(2) New Age/Eastern Mysticism In The Churches by Sandy Simpson, 9/18/05
Within my lifetime there has been a monumental change in the churches. In the last few decades New Age Eastern Mysticism and Gnosticism has entered a majority of Christian churches. It entered very slowly, like a frog in a pot. When the pot is slowly brought to a boil with a live frog in the pot it has been observed that he will not jump out because he does not feel the changes in temperature until he is boiled to death. The "slow boil" of New Age brainwashing in the churches started a long time ago, but even in the last 20 years or so the changes are stark. None of the New Age practices I will mention could be found in most churches at that time, and would have been soundly dismissed as unbiblical and heretical. Many will ask, "Where has the New Age entered the churches?" All you have to do is think about it a little and you will see that many churches have adopted New Age teachings and ideas and "Christianized" them, when none of them are biblical.

(3) THE EMERGING CHURCH - Revival or Return To Darkness? by Roger Oakland, Understand The Times, 10/05
History reveals that Christian fads and trends come and go. It seems that it is common for many pastors and church leaders to constantly look for some new methodology, “new wave” or “new thing” God is doing, “right now.”  We live at a period in church history that is characterized by enthusiasm for methods and means that facilitate church growth. Large churches are commonly equated with successful pastors and successful church growth methods. Whatever it takes to reach that objective, is acceptable, we are told. Church growth has become the measuring stick for successful Christianity. 

(4) The Emergent Church by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 11/05
A series of articles on the Emerging Church. 

(5) The Emergent Church: A Dangerous Fad or Solid New Movement?  by Jan Markell, Olive Tree Ministries, Inc., 5/05
While the movement is ecumenical and attracts numbers and particularly youthful followers, it hardly seems biblical when so much involves the extra-biblical. 

(6) The Emerging/Emergent Church - and their use of "diaprax"  by Sandy Simpson, 11/28/05
The concept of the Emerging Church, as advertised worldwide in books, the web and on TV by the likes of Brian Mclaren, Leonard Sweet, Richard Foster, Dan Kimball, Rick Warren, Ken Blanchard and a whole host of others, seeks to cater to the postmodern mindset while using diaprax to achieve its goals.  The Hegelian Dialectic is used in concert with praxis (known as “diaprax”) to brainwash an entire generation into creating a new hybrid Christianity. This new religion is full of Eastern mysticism and Gnosticism, while systematically redefining the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostles and Prophets within a subjectivist, existentialist worldview. 

(7) Satan, The First Postmodernist by Sandy Simpson, 12/1/05
This is an article written after giving further thought to the definition of "postmodernism" given by the likes of postmodernist Leonard Sweet and other Emerging Church promoters.

(8) Eastern Regional Watch Ministries (ERWM) - Emerging Church by Steve Muse
Great apologetics site on Emerging Church.

(9) Lowering Standards In Christ's Name by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/05
Let’s stop here for a moment and apply this text to our times of lowering standards in Christ Name in favor of our quite irreverent seeker sensitive purpose driven emerging “worship” so common today. I offer that, in what might have begun as good intentions, we are now making the exact same mistake that Uzzah made. Evangelical leaders and pastors have decided for themselves that our Lord understands how our arrogant and capricious culture doesn’t like “formal” worship, so we took it upon ourselves to make a few changes.

(10) Dr. Larry Spargimino Interviews Warren Smith About Present Day 'Repackaging of the New Age' - Part One by Southwest Radio Church Ministries, 12/17/05
RealPlayer - Windows Media Player

(11) Dr. Larry Spargimino Interviews Warren Smith About Present Day 'Repackaging of the New Age' Part Two by Southwest Radio Church Ministries, 12/17/05
RealPlayer - Windows Media Player

(12) Crosstalk's Ingrid Schlueter Interviews Brian Flynn About 'Christian' Yoga by VCY America, 12/17/05

(13) Series Of Articles On the Emerging Church by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 1/06
Go to this web site to read a whole continuing series on the Emerging Church.

(14) The Emerging Church Markets Catholicism by Richard Bennett, Berean Beacon, PDF, 01/25/06

(15) The Transformation of the Emerging Church by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 1/06
In this next series I will present conclusive evidence that there are those in and around Emergent-US who have found the emphasis on “Christian” mystic traditions–a core doctrine of the theology of the Emergent Church–fertile ground in which to plant neo-pagan spiritual elements absolutely hostile to the historic Christian faith. Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.

(16) Emerging: from Tradition to Transition to Transformation by Herescope, 1/31/06
In order to understand the Leadership Network's involvement with the formation of an Emergent Church movement, it is necessary to take a few posts to explain the bigger picture. There is a much broader historical and philosophical context in which to view this "paradigm shift" to an "emerging" church.

(17) Emergent "New Breed" Leaders by Herescope, 2/2/06
One of the key tenets of the Latter Rain cult is the concept of a “NEW BREED” or a “NEW SEED” of elite super-Christians, the formation of a superior race of young generation believers who will manifest great power to conduct end-time signs and wonders and rule over the Earth.

(18) A GREAT Compromise by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 2/10/06

(19) A How Can These Things Be? - Purpose Driven, Emergent, Transformational, & New Age in the Church by Scott MacIntyre, Wood & Steel, 2005
Today's churches are full of men who have lost sight of the fact that it is Jesus who builds the church…not their ideas, plans, or abilities. Christian men who have recognized their own abilities as leaders in the corporate sense have mistakenly believed they are imminently qualified to be pastors. It becomes a career move largely based upon their own inventory of abilities and strengths. 

(20) Emergent Evangelical Prophet Tony Campolo by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 02/05/06
Also read Part 4.

(21) The Emergent Elijah by Dave Green, The Kingdom Come, 3/06
What if the Emergent Church crowd could re-write some of the “meanie” parts of the Bible?  What would it look like? The following is an account from the story of Elijah & the prophets of Baal.  Much of the narrative is from actual things Brian McLaren has written in his books (McLaren is one of the main advocates of the “emergents”).

(22) Evangelical Leaders Promote New Age and Eastern Spiritual Practices by Lighthouse Trails
In what appears to be a sweeping phenomenon, Christian leaders are embracing practices and a new spirituality that borrows from Eastern mysticism and New Age philosophy. The changes are taking place worldwide and involve many of the most popular evangelical leaders including Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, Richard Foster, Tony Campolo, and Eugene Peterson. 

(23) Contemplative Christian Wizardry by Steve Muse, Eastern Regional Watch, 3/22/06
Every example of prayer in the Bible has the individual that is praying actively involved in the process, and praying to God with words or tongues and/or asking a petition of God.  Never is there a mention of emptying our minds of all thought so that we can achieve “divine union” with God.

(24) Emerging Church Deception
Good web page on Emerging Church issues.

(25) The Emerging Church by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things, April 2006
A series of articles on the Emerging Church.  Read Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.

(26) Think, It's Not Illegal...Yet by Ken Silva, May 15, 2006 
Again I rise to warn the Church that what is going on through the Devil's pagan practice of Contemplative/Centering Prayer (transcendental meditation in Christian terminology) is that his forces are marshaling an attempt to get you to shut down your critical reasoning skills through an influx of Eastern non-thinking. The short of it is they are actually spreading the logical fallacy of a false analogy regarding so-called "Christian" mysticism. Basically this is like comparing apples with oranges, both are fruit but with differing distinguishing characteristics that make each unique or dissimilar.

(27) Calvary Chapel's New Official Position Paper On The Emerging Church/Contemplative Prayer by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, 5/06
Pastor Chuck Smith has come out with the official Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowship Statement on the Emerging Church.  This is apparently in response to some in Calvary Chapels who are teaching the false doctrines of the Emerging Church such as Chuck Smith, Jr. and Danny Lehmann.

(28) Soaking Prayer And It's Connection To Contemplative, Reiki And The Occult by Lighthouse Trails Research Project, 5/26/06
"Soaking prayer is a modern form of contemplative prayer ... People put themselves in an attitude of stillness, focusing on Jesus and open to the Holy Spirit but with no requests or agenda. The aim is to be still in God?s presence, "waste time with Jesus.". The Toronto church sees soaking prayer as one of the main ways in which they encourage people to be open to the Holy Spirit." (SOAKING PRAYER by Roger Harper)

(29) Yoga and Christianity Compatible? posted by Jim Bublitz, Slice Of Laodicea, May 27, 2006
Here's an interesting email posted on the Lighthouse Trails website. It should be of interest to the Emerging Church "communities" that are integrating yoga into their services, and for other churches that offer it as a midweek elective. The email is from the Classical Yoga Hindu Academy.

(30) THOMAS KEATING ON CONTEMPLATIVE/CENTERING PRAYER by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 5/27/06
What you are about to see is the definition of Contemplative/Centering Prayer, or what is actually transcendental meditation lightly sprayed with Christian terminology from a man universally known as an authority of this practice. In his own book on so-called spiritual “practices and disciplines” called The Sacred Way Emergent theologian Tony Jones recommends a book called Open Mind, Open Heart (OMOH) by Thomas Keating.

(31) Series Of Radio Programs & Transcripts On The Emerging Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 5/06

(32) Beth Moore Gives Thumbs Up to "Be Still" DVD by Lighthouse Trails Research Project, Newsletter, 6/06
Beth Moore's statement of "apology" should be disregarded - new information takes precedence. The Be Still DVD by Fox Home Entertainment was just released in April. Featured speakers include Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Max Lucado, Beth Moore and many others. Shortly after the DVD was released, Ingrid Schlueter of Slice of Laodicea spoke with Beth Moore and told Moore that the DVD was promoting the mystical practice of contemplative prayer. Within one hour, Moore issued a statement to Slice of Laodicea and asked that they post it on their website, which they did. However, there has been a growing concern about her statement and the fact that Moore's ministry, Living Proof Ministries, never placed the statement on their website. Lighthouse Trails has now received emails from a number of people who have sent us a new statement from Living Proof Ministries. Because Living Proof is issuing this statement to the public, we are making this available for all to read. According to this recent email, Moore's original statement of apology should now be disregarded. The statement clarified: "[W]e believe that once you view the Be Still video you will agree that there is no problem with its expression of Truth." Living Proof is offering to send a free copy of the DVD to anyone who receives their email statement and wishes to view the DVD, saying that, "[I]t would be our privilege to do this for you to assure you that there is no problem with Beth's participation in the Be Still video."

(33) The Emerging Church: Another Road to Rome by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 6/06
A prayer station created for use during the Emerging Church service at Capo Beach Calvary illustrates what Chuck Smith Jr. means by allowing his congregation to “feel” and “know with the heart and not with the brain.”  This prayer station was on display during the month of April, 2005. Further, the prayer station complete with candles, incense and icons featured an instruction sheet to assist church attendees in how to pray with an icon.

(34) Beth Moore’s Illicit Tent of Meeting by Bob DeWaay, 6/06
Recently, on Ingrid Schlueter’s Web site Beth Moore denies that she promotes approaches to prayer that have Eastern overtones. The issue arose from her participation on the Be Still DVD which has been critiqued on this site by Ingrid and then Brian Flynn. Brian and I viewed a segment of Beth Moore on that DVD. We found disconcerting her poor understanding of Exodus 33:7-11, the passage she uses as her proof text. In her discussion of Moses’ tent of meeting she proposes that each believer can have their own tent of meeting where they can go to have two way conversations with God.

(35) Emerging Interfaith Compromise by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 6/06
Finally, as far as those in the other false religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, you have already seen that the Bible has told us in no uncertain terms these people are in reality offering their worship and sacrifices to demons and not to God. So what knowledge about the Lord could the true Christian possibly acquire from them? The truth is that child of God isn’t to learn about our Creator from pagans, rather as an ambassador of Christ, the job of the Christian is to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to these lost people. And it most cetrtainly is not to end up in Emergent Interfaith Compromise with them.

(36) What’s Wrong With Yoga, Especially Christian Yoga? by Cassandrah Batya, June 21, 2006
Biblical Christians should start asking their own questions of all churches and individuals that are promoting “Christian” Yoga.  Where is this practice in the Bible?  Why is this eastern pagan heresy being given a Christian title?  How does The Gospel of Christ fit into any of this?  What does light have to do with darkness?

(37) The Emerging Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 6/22/06
For some years we have seen some dramatic changes in terms of how the church has changed. While it is true Christianity must be relevant in order to be effective, how far can we stray from biblical standards and still be sound Christian witnesses of the gospel? 

(38) Emerging Into What? by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 6/23/06
Rick Warren and others are saying we need to pay attention to the emerging church. Things are changing, they say and the “emerging church” has the answers for our generation. But what will the emerging church emerge into? Could it be a form of Christianity that embraces experience rather than God’s Word?

(38) The Kundalini Effect and Contemplative Prayer by Brian Flynn, 6/06
On a pro-contemplative spirituality web site, I came across the descriptions of those who had experienced the effect of contemplative prayer. Some of this is very disturbing and should be read with care.

(39) The Kundalini Connection: Evangelicals Embrace Energy Of The Serpent excerpts from the new book "Yoga And The Body Of Christ" by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call, Newsletter, July 2006
This entire discussion always brings us back to the most fundamental fact about yoga. No matter what physical beneit might be derived from the exercises themselves, yoga inevitably involves Eastern meditation. And Eastern meditation, unlike Western contemplation or reflection,
accompanies an intentional dissociation from our conscious minds. This shutting down of the mind is, in fact, a total abdication of our God-given responsibility that Jesus declared is the first and great commandment: to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5–6, Matthew 22:37). Thus, we are violating one of the true God’s most basic commandments every time we give our minds over to the intentional “nothingness” of yoga and associated “relaxation techniques.”

(41) New Age Pathways In The Church by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 7/06
People will always chase the new thing[s] down wherever they are not holding to and practicing the old thing accurately- God's eternal word. Ancient it may be, but it is the truth that stands the test of time, to all cultures and all generations and that is what our focus should be on.

(42) Thomas Merton: The Contemplative Dark Thread by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy Alert, 7/06
It is remarkable that elements within the church today would point to dead heretics such as Merton as a source for any kind of spiritual truth. The man was truly demonized and corrupted many undiscerning souls who no doubt are with him in hell to this day.

(43) Christian Yoga Renamed Is Still Hindu by Subhas R. Tiwari, Hinduism Today, 07/19/06
CAUTION: This article us by a Hindu master in yoga philosophy.  But it does show that Yoga can never be severed from its roots in Kundalini Hinduism.

(44) Tony Jones Says by Rev. Ken Silva, July 22, 2006
"Tony Jones is the National Coordinator of Emergent. He talked with RELEVANT about the movement, its leaders and dispelled rumors about what Emergent is really all about. A full profile of the emerging church and Emergent was featured in the July/August issue."

(45) Emerging Church and Postmodern Spirituality Debate by Bob Dewaay, Pastor of Twin City Fellowship, radio host of Critical Issues Commentary vs. Doug Pagitt, author of "Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith"
This is a PodCast of the event also available on CD. 

(46) Focus On The Family Says OK Once Again To Contemplative Prayer by Lighthouse Trails Research, 8/5/06
We find it incredible that Focus on the Family likens contemplative prayer (which has roots in Hinduism and other eastern religions) to attending church services, reading the Bible, singing hymns and listening to sermons? This is a preposterous statement. Has Focus on the Family slipped so far down the contemplative spirituality slope that they do not at all see this? How can they in any measure endorse the writings of Richard Foster who teaches that anyone at all can be a sanctuary for God by practicing contemplative prayer and who says we should all without shame enroll in the school of contemplative prayer? What a grievous time this is!

(47) Enemies Of The Cross by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 8/6/06
The above mentioned evangelical organizations are giving money and support to, as well as publishing the books of, men reversing the Reformation and openly denying the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ before the world. Men and women, I ask you: What else could we possibly call these but enemies of the Cross? It truly is as my dear friend and brother in arms Cecil Andrews of Take Heed Ministries has keenly observed: "I have found over the years that what I would call the “shoots and buds” of someone’s “heresies” have a tendency to develop and strengthen over time until they eventually “blossom fully.”…No one who denies the Son has the Father…

(48) Postmodernism by Michael Penfold, Webtruth, 8/06
A new kind of language stalks the land, based on a widespread contempo­rary ideology called postmodernism, the chief characteristic of which is the rejection of absolute objective truth. “What’s true for you may not be true for me,” encapsulates the postmodern idiom fairly well. Despite its recent origin, postmodernism already dominates the media, academia, politics and much of ‘the church’. Statistics reveal that a majority of young people in the West hold to the following ‘truth’; “There is no such thing as truth.” A thing may be cool, OK or workable, but to say it is ‘true’ implies something else is ‘false’, a judgment call that assumes a hierarchy of correctness - perish the thought.

(49) Laurie Beth Jones’ Four [Pagan] Elements of Success by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues Commentary, 8/11/06
Now, Laurie Beth Jones enters the market promoting yet another version of temperament study: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. Using these ancient pagan categories, she has developed her Path Elements Profile (PEP) and sells the program to businesses. She claims, “Insights surrounding PEP have helped save marriages, unite families, discern career directions, and select everything from jobs to spouses.” (from her book The Four Elements of Success).

(50) Emergent Church: Spencer Burke's Panentheism Emerges by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 8/11/06
Here is another example of just how far off the rails the Ecumenical Church of Deceit actually is and why the deception of the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church is going to have catastrophic results upon the youth of our nation. Some of you might remember an article I did here at Apprising Ministries called The Emergent Road To Universalism which dealt with a forthcoming book by Spencer Burke of the Emergent Ooze. Frankly I dropped the story because I thought it was just too ridiculous even by substandard Emergent standards.

(51) What is the New Age Movement? - A brief synopsis by Sarah Leslie, Discernment Ministries Newsletter, September-October 2006
In the following excerpt you will learn how New Age leaders are “working” the media in order to best position themselves and their message. You will gain backstage information about how publicity decisions are made, how leaders have learned to pull back when their message is too controversial, and how they patiently wait for a ripe opportunity to launch the next phase of their agenda. The similarities to leading evangelicals, who also manipulate public relations, will be quite evident.

(52) Unwinding the Labyrinth: A Christian walk ... away from God by Brian Flynn, excerpt from Running Against the Wind, September 4, 2006
If you are a church pastor that promotes this practice or has one installed in your church then I would say you should do one of two things: either throw a rug over it and apologize to your congregation or resign. If you lack the fundamentals of understanding, the means of grace by which your flock can truly draw closer to Him, then you are not qualified to pastor anyone.

(53) Assemblies of God: Committed to Spiritual Formation, Contemplative and Emerging by Lighthouse Trails Research, 9/06
With all of the influence that contemplative/emerging is having on AOG denomination, it is not surprising to find out that Purpose Driven has also found its way into the movement (it too is a big proponent of both contemplative and emerging). A search on the AOG USA website produces over 600 entries for "Purpose Driven." 

(54) Dallas Willard - An Emergent Conspirator by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 9/18/06
The current issue of Christianity Today tells us Dallas Willard “is on a quiet quest to subvert nominal Christianity.” But with the Reformation denying Spiritual Formation (aka Contemplative Spirituality) espoused by Willard and his co-conspirator Living Spiritual Teacher Richard Foster the truth is they are actually on a quest to subvert true historic orthodox Christianity.

(55) Neo-Orthodoxy: An Emergent Overview by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, 10/06
The following comes from Contemporary Theology…“an overview of theology over the last 50 years. It deals mainly with pinpointing certain theological trends and the most influential and well known movements of the day” by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon.  As you read through this you should be able to see where the new evangelicalism has been heading. The views of neo-orthodoxy are quite obvious within the three major pillars of the Ecumenical Church of Deceit – the the Purpose Driven Church, the Word Faith Church and most particularly the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church.

(56) Meaningless Offerings and Christ's Return by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 10/16/06
My guess is that there are some who have come to be a bit exasperated with me and are awaiting a thorough biblical analysis of the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church within the new evangelicalism. Some Christians hoping for Bible verses with which to confront the Emergent, and the Emergent looking for verses with which they can dispute. And this is one of the important points I am making in this short piece. The so-called “conversation” of the Emergent Church movement is not really interested in dialogue because they have already decided beforehand what they believe. In my experience with leaders and pastors within Emergent Church I’ve yet to meet one who was actually willing to truly consider an opposing view.

(57) "Christian" Yoga by Roger Oakland, Understand The Times Radio Commentary, 10/25/06
There are a number of people in the world today who believe mankind is entering into a whole new era. The pathway to higher consciousness, they say, is within the grasp of all those who are willing to pursue it. Is this thinking here to stay, or is it just a passing fad?

(58) Red Moon Rising: An Army for God with a "Violent Reaction" by Lighthouse Trails Research, 10/19/06
While Greig's book and ministry may, at first glance, appear to be a movement of prayer, research shows that both the book and the movement are heavily influenced by contemplative spirituality and New Age thought. And while youth around the world are taking shifts (to pray) in Greig's boiler rooms (prayer rooms), they may be getting into something entirely different than biblical prayer. If your youth group is considering incorporating Red Moon Rising and 24-7 Prayer into their agenda, a second look may be worthwhile. 

(59) Rob Bell Denies The Gospel by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 10/21/06
When I continue in Part Two I’ll show you a bit more about the social gospel which is being repainted by Emergent Hollow Men like Rob Bell, who through their misunderstanding the true nature of man are simply reimagining all over again the very “Cult of Liberal Theology.”

(60) The Emerging Church - Revival Or Return To Darkness? by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, September 2006
History reveals that Christian fads and trends come and go. It seems that it is common for many pastors and church leaders to constantly look for some new methodology, “new wave” or “new thing” God is doing, “right now.”  We live at a period in church history that is characterized by enthusiasm for methods and means that facilitate church growth. Large churches are commonly equated with successful pastors and successful church growth methods. Whatever it takes to reach that objective, is acceptable, we are told. Church growth has become the measuring stick for successful Christianity. 

(61) What Are They Saying? by Lighthouse Trails Research, 11/03/06
Quotes from Emergent leaders.

(62) Ted Haggard Replacement (as President of the NAE) Promotes Contemplative Spirituality and the Emerging Church by Lighthouse Trails Research, 11/07/06
After the recent exposure of Ted Haggard, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) has replaced Haggard with interim president, Leith Anderson. Anderson is the pastor of Wooddale Church in Minneapolis, which is the former church of Lighthouse Trails author Brian Flynn, (author of Running Against the Wind). Choosing Anderson for the NAE president may help to speed up the infiltration of contemplative spirituality into the evangelical church—Wooddale Church has been promoting it for some time. 

(63) A Southern Baptist Pastor Investigates Emergent And Contemplative Within The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 11/14/06
As this progresses you will see that I have great reason for concern that the influence of the Emergent Church and its core doctrine of Contemplative Spirituality is indeed spreading within the once conservative Southern Baptist Convention which at last check still claims to be a Protestant denomination.

(64) Emergents Help Humanity Awaken to a New Spirituality by Slice Of Laodicea, 12/11/06
Take some time on this New Spirituality book site. Study the titles of the books and see how the mystical Jesus, the experiential Jesus, the redefined Jesus, is the man of the hour. Study the titles and see where things are headed. Some of these titles would rest easily on the shelves of your Christian bookstore like, Putting on the Mind of Christ. (It's not the Christ of the Bible..) The church without discernment is being actively seduced into this satanic deception of counterfeit spirituality.

(65) How to Create an Emergent Movement by Herescope, 11/16/06
"Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?" (Lamentations 3:37)

(66) WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT: THREE MEN OF GOD EXPOSE THE ROTTEN ROOT OF THE “POSTMODERN” EMERGENT CHURCH by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/11/06
We simply must face facts here, evangelicalism has become a thing–an idol–the way we “do church.” And because the Christian Church in America has been waffling on the doctrines of grace for too long God has sent and allowed deceptions into our midst. Not to mention extremely well placed attacks by Satan e.g. the counterfeit Christianity of the new cult of liberal theology the Emergent Church. And the Lord had warned us – For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17, KJV).

(67) The Church Growth, Emerging Church - Daiprax Agenda - The Diabolical Practices of 'Ministers' Across America Today by Dean Gotcher, Authority Research, 12/12/06
We are not to be an offense to others, but in sharing God's word with others, when it becomes an offense, it is not up to us to water it down, candy coat it, or to change it?humanize it, to make it acceptable. To behave in such a way is not only a praxis of deceiving ourselves but also a praxis of taking pleasure in deceiving others. The definition of the word offense is "(skan-dal-id'-zo) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey, to cause to fall away, to be offended in one." Source: The Bible Collection 10.1.629 (c) 2006

(68) The Critical Question Before The Church by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/12/06
The Emergent Church is not a move of God.

(69) BIBLE BUTCHERY - How To Make God’s Word Say Whatever You Like And Ignore What God Said It Actually Says - The Cut & Paste Hermeneutics Of Rick Warren and The Gnostic Interpretation Of The Parables By Brian Maclaren & Peter Tsukahira by Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 12/14/06
“Let Not Many Of You Be Teachers, For We Teachers Shall Be Judged More Strictly Than the Rest”  (James 3:1) This warning The Holy Spirit gives through The Apostle James is daunting. While we shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ, those of us posing to teach God’s Word to others will be held more accountable than others, because teachers can most easily mislead others. Being misled is one thing, but misleading others – either being cognizant of the error, or teaching error out of out own ignorance doesn’t matter. In the secular world if a non lawyer gives false legal advice he can mislead another with serious consequences, or if a non-medic mutilates a sick or injured person , it is unimportant if he or she were sincerely trying to do good or not. If they really cared about the ones they tried to help they would not have attempted to illegally practice medicine or law, misrepresenting themselves as qualified in a field they are not. Their acts are ones of criminal fraud, and the law does not care about their professed ‘good intentions’.

(70) Understanding The Emerging Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding the Times, 12/06
Attempting to come up with a definitive explanation to describe all that is happening in the Emerging Church movement is an impossible task. Probably the best way to do this would be to examine the numerous books that have been written on this topic and come up with some general trends that seem to be consistent. This series of programs will attempt to do this.

(71) How to Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of Emerging in Your Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 12/06
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?

(72) Eastern Mysticism in Evangelicalism interview with Sarah Leslie and Ingrid Schlueter, 1/2/07
This is an audio interview available in these formats: RealAudio | Windows Media | MP3 | Order Tape or CD

(73) Christian Or Christ "Follower" by Lighthouse Trails Research, 12/22/06
Christian or Christ-follower. It's a distinction that is being made more and more today, and often the latter term, Christ follower, is replacing the former term, Christian. Even many Christian leaders are making the switch. But just what does it mean? Emerging church leader, Erwin McManus says his "goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ." 

(74) Christian Yoga: Rooted in Hindu Occultism by Chris Lawson, 1/5/2007 
Dear reader, the following article has been written in order to convey information about the unbiblical practice of Christian Yoga. Sadly, many professing Christians in the church are too undiscerning to know any better. Even Hindu’s recognize that “Christian Yoga is still Hindu”.

(75) Christianity Today Article Promotes Lectio Divina and Breath Prayers by Lighthouse Trails Research, 1/19/07
In the current online edition of Christianity Today, an article by contemplative proponent Keri Wyatt Kent is instructing on the practice of lectio divina and breath prayers. As with most contemplatives, Wyatt Kent says that her prayer time was filled with too many "words," saying her time studying the Bible became "stale." She then explains how she found the solution to the dreariness of her spiritual life.

(76) Online Christian Bookstores Continue to Promote Yoga and the New Age Movement by Bud Press, Christiani Research Service, 1/22/07
They continue to do it, despite the Biblical warnings against it.

(70) Roman Emergent Matrix by Watcher's Lamp, 3/20/07
Folks who experienced the 40 Days of Purpose in their churches or who have read the book, may not have noticed the embedded references to Catholicism.

(71) A Line Has Been Crossed ... No Turning Back? by Lighthouse Trails Research, 3/30/07
Right before our very eyes mainstream Christendom is converging with the New Age movement. In 2007, two events are scheduled, and if they actually occur without a public outcry by Christian leaders then we will have entered into a full-fledged paradigm shift, and a line will have been crossed that will very likely mean no turning back.

(72) The Emerging Civil War by Paul Proctor, Biblically Speaking, NewsWithViews
And you know what? It's working - because this Emergent leaven is everywhere in Southern Baptist life today and almost no one in SBC leadership and authority that I know of is resisting it - at least not publicly. 

(73) An Open Rebuttal to Rev. Jerry Falwell's Commentary, The 'Emerging Church': Straying from the Gospel by Paul Proctor, 4/07
Though it is laudible that Falwell has seen some problems in the Emerging Church, his statement leaves room for major false teaching to continue.

(74) The Emerging Spiritual Revolution by Herescope, 4/17/07
In his blueprint for “the emerging spiritual revolution” (The Emerging Order, p. 95), Jeremy Rifkin wrote about how to manipulate the Charismatics to create a new Dominionist worldview for science, economics and spirituality. This worldview is New Age, representing a new world order created out of the humus of Hermeticism. Rifkin suggested that the Charismatics could provide the nonrational component, while the evangelicals could work on the theological logistics of a “new covenant vision and a new world view."

(75) AM/CRN Exclusive: Erwin McManus At Origins – The Experience 2007 by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 4/07
The Origins Conference (April 30-May 3), put on by cultural architect, distinguished futurist and lead pastor for Mosaic Erwin McManus is now underway. Origins is “an interactive experience which mobilizes people to serve through the discovery of one’s uniqueness. Includes Gallup’s StrengthsFinder, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, and Character Matrix (based on Uprising by Erwin McManus).”

(76) On Tap–Have Suds With Your Buds! - A "Ministry" of The Journey Church by Sherry Neese, ApostasyAlert, May 31, 2007
The real kicker was an event for the men of the church called "On Tap". The "requirement" for attending this group is to be over 21 and "a person who wants to think or at least think about thinking and have a beer and some suicide wings with other guys" at a local restaurant. Great! The church is promoting alcohol consumption as the manly thing to do. What kind of message is this sending to the boys in the church?

(77) Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? by Lighthouse Trails Research, 6/11/07
Is your church involved in a Spiritual Formation program? If so, you might want to ask the question, what does Spiritual Formation look like? It's a fair question, and one, that if not asked, could end up surprising you when your church changes in ways you never imagined.

(78) Dan Kimball and the Emerging Church and Eastern Meditation by Steve Muse, Eastern Regional Watch, 6/13/07
As I read Dan Kimball's book, The Emerging Church, I realized the book opened up a Pandora's Box of concerns for what Kimball was communicating to this new generation of churches about vintage Christianity. Reading the book, I became impressed with a very disturbing sense that Kimball is attempting to take today's youth back into an experience-based relationship with God much like the Catholic mystics have revealed to us through their writings. And now through contemplative prayer and contemplative spirituality we are to come into a deeper relationship with God. On the Internet, countless sites promote the Emerging Church experience with its myriad forms of worship and prayer-and on most of these sites Kimball's book is heartily promoted.

(79) Rob Bell: Hitting the road on a mission of "misplaced" faith by Lighthouse Trails, 6/14/07
"A lot of people see Jesus as just for Christians but I keep discovering that his teachings are really about what it means to be human." - Rob Bell, Manchester Evening News (June 15, 2007). According to a news report from Manchester Evening News (Britain), emergent leader Rob Bell is "setting out on an ambitious theatre tour of Britain with his message, Calling All Peacemakers." As do most emergents, Bell believes in a universal/interfaith religion where all one has to do is add Jesus to their own religion - it isn't necessary to become a Christian and identify with the body of Christ. One can remain a Hindu, continue practicing Hindu rituals but just say they like Jesus the best. This is what we call the new missiology, and its evangelists include Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, and many other emerging church proponents.

(80) Episcopal Priest says, "I am Both Muslim and Christian" -- That's OK with the Emerging Church by Lighthouse Trails Research, 6/18/07
The June 17th headline in the Seattle Times newspaper reads, "I Am Both Muslim and Christian." Janet Tu, religion reporter for the Times has written the piece on an Episcopal priest named Ann Holmes Redding. Redding has been a priest for more than 20 years, and she became Muslim 15 months ago. The article is her coming-out-of-the-closet debut. Redding explains: "I am both Muslim and Christian, just like I'm both an American of African descent and a woman. I'm 100 percent both." Interestingly, the article quotes Kurt Fredrickson, director of the doctor of ministry program at the pro-contemplative/emerging Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. Of Redding's choosing to be both Muslim and Christian, Fredrickson seems to be opposed to Redding's decision and states, "The most basic [question] would be: What do you do with Jesus?" But there is a twist to this story, and obviously, it's one the Seattle Times didn't include in their own report. While Fuller Theological Seminary and probably most evangelical institutions would say you can't be both Muslim and Christian, in truth they are saying the opposite every day. How you ask? Simply by promoting contemplative and/or the emerging church, which countless Christian organizations, ministries, schools and churches do now. 

(81) LifeWay's Fitness Expert Promotes Yoga - New Age Movement continues to Haunt Southern Baptist Convention by Bud Press, Director, Christian Research Service, June 29, 2007
For years, the Southern Baptist Convention (hereinafter SBC) has warned Christians about the dangers of Yoga and the New Age Movement. The SBC has developed articles, resolutions, and Interfaith Evangelism Belief Bulletins warning against the New Age Movement and Yoga. LifeWay Christian Stores, a division of the SBC, removed Susan Bordenkircher's Yoga for Christians and Brooke Boon's Holy Yoga from its main online bookstore. SBC officials have spoken out against Yoga and other forms of the New Age Movement. For decades, solid, Bible-based Christian apologists and cult-evangelists have warned the body of Christ about Yoga and the New Age Movement. God's word, the Bible, warns about false teachers, worldly philosophies, strange doctrines, and traditions of men, and commands Christians to avoid them. But despite the warnings, LifeWay and its own fitness expert, Branda Polk, promotes Yoga and encourages Christians to participate in Yoga classes.

(82) Contextual Theology - Falling From Truth Through the Emerging Church by Roger Oakland, Understand the Times, 7/24/07
In order for the emerging church to succeed, the Bible has to be looked at through entirely different glasses, and Christianity needs to be open to a new type of faith. Brian McLaren calls this new faith a "generous orthodoxy."1 While such an orthodoxy allows a smorgasbord of ideas to be proclaimed in the name of Christ, many of these ideas are actually forbidden and rejected by Scripture. 

(83) Southern Baptist 'Kids' Bowing To Yoga - The Facts, the Dangers, the Photos, the Warnings by Bud Press, Director, Christian Research Service, August 16, 2007
Introduction: Across the Western world, professing Christians are participating in New Age practices such as contemplative spirituality, labyrinth, and Yoga--all of which is preparing the way for something darker and more sinister.
 

(84) Faith Undone by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 8/07 Is the emerging church movement just another passing fad, a more contemporary approach to church, or a bunch of disillusioned young people looking for answers? In fact, it is actually much broader and is influencing Christianity to a significant degree. Grounded in a centuries-old mystical approach, this movement is powerful, yet highly deceptive, and it draws its energy from practices and experiences that are foreign to traditional evangelical Christianity. The path that the emerging church is taking is leading right into the arms of Roman Catholicism and ultimately to an interfaith perspective that has prophetically profound ramifications.

(85) Emerging Arrogance by Herescope, 8/27/07
Daily we are inundated with a flood of evangelical literature and e-mails and website postings that all indicate a crazy new form of arrogance flaunted by Christian leaders. Much of this is new doctrine -- under various guises, with inventive interpretations that suit the need of the moment. Perhaps nowhere is this most evident than in the new teachings on so-called "servant leadership."

(89) Artificial Milk - Weaning Evangelicals Off The Word by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call, 2/07
Apostasy is rampant within the evangelical church today. At least that’s my perspective as one who has observed religious trends and developments for three decades. Read Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.

(90) End-time Deception in the Emerging Church by Prof. Johan Malan, Middelburg, South Africa, 9/07
We are living in a time when increased pressure is exerted upon all churches to fundamentally change their doctrines. The Bible is considered less dogmatic since modern humanity is not prepared to restrict its freedom by a narrow and literal interpretation of Scripture. A biblical concept of God, an evangelical doctrine of salvation and premillennial teachings on end-time events are among the major casualties in the new reformation which is currently under way. These tenets all stand in the way of kingdom reforms aimed at ensuring a happy future to a united humanity of all faiths. In the emerging postmodern world, people regard themselves free to determine their own values and beliefs. When their religious views differ substantially from the Bible they merely discount biblical teachings as having been written from the perspective of an ancient world-view when people still believed in a devil and hell, and also in a vindictive God who is intent on punishing sin. In the postmodern world, people think in terms of new paradigms which clash with a literal interpretation of Scripture. Since religion is no longer determined by faith but by subjective human reasoning, they simply deconstruct modern and pre-modern beliefs, and substitute them with postmodern views which emanate from their humanistic world-view.

(91) Christians Are Mixed Up - In Mysticism by Marsha West, NewsWithViews.com, September 15, 2007
More and more of those who profess Christ are "experiencing God" in ways that lands them smack dab in the middle of the New Age movement.  Read Part 1 and Part 2.

(92) Novelty and Change Will Lead Them by Orrel Steinkamp,The Plumbline, Volume 12, No. 5, Sept/Oct 2007
There exist today hundreds of people in Christian think tanks and agencies whose whole view of ministry is to promote and induce cultural change into the church. It is called contextualization or transformation. But transformation is basically inducing change into the Christian church. Pastors who are properly trained in transformation and contextualization principles are known as transformational pastors. Pastors are also called to be "change agents." For further reading on this topic, please refer to my earlier newsletter, entitled "Transformation Thinking for Dummies." The overriding feature of seeker-sensitive and transformational activities is to change the church to resemble the culture as closely as possible and thereby insure survival and success in today's changing society. There is more to it than outward appearances. Seeker-sensitive churches low key their doctrinal statements, lest they scare away the seekers. Although doctrinal stances do not officially change, the week-by-week teaching exhibits the church as fellow travelers in the culture. The process of transformation calls not only for change but perpetual, ongoing change; in order to entice an ever-~hanging seeker population. Forgotten entirely these days, is the fact that God's people are meant to be a leaven within the culture, a pocket of resistance to the foibles and ethos of the flesh. However, I suspect there are still some seekers left who expect to find something unique and noticeably different at church than in the world at large.

(93) Emergent Confusion by The Berean Call, 9/26/07
The emergent church is fond of quoting St. Francis regarding his "take" on how one communicates the Gospel.

(94) Surrender is not an Option: An Evaluation of Emergent Epistemology by David Kowalski, 9/29/07
While most leading Evangelical scholars have strongly opposed the many unscriptural teachings found in the emerging church movement, some popular Evangelical leaders have openly befriended the movement and some Christian magazines have spoken favorably of certain emergent books. This phenomenon may pass with time. David Smith observes that when the theology of hope first appeared in the 1960’s “Many conservatives early in the movement’s life saw the theologians of hope as fellow travelers”[38] due to certain outward similarities to Evangelicalism. As conservatives became more familiar with the substance of this movement’s teachings they realized their first impression had been wrong. Perhaps as more Evangelicals become familiar with all of the teachings of the emerging church movement and consider the serious implications of their theology of surrender they will choose to disagree with the sociologically based theology, morality, and spirituality which the epistemology of this movement has birthed.

(95) The Kingdom of Emergent Theology - Part 1 by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things, 9/07
Emergent kingdom theology, like its liberal postmillennial predecessor, is based not so much on the observation of an improving world but on feelings of desperation. McLaren admits that many might see his kingdom views as a mere pipe dream, but if that is so, “what do [we] have to look forward to if they are right?  Simply more of the same in human history…” But truth does not emerge from groundless optimism or “what if” desperation; it emerges from the Scriptures.  What God says about life now, the future and the kingdom is what matters.  In answer to McLaren’s question, we have much to look forward to, for Christ will one day bring His kingdom to earth, at which time the very social and earthly issues that concern emergent people will be corrected and made right.  But this kingdom will come through the power of Christ, not the good deeds of men. It will come when He returns, not as a prelude to it.  It will not only remedy societal wrongs it will usher in the world-wide righteousness and justice of Christ.  We have much to look forward to when the kingdom comes, but it will come about because of God’s actions, not ours.  It is right that we seek to correct social ills, but our actions do not usher in Christ’s kingdom.  Read Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.

(96) Mysticism & Global Mind Change - Shaping a New Civilization - Part 1 by Berit Kjos, Kjos Ministries, 10/04/07
Do you wonder why yoga, labyrinths and other meditational practices have suddenly emerged in churches across America?  Or why "Christians" now use the old occult formulas practiced by sorcerers, alchemists and "enlightened" yogis (a combination of concentration, meditation, visualization and mental projection) to invoke the presence of "God"?  This East-West synthesis didn't happen by chance. For several decades, influential church leaders have been promoting a "new way of thinking," a more experiential religion, an end to "separatism," and an inclusive oneness that would fulfill their vision of an earthly "Kingdom of God."

(97) The Avalanche of Spiritual Formation by Lighthouse Trails, 10/03/07
A move away from the truth of God's Word to a mystical form of Christianity has infiltrated, to some degree, nearly all evangelical denominations. Few Bible teachers saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, most do not realize it has even happened. 

(98) Todd Friel Interviews Doug Pagitt of the Emergent Church, Reformed Voices blog, Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Listen to this interview with Emerging Church leader Doug Pagitt to understand Pagitts view on hell, other religions, etc.  It it clear from this interview that Pagitt has little understanding of the Bible and is trying to diaprax people with the heretical views of the Emerging Church.

(99) Transcript Of Todd Friel And Doug Pagitt On WOTM Radio on Apprising Ministries, 11/8/07
If you haven't seen the below Apprising Ministries would like to point you to a post by Rob Willmann where he made the time to transcribe the recent appearance on Way of the Master Radio by Doug Pagitt, a leader in the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church.

(100) Contemplative Proponent J. P. Moreland Says Christians Too Committed to Bible by Lighthouse Trails Research, 11/21/07
According to a Christianity Today article, Biola University professor J.P. Moreland says evangelical Christians are too committed to the Bible. His talk at a recent Evangelical Theology Society meeting was titled "How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What Can Be Done About It." 

(101) Ken Blanchard Endorses Book 'Inspired' by Hindu Guru Co-founder of Lead Like Jesus continues down New Age road by Bud Press, Director, Christian Research Service, November 26, 2007
But now, over two years later, Ken Blanchard has not kept his promise. He continues down the broad New Age road. He is hindering the furtherance of the gospel, and is causing the unwary to stumble along the way.

(102) Pastor John MacArthur of Grace To You Refutes Doug Pagitt, Emergent church leader by John MacArthur, Grace To You, 11/07
This is a video clip of MacArthur refuting Pagitt's promotion of Yoga in churches.

(103) Dumping Sola Scriptura by Herescope, 11/29/07
When evangelical leaders talk about a Second Reformation, they mean reversing the tenets of the First Reformation. A stunning example of this occurred recently when evangelical professor J.P. Moreland blasted "over-commitment to the Bible" and neglect of "work on broad cultural themes." If this is the current state of apologetics in the evangelical world, then grievous times have arrived.

(104) Contextualization by Steve Camp, Camponthis, 12/15/07
Contextualization. It is the latest buzz word adopted by emerging/emergent/missional adherents who want to be contemporary and cool, yet biblical both at the same time thinking they have found something new that will revolutionize evangelism and redefine the church of the 21st century. This missional arrogance has its roots in what is known as Sociolinguistics. "It is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context on the way language is used. Sociolinguistics overlaps to a considerable degree with pragmatics." 

(105) Warren Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on The New Age and Emerging Church, 1/29/08
Listen to Warren Smith's talk on The New Age and The Emerging Church at the the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa last week online here. Simply click on the link to his speech. We've been astonished to find that Warren's previous Herescope posts about Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson and the Course in Miracles have taken on a life of their own in cyberspace. Many people around the country have been sending these posts to family and friends and their loops. Praise the Lord for this important warning getting out. For people desiring more information about the false gospel in A Course in Miracles, Warren Smith's first book The Light That Was Dark contains his fascinating testimony about his personal experiences with this Course.

(106) Can a pagan practice be Christianized? by Marsha West, 1/25/08
Is yoga just a way of reducing stress or is there more to it than that? I mean, everyone's doing it so it has to be a good thing…right? The short answer is that there's more to yoga than meets the eye. So bear with me as I explain the reasons practicing yoga "stretches traditional Christian boundaries" and why Christians should avoid yoga and seek other alternatives.

(107) Evangelical Mysticism? by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call, February 1, 2008 
I find myself increasingly grieved these days by what I see taking place among those who profess to be evangelicals. I know the term "evangelical" has undergone radical changes regarding its meaning and practice. Yet when I use the term, I'm going by a very simple definition: I'm referring to those who claim to accept the Bible alone as their authority for knowing and receiving God's way of salvation and for living their lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.

(108) 5 Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding (Don’t Bury The Emerging Church, Yet!) by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 2/5/08
Trevin Wax’s article titled "5 Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding" posted February 5, 2008, asks some interesting questions and raises some valid concerns with regard to the Emerging Church. However, unfortunately Wax has drawn conclusions that steer readers far from an accurate picture of understanding the times from a biblical perspective and it is necessary to sound the alarm.

(109) In Defense of Chuck Smith & Calvary Chapel, Dave Hunt and Roger Oakland by Jacob J. Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 2/6/08
Moriel Ministries & Jacob Prasch take extreme exception to the statement  critical of Chuck Smith, various Calvary Chapels, Roger Oakland and Dave Hunt by Richard Abanes of Saddleback Church in reaction to their expressed position regarding The Purpose Driven Agenda of Rick Warren.

(110) "Pragmatic Evangelicalism" Has Peaked by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 13, No. 1, January/February, 2008
"Something ... just happened in the evangelical community. For most of a generation evangelicals have been romanced by the 'seeker-sensitive' movement spawned by Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. The guru of this movement is Bill Hybels. He and others have been telling us for decades to throw out everything we have previously thought and been taught about church growth and replace it with a new paradigm, a new way to do ministry... The size of the crowd rather than the depth of heart determined success. If the crowd was large then surely God was blessing the ministry. Churches were built by demographic studies, professional strategists, marketing research, meeting 'felt needs' and sermons with these techniques. We were told that preaching was out, relevance was in. Doctrine didn't matter nearly as much as innovation. If it wasn't 'cutting edge' and consumer friendly it was doomed. The mention of sin, salvation and sanctification were taboo and replaced by Starbucks, strategy and sensitivity.

(111) Rob Bell “Undefines” Holiness by Bob DeWaay, 2/14/08
In Velvet Elvis, Bell lists a number of transcendent experiences that he claims overwhelmed him to be in awe of God. The first one for Bell happened as a teenager at a concert performed by Irish rock group U2, where he was “overwhelmed with the word true.”[i] These extraordinary experiences he also describes as “holy” and “sacred.” The problem is that his usage has nothing to do with the Biblical meaning of the terms “holy” or “or sacred.” 

(112) Emerging Church Leading Protestants Back To Rome by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming The Gospel Ministries, 2/08
We have been receiving an increasing number of reports about Protestants who are converting to Roman Catholicism. There is now a series of three books which herald the testimonies of former Protestant pastors who have found the broad way to Rome more enticing and fulfilling. What is causing this growing apostasy? Who is behind this reversal of the Reformation? Why are so many Protestants being seduced by the piety of this false religion? Many evangelicals are puzzled and are searching for answers. Although it is disheartening and discouraging, we should not be surprised because: "the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1). 

(113) The Death Of Discernment In The Church by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming The Gospel Ministries, 2/08
The critical issue in the Church today is the purity of the Gospel. That alone is the rudder that must guide the Church through stormy waters that have been stirred up by every wind of doctrine. Take away the ability to discern objective truth and churches turn into cafeterias serving whatever junk food people want instead of the disciplined diet they need for spiritual life and health. Without a steady diet of the whole counsel of God, churches become entertainment centers for goats instead of sanctuaries for the Shepherd's sheep (Mat. 25:32). Unregenerate people, who are never exhorted to examine their faith, will continue attending church to enjoy the music, entertainment and "feel good" messages. Unless these people are confronted with their sin, their need for a Savior and the eternal consequences of a spurious faith, they are destined to hear these terrifying words from Jesus: "'I never knew you; depart from Me" (Mat. 7:23). 

(114) Christian Yoga by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 2/20/08
There are a number of people in the world today who believe mankind is entering into a whole new era. The pathway to higher consciousness, they say, is within the grasp of all those who are willing to pursue it. Is this thinking here to stay, or is it just a passing fad?

(115) Evangelical Mysticism? by T.A.McMahon, The Berean Call, February 1, 2008
I find myself increasingly grieved these days by what I see taking place among those who profess to be evangelicals. I know the term "evangelical" has undergone radical changes regarding its meaning and practice. Yet when I use the term, I'm going by a very simple definition: I'm referring to those who claim to accept the Bible alone as their authority for knowing and receiving God's way of salvation and for living their lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.

(116) Ancient-Future Heresies by McMahon, T.A., The Berean Call, February 28, 2008 
We desperately need to heed the words of Jesus in Revelation chapters 2-3 that give critical warnings to churches that profess to be His. 

(117) Your Local Christian Bookstore Could Be Dangerous to Your Spiritual Health by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 13, No. 2, March/April
Gone are the days when filling your cart at a Christian bookstore is safe for your spiritual health. 

(118) Potentialy Harmful, and Dangerous Spiritual Practices Researched and Compiled by Chris Lawson, Spiritual Research Network, 3/27/08
Please note that the SRN staff issues a warning about the following topics because they are either or all of the following:: (1) Founded on occult principles; (2) Dangerous forms of occult and mystical practices; (3) Based on the writings and beliefs associated with either paganism, spiritism, occultism or mysticism; (4) Mystical and supernaturalistic health related methods.

(119) Does Rick Warren Have Reservations about the Emerging Church? by Lighthouse Trails, 3/29/08
If Rick Warren has reservations about some things in the emerging church, those reservations are not about the mystical components of this movement. 

(120) Confession is Good for the Soul by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy Alert, March 31, 2008
When I see Bible-believing churches adopt Roman Catholic traditions, such as the liturgical use of incense, candles, and icons, I recoil in disgust. When Roman Catholic church fathers are quoted by Protestants to prove some theological point, I roll my eyes.

(121) One step forward and three steps back by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/08
Willow Creeks affiliation with the emergent church movement.

(122) Warfield and Contemplative Spirituality by Herescope, 4/10/08
Benjamin B. Warfield’s writings on mysticism help to orient Christian believers to understand the implications of contemplative and mystical spirituality’s challenge to orthodox and biblical Christianity.

(123) Emerging Church Spreading Spiritual Cancer by Marsha West, 4/18/08
What this is really all about is truth. False teachers stare at Truth but fail to recognize the identity of truth. Jesus himself said, "I am truth." Thus we know that Truth is an aspect of God Himself. Christianity is the only truth because it is anchored in the Person of Jesus Christ. Moreover, truth is crucial to a realistic worldview. Which is why committed Christians mustn't buy into the lie that truth is a matter of preference or opinion. In case you haven't notices, in our postmodern culture we are experiencing the death of truth – and the death of truth could mean the death of civilizzation! I wrote this down, but I don't remember who said it. "Truth is true if no one believes it. A lie is a lie if everyone believes it." And that's the truth!

(124) Emergent MIND Change by Herscope, 4/25/08
Dr. Dennis Cuddy, in his bi-weekly NewsWithViews column on April 7 made a startling observation. Cuddy, an historian and author with expertise in the mental health arena,* noticed that there were similarities in Brian McLaren's new book everything must change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope and Eckhart Tolle's new book touted by Oprah's Book Club, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Both authors define mental illness in terms of wrong belief systems which are harming the planet:

(125) POINTS to PONDER - Rick Warren, Richard Abanes, Ken Blanchard, Psychics, Yoga by  Bud Press, Christian Research Service, April 26, 2008
Richard Abanes' book, Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him, was published July 2005. On page 15, Abanes tells of an interview between he and Warren, which took place on May 4, 2005. During the interview on pages 28-29, Abanes records Rick Warren stating that, "Well, I do know Ken Blanchard. But we're not close friends--no closer friends than half-a-dozen other celebrities" (emp. added, book on file).However, in his February 19-20, 2005 article, "The Skills of Leadership: Leading Like Jesus Part 3," Rick Warren stated that, "My good friend Ken Blanchard who wrote The One Minute Manager and a bunch of other books he always says, Catch people doing something right. We always do the opposite. We catch them doing something wrong. But catch people doing something right and affirm it" (Pastors.com, click HERE for PDF file, page 12, bold emp. added).

(126) Do The Dobsons and Focus on the Family Agree with the Emergent Church? by Brannon S. Howse, 4/28/08
While I respect much of the great work of Dr. Dobson, Shirley Dobson and Focus on the Family, there has been a recent trend that is disturbing. This past weekend, Shirley Dobson appeared with Dr. Robert Schuller on his Hour of Power. Click here to view her appearance: http://www.crystalcathedral.org/hour_of_power/index.php
I don’t take issue with Mrs. Dobson’s message on behalf of the National Day of Prayer but rather her appearance on his show and her closing remark that affirmed the “work” of Dr. Schuller. 

(127) What Is Contemplative Prayer? by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 4/29/08
Contemplative prayer can be traced back to 3rd century monks who were looking for ways to contact God by mystical techniques. Such prayer methods are making a comeback. Will Christians be enlightened or will they be introduced to eastern mysticism?

(128) The New Wave of Apologetics by Tim Wirth, Nogoofyzone Weblog, 4/26/08
There is a New Wave of Apologetics sweeping through the Body Of Christ for some years now. But before we see what apologetics is not, let’s study and see what it is.

(129) The New Age Morphing . . . Into the Church by Herescope, 5/13/08
How has the New Age morphed itself over the past 35 years since the public launching of "The Aquarian Conspiracy"?

(130) Emergent Road Show Receives Sponsorship From Major Organizations by Lighthouse Trails, 5/22/08
Three "of the most outspoken" leaders of the emerging church (Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, and Mark Scandrette) will be going on a national road tour this summer and are receiving sponsorship from several large organizations. Some of those sponsors are Christianbook.com, Jossey-Bass, Compassion International, International Bible Society, and Zondervan. 

(131) The Emerging Church – The Rising Generation - A Maturing Church? by Jewel Grewe, Discernment Ministries, Discernment Newsletter, Volume 19, Number 3, May/June 2008
How far from Biblical Authenticity this has come! We now have Ancient-Future Heresies that Journey to the Past to find Future Spirituality. 

(132) Earth: The Old Story, The New Story by Herescope, 5/29/08
Emergent church leaders are re-packaging and marketing the Creation Spirituality myth to the evangelical church. According to Emergent church leader Brian McLaren, human beings on planet Earth need to change our "framing story."

(133) Ancient-Future Faith Or Do All Roads Lead to Rome by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things Newsletter, June 2008 - Volume 14, Issue 6
Rumors are starting to circulate that the emergent church movement is running out of steam.  After making the biggest splash and the most noise of anything in the Christian community for many years it appears to be approaching exhaustion.  Some like Rob Bell and Erwin McManus who are clearly in the “emergent conversation” have denied their involvement.  And people seem a bit tired of hearing about postmodernism, its rejection of universal truth and its promotion of relativism.  After all, how long can people live questioning the obvious and denying reality?  These things play out nicely in philosophy class and in college coffee shops, but have serious limitations in the real world. Maybe it is time for the emergent ship to leave the dock and make way for the next fad.

(134) What is Centering? - Can we find God or enhance our experience of Jesus by entering into an altered state of consciousness? by Pastor Don Matzat, 7/08
The reality of Christ is never discovered within but is always extra nos, outside of us. Christ is to be sought, not in the inner self nor in some questionable technique borrowed from occultism or the fringes of psychological theory, but in the external and objective means of Word and Sacrament.
The intrusion of these methods into the church should not only cause us concern, but anger!

(135) Ancient-Future Faith, Its Practices by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things, July 2008 - Volume 14, Issue 7
In a recent sermon dealing with the emergent/emerging church, Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle and self-described emerging church leader, identified four lanes in which the emergent/emerging movement is traveling. In the first lane are emerging evangelicals who believe in basic Christian doctrine, such as the Bible being God’s Word and Jesus dying for our sins. They also tend to form the “hip, cool church,” according to Driscoll. Pastors who may fall in this category include Dan Kimball and Donald Miller.  Without taking much time to debate with Driscoll at this point, I would certainly challenge the notion that Donald Miller is a supporter of basic Christian doctrine.  Kimball, on the other hand, does hold to certain doctrinal positions such as the three ancient ecumenical creeds, but would not want to drift much beyond them.

(136) Beware of This Doctrine of Demons by Heidi Swander, Herescope, 8/12/08
It's called "contemplative" or "centering" prayer and if you haven't heard about it yet, chances are unfortunately good that you will soon.  It's invading churches like a virus in which submicroscopic pathogens contaminate the body many hours or days before the victim is aware of its presence. Contemplative prayer is one of a number of ancient mystical practices or spiritual disciplines, as their proponents refer to them, which are being encouraged at an alarming rate by evangelical churches.  It is all part of something called Spiritual Formation and the Emergent Church, a movement that as John MacArthur states in his book, The Truth War, is subtly changing the beliefs and doctrines of the evangelical church as we know it.

(137) The Emerging Church by Jason Carlson, 8/30/08
Carlson relates his experience in and out of the Emergent Church . He sounds an alarm at our Olive Tree Ministries “Understanding the Times 2007” conference.  This is an MP3 of his radio interview with Jan Markel.

(138) Who's Laughing Now? by Bud Press, Christian Research Service, September 9, 2008 
Years ago, many parents laughed when their children were introduced to Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, relaxation, and visualization techniques in the secular schools and YMCA. Many school teachers and principles shrugged their shoulders and thought the techniques would help develop calmer, better behaved students. On the job-site, professing Christians participated in company-sponsored "Stress Reduction" seminars. They laughed under their breath and refused to speak out against it--for fear of losing their jobs. Now, many companies across the nation offer Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, and other New Age practices as regular motivational courses for employees. Despite the complaints and concerns, many bookstore managers and officials within the "Christian bookstore" industry laughed and continued to advertise and promote books written by New Age authors. The "bottom line" (money) was more important than the spiritual welfare of the innocent and unwary.

(139) Ancient-Future Faith - It's Beliefs by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things Newsletter, August 2008
In his most recent book Finding Our Way Again, The Return of the Ancient Practices, Brian McLaren, the most recognizable name in the emergent church movement, signals a shift, or at least a new emphasis within emergent, toward ancient practices of earlier periods of church history. 

(140) Spirituality & Sex - The God of Sex versus Sex God by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 9/08
Read Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.

(141) The American Church - Descent Into Darkness Part 1 by No Other Gospel, 10/7/08
ICABOD is written upon our doorposts. We have embraced other gods, we have turned our backs upon the Lord God, the only God, maker of heaven and earth. We have embraced a social gospel, which lauds mans good works and excludes the Savior that bought them. ICABOD is written upon our house.

(142) Who Goes There? - Encountering Voices in the Silence of Contemplative Prayer by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 10/8/08
Through practicing the discipline of solitude and silence, contemplative spiritualists hope to hear God personally speak to them. As one nationally known personality stated on the Be Still DVD, “intimacy automatically breeds revelation.”[1] But if a voice speaks, there is some question regarding its identity. Therefore, in the video’s same segment, “Fear of Silence,” Richard Foster offers advice about how to discern who might communicate in the stillness. 

(1) A Critique On The Ministry Of Richard Foster by Wendy Howard, editor of Despatch magazine, Queensland, Australia, 1999
I feel very bad about this expose' as Richard Foster was a former youth pastor in a church I attended some 29 year ago.  At that time he was a real blessing to our youth group and was not dabbling in New Age mysticism.  When I first read his book "Celebration of Discipline" I thought that it had some good ideas.  At that time I was very naive to the dangers of the New Age entering the church.  It wasn't until I read Dave Hunt's book "The Seduction Of Christianity" that those issues were brought to light in my mind.  At that time I didn't like the way Richard Foster had been "singled out" by Hunt, but I later realized that my anger at Hunt mainly stemmed from the fact that Richard was my friend.  Hunt also attacked me, in a round about way, because I was doing Christian instrumental music which had been given the unfortunate label of "Christian New Age" by the CCM industry.  I was no more into New Age than Hunt but was producing Christian music with Biblical themes.  I also believe that meditation on Scripture and prayer is a perfectly Christian practice.  What I did not like in Foster's book was the "visualization" techniques because they smacked of the occult and necromancy.  Little did we all know that Dave Hunt's book would turn out to be very prophetic in it's prediction that these occult techniques would take the current Third Wave counterfeit revival movement straight into the occult.  Now, with hindsight, we can see where Foster went away from truth into error.  I hope this expose' will help him to see the error he was partially responsible for in the Third Wave today, and repent of it.  We have all made mistakes, we have all sinned.  It is our responsibility to believe and repent.  I repented of my mixing of New Age concepts with Christianity long ago.  I can only pray that Richard Foster will do the same.

(2) Response To A Defender Of Richard Foster by James Sundquist, 12/04
The departure from these teachings by Richard Foster and the host of teachers he promotes is the reason we must withdraw from them. “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”  II John 2:10-11 Thomas Merton, Morton Kelsey, Basil Pennington, Benedictine Monks, Ignatius Loyola, Brennan Manning, Isaac Pennington, Basil Pennington, Madeleine L'Engle, Thomas Keating, Harvey Cox, Agnes Sanford, Madame Guyon, John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Thomas Kelly, Tilden Edwards, William Vaswig (also of Renovare who, like Foster learned his meditation from Agnes Sanford and a great admirer of occultist Carl Jung and his “sitting in silence” therapy), Karen Mains, Lynda Graybeal, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Meister Eckhart, George Fox, Henri Nouwen,  Teresa of Avila, Brother Lawrence (who also taught the emptying of the mind), Julian of Norwich, Siang Yan Tan (psychologist), Lao-Tse (Taoism), Zarathrustra (Zorastrianism) and a host of other “masters” or “spiritual directors” (past or present) of the Traditions of Discipline that Richard Foster promotes and endorses do not bring this doctrine, so none of them, or their teachings should be brought into our houses or houses of worship.  And by doing so, we do become partakers of their evil deeds....yes false doctrine is evil deeds.    We must command them as Paul did Timothy to the Ephesians to “Not teach false doctrines any longer!””  Richard Foster's teachings whether or not he says otherwise, are a blend of Eastern mysticism and gnosticism...another Jesus and another gospel.  Oh foolish Americans, who hath bewitched you?

(3) Renovare' Renovates The Bible by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call, August 2005
God never adjusts Himself or His Word to the tastes of men. He never changes anything to appeal to the corrupt appetites of the ungodly in any age—all must come to Him on His terms. He commands all men everywhere to repent because of coming judgment (Acts 17:30, 31). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD…” (Is 55:7). There is no softening of the gospel to make it “seeker friendly.” 

(4) Richard Foster and Gnostic Mysticism by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 05/19/06
There are those who have been offended that I dared enter the Contemplative Temple and touch their “anointed” Buddha Thomas Merton. But here is another example of the reimagined Gnostic mysticism currently being taught to your pastor through Living Spiritual Teacher Richard Foster. Through his books the Guru of Contemplation has introduced Evelyn Underhill as an expert witness on the subject of alleged “Christian” mysticism. Therefore we have just as much right to read and interpret her materials as Foster himself does. 

(5) A Call To Repentance by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call, 11/06
Some of the worst heretics and practitioners of the occult, while claiming to be Christians, have gotten together in what they call the Chrysostom Society. It began with Richard Foster, Calvin Miller, and Karen Mains, joined later by Eugene Peterson. “They felt it was really important to just get together, write together, and believe in each other as practitioners of a craft to the glory of God.”(Mars Hill Review, 1995, “A Conversation with Eugene Peterson.”) It is a “craft,” all right.
Truth has been assassinated by political correctness, the gospel has fallen victim to “we must not offend other religions,” God is being mocked, and eternal souls are being robbed of the salvation that is only in Jesus Christ. That tragedy prevails in nearly all churches. Let us weep and repent for the church, for our country, for ourselves, and speak the truth in love.

(6) Reiki, Thomas Merton and Richard Foster by Ray Yungen, From the Lighthouse, 11/07
This is why it is so important to understand the connection between the writings of Richard Foster and Brennan Manning with Merton. Promotion indicates attachment, and attachment indicates common ground. Something is terribly wrong when a Reiki master and two of the most influential figures in the evangelical church today both point to the same man as an example of their spiritual path. (from chapter 5, A Time of Departing) To understand more about the connection between Foster, Manning, and Merton, read A Time of Departing in its entirety.

(7) Richard Foster by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 4/1/08
Richard Foster, a promoter of contemplative prayer is a student of Thomas Merton. In a previous program we documented that Merton learned his procedures for contemplative prayer from Buddhists and Hindus. So what about Foster? Does he also believe you can Christianize messages from demons?

(1) Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming The Gospel
In the last ten years, he has become a popular speaker in many "evangelical" churches. Manning was ordained to the Franciscan priesthood after graduating from St. Francis Seminary in 1963. Later he was theology instructor at the University of Steubenville (a Catholic seminary and catalyst for Mary to be named co-redeemer). After being treated for alcoholism and leaving the Franciscan Order in 1982, he married Roslyn Ann Walker. The marriage has since ended in divorce but his popularity as a writer and speaker continues to grow despite his proclamation of "another" gospel.

(1) Brian McLaren In Denial by Rev. Ken Silva, December 30, 2005 
As the "New Christianity" of the growing synchronistic ecumenical religion of Purpose Driven new Evangelicalism within the Emergent Church takes deeper root we see more and more leaders within the Body of Christ in apparent denial concerning an emerging New Downgrade No-Controversy. For example, Brian McLaren, a leading churchman in the Emergent convoluted conversation, is in denial about the vicarious penal substitutionary atonement of Christ Jesus on the cross. 

(2) Brian McLaren And Hell by Rev. Ken Silva, December 30, 2005 
Prominent Emergent Church theologian Brian McLaren has said: "For many Christians, their faith is primarily about what happens to people after they die. That distracts them from seeking justice and living in a compassionate way while we're still alive in this life. We need to go back and take another look at Jesus' teachings about hell. For so many people, the conventional teaching about hell makes God seem vicious. That's not something we should let stand."

(3) Brian McLaren And Evangelical Panentheism by Rev. Ken Silva, 1/18/06
In Brian McLaren And The Emerging Church I began to explore what McLaren’s particular theology has been emerging into, and now beginning with this series we start putting all the pieces together. As I previously stated I am not someone prone to conspiracy theories so what I offer is something I was most definitely not looking for. However, what I am going to be showing you is based on my careful and personal analysis of what McLaren himself writes as well as what those he associates with and endorses have said in their own books.  Also read Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

(4) An Emerging Pastoral Assessment by Rev. Ken Silva, 1/30/06
I feel led to present the following pastoral assessment for the edification of the true Body of Christ as evidence of the devastating results that the counterfeit Christian teachings of men like Brian McLaren have already been having on the Christian witness among our youth. You are about to see a living testimony of what has been happening within our Lord’s Church because our leaders failed in recognizing the new liberalism which is now being spread like the black plague of theology throughout Evangelicalism by this Emerging Church movement.

(5) Brain McLaren: Turning Aside To Myths by Rev. Ken Silva, 2/10/06
I will have to admit that I find it a little odd looking around at the various writings about Brian McLaren where his non-stand about homosexuality (or about anything else for that matter) actually has surprised people. There is little chance that McLaren is ever going to come down on the side of what the Bible says about this forbidden lifestyle because of his own views on Scripture. In fact, this becomes near impossible now through his involvement with “living spiritual teachers” like Alan Jones and Marcus Borg. You see their warped view of Christian spirituality, twisted as it is by the practice of neo-pagan mysticism only figures to draw McLaren further away from believing what Holy Scripture says. This is also tied to how McLaren approaches the Bible because the Emergent spiritual director follows a very allegorical “Alexandrian School” approach to Holy Scripture so he would not readily see what it clearly appears to be saying when read at face value. Read Part 1 & Part 2.

(6) Brain McLaren: A Prime Example Of Diaprax by Sandy Simpson, 2/16/06
I have written in a previous article called The Emerging/Emergent Church - and their use of "diaprax" briefly detailing the use of the Hegelian Dialectic and praxis (diaprax) by New Apostolic and Emerging Church leaders.  What I want to show in this article is a perfect example of diaprax in the teachings of Brian McLaren, a main leader in the Emerging Church.  If you want to read the entire transcript of “An New Kind Of Christian – Part 1”, a video teaching by Brian McLaren, you can access it here.  I also urge you to watch the video for yourself which is available online here.  When you watch be aware of the intentional and even unintentional uses of brainwashing techniques.  I will only quote certain parts of McLaren’s teachings to emphasize the use of diaprax as well as other false teachings.

(7) Examining the Theology and Dangers of Contemplative Emerging Church Spirituality by Spiritual Research Network, 2/06
Brian McLaren Confused About Homosexuality? This ought to be a very clear warning to the entire Evangelical Church how bad Mr. McLaren's theology is. 

(8) Christianity Defaced as Leader of Emergent Church Movement Embraces Mysticism by Richard Bennett, 3/06
The Emerging Church movement has hailed as its “manifesto” Brian McLaren’s book, A Generous
Orthodoxy.

(9) Brian McLaren - Emerging, But Into What? by Lighthouse Trails
A good page of artilces on McLaren.

(10) Brian McLaren - A True Son Of Lucifer by Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 3/06
But with no biblical compass for determining the direction in which he is misleading his followers because of his dismissal of propositional truth, truth itself can not be a factor in McLarens unsolvable equation in his delusional fantasy world where two plus two can equal six or co-equally can equal ten if you feel that works for you. Objective reality is assassinated by a subjective morality that in the end is by any biblical standard – no morality at all; Post modernism comes to church. 

(11) The Emergent "Jesus Worldview" by Discernment Research Network, 6/6/06
Herescope has warned about a "biblical worldview" and a "Christian worldview" in previous posts because these terms are loaded with extra-biblical agendas and meanings, particularly dominionism. The other day we encountered the phrase "Jesus worldview" from none other than Brian McLaren of Emergent Church fame.

(12) Brian McLaren: The Emergent Cult Leader by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 7/19/06
Brian McLaren is beyond question a leading authority in the Emergent Church and is influencing thousands through his speaking engagements and numerous writings. In his latest book The Secret Message of Jesus McLaren apparently has “discovered” what has escaped the Church of Jesus Christ for nearly two thousand years until he happened to come along. In typical fashion McLaren tries to hide his criticism and contradiction of the historic orthodox Christian faith behind “if,” but it becomes clear enough that these are his own personal beliefs.  Right in line with other religious cult leaders McLaren shows he doesn’t think the Church has correctly understood the message of Jesus down through the centuries when he writes: “if this reading of the Gospels is accurate, why didn’t scholars see it a hundred or five hundred or eighteen hundred years ago?”

(13) Brian McLaren: Sower Of Confusion by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 8/7/06
Brian D. McLaren is Chair of the Board of Directors of Emergent Village as well as an author published by Zondervan. He is also among Adjunct and Visiting Professors, along with his good friend Leonard Sweet, at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, a school designed to demonstrate “the meaning of Jesus Christ by offering spiritual formation and education for ministry.” McLaren’s website lists him as speaker, emergent networker, Christian activist.” He also just happens to be a “Christian” minister of the Gospel who openly denines the vicarious penal substitutionary atonement on the Cross of Jesus Christ: "I’m sure that [justification by grace through faith in the finished atoning work of Christ on the cross] is a facet of the gospel, and it’s the facet that modern evangelical protestants have assumed is the whole gospel, the heart of the gospel. But what’s the point of that gospel?"

(14) Emergent Church: All Faith Traditions Emerging by Rev. Ken Silva on August 11, 2006 
In this short piece I remind you of the "historic" meeting between leaders of these two Emergent "faith traditions" in January of this year. We are headed toward a universal inclusivism that Landres himself says is "blurring the line between the 'sacred' and the 'secular';..." This is not in any, way shape or form, Christian theology and yet Emergent Guru Brian McLaren says: "I'm thrilled with the possibility of developing friendship and collaboration in ways that help God's dreams come true for our synagogues, churches, and the world."

(15) Emergent  Inclusiveness and Brian McLaren by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 9/4/06
One of the most prominent leaders within the Ecumenical Church of Deceit is Emergent leader Brian McLaren. McLaren is slated as plenary speaker at Going Forward Together: Third Millennium Christianity taking place November 16-19, 2006 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia.Lord willing I’ll have more on this later but for now I have been trying to warn the Body of Christ about this neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church which is attempting to bring inclusivism into the Lord’s Church. Years ago Dr. Walter Martin preached a message called The Spirit of the Age in which he said the spirit of the age was universalism. It turns out Martin was right and as he further warned that it is “actually quite hostile to the historic orthodox Christian faith.”

(16) Brian McLaren: Save The Planet by Slice of Laodicea, 9/11/06
Below Steve Muse of Eastern Regional Watch wrote: "I came across this article yesterday, Evangelical Author Puts Progressive Spin On Traditional Faith by Caryle Murphy of the Washington Post, which clearly reveals Brian McLaren's heart and mind with regard to Evangelical Christianity." In this article Murphy unknowingly brings out just how far away from the Christian mission the Emergent rebellion against the Bible led by McLaren has now strayed.

(17) Report On Brian McLaren, Emergent Church Leader by Jewel Grewe, Dicernment Ministries Newsletter, Volume 17, Number 6, Novemeber/December 2006 
On October 24, 2006 Brian McLaren spoke at the Wake Divinity School, Wait Chapel, North Carolina. A friend of Discernment Ministries went to hear this talk and below are some notes taken during this event.

(18) Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/06
Read this whole series.

1. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 1
2. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 2
3. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 3
4. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 4
5. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 5

(20) Brian McLaren: Postmodern Christianity Understood as Story by Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter, Mon, Feb. 18 2008 02:43 PM ET
He (McLaren) suggested that the mainline become more flexible in practice while evangelicals “loosen up” on some of their doctrinal system.

(21) "Reframing Jesus" by Herescope, 2/29/08
Be prepared for a total makeover of Christianity in Brian McLaren's most recent book, Everything Must Change.

(22) Formula Zero - Racing towards oblivion - Who is Brian McLaren? by Neil Richardson, Vanguard Newsletter, Issue 23, July 2007
Brian McLaren’s brand new formula of Christianity when tested by the Word of God proves to be, like the first chapter of A Generous Orthodoxy, nothing but a big zero. He dismantles every single major doctrine of the Bible: the
authority of Scripture, the nature of God and Creation, the nature of Man and Sin, who the Lord Jesus is, why He died, who the Holy Spirit is, what His work is in converting unbelievers, what the unchanging Gospel is that we proclaim, what being part of the Body of Christ means, how truth and unity must connect, the doctrines of hell and the devil.

(23) Updated! How "Everything Must Change" - A Pastor Reports on Brian McLaren's "Everything Must Change" Tour by Herescope, 6/2/08 - Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 & Part 5.
The emergent community’s fixation with non-Biblical practices rooted in the Middle Ages has been responsible for leading many sincere pilgrims to explore the “ancient-modern” church through candles, incense, adoration of icons and relics, etc. The audience was repeatedly encouraged to cast off their old “framing story” (the way they see the world) including such bad things as doctrinal and systematic Bible study, since (according to emergent thought) nothing can be definitely known. Therefore, any positive statements that sounded like confidence in the existence of absolute truth were scoffed at as being “narrow minded and proud”.

(24) McLaren's "Everything Must Change" Tour by Pastor Jeffrey Whittaker, 6/08
We’ve all heard it said: “The more things change, the more they remain the same”. The Bible says it another way in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10: The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us. I found that the essence of these statements are still proving to be axiomatic after my experience at the “Everything Must Change” conference held at Goshen
College in Goshen, Indiana with emergent church leader Brian McLaren. I sat through session after session listening to the emergent “gospel”; complete with medieval chants and choruses of despair, apologies to the Native American
Indians of the St. Joseph River Valley, as well as to “Mother Earth” for scarring her through our mining and oil drilling operations. The sarcasm with which traditional Scriptural positions were discussed, coupled with repeated swipes at
Christians who were (in McLaren’s opinion) waiting to be “snatched away”, “evacuated”, or “beamed up”, brought one particular Scripture passage constantly to my heart and mind.