No Ordinary Faith

Is the "Emerging Church" in Your Church?

2011-07-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

How to Know When the Emerging Church is Showing Signs of Emerging in Your Church by Roger Oakland:

"The world is changing. So is the Christian evangelical church. There was a time— not that long ago—when the Bible was considered to be the Word of God by the majority of evangelical Christians. Now that we are well into the third millennium and the post-modern, post-Christian era, the term evangelical can mean almost anything. What has happened? Why is this happening and what is the future for mainstream Christianity?

For the past several years, I have been speaking around the world on current trends that are impacting Christianity. After these presentations, I am approached by Christians who come from many different church backgrounds. Many are expressing their concerns about what is happening in their churches, troubled by the new direction they see their church going. While they may not always be able to discern what is wrong, they know something is wrong and that it needs to be addressed.

Further, many have told me they have attempted to express their concerns with their pastors or church elders. In almost every case, they were told they had a choice to make—get with the new program or get out of the church.

This move towards a reinvented Christianity (one designed to “reach people”) seems to be here for the long haul. It is not just a passing fad. I am often asked by concerned brothers and sisters in Christ to provide an explanation in order to help them understand what they have encountered. They want to know why these changes are underway and what to expect in the future. As well, they want to know what, if anything can be done, to stem this tide. It is for this reason I am writing this commentary—to provide biblical insight regarding the Emerging Church and where it is heading in the future.

The Gospel According to the Scriptures

Throughout church history, various trends have come and gone. While culture changes from place to place, biblical Christianity has always been based upon the central message of the Bible which is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message never changes.

This gospel message is about who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done. A child can understand the gospel message. This message proclaims that life here on planet earth is finite and that life after death is eternal. The good news is that we can be saved from our sins if we will repent and simply ask for forgiveness and follow Him.

How we respond to the gospel message during the time we have on earth determines where we spend eternity—heaven or hell. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, provided a way and the only way we can spend eternity with Him. It is a matter of making a personal decision whether or not we will accept the plan He has provided.

God’s adversary does not want mankind to understand the simple message. His plan is to deceive the world. If he can blind people from the gospel or convince them that they believe the gospel when indeed they do not, his plan has been successful. Throughout the ages, countless billions have been duped, either rejecting the truth, or believing that they had believed the truth when instead they had been deceived.

The Gospel According to Postmoderism

Times change! However, the gospel must remain the same no matter what else changes. We are now living in the postmodern era. In a sincere attempt to reach the postmodern generation with the gospel, it seems many Christians have become postmodern in their thinking.

Perhaps the term postmodern is new to you. Let’s examine what it means.

First, the modern era was characterized by a time of rational thinking based on factual observation. Many claim the modern era ended in the mid 1900s.

The postmodern mindset moves beyond the rational and the factual to the experiential and the mystical. In other words, in the past it was possible to know right from wrong and black from white. In the postmodern era all things are relative to the beholder. What may be right for you may be wrong for someone else. There is no such thing as absolute truth. The only thing that is absolute is that there is no absolute.

We now live in a time in history that is characterized as postmodern. Professors at universities teach students there is no right or wrong. All things are relative. The gospel message to the postmodern mindset is far too dogmatic and arrogant. They say it is necessary to find a more moderate gospel that can be accepted by the masses.

Many church leaders are now looking for ways to reach the postmodern generation. They believe they can find the appropriate methods to do so without changing the message. However, in their attempt to reach this postmodern generation, they have become postmodern themselves and have changed the message. As the gospel is fixed upon the Scriptures, the gospel cannot change, unless of course it becomes another gospel. I believe this is what is happening in the Emerging Church.

He Didn’t Come

Many have noticed that since the turn of the millennium, their churches have changed positions on Bible prophecy and the Second Coming of Jesus. Many have given up on the return of Jesus. From the ‘60s on there was an excitement about the imminent return of Jesus. The Jesus People were excited about Bible prophecy and could see signs that Jesus would descend from the heavens for His Bride at any moment.

The year 2000 was of particular importance. When Jesus didn’t show up, it seems many were apparently disappointed. “Perhaps Jesus has delayed His coming,” some have said. Others are even taking the position that He may not be coming at all, at least not in the manner we have been taught. They are now convinced that we need to be busy about “building His Kingdom” here on earth by “whatever human effort is required.”

The Gospel of the Kingdom

One of the main indicators that something has changed can be seen in the way the future is perceived. Rather than urgently proclaiming the gospel according to the Scriptures and believing the time to do so is short, the emphasis has now shifted. No longer are “signs of the times” significant. The battle cry is very different. A major emphasis among evangelicals is the idea that the world can be radically improved through social programs.

This concept, while on the surface may sound very good, has some serious biblical implications. According to the Scriptures, there will be no kingdom of God until the King arrives. All the human effort man can muster up will fall short of bringing utopia. In fact, according to the Scriptures, fallen man will lead us further down the road to a society of despair and lawlessness just like it was in the days of Noah.

Thus, this purpose-driven view of establishing global utopia may be a plan, but it is “driven” by humanistic reasoning and not led by the Holy Spirit. While it is of course good to do good unto others, all the goodness that we can do will not be good enough. Pastors and church leaders who get involved in such man-driven programs can usually be identified by certain characteristics:

Sound biblical doctrine is dangerous and divisive, and the experiential (i.e.,mystical) is given a greater role than doctrine.
Bible prophecy is no longer taught and is considered a waste of time
Israel becomes less and less important and has no biblical significance
Eventually the promises for Israel are applied to the church and not Israel (Replacement Theology).
Bible study is replaced by studying someone’s book and his methods
Church health is evaluated on the quantity of people who attend.
The truth of God’s Word becomes less and less important
God’s Word, especially concepts like hell, sin and repentance, is eventually downplayed so the unbeliever is not offended.
Spiritual Formation and Transformation

Much of what I have described provides the formula for a dumbing-down of Christianity that paves the way for an apostasy that will only intensify in the future. This trend away from the authority of God’s Word to the reinvented form of Christianity has overcome all evangelical denominations like an avalanche. Few Bible teachers saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, few realize it has even happened.

However, there is another big piece to the puzzle that must be identified in order to understand what is emerging in the Emerging Church. While biblical Christianity has been dumbed-down and the light of God’s Word diminished, another avalanche of deception is underway that is equally devastating.

This is best described by the Word of God giving way to experiences that God’s Word forbids. The best way to understand this process is to recall what happened during the Dark Ages when the Bible became the “forbidden book.” Until the Reformers translated the Bible into the language of the common person, the people were in darkness. When the light of God’s Word became available, the gospel according to the Scriptures was once again understood.

This trend, which is underway today, shows us that history is in the process of repeating itself. As the Word of God becomes less and less important, the rise of mystical experiences is alarming and these experiences are being presented to convince the unsuspecting that Christianity is about feeling, touching, smelling and seeing God. The postmodern mindset is the perfect environment for the fostering of what is called “spiritual formation.” This teaching suggests there are various ways and means to get closer to God. Proponents of spiritual formation erroneously teach that anyone can practice these mystical rituals and find God within. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is not a prerequisite.

These teachings, while actually rooted in ancient wisdom (the occult), were presented to Christendom post-New Testament and not found in the Word of God. The spiritual formation movement is based upon experiences promoted by desert monks and Roman Catholic mystics – these mystics encouraged the use of rituals and practices, that if performed would bring the practitioner closer to God (or come into God’s presence). The premise was that if one went into the silence or sacred space, then the mind was emptied of distractions and the voice of God could be heard. In truth, these hypnotic, mantric style practices were leading these monks into altered states of consciousness. The methods they used are the same that Buddhists and the Hindus use as a means of encountering the spiritual realm

Such methods are dangerous, and are not sanctioned in the Bible – God gives no instruction for this. On the contrary, he warns severely against divination, which is practicing a ritual or method in order to obtain information from a spiritual source. While proponents of spiritual formation (like Richard Foster) say these methods show that the Holy Spirit is doing something new to refresh Christianity, I would suggest that what is happening is not new and is not the Holy Spirit.

The spiritual formation movement is being widely promoted at colleges and seminaries as the latest and the greatest way to become a spiritual leader in these days. These ideas are then being exported from seminaries to churches by graduates who have been primed to take Christianity to a new level of enlightenment.

As well, these contemplative practices are being promoted by emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Robert Webber, Dallas Willard and others. Publishers like NavPress, InterVarsity and Zondervan are flooding the market with books promoting contemplative practices based on Eastern mysticism. Pastors and church leaders read these books and then promote the ideas as if they were the scriptural answer to drawing close to God.

Signs the Emerging Church is Emerging

There are specific warning signs that are symptomatic that a church may be headed down the emergent/contemplative road. In some cases a pastor may not be aware that he is on this road nor understand where the road ends up.

Here are some of the warning signs:

Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.
The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.
The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.
The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.
The teaching that the Book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has been already fulfilled in the past
An experiential mystical form of Christianity begins to be promoted as a method to reach the postmodern generation.
Ideas are promoted teaching that Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.
The pastor may implement an idea called “ancient-future” or “vintage Christianity” claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.
While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.
These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, experiencing the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.
There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church.
Some evangelical Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far. They are reexamining the claims of the “church fathers” saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.
There will be a growing trend towards an ecumenical unity for the cause of world peace claiming the validity of other religions and that there are many ways to God.
Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave.

What does the Future Hold?

If the Emerging Church continues unfolding at the present pace, mainstream evangelical Christianity will be reinvented and the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures will be considered too narrow and too restrictive. In other words, the narrow way to heaven that Jesus proclaimed will eventually be abandoned for a wider way that embraces pagan experiential practices. I call this reinvented, re-imagined form of Christianity that is unfolding—“Christian Babylonianism”.

This new form of Christianity will replace biblical faith with a faith that says man can establish the kingdom of God here on earth. The Word will continue to become secondary to a system of works driven by experiences.

An ecumenical pattern towards unity with Rome will become more apparent. Those who refuse to embrace this direction will be considered spiritual oddballs that need to be reprimanded. Those who stand up for biblical faith will be considered the obstructions to the one world spirituality that is promoted as the answer for peace.

The best way to be prepared for what is coming is to gain an understanding of what is happening now. While there are not many who seem to discern the trend underway, there are some. Without the Bible and the Holy Spirit as our guide, the darkness that is coming would be overwhelming. However, the light of God’s Word penetrates the darkness and there are those who are being delivered from deception and see what is taking place.

I am convinced we are seeing apostasy underway, exactly as the Scriptures have forewarned. This means that this current trend is not likely to disappear. We must continue to proclaim the truth in the midst of deception with love. As Paul instructed Timothy:

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Timothy 2: 24-26).

There are still pastors and churches who are dedicated to proclaiming the truth. Find out where they are and support them. If you are in a location where this does not seem to be possible, seek out materials that are available from solid Bible-based Christian ministries and hold Bible studies in your own home.

And keep looking up! Jesus is coming soon."

http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c54.shtml

More on One Thousand Gifts...

2011-06-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

The book by Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, continues to get mixed reviews. I posted my misgivings about it at my book review blog but recently read and appreciated this excellent review from the Lighthouse Trails blog:

"One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp is a 2010 Zondervan title that is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Seller. The author is a contributing writer for DaySpring, and she has a blog that receives 40-50 thousand visitors every week.1 Voskamp has risen quickly in popularity, with invitations to various conferences and other events. (In April, she spoke in Portland Oregon at the Q Conference sharing a platform with popular Christian figures like Luis Palau and Louie Giglio).

Ann Voskamp’s sincerity and her desire for a relationship with the Lord are unarguable. Her honesty in her own shortcomings and frailities is admirable. Her description of how she witnessed the death of her baby sister (run over by a farm truck) when she herself was very young is heart-wrenching. What’s more, few would disagree with the overall key theme of the book that we should give thanks to God in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Voskamp shares how practicing thanksgiving and gratitude has changed her life. Thinking about 1 Timothy 6:6 (“godliness with contentment is great gain”), it is true that being thankful and content does have great gain in the believers life.

But One Thousand Gifts, as well-meaning as the author may be, is not a book we can recommend and in fact is one we must warn about. We do not want to cause distress to Ann Voskamp; but given the high popularity of her book, we are compelled to issue this warning.

It is clear by reading One Thousand Gifts that Ann Voskamp reads and admires several mystics, panentheists, and universalists. Her book is peppered with quotes by Sarah Ban Breathnach (a New Age author launched into stardom by Oprah), Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, Evelyn Underhill, Brennan Manning, Annie Dillard, Thomas Acquinas, Buddhist sympathizer and Catholic convert Peter Kreeft, Walter Brueggemann, Francis de Sales, Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Henri Nouwen, and Jean-Pierre de Caussade. Many of the statements Voskamp says in her book would resonate with these authors showing that Voskamp has absorbed some of the beliefs of these people. In addition, Voskamp’s popular blog lists a number of contemplative/emerging authors on her book list page: Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline), Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, a primer on Eastern style meditation), and emerging church author Phyllis Tickle are included.

In reading One Thousand Gifts, we are reminded of author Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees), who started off as a conservative Southern Baptist Sunday School teacher, but when she began reading Thomas Merton and other mystical writers, her spiritual outlook changed dramatically. The progress of Monk Kidd’s spiritual change can be seen from one book to the next. Today, she is a self-proclaimed worshipper of the goddess Sophia and states in her book The Dance of the Dissident Daughter that God is in all things (panentheism) even graffiti and excrement. Monk Kidd says:

Deity means that divinity will no longer be only heavenly … It will also be right here, right now, in me, in the earth, in this river, in excrement and roses alike. (p. 160)

Ann Voskamp echoes Monk Kidd when she states that God is “present in all things,” even “sewage flowing downriver” (p. 110-111)

The last chapter of One Thousand Gifts, “The Joy of Intimacy,” Voskamp devotes to what she calls ”intimacy” with God. But brace yourself, you won’t find the way she talks about intimacy with God in the Bible. We share the following with you not to shock you for theatrical sake – its to show where the “new” Christianity is heading. We think it important, in light of the many young women who are reading this book, to quote Voskamp’s view of “intimacy” with God whch she also calls the “mystery of that romance.” Voskamp says:

Mystical union. This, the highest degree of importance. God as Husband in sacred wedlock, bound together, body and soul, fed by His body, quenched by His blood . . . God, He has blessed – caressed. I could bless God – caress with thanks. It’s our making love. God makes love with grace upon grace, every moment a making of His love for us. . . . couldn’t I make love to God, making every moment love for Him? To know Him the way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin. . . The intercourse of soul with God is the very climax of joy . . . To enter into Christ and Christ enter into us – to cohabit. (pp. 213, 216-217).

We find Voskamps mixture of sexual and spiritual language when referring to a relationship with God offensive. The most “intimate” relationship anyone ever had with God on this earth was the one Jesus Christ had with His Father; but nowhere in the Bible does Jesus (or the disciples) use sexual language and innuendos to describe the relationship between God and man. And in fact, the Bible tells us that sexual union was given to man, in the confines of marriage between a man and wife, for procreation; the Bible also tells us that in our eternal heavenly home, there will be no marriage (the need for procreation will not exist). If we, as Christians, were supposed to think about our relationship with God in sexual terms, wouldn’t God have made that clear in His word? It’s like the contemplative prayer movement that emphasizes repeating a word or phrase over and over to be intimate with God. But nowhere are we instructed to do this in Scripture. It’s as if the Holy Spirit who inspired men to write the books of the Bible left out vital elements that now contemplatives and emergents are enlightening us to. God forbid that we should think so. Books like One Thousand Gifts have added to what God has said in His Word.

Voskamp isn’t the only emerging-type author to use sexual language when talking about intimacy with God. We see an increase in books and speakers talking about” intimacy with God” (most of these writers are proponents of contemplative – that’s no coincidence – but rather signs that tantra spirituality (sexual experiences combined with mystical experiences)) is entering the church now. One of the most popular books today on marriage, Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas (promoted by Calvary Chapel, Focus on the Family, and Rick Warren) is laced with quotes by or references to (about a dozen instances) Mary Anne McPherson Oliver’s book, Conjugal Spirituality, a primer on tantric sex; McPherson Oliver says that “mystical experiences can be associated with erotic love.” McPherson Oliver tells readers to use mantras and breath prayers during the sexual experience to help induce the tantric mystical experience. The fact that one of today’s most popular Christian books on marriage has so many references to this book is a telling sign of what has entered the evangelical/Protestant church. The popularity of One Thousand Gifts is another sure indication.

Today, the “new” progressive Christianity is more sensual than spiritual. Appealing to the senses (making it sensual) and the carnal man rather than strengthening the spiritual man within. Scripture warns us though: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). One Thousand Gifts may be the poster book, so to speak, for the latest carnally-minded book, taking a place in line with The Shack."

*****

Another good review can be found at this link: Romantic Panentheism, a Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp By Bob DeWaay

5 Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding by Trevin Wax

2011-05-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a good article by Trevin Wax about why the emerging church probably isn't sustainable:

5 Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding : Kingdom People

Has the Emerging Church begun to recede? I say yes, and here are five reasons why.

1. The Emerging Church does little evangelism.

Surely the Emerging Church is not the only segment of Christianity that fails in the evangelistic task. So I’m not throwing stones here. I am merely pointing out that which some Emerging leaders (Scot McKnight, Dan Kimball and others) have been saying for a long time. The Emerging Church isn’t making many converts.

What the Emerging Church has succeeded at is reaching young, disgruntled Christians who are fed up with the problems in traditional evangelicalism.

Another issue that affects evangelism is the lack of clarity and focus regarding the nature of salvation. With traditional doctrines such as the exclusivity of Jesus Christ and the existence of hell being questioned (and, in some quarters, outright denied), evangelism is no longer a priority. Saved… from what? Saved… by whom?

2. Some Emerging leaders have embraced a disturbing lack of clarity on key doctrinal and social issues.

The unchurched twenty-somethings that I meet and talk to want answers. They don’t get excited about how Christian theology is mysterious. They are not impressed with people who talk about how “they don’t have the answers” and just want to “journey” with them and ask questions.

Some Christian twenty-somethings are a different story. Reacting against the narrow, cookie-cutter, Sunday-School answers they have been fed in evangelical circles, some Christians enjoy the embrace of mystery and the idea that no one has all the answers.

But most of the non-Christians that I meet with (and most of the Christians I minister to as well) want to do business with serious theological issues, like Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to God? How can a good God send people to hell? Isn’t it intolerant to proselytize? They don’t want to hear pontifications on how “these are complex questions… maybe we can search together and eventually find some answers.” They want to know what Christians believe.

In a world of gray, black-and-white answers are not a turn-0ff to unbelievers. They are appealing if explained with grace and love.

Some Emerging leaders consistently refrain from speaking out on important moral and theological questions of our day. Asking for a moratorium on making pronouncements the Bible has already made may sound humble and gentle, but in reality, it leaves people struggling with sin and guilt without a clear word from God.

3. Many who initially intrigued by the Emerging conversation are now distancing themselves from Emerging theology.

The whole “missional” movement is a case in point. Here you have young, hip pastors in their thirties who might be called “postmodern” in their style of worship, but who no longer want to the baggage of theological liberalism that the term “Emerging” is beginning to connote.

When dozens of successful pastors/writers/bloggers who were initially intrigued with the Emerging Church begin shedding the name and throwing off the baggage, it’s a clear sign that the conversation is ending (or at least becoming more narrow in its tendency toward liberalism).

4. Some aspects of the Emerging Church look faddish and fleeting.

The Emerging Church is about contextualization and practice. How do we contextualize the gospel for a postmodern world?

Unfortunately, some Emerging Churches look like the continuation of the Seeker movement, even as they decry the Seeker-focused mindset. Incense, candles, icons. These aspects of worship might be helpful for ministry to postmodernists somewhere. They would look silly in rural Tennessee. Contextualization does not always look the same, something the Emerging Church conversation affirms in theory, but often ignores in practice.

Now that the Emerging Church is becoming known a “style of worship” or a “way of doing church for young people,” the movement has moved out of the realm of contextualization and has joined the evangelical faddishness it once protested.

Think of Jesus Movement of the 1970′s. Replace Vietnam with Iraq, beards with goatees, and contemporary music with liturgy. (I’m overstating my case here, but you get my drift.)

5. Evangelicalism is beginning to address the good questions raised by the Emerging movement.

The Emerging Church is a protest movement and some of the protests have been good and necessary. As I’ve written before about fundamentalism, movements that find their identity in protesting usually find smaller and more insignificant things to protest about.

Now that evangelicalism has begun listening to the Emerging Church’s concerns about ecclesiology, Kingdom theology, incarnational spirituality, ancient rituals, etc., we are beginning to see the best that Emerging has to offer being incorporated into the larger stream of evangelicalism. As that happens more and more over the next few years, the Emerging Church as a movement will be more and more unnecessary.

Is the Emerging Church gone? No. Not yet.

Has its influence begun to wane? Yes.

Is the movement on the wrong track? Many of the leaders have deconstructed orthodox Christianity so much that there is no foundation on which to build. That’s a problem. And that’s why so many are jumping off the Emerging bandwagon.

The early Emerging leaders saw that traditional evangelicalism looks a lot like the Titanic, slowly taking on water and sinking towards irrelevancy. So the leaders shot up some flares and boarded a life-raft. Unfortunately, the life-raft seems to have more holes in it than does the big ship. Let’s hope the conversation ends before the boat sinks with people on it.

Has it accomplished anything good? Yes. Perhaps that’s the best news of all. We’re seeing the receding of a movement that has served its purpose – reawakening evangelicals to the necessity of the Church and the importance of being the Church to the world.

The Fill'er Up Gospel

2011-05-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

I'm reading Counterfeit Gospels by Trevin Wax and the chapter on The Therapeutic Gospel has been a good one. Trevin writes about about what he calls the "fill'er up gospel" that minimizes the biblical understanding that sin is rebellion against God and instead focuses on how to avoid feelings of guilt over sin and the low self-esteem as a result. This passage on page 48 stood out to me:

"Scripture is clear that our biggest problem is not that we feel guilty; it's that we are guilty. It's not that we have a low view of ourselves; it's that we have too low a view of God. Our hearts are not empty They are already filled with all sorts of cancerous sinful desires that needed to be rooted out. We don't have depleted hearts in need of a fill-up; we have deceitful hearts in need of replacement.

In the end, if low self-esteem is the problem, then therapy is the solution. The questions for Christians then become: Why do we need Jesus? Why is a bloody cross at the center of our faith? If our biggest need is to feel good about ourselves, God could have sent Oprah. If our big need is to get along with our famiy, God could have sent Dr. Phil. But if God sent his Son to die a brutal, horrifying death as a payment for human sin, then surely our sin must be much more heinous than "feeling empty inside."

The Fill'er Up gospel twists the meaning of Jesus' death into something unrecognizable. It makes Christ's death all about magnifying our worth before God, proving to us how valuable and precious we are, when the biblical understanding of Christ's death should instead magnify God and His mercy."

The Problem With Lectio Divina

2011-05-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a good article explaining Lectio Divina and why it is a concern:

What is Lectio Divina?
from Got Questions.org

Lectio Divina is Latin for "divine reading," "spiritual reading," or "holy reading" and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to provide special spiritual insights. The principles of lectio divina were expressed around the year A.D. 220 and practiced by Catholic monks, especially the monastic rules of Sts. Pachomius, Augustine, Basil, and Benedict.

The practice of lectio divina is currently very popular among Catholics and gnostics, and is gaining acceptance as an integral part of the devotional practices of the Emerging Church. Pope Benedict XVI said in a 2005 speech, “I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart.” Lectio is also said to be adaptable for people of other faiths in reading their scripture—whether that be the Bhagavad Gita, the Torah, or the Koran. Non-Christians may simply make suitable modifications of the method to accommodate secular traditions. Further, the four principles of lectio divina can also be adapted to the four Jungian psychological principles of sensing, thinking, intuiting, and feeling.

The actual practice of lectio divina begins with a time of relaxation, making oneself comfortable and clearing the mind of mundane thoughts and cares. Some lectio practitioners find it helpful to concentrate by beginning with deep, cleansing breaths and reciting a chosen phrase or word over and over to help free the mind. Then they begin with the four steps:

Lectio - Reading the Bible passage gently and slowly several times. The passage itself is not as important as the savoring of each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the "still, small voice" of a word or phrase that somehow speaks to the practitioner.

Meditatio - Reflecting on the text of the passage and thinking about how it applies to one's own life. This is considered to be a very personal reading of the Scripture and very personal application.

Oratio – Responding to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but is thought to be more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio - Listening to God. This is a freeing of oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy, and hearing God talk to us. Opening the mind, heart, and soul to the influence of God.

Naturally, the connection between Bible reading and prayer is one to be encouraged; they should always go together. However, the dangers inherent in this kind of practice, and its astonishing similarity to transcendental meditation and other dangerous rituals, should be carefully considered. It has the potential to become, and often does become, a pursuit of mystical experience where the goal is to empty and free the mind and empower oneself. The Christian, on the other hand, uses the Scriptures to pursue the knowledge of God, wisdom, and holiness through the objective meaning of the text with the aim of transforming the mind according to truth. God said His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), not for lack of mystical, personal encounters with Him.

Those who take this supernatural approach to the text can disconnect it from its context and natural meaning and use it in a subjective, individualistic, experiential, even name-it-and-claim-it way for which it was never intended. Here is where lectio and gnosticism dovetail into one. Christian gnosticism is the belief that one must have a "gnosis" (from Greek Gnosko, "to know") or mystical, inner knowledge obtained only after one has been properly initiated. Only a few can possess this mystical knowledge, limiting the number of those "in the know." Naturally, the idea of having inside information is very appealing and makes the “knower” feel important, special and unique in that he/she has a special experience with God that no one else has. The “knower” believes that the masses are not in possession of spiritual knowledge and only the truly “enlightened” can experience God. Thus, the reintroduction of contemplative, or centering, prayer—a meditative practice where the focus is on having a mystical experience with God—into the Church. Contemplative prayer is similar to the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults and has no basis whatsoever in the Bible, although the contemplative pray-ers do use the Bible as a starting point.

Further, the dangers inherent in opening our minds and listening for voices should be obvious. The contemplative pray-ers are so eager to hear something—anything—that they can lose the objectivity needed to discern between God’s voice, their own thoughts, and the infiltration of demons into their minds. Satan and his minions are always eager for inroads into the minds of the unsuspecting, and to open our minds in such ways is to invite disaster. We must never forget that Satan is ever on the prowl, seeking to devour our souls (1 Peter 5:8) and can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), whispering his deceptive lies into our open and willing minds.

Finally, the attack on the sufficiency of Scripture is a clear distinctive of lectio divina. Where the Bible claims to be all we need to live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16), lectio’s adherents deny that. Those who practice “conversational” prayers, seeking a special revelation from God, are asking Him to bypass what He has already revealed to mankind, as though He would now renege on all His promises concerning His eternal Word. Psalm 19:7-14 contains the definitive statement about the sufficiency of Scripture. It is “perfect, reviving the soul”; it is “right, rejoicing the heart”; it is “pure, enlightening the eyes”; it is “true” and “righteous altogether”; and it is “more desirable than gold.” If God meant all that He said in this psalm, there is no need for additional revelation, and to ask Him for one is to deny what He has already revealed.

The Old and New Testaments are words from God to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning they contain and the authority from God they carry, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first; then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and communing with God rightly. As long as a person takes this view of the Bible and prayer, he/she is engaging in the same kind of meditation and prayer that Bible-believing followers of Christ have always commended.

Labyrinths: Prayer Walk or Something Else?

2011-05-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing a lot about prayer walking using labyrinths. I knew about the pagan roots of labyrinths but didn't give it much thought as they are used today. Further study has shown me that nothing about a labyrinth is scriptural. Perhaps most troubling is that a labyrinth signifies that all paths lead to God, something that scripture certainly does not teach. Here is one article I came across that explains better than I can why labyrinths are a concern.

THE LABYRINTH: A WALK BY FAITH? Concerns About the Christian Use of Labyrinths

By Marcia Montenegro

Written August, 2006 First published in Midwest Christian Outreach Journal, Fall, 2006. This online version has been slightly altered for this site.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7
A labyrinth is a flat circle or square consisting of a path that winds round to the center. In Greek mythology the Labyrinth was the name for the maze-like enclosure for the half-man, half-bull Minotaur (Jean Chevalier, Alain Gheerbrant, A Dictionary of Symbols; trans. John Buchanan-Brown [Paris: Robert Laffont S. A., Jupiter, 1982; NY: Penguin Putnam, 1996], 642). The history of the labyrinth is murky; there are Christian uses of it as early as 324 AD found in a basilica in North Africa (Jeff Saward, "Labyrinths In Ireland," http://www.labyrinthos.net/ireland.htm ). However, the purpose of these early labyrinths is unclear, and it appears they were chiefly decorative or symbolic. Smaller labyrinth designs have been found carved on rocks or stones, and these are thought to have been symbolic, possibly for luck or protection (Saward, "The First Labyrinths," http://www.labyrinthos.net/firstlabs.htm ; Abegael Saward, "The Rocky Valley Labyrinths," http://www.labyrinthos.net/rockyvalley.htm ). This is why the labyrinths in cathedrals came to be called Solomon's Maze. To the alchemists, entering and emerging from the maze possibly signified death and resurrection through their secretive magical practices (Chevalier, 643).

The better-known larger labyrinth is the 13th century labyrinth in the Cathedral at Chartres, which originated in the Middle Ages, and served as a substitute for going on pilgrimage to Jerusalem when the Crusades prevented this journey (Chevalier, 642). After the Crusades, the labyrinth remained largely unused until the 1990's. So where does this recent trend of labyrinths come from, and why are people walking them?

Coming full Circle: The Return of the Labyrinth
Lauren Artress, Canon for Special Ministries at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, is widely credited with initiating the labyrinth movement in the United States in the 1990s. After visiting the 13th-century labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France, she brought the idea back to her church, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and in 1996 founded Veriditas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing people to labyrinths (See www.veriditas.net ).

In an interview, Artress openly admits influence on her thinking from Neopagan journalist Margot Adler (author of Drawing Down the Moon) and New Ager Jean Houston (she worked with Houston in the latter's "Mystery School" in 1985). She worked with the Chartres Cathedral in formulating a program, "Let Us Walk With Mary," designed to aid participants to "open to the Sacred Feminine" ("Interview with Reverend Laura Artress," http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/files_people/Artress_Lauren.htm ). Artress states:

"My work is focused on evolving human consciousness through large group spiritual activity . . . The backbone is the integration of psyche and spirit through walking "the path" in one's own natural rhythm. The winding labyrinth path then becomes a metaphor for the individual journey and the collective's process" (From "Interview").

The description on the Grace Cathedral website illustrates the concept of the labyrinth that is promoted today: "The Labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world. By walking a replica of the Chartres labyrinth, laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France around 1220, we are rediscovering a long-forgotten mystical tradition that is insisting to be reborn" ( www.veriditas.net ).

Artress also reveals her incorporation of Jungian theories when she says, "The work of symbolic fields has a Jungian base, since I am working with archetypes, symbol, shadow and encounters with collective unconscious. Transpersonal theory and methods of change is also woven into my lectures and the designing of each event" (From "Interview"). She is also the author of Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool.

In the 1990's, the labyrinth has come to be used as a spiritual and psychological tool, and has been promoted as a way to approach God, to feel close to God, and even to journey into the self. It is used by both Christians and non-Christians alike, especially those into New Age beliefs.

What Are Some of the Concerns Regarding the Labyrinth?
The concerns fall into three categories:

1.The labyrinth has no biblical prototype or pattern as a way to approach God.
2.The labyrinth as used today is often advocated as a way to have a spiritual experience with God. However, we are to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5.7), - and not by seeking experiences.
3.God is not obligated to provide spiritual experiences simply because we initiate or expect them. We are reconciled with God through faith in Christ, and through our daily walk in Bible reading, prayer, and worship, our relationship with Him grows.

Concern One
The labyrinth has no biblical prototype or pattern as a way to approach God.

· The labyrinth is based on man's design. Since it is marketed principally as a spiritual tool, we should ask, "what is a spiritual tool and is such a thing biblical?" The labyrinth is usually promoted as a way to feel spiritual or become close to God, but the Bible does not teach the use of man-originated tools for such purposes. In the Hebrew scriptures, any physical structure that was used in a spiritual manner, such as the design of the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 35-40) or the Temple and its fixtures built by Solomon (2 Chron. 3-7), was based on instructions given directly by God, who gave specific directives on how to build and furnish it. These edifices originated with God, were built to signify His presence among the Israelites, and used to worship and glorify God (Ex. 40: 34-38; 2 Chron. 7.1-3, 12), not to evoke experiences for man's satisfaction. Water baptism and communion, both participatory physical events for the Christian, were initiated and commanded by the Lord, not as vehicles to satisfy the participant, but to represent the sacrifice and redemption of Christ.

· The biblical pattern for approaching God in the New Testament is through belief in Christ as the Savior who atoned for sins, and bodily rose the third day. We have access to God through Christ (Eph. 2: 6-7, 17-18; Heb. 10:19-22).

· The labyrinth is publicized as a spiritual tool, not just for Christians, but also for anyone who is seeking a spiritual experience, or even just as a tool for self-reflection.

· The labyrinth gives many the misleading impression that one can be close to God without Christ.

Concern Two
The Labyrinth is advocated as a way to be close to God; however, we are to "walk by faith, not by sight," – and not by seeking experiences.

· We are told, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God..." (Hebrews 11.6) and faith is defined as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11.1). "Hoped for" here does not mean wishing for or hoping for something in the sense of only perhaps getting it. Biblical hope is knowing God's words and promises will be fulfilled. We do not need to "feel close" to God to know He is with us; we are not instructed to walk by sight or feelings, but by faith.

· Seeking to evoke an experience can often bring one on. This may create an appetite for more experiences because people can feel good doing it. Then it induces not only a desire for more experiences, but also a sense that one must experience or feel something in order to believe that one is genuinely in relationship with God.

· Seeking an experience is self-oriented, not God-oriented. Since we can pray and think about God anywhere, walking a labyrinth automatically sets up an expectation that something special should happen. And disappointment results if there is no feeling or experience.

· Experiences and feelings can be deceptive. Even if walking a labyrinth gives a powerful experience, it does not mean it is from God, or that the person actually is closer to God. Experiences and feelings are not the measure of truth. It can lead a non-Christian into believing they have encountered God when they haven't. In fact, there is nothing about walking a labyrinth that prevents one from having a counterfeit spiritual experience, even for a Christian. Feeling "close" to God is not the way to gauge our relationship with Him. Rather, our relationship with God is reflected in the fruits of that relationship (Gal. 3.22-23) and other behaviors. Not all spiritual experiences are from God. Labyrinths have been used at youth group rallies and retreats, thus possibly leading teens to believe that feelings and experiences indicate contact with God.

· Seeking experiences feeds the sensual self, not the spiritual self. We should take note of the fact that one of the charges against false teachers is their appeal to sensuality (2 Peter 2:18). Since Satan can present things in the guise of spirituality and goodness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), we need to watch appeals that claim spirituality but cater to bodily or emotional feelings. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel God's presence, but that should flow from a Christian's daily walk with the Lord, reading His word, prayer, and worship. It should be initiated by God, not us.

Concern Three
God is not obligated to provide an experience or feeling at our command or demand.

· The labyrinth raises an expectation and assumes that we should have a spiritual experience as a result of walking the labyrinth. Pagan religions use rituals, incantations, and techniques to evoke their gods. Christianity is the opposite: God has reached down to us and given us the means for reaching Him – faith in Jesus Christ. It is God who laid out the pattern for communication and relationship with Him; we do not generate the pattern.

· Our desire for intimacy with God is sufficiently met through faith in Christ and our relationship with Christ is the biblical blueprint for our interaction with God. Intimacy with God grows over time, and is not an instant drive-in take-out experience we obtain through a technique.

The Black Hole
Because of practices invading both the culture and the church that promote experience over doctrine and feeling over faith, Christians might get the idea that they are missing out on something and need "deeper" experiences with God. Although we have a Savior who died for us and we have the scriptures, which are "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3.16, 17), it is being suggested or implied that that this is not enough.

Could it be that Christians are not immersing themselves in the study and learning of God's word, and therefore are trying to fill that void with ways to have spiritual experiences? We should remember the power of God's word, and that it is our spiritual nourishment. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Successful marketing techniques induce in consumers the yearning for something they may not really need, and then offer a product to fulfill that desire. Similarly, promoting the thought that we must have experiences to feel close to God creates an impatience and dissatisfaction with the challenge of walking by faith, and implies that we are not getting truly deep or intimate experiences with God. But experiences are fleeting; they come and go. They are a black hole that is never filled, leading to repeated attempts trying to fill the hole. Offering the labyrinth as a spiritual tool can create such a black hole, because each experience is never enough – there must always be more.

The labyrinth itself is merely a design. Merely walking a labyrinth is not the issue; the problem lies in attempting to evoke a spiritual experience or believing that walking a labyrinth -- or some other method -- might bring one closer to God.

Seeking to conjure up experiences can become a substitute for the authentic deep relationship with God that flows from studying His word, and from the day-to-day dependence on Christ through faith, not feeling. Faith does not rely on feelings for the true peace or satisfaction we have in Christ, because true peace is not based on feeling, but rather on knowing the historical Christ who died and bodily resurrected – this is how we know the true peace and the constancy that is Christ Himself.

"...When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Lk 18.8

What Have We Become?

2011-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Paul Proctor - What Have We Become?

By Paul Proctor
April 27, 2011
NewsWithViews.com

The command from Jesus was so simple:

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

How complicated is that?

The world is right outside our door; and yet, look at the “church” today and what those claiming to be His disciples and witnesses are actually conveying to that world just in the latest headlines alone:

• 'Church Sucks' But Come Anyway?
• Many Born-Again Christians Hold Universalist Views
• Utah church offers free Korans in Easter gesture
• Worst place to Celebrate Easter Is in Church, Says Pastor
• Nashville-area church offers drive-thru prayer
• Church's 'Dance Your Shoes Off' video goes viral
• Survey Reveals Decade-Long 'Erosion' of Traditional U.S. Congregations
• 'A Massive Shift Coming in What it Means to Be a Christian"

Is it any wonder there is so much confusion about Who Jesus is, what He did and what He taught – and that so many frustrated Bible believers are wandering from church to church these days looking for someone to simply preach it and teach it as it is written?

It’s as if church and staff have become desperately bored with the Bible and are so afraid that the world will be likewise that they must try anything and everything imaginable to get more attention and attendance in a noisy, jaded and wicked world.

I continue to be both saddened and disturbed by how many professional Christians there are today that are more interested in advancing their own ministries and agendas than they are the Word of God – and frankly, it shows because far too many spend their time and effort talking about we, me and mine – promoting and defending themselves, their feelings, their visions and their experiences with one another, week in and week out, rather than contending for the faith with Bible in heart and hand. (Jude 1:3)

Christians, what have we become?

Every day brings another storm – another hurricane – another tornado – another flood – another earthquake – another tsunami – another disaster – another tragedy – another invasion – another war – more disease – more drought – more depravity – more beatings – more deaths – more failures – more thievery – more injustice – more perversion – more lies and deceit – ever increasing in frequency and severity.

What will it take for us to once again fear God, believe and repent in humility and faith?

The world is spinning out of control and starving for answers to the issues of life while the touchy-feely go-along-to-get-along “church” in all its biblical ignorance and apathy exchanges flattery and praise for one another with hearts and mouths full of silly songs, sayings and slogans from serpentine salesmen that have no power and never saved anyone.

Do we come to church to relate to and party with people like ourselves or to hear and obey the Word of Someone Who is nothing like us?

Just who is it we actually worship and serve anyway?

Do we even know? Are we really sure?

Time is running out!

The Great Commission has not changed since it was given even though the so-called “church” and its hirelings have. What would the Old Testament prophets say to us today if we could hear them? What would the Apostles from the New Testament say if they were still with us?

More importantly – what is our Just and Holy God saying to us right now?

Look around – look in the mirror – and then look in your Bible for answers – that is, if you really want to know what they are. They’ve been there all along.

Do we still believe that?

Do we still believe Jesus, Who said: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me”? (Matthew 10:37-38)

Then, what are we waiting for?

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matthew 28:19-20

© 2011 Paul Proctor - All Rights Reserved

Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from showbiz in the late 1990's to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular columnist for NewsWithViews.com, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His articles appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the internet and in print.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp - A Gift or Bad Fruit?

2011-04-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

The more people read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts, the more the truth comes out about the teaching it contains. Here is my review of the book followed by others that share the same concerns.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp, Zondervan Publishing.

I think this is one of those reviews that I'm going to take some heat over because I know this book and the author are very popular in Christian circles right now. That's why I wanted to read it myself, because I had heard so much about it.

First, the positive. I know several bloggers who are sharing their own 1000 gifts/gratitude lists and I'm always blessed to read them. I have kept my own accounting of what I call "grace notes" for years so I understand the blessing of looking for things to be thankful for. Voskamp shares from her heart with stories about her family and her own spiritual journey, and I don't see anything wrong with looking for God's grace in daily life whether it be having one's child come through surgery or the admiring the beauty of a full moon. I appreciate the encouragement to live life fully right where we are without feeling we need to work through a "bucket list" of daring experiences or exotic locations before we can be fulfilled.

But, this was a difficult book for me to read. Voscamp is obviously a poet at heart but the entire book is sing-songy with long descriptions and awkward word phrases and metaphors that I found distracting. It doesn't read as someone would actually talk in real life conversation.

As an example: "...tonight over our farm will rise the Great Hexagon of the blazing winter stars - Sirius, Rigel, ruby Aldebran, Capella, the fiery Gemini twins, and Procyon, and in the center, scarlet Betelgeuse, the red supergiant larger than twice the size of earth's orbit around the sun - and I will embrace the skin of a boy child that my body grew from a seed. The low heavens outside the paned windows fill with more snowflakes than stars, no two-stacked crystals the same; the trees in the wood draw in collective green breath to the still of January hibernation, and God in the world with birth ice from His womb, frost of heaven, bind the chains of the Pleiades, loose the cords of Orion, and number again the strands on my head."

Those who like this kind of poetic narrative with mystical undertones will enjoy this book. Those who don't will likely struggle to find the message in the sea of words. For me, it was just too much page after page, and it took me a while to finish the book because I had to take it in small doses.

I was also quite wary of the mystical/contemplative spirituality/emergent church references, as she quotes those of the contemplative movement and recognized mystics such as Brother Lawrence, Henri Nouwen, and Dallas Willard. In the book Ann says, "The good news is that all those living in the land of shadow of death have been birthed into new life, that the transfiguration of a suffering world has already begun," a statement that coinicides with a teaching of the emergent church called universal reconcilliation that says that God, in his mercy and grace, will save all people, even those who don't receive Jesus as Savior. In addition, I was uncomfortable with the chapter on making love to Jesus in which the author speaks of seeking communion with God in what can only be termed as sexual language, and actually describes in rather explicitly sexual terms an experience with God in Paris, taking it to a level and experience that is simply not found anywhere in scripture.

Despite the doctrinal and personal issues with this book, I tried to stay focused on the idea of living fully and abundantly in daily life by being thankful for the gifts that come from God's grace, no matter how small. I am inspired to live more fully in this kind of gratitude but only as it leads me to Jesus as the giver of the gifts, not pantheism or new age spirituality.

This review is simply my opinion of the book and not a reflection on the author herself, whom I do not know personally. Her writing style just doesn't appeal to me and I have to question much of the "theology" in the book. With that in mind, I recommend careful discernment when reading it. A best-selling book endorsed by celebrity authors and speakers and published by a mainstream Christian publisher does not equal Biblical truth.

*****

The Berean Library » One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (Bad Fruit)
Warning: This book contains blasphemous, explicit sexual language for the purpose of describing a believer’s relationship, “Holy Fulfilling” to the Almighty, Eternal, Holy and Righteous Triune God, which is one reason it is in this library. It is a twisted mockery and misinterpretation of The Holy Word of God and of great, past reformers and theologians, like Edwards and Spurgeon, who wrote with contemporary language of their day, not ours. Thus, the reviews do contain quotes from the book for biblical examination only. Fasten your seat belts and say a prayer to be able to ‘stomach it.’

Seriously, the pages I read at Amazon and the excerpts in reviews, was enough to discern its sensuality and paganism. It’s as if this is a romance novel for bored Christian women… with the subject eventually being the L**d. I can’t… No. I won’t even type it here. The first sentences of Chapter 1, right off, made me feel like, “Eeeks, should I be reading this!? This is supposed to be Christian, biblical, and yet this can’t be leading to anything of spiritual value. Quite the opposite is true. It is appealing to the flesh! This isn’t biblical!” Is describing one’s birth in such a manner really appropriate for a Christian book? It is unnecessarily descriptive for shock value to immediately draw the reader in… in a barbaric, primeval, seductive, sensual way. In Mk 7:21-23, Rom 13:13 and Eph 4:19, sensuality is to be put off along wit the “old man.” She seems to have an infatuation for the word “blood,” as well. Her sensual descriptions of stroking her dad’s hair and that of her brother-in-law’s visit at the back door are just the beginning of sensuality unraveling out of control in this book. As I mentioned, at the end of the spool of thread, it poisonously affects one’s image of a redeemed relationship with the L**d. Offering such words to a reader that conjure up revolting, sexual imagery with our Holy God is a far cry from “a holy experience,” the name of Ann’s blog. Rather, it is a sinfully disturbing one.

In addition, I noted: 1) a statement “after baptism…” her journey began. Something to that affect. As if that is the moment of salvation as the Church of Christ denomination wrongly believes; But in this case, it was an infant “christening.” So, nothing mattered before the christening? The value of life itself as given by the Creator? And salvation does not occur at infant baptism which is, according to the Scriptures, for believers only; 2) a tribute to a Catholic writer, Chesterton; 3) a claim that the author hears/heard God audibly, like Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer, which always undermines the sufficiency and supremacy of Scripture, while pointing to Gnosticism. What’s with the female gnosticism in Christianity? Allow me to inform you. It’s another false movement in and of itself, which is contributed to and published by Lifeway Christian Stores!

Overall, with such sexual writings of these ‘encounters’ of “Holy Fillings,” finding herself with God, “in Paris,” the romance capital of the world for lovers, I am lead to believe this author has one seriously tainted imagination, is experimenting with contemplative prayer (demonic influence falsely interpreted as divine during mystic, transcendental meditation) or both. Needless to say, beware, my sisters (and brothers) in the Lord.

To confirm that, her blog, a holy experience, does reveal the evidence of involvement with and promotion of transcendental meditation! Several pictures of prayer candles, in the form of a labyrinth, are present as well as the false teachings of pagan mystics like Phyllis Tickle, Brennan Manning, Richard Foster, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Henry Nouwen, etc., in authors/books being recommended.

*****

» Run for your life! Effectual Grace
A new book by Ann Voskamp called “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are” has gained extreme popularity among many Christian women today. However, questions have arisen regarding the author’s use of very explicit metaphor in which she describes union with God in carnal terms, specifically as sexual intercourse.

There are some who would criticise me for speaking out when I admit right up front that I have not read every word in every chapter of the book; the reason being I was sickened by what I did in fact read. However, I do feel I have read more than enough to have an accurate understanding of what the author is saying and enough to be greatly alarmed.

Some quotes (please note, it is somewhat graphic):

“I fly to Paris and discover how to make love to God.”

“God lays down all of His fullness into all the emptiness. I am in Him. He is in me. I embrace God in the moment. I give Him thanks and I bless God and we meet and couldn’t I make love to God, making every moment love for Him? “To know Him the way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin.”

“The intercourse of soul with God is the very climax of joy.”

“This is what His love means. I want it: union. This is the one gift He longs for in return for His unending gifts, and this even I could give Him, and anywhere. Anywhere–in the kitchen scrubbing potatoes, in the arching cathedrals, in the spin of laundry and kids and washing toilets – anywhere I can have intimate communion with the Maker of heaven and earth. I can’t help myself here. Inches from the canvas, strains of Mozart carrying, I whisper eucharisteo:

“Thank you, God, for the bread of now … for Your Son and sacrifice … for the love song You keep singing, the gift of Yourself that You keep giving… for the wild wonder of You in this moment.

“A stranger on the road, my cold heart burns (Luke 24:32) and He is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh and I am his and He is mine and I want to touch the paint. I want to run my fingertips across the oils, let the colors saturate my skin, let them run into my blood. I want to be in the painting, Supper at Emmaus, the painting to be in me. I want to be in God and God to be in me, to exchange love and blessings and caresses and, like the apostle-pilgrims, my eyes open and I know it because of this burning of the heart: this moment is a divine interchange. I raise my hand slightly, finger imperceptibly the air before the canvas and this is intercourse disrobed of its connotations, pure and unadulterated: a passing between. A connection, a communicating, an exchange, between tender Bridegroom and His bride.

One of the roles a true shepherd of the sheep has is to warn the flock of false doctrine, to help them steer clear of unhealthy or dangerous spiritual food. I do so here:

Concerning “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are” I find the sexual connotations attributed to our union with God Himself to be profoundly and deeply disturbing. Though the sexual relationship in marriage is a holy thing and should never be viewed as in any way dirty (Heb. 13:4), the Bible never describes the Christian’s union with God in sexual terms – never.

But lets for a moment allow for the idea. If what the author says is true and God desires us to worship Him and express ourselves to Him with these sexual connotations, then this would be something all Christians should aspire to. That being the case, it would mean that we should teach these “lofty” concepts to even our youngest children. Who would we be to rob them of the fullest form of unity with God? But for a moment, imagine that. Imagine teaching a little 5 year old girl or boy how to make love to God? I am repulsed by even the thought of it. No, God forbid! My advice is that when you hear or see this concept being taught, run for your life!

Is it Just "Contemplative" Prayer?

2011-04-12T08:53:00.001-07:00

I wish what I'm addressing here was called something else besides "contemplative" prayer because that is a good word and by true definition, very much applicable to how we pray and worship. There is definitely benefit in seeking quiet alone time with God and I think for most of us that is what "contemplative prayer" means. However in my research for what this movement was all about, I discovered that at its roots it means something different and that is what this post and the previous one are about.  But don't make a decision for or against it on my say-so. Read God's word for yourselves and seek discernment from the Holy Spirit, then proceed from there as you decide what or who to follow.

I believe prayer is absolutely vital to faith and is a very important way God speaks to us and invites us to speak to Him. It is powerful and life-changing. If "contemplative prayer" was just about praying according to the definition of "contemplate", I would have no problem with it. The dictionary defines contemplate as to look at or view with continued attention; observe or study thoughtfully, to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply about: to have as a purpose; intend.

Praying with purpose, thought, and attention is good. Having times of solitude and silence to focus on what God wants to speak to our hearts through His word and prayer instead of listening to the distractions around us is good. But as I've continued to research what the contemplative prayer movement really teaches, I'm finding out this is not the kind of prayer they teach, nor is this kind of prayer taught in the Bible.

So if it isn't Biblical, where does it come from? It is steeped in the ancient tradtions of other religions and the occult, introduced to the church by men and women who were influenced by those other philosophies and embraced them. And we're eating it up, hook, line, and sinker. Why? Because we yearn for intimacy with God (a good thing) but are willing to sidestep what scripture tells us about having it and will try anything that promises a different experience that will give us new insight and will get us closer to the mind of God; the very thoughts of "the Divine" himself.

All this is nothing new. Eve fell into the same trap in the garden of Eden. The seduction Satan used to get her to eat from the forbidden tree was the promise that if she did, she would be like God. It wasn't enough that she got to walk and talk with Him every evening in the garden. Why should she settle for that if she could be equal to Him, be like Him, and know His every thought? That is the whole idea behind "new age" meditation and all the practices connected with it - to connect with and become like The Divine through contemplative prayer and spiritual practices.

Interestingly, those who are sounding the warning about contemplative prayer the loudest are those who used to be deep into new age religions, the occult, and meditation before they met Jesus as savior. They clearly recognize it for what it is because it's what they used to practice.

So where do well-meaning Christians get the idea that this teaching is Biblical, other than the fact that it comes from respected sources such as Richard Foster, Thomas Keating, Beth Moore, Christianity Today magazines, mega-church-feel-good gurus, and many, many others? Here are a few references that have been presented as Biblical proof but in fact, these scriptures are taken out of context to apply to something that was never intended nor supported with other scripture:

Ps. 62:5: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him."
This verse is not an instruction on how to pray. It is about depending on God for refuge and salvation, and waiting in expectation for God only. Even if we assume the psalmist was praying, he is not suggesting we must approach God in silence.

Ps. 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God."
This is also taken out of context. This psalm is actually a rebuke from God to those striving against Him. Some translations read "Cease striving and know that I am God." In other words, sit down, be patient, and acknowledge that He is God. It is not instruction in prayer.

Any scripture that speaks of meditation is often used, but never is "meditation" in the Bible used in the context of the new age type meditation supported in contemplative prayer. In the original Hebrew and Greek, "mediate" means to think about, ponder, speak, pray, consider, put forth thoughts, study, to consider something before speaking or acting, to attend to carefully, etc. Nowhere in scripture does it mean seeking an altered state of mind, speaking a phrase or word over and over, or emptying the mind so something else to fill it. The word meditate in scripture is always in reference to the study and consideration of the statutes, precepts and words of God.

Some say that the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying (Luke 4) was a time of contemplative prayer. Scripture only says that Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast and pray and be tempted by Satan. There is nothing that indicates this was a mystical pilgrimage marked by silence.  It was to prepare Jesus for ministry.

Some turn to the account of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when God passed by as a great wind, an earthquake and a fire, but it was through God's "still, small voice" that Elijah heard Him. Contemplative prayer proponents point to that as being evidence that God wants us to be silent to hear Him as a still, small voice. However, it has to be noted that Elijah was hiding in the cave because he ran away in fear and was utterly spent physically and emotionally after taking on the prophets of Baal. He was not there because he was on a pilgrimage to find God in silence. God found him and chose to speak to him gently, knowing Elijah's emotional and physical state at the time.

Matthew 6:6 is also used to encourage contemplative prayer: "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." If we read the entire chapter, however, we see that Jesus was teaching about not doing things to show off.  Verse six is one in a series of admonitions against those who were giving tithes and alms loudly so people would notice, who were praying loudly to impress others, etc. It isn't an instruction to seek something secret in prayer or to seek silence when praying, but rather to have a right attitude and motive for prayer that seeks the Lord instead of the approval of man.  And if we keep reading that chapter in Matthew, we actually find Jesus' own instructions on how to pray! If anything, this chapter tells us to NOT get caught up in the repetition of words. In the Greek, the word "repetition" means to babble, to repeat the same things over and over, to use many idle words, to stammer or stutter.

Sometimes the red flag is not in the misuse of scripture but rather the warning that comes with the teaching as is the case in Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. He writes, "I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as a supernatural guidance that is not divine guidance. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world, we do know … there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! … But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection.… 'All dark and evil spirits must now leave.'"

I have to ask, since when does God lead us into a type of praying that puts us in danger and opens our minds to demonic influence? It's also not true that the Bible doesn't give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world.

Is there benefit to silence and solitude when praying and studying God's word? Of course! But silence can be obtained without opening ourselves to things rooted in eastern religion and the occult. I like how author and speaker Marcia Montenegro says it: "Silence can be soothing and comforting; we can get deep insights when we are quiet. But simply trying to be quiet is not prayer, and there is no biblical basis for the belief that real prayer is wordless. After all, God has given us a written revelation, and God's laws and words are acclaimed throughout the Bible, such as Psalm 119, which extols God's word as a treasure and lamp. In Is. 40:8, we learn, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever," and Jesus declares to the Father in Jn. 17:17, "Your word is truth.""

The bottom line is, we draw near to God through Christ and through His word, not through new age techniques, silence, mysticism and meditation, or repetition of words. To quote Montenegro again, "Do techniques bring closeness to God, especially when such techniques are parallel to Eastern religious practices? Ephesians 2:13 tells us, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." We draw near to God through Christ (Heb. 4:16), not through techniques. When First John talks about abiding in Christ, it speaks of following Christ's commandments and showing love for each other."

I'm not a scholar. I'm a truth-seeker who happens to enjoy reading and studying. Everything I've written in these two posts have come from studying scripture first, followed by other credible sources. Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) includes the Hebrew and Greek meanings of words from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance which is a valuable tool in discerning what scripture means. An excellent book that documents with scripture what is wrong with the teachings of contemplative prayer and the emerging church is A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen.

A helpful website about how new age thought is infiltrating the church is CANA (Christian Answers for the New Age) by Marcia Montenegro, who, before receiving Jesus as Savior, was involved with various new age, occult, and Eastern beliefs and practices, including Inner Light Consciousness, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Hindu teachings and meditation, and psychic development classes. If anyone can see these things for what they are even if they are wrapped in biblical God language, she can. I got some information for this post from her article entitled Contemplative Prayer: Is it Really Prayer?

As Christ followers we need to be diligent in studying God's word so we recognize the lies when they sneak in. I want to be like Ezra who "set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances..." (Ezra 7:10) The Hebrew for "study" in this verse means "to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require, to frequent a place, to tread upon a place, to consult, to seek of God, to seek in prayer and worship, to investigate, to ask for, to demand, to practice, to follow, to seek with application, to seek with care." Whew! That's heavy stuff but we aren't dealing with fluff here so reliable armor is needed.

2 Timothy 2:14-19:
Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene....

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."

What is Really "Emerging" in the Church?

2011-04-12T08:52:00.001-07:00

As a Christ follower I find myself at a crossroads of sorts as to who I am going to listen to. There are so many voices within the church and sadly, not all are speaking truth. Recent reading has opening my eyes to what some respected voices are really saying and I find myself with a lot of questions.

For example, as a Christian, can I support the teaching of a belief system that encourages induced altered states of consciousness and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but is now wrapped in Christian terminology as "contemplative prayer"? A teaching that hints of pantheism (God is all) and panentheism (God is in all) and says that we need to empty our minds in order for "The Divine" to fill it up again?

Do I allow myself to be influenced by a teaching that says in order to truly connect with our spirituality and God, we must reconnect with ancient, mystical forms of worship that says we can only connect with God in complete silence?  Or one that says if we all do this, no matter if we are Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or any other religion, we will be connecting with the same god and thereby all be united which is what God intended all along?

Can I support a doctrine that says we can't know absolute truth and can only experience what is "true" for the community we live in, and since we cannot know absolute truth we cannot be dogmatic about doctrine or morals?

Do I embrace a philosophy that says the Bible and the notion of heaven and hell is simply outdated for the emerging, more savvy generation of believers and everything we thought we knew needs to be reconsidered so that it is a better fit for where we are as a society? Or one that says in the end, everyone will eventually be saved and go to heaven even if they don't acknowledge Jesus as savior?

These are the root of the teachings of the popular contemplative spirituality and prayer movement and the "emerging church" which have influenced main stream denominations and many popular Christian authors and speakers.

I'm trying my best to not be reactionary but I guess it amazes me that some of the most sought after and quoted teachers, conference speakers, and authors in the Christian community support tenents of these teachings, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Some are all-out promoters of it knowing what it is and others are just dabbling in it but it's there just the same. It's even shown up in subtle ways in my own church, not as an outright teaching per se, but in referencing the works or words of some of these teachers in the sermons or Bible studies being taught.

But what amazes me more is that so few are questioning it, perhaps because they do not recognize it for what it is or are too enamoured with the messengers. My knee-jerk reaction is to use my mommy voice with one eyebrow raised and finger pointing, saying to those close to me, "Wake-up, little missy! Pay attention, little mister!" If the mommy voice doesn't work, I may have to resort to imitating the robot on Lost in Space: "Danger, Will Robinson!"

Consider the following quotes and decide, without being influenced by who said it, whether it would it be a teaching you would embrace as a Christian. (I'll let you know who said them at the end of this post.)

1. "Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God."

2. "I believe that by openness to Buddhism, to Hinduism, and to these great Asian [mystical] traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own Christian traditions."

3. "Every distraction of the body, mind, and spirit must be put into a kind of suspended animation before this deep work of God upon the soul can occur."

4."The ultimate authority in my life is not the Bible; it is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul. Period."

5. "I'm looking for a second reformation. The first reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs. This one is going to be about behavior. The first one was about creeds. This one is going to be about deeds. It is not going to be about what does the church believe, but about what the church is doing."

6. "Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen to the voice of love...For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required."

7. "Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition, is now situated in postmondernist culture near the center....Mysticism is metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences. Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology."

8. "We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible. Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices."

9. ‘... if we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know to the depths of the marrow of our bones that He is God. There’s got to be a stillness."

10. “I am deeply distressed by what I only can call in our Christian culture the idolatry of the Scriptures. For many Christians, the Bible is not a pointer to God but God himself. In a word--bibliolatry ... I develop a nasty rash around people who speak as if mere scrutiny of its pages will reveal precisely how God thinks and precisely what God wants.”

11. “If we are open, we rarely resort to either-or, either creation or evolution, liberty or law, sacred or secular, Beethoven or Madonna. We focus on both-and, fully aware that God’s truth cannot be imprisoned in a small definition…. But the open mind realizes that reality, truth, and Jesus Christ are incredibly open-ended.”

12. “God is a great underground river, and there are many wells into that river. There’s a Taoist well, a Buddhist well, a Jewish well, a Muslim well, a Christian well, a Goddess well, the Native wells-many wells that humans have dug to get into that river, but friends, there’s only one river; the living waters of wisdom."

Who said it?

1. Henri Nouwen
2. Thomas Merton
3. Richard Foster
4. Sue Monk Kidd
5. Rick Warren
6. Henri Nouwen
7. Leonard Sweet
8. Basil Pennington
9. Beth Moore
10. Brennan Manning
11. Brennan Manning
12. Matthew Fox

Even if I don't actually study the works of these men and women, I can't ignore the fact that other contemporary authors not only study them, but endorse their teachings. Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline) endorses the writings of Sue Monk Kid, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton, among others, in his books and joins alongside Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) for conferences promoting the emerging church and contemplative prayer. Rick Warren endorses Leonard Sweet. Beth Moore says of Brennan Manning in her book When Godly People Do Ungodly Things that his contribution to our generation "may be a gift without parallel" and calls his book Ragamuffin Gospel "one of the most remarkable books" and also shares the stage with Richard Foster and others at events. Brennan Manning frequently quotes mystics Matthew Fox and Thomas Merton.

Even the online version of Today's Christian Woman magazine, Kyria, endorses the contemplative prayer teaching as evidenced in this article in which the author quotes some of the authors mentioned above, and this article about Margaret Feinberg, a popular author and speaker at contemplative/emerging church conferences. In fact, several of the Christianity Today publications support these things.

Apparently, it's not just the popular teachers and pastors themselves whom I need to be discerning of, it's who they study and endorse that is important as well. Although some of the quotes are isolated from the actual writings they came from, they still reveal a lot about what the person believes. I guess what was most surprising to me as I started looking into this is how connected everyone was to the other. They study each other, they quote each other, so while I also want to give a measure of slack, we have to see that we each reflect the ideas and values of those we study. That's where the discernment is important. We need to know something about who they they are influenced by and who they follow before we join in.

I believe some of these people have genuine hearts for God and I wouldn't call them evil. Nor would I say as much of new best-selling contemplative spirituality author Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts) and emergent church guru Rob Bell (Love Wins).  But sadly, they are aligning themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) with teaching that isn't Biblical even if they put God's name all over it and it makes them feel closer to Him. I've had to understand that the "ancient ways" and "mystical union" they are speaking of come out of man's traditions, not from scripture. And sadly, a few of them started out sincere in the faith but have since turned away from God as is the case of Sue Monk Kidd, formerly a devout Christian author who now worships a goddess named Sophia.

I know how it feels to really like a certain author or speaker or pastor and then find out something negative about him or her. Every part of me wants to protest and let the naysayer know how wrong they are. But I also know I have to at least take what is said and find out for myself whether it is true or not. That's what I hope anyone reading this will do. Don't take it on my say-so. Test anything you read or hear, no matter how endearing and popular the source, against what God really says in His Word, and decide for yourself who or what you will follow.

I have often used the quote "eat the fish, spit out the bones" when referring to things I read that make me feel good and sound "right" even though they may have some questionable teaching mixed in with truth. I'm questioning whether that is acceptable for me anymore. It doesn't do to pick out the bones if the meat itself is tainted. The only "meat" I can know is good and bone-free is the Bible itself and that has to then be the standard by which everything else is measured.

More on Discernment

2011-04-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I start out my daily devotions with the intent to read something quick and uplifting that makes me feel good. I don't want anything deep, don't want to take much time with it, and don't want to think very hard - just some nice little nugget of wisdom to get me started for the day. So I turned to Psalms. The short one I chose started out with praise. Just what I wanted. Then, it took a turn with an ominous warning about something that the children of Israel did in the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt. Ok. This wasn't going to be a quick nor was it going to be easy. What could I do but follow the references and see what that was about? Forty-five minutes later, after a journey through Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, I came to the scripture that the Lord apparently wanted me to see all along (because sometimes he likes to take the scenic route):

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. ...If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods' (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him." - Deuteronomy 13:1-8

I need to be careful to not misinterpret this passage but it seems to be saying more than warning against false gods and idolatry. Could it be that the other "gods" we sometimes chase after come in the form of a popular book or person who tickles our ears, but mixed in with some Christian truth is questionable and perhaps even false teaching? I can't help but be reminded that the original temptation started with the serpent's words, "didn't God say...?" -- mixing in enough of God's exact words to make it sound credible so that the untruth was hard to detect.

If we follow people or teachings based on the volume of book sales, followers at their blogs, the crowds they draw in, or because our family and best friends are all excited about them, and yes, even if there are "signs and wonders", but the message underneath it all doesn't line up with what God says, it seems to me that this scripture is saying, "turn away from them."

I guess that's where I was going with my post yesterday. It's hard to not follow the crowd and enjoy the wide road. Just like with my devotions this morning, I often want the quick and easy fix that makes me feel good and doesn't require anything of me. The narrow path is sometimes lonely and not as easily traveled as the wide road, but that's the path we are told to follow in scripture. God doesn't ask us to be vigilant so we can become targets for those who think we're just being judgmental, close-minded, or politically incorrect. He simply wants to protect us from the lies that can derail our faith.

Discernment isn't always a fun companion because she asks us to stop and seek truth when we don't want to and to sometimes confront when we'd rather just fit in.

No one gets a pass from having their messages tested against what God says in his word, including - and especially - me. Not even my own pastor. Not even those "celebrity" Christians who enjoy massive followings. We are to always test and listen with a discerning heart, and true teachers of God's word will welcome that, just as Paul did with the Bereans when they wanted to verify what he taught with the truth of scripture (Acts 17).

It's also important to point out, as one dear sister in Christ reminded me, that part of the discernment is to determine if it is really false teaching or simply needing to clarify that some denominational wording of doctrine can sound different than our own but still be truth. As she said, that is sometimes a tricky thing to do and I agree. Discernment and checking everything against what scripture says helps us separate one from the other.

Thomas is My Middle Name

2011-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Thomas really isn't my middle name but it could be because I can relate to this disciple of Jesus with his doubting personality. Like Thomas, I want proof. I tend to question just about everything and everyone, often to a fault, but more often because there is good reason to want to substantiate a report for myself. I've had too many experiences in the past where I repeated something before finding out if it was true and then had to correct what I said. I've been guilty of jumping on certain people's bandwagons only to find out they were heading down a path of false teaching. In my middle years I've learned to be more discerning so as not to pass on information that isn't true and so I don't embarass myself.

Here's how the Biblical account of Thomas' doubt plays out in John 20:19-28: So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. ...But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

What is interesting is that when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, he willingly showed them his wounds to prove who he was, apparently without them needing to ask (v.20). Thomas wasn't there the first time so I can certainly understand him saying, "unless I see that too, I will not believe it was Jesus that you saw." Eight days later Jesus returned and this time showed Thomas his hands and side and Thomas believed. I see nothing wrong with his questioning and wanting to know for himself and apparently Jesus didn't either because he didn't reprimand Thomas for doubting.

I think it is healthy to doubt and question, especially where Biblical doctrine is concerned. Unfortunately, there are popular teachers and authors in the Christian community who are entertaining the crowds and making everyone feel good but their teaching is questionable. Many blindly follow without question because if that's where the crowds are, if that's what all our Christian friends are reading, if that's the Bible study the ladies group at church is doing, and of course if they are on t.v., a best-selling author, or are part of a national network of Christian speakers, then it must be ok.

I've recently encountered one book in particular that is very popular right now among Christian women which I read because of all I had heard but parts of it have caused my inner Thomas to rise up. This book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, currently boasts over 230 raving 5-star reviews at Amazon and less than 15 reviews that question the teaching of the author. But as I read those 5-star reviews, they are mostly about how the book made them feel. The reviews against it don't attack the book or author but question the teaching and caution Christian readers to be discerning about it. That says a lot, in my opinion. It isn't that the entire book is bad or wrong, and I have nothing against Voskamp as a person, but there are some statements made within it that I feel takes liberty with the interpretation of scripture and promotes a teaching that is growing in popularity within the church and at conferences even though it is not Biblical.

Some would say with that many postive reviews, why should we consider what a handful say against it? My answer is because scripture is clear we are to test what anyone says against the truth of scripture: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

Scripture also tells us some people will seek out those who teach what they want to hear: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3,4)

We need to be careful about jumping on the latest author's or speaker's bandwagon just because hundreds of women are flocking to buy the book or attend the conference. I'm not saying there isn't good teaching out there; just that it's ok to be a Thomas and seek proof for ourselves whether truth is being spoken instead of assuming because the book is from a Christian publisher or because a speaker draws in an audience of hundreds or even thousands whenever he or she speaks that it is automatically Biblical truth being presented.

Be discerning. Strive to put the excitement of others on hold for moment so that you can listen and see objectively with the Holy Spirit as your guide. When you read or hear something that doesn't seem right, listen to your doubt and take the time to figure out why it's there. I don't always know why something gives me pause at first but as I pray and search the Bible, I usually discover it is because there is some false teaching mixed in with truth. That's often the most difficult to discern because it mostly sounds right but something isn't ringing true and I can't quite put my finger on what that is until I ask more questions and dig deeper into God's word. To be honest, I don't read any non-fiction book anymore without first praying for discernment and wisdom to see with eyes wide open what is truth and what is not.

There is a Jewish saying, "eat the fish, spit out the bones." Sometimes I read with that in mind as I glean what is good and sift out what isn't, but more and more I'm inclined to not waste my time with anything that has "bones" in it.

Discernment. Always and with everything.

"By all means use your judgment, and hold on to whatever is good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21

"Among the gifts of the Spirit scarcely one is of greater practical usefulness than the gift of discernment. This gift should be highly valued and frankly sought as being almost indispensable in these critical times. This gift will enable us to distinguish the chaff from the wheat and to divide the manifestations of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit." - A.W. Tozer