. She asked me to check it out. She had some concerns and asked for my opinion. A favorite pastime of mine is to do in-depth research on issues I am curious about or do not understand so that I can have a somewhat educated opinion. I call it "chasing rabbits." Christians call this practice "being a berean." Acts 17:11 says "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."
I did do some research on the book but only spent about one or two minutes on the request. I phoned my friend back quickly and told her I didn't see anything too questionable, but did offer a statement or two of interest. Then, my friend said, "Look again and tell me what you find." Hmmm...that was very unusual for her to say. My curiosity was definitely peaked! Now I wanted to know more about "this book," the author, her beliefs, who endorsed her, and what it was that led my friend to call me! Immediately, I began my quest researching "the book." That research led me into many hours of reading other books, watching dvds and videos, listening to cds, combing over web sites and You Tube videos, etc. I was completely shocked at what I discovered! My head must have obviously been in the sand for at least a decade! "The book? What was the title of the book?" The book title Soul Feast, written by Marjorie Thompson.
About
- 21stCB
- Our burden is to help Christians recognize false teachings and deceptions. There are basic beliefs that Christians cannot compromise. Christian terminology has been altered by false teachings. Chances of deception are high for those who do not study God's Word daily! Many are being led astray and don't even realize it.
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