http://www.discerningreader.com/book-reviews/finding-god-in-the-shack

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.