The Emergent Church Myth
By: M.E. Townsend
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”- II Peter 2:1-3
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” - Romans 16:17-18
Just imagine if you awoke to realize that the church in which you had invested time, effort, finances, love and trust, had slowly slipped into spiritual disrepair? What if it occurred to you that the trustworthiness that you believed would never change was gone and it had become clear that your denomination, yes, even your own local church, had adopted doctrines, practices and beliefs that were not only questionable but were active and useful tools for the devil? What if you, like so many of our brothers and sisters across America and around the world, were faced with the agonizing decision of either turning your head to attempt ignoring reality, fleeing to a safer place to worship, or standing up to expose and resist error?
Today - these scenarios are exactly what many within The Body are facing.
Brian McLaren, leader in the Emergent Church movement reveals a shoddy understanding of God’ sovereign power over His creation when he states:
“Perhaps all along, my deepest joy has never been to have all my dreams come true, but rather to have God’s one dream come true, that this world will become a place God is at home in, a place God takes pride and pleasure in, a place where God’s dreams come true.” [??]
The Word of God clearly tells us:
“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other, I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, My purpose will be established and I will accomplish my good pleasure “Isaiah 46:9-10
Francis Schaeffer, during his lifetime, fought courageously and compassionately to defend orthodox Christianity from the ideas that are now labeled post-modern or emergent. Dr. Schaeffer taught and wrote that the only way to preserve a Christianity of reason that truthfully addresses all of life was to adopt sola scriptura, the Reformation view of Scripture. He warned about the despair that results when ideas takes us away from the validity of God’s self-revelation in Scripture.
Sadly today this is exactly what has happened. The serious seeker of truth stumbles into Emergent churches unaware that what is found inside in no way resembles the authentic, biblical Gospel of Jesus the Christ. They remain in a liberal chasm, drowning in their ignorance, while the fate of their lost soul remains the same, and their beliefs become even more twisted. The Emergent Church movement is an association of individuals linked by one very important, key idea: their belief that “God is bringing history toward a glorious kingdom of God on earth without future judgment. Our hope is not in Jesus’ resurrection that furnished proof to all men and thus makes us accountable, but in Jesus’ resurrection as a view of history with a ‘hopeful future.’’
We all must decide what to believe, because competing truth claims can result in disastrous outcomes – especially if one believes the wrong message. It is the our belief that judgment IS coming, and we must have our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus the Christ so that when that day comes we shall be saved rather than damned. McLaren and those who follow the teachings of the Emergent Church claim that the kingdom is coming gradually through social action and we need NOT be concerned about such matters as God’s wrath and the need for the blood atonement.
We cannot have it both ways.
Thankfully, there is a remnant, a growing band of resistors who are standing strong against the tidal-wave of false teaching in their midst. While intellectuals relentlessly attempt to marginalize and demean the Bible-believers among us, true servants of the LORD continue to stand exposing cultic beliefs, liberal theology, and Emergent Church philosophies that contradict the Word of God. We realize that for the sake of both saint and sinner we have no choice but to sound the alarm and blow the trumpet of warning, to stand as "a watchman on the wall." While many Christians relax, thinking everything is okay in their camp, the core values of the Christian faith are under assault by individuals who have become so enamored with their own intellect and human reasoning that they have silently abandoned belief in the Bible and reject the very heart of the Christian Gospel while teaching others to do the same.
Regardless of the cost, if we do not come alongside our fellow Christians who revere the Bible and are battling for the life of their church, then we need to check our own apathy level and repent appropriately.
[Our deepest gratitude to Eric Barger and Bob Dewaay for invaluable information and truth found in their books and articles which led to the writing of this article. To God be the Glory.]
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
What Do You Need?
By: M.E. Townsend
The early preachers and teachers of the faith shared the truth and revelation of God’ Word and His will, turning the world upside down, spreading the gospel throughout the known world.
How strange that the same is not happening today. The gospel shared today from many of our pulpits and television screens is far different than was taught then.
Today we hear -
“What do you need? Start creating it. Start speaking it into being. Speak to your wallet, Say: “You big, thick wallet full of money.” Speak to your checkbook. Say: “You’ve never been so prosperous since I’ve owned you.” You’re just jammed with money.”
“Repeat after me: “The wealth of the wicked is mine.” One more time – one more time.”
“I’m sick and tired of hearing about streets of gold. I do not need gold in heaven, I gotta have it now. I mean, when I get to glory, all my bills will be paid. I won’t have bills in glory.”
“Give $10 and receive $1000, give $1000 and receive $100,000 – give one house and get a hundred, or a house worth one hundred times as much. In short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal.”
“You need to hear about money, because you ‘ain’t gonna’ have no love and joy and peace until you get some money.”
So, obviously, Peter, Paul, Matthew, even the LORD Himself had it wrong. They were, according to today’ televangelist, to have lived a life of affluence, dressed in the finest, eating the best food, drinking the best wine; but as Jesus the Christ Himself attested when speaking of John The Baptizer; “What did you go out into the wilderness to see - a reed shaken by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who are clothed in fine garments, in gorgeous apparel, living in luxury are in the king’s court.”
Does not the Word of God tell us -
"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days." James 5:1-3
"For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." 1 John 2:16
Paul had more revelation of the truth than any other disciple and yet, once he gave his life to Jesus, his life was neither glamorous, nor pleasant, nor prosperous!
These men of old labored tirelessly for the LORD, pouring out their lives for Him and, with the exception of John, all were eventually martyred.
Do the preachers and evangelist of today really believe they deserve such immense wealth, oppulant life styles - blessings and big salaries? Most prosperity teachers boast of their wealth saying God has blessed them – yet in reality, their wealth has come from the pockets and purses of many who can ill afford to give. Far too many give out of poverty hoping desperately for a better life.
They are not taught the principles of giving unto the LORD - they are taught - give to get.
Prosperity teachers tell you that you can expect a BIG return on your “donation” or your “seed faith offering.” They create a spirit of greed and discontentment within the body by saying that God wants you to be wealthy, that you will become wealthy if you will only give to their ministry and have faith. The Bible teaches the opposite -
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20
If we will be faithful to dedicate ourselves to the reading of God’ Word, studying to show ourselves approved unto God – a workman that need not be ashamed – God will provide all we need – not all we greed. If we will seek His righteousness, living lives that bring glory to His Name, He guarantees there are treasures stored up for us in heaven – and, He Who has promised IS faithful – The Lamb of God.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
“Then Peter spoke saying:
“ Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee; in the Name of Jesus the Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” Acts 3:6
By: M.E. Townsend
The early preachers and teachers of the faith shared the truth and revelation of God’ Word and His will, turning the world upside down, spreading the gospel throughout the known world.
How strange that the same is not happening today. The gospel shared today from many of our pulpits and television screens is far different than was taught then.
Today we hear -
“What do you need? Start creating it. Start speaking it into being. Speak to your wallet, Say: “You big, thick wallet full of money.” Speak to your checkbook. Say: “You’ve never been so prosperous since I’ve owned you.” You’re just jammed with money.”
“Repeat after me: “The wealth of the wicked is mine.” One more time – one more time.”
“I’m sick and tired of hearing about streets of gold. I do not need gold in heaven, I gotta have it now. I mean, when I get to glory, all my bills will be paid. I won’t have bills in glory.”
“Give $10 and receive $1000, give $1000 and receive $100,000 – give one house and get a hundred, or a house worth one hundred times as much. In short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal.”
“You need to hear about money, because you ‘ain’t gonna’ have no love and joy and peace until you get some money.”
So, obviously, Peter, Paul, Matthew, even the LORD Himself had it wrong. They were, according to today’ televangelist, to have lived a life of affluence, dressed in the finest, eating the best food, drinking the best wine; but as Jesus the Christ Himself attested when speaking of John The Baptizer; “What did you go out into the wilderness to see - a reed shaken by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who are clothed in fine garments, in gorgeous apparel, living in luxury are in the king’s court.”
Does not the Word of God tell us -
"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days." James 5:1-3
"For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." 1 John 2:16
Paul had more revelation of the truth than any other disciple and yet, once he gave his life to Jesus, his life was neither glamorous, nor pleasant, nor prosperous!
These men of old labored tirelessly for the LORD, pouring out their lives for Him and, with the exception of John, all were eventually martyred.
Do the preachers and evangelist of today really believe they deserve such immense wealth, oppulant life styles - blessings and big salaries? Most prosperity teachers boast of their wealth saying God has blessed them – yet in reality, their wealth has come from the pockets and purses of many who can ill afford to give. Far too many give out of poverty hoping desperately for a better life.
They are not taught the principles of giving unto the LORD - they are taught - give to get.
Prosperity teachers tell you that you can expect a BIG return on your “donation” or your “seed faith offering.” They create a spirit of greed and discontentment within the body by saying that God wants you to be wealthy, that you will become wealthy if you will only give to their ministry and have faith. The Bible teaches the opposite -
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20
If we will be faithful to dedicate ourselves to the reading of God’ Word, studying to show ourselves approved unto God – a workman that need not be ashamed – God will provide all we need – not all we greed. If we will seek His righteousness, living lives that bring glory to His Name, He guarantees there are treasures stored up for us in heaven – and, He Who has promised IS faithful – The Lamb of God.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
“Then Peter spoke saying:
“ Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee; in the Name of Jesus the Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” Acts 3:6
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Simple Sinners Prayer
By: M.E. Townsend
‘You can receive God’ grace offered to you by believing in Jesus to be all that God said and all that you need.
If you are not saved and want to be, just repeat this simple prayer:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I invite you into my life, I believe with all my heart that God raised Him from the dead. Please forgive me from all my sins. In the Holy Name of Jesus I ask You. Amen.”
Congratulations! You are saved and on your way to heaven if you prayed that prayer and sincerely meant it – or are you?
Walking out of the church, the unrepentant sinner basks in the knowledge that where he was once lost, he now is saved. He no longer fears the wrath to come, but breaths a sigh of relief – not fearing judgment or hell - he has prayed the prayer – he is on his way to heaven, or is he?
“Therefore if any man be in Jesus the Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed away, all things are become new.” II Corinthians.5:17
Have all things become new for the one who prayed the simple ‘sincere’ prayer? Are they a new creation after believing ‘with all their heart’? Do they profess ‘Christianity’ yet continue in their sinful lifestyle? Have they seen the darkness of their own soul – the self-deception of their own heart? Have they acknowledged the wilful disobedience of their sin and their desperate need of a Saviour? If not, then they would be wise to remember that the demons in hell sincerely acknowledge and believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They know far better than we who Jesus is, yet this has not brought them to salvation.
This theology of praying a simple prayer, asking Jesus into your heart, reflects a broader assumption among many evangelicals today that one is saved by making a decision to have a personal relationship with God. This gospel of “submission, commitment, decision, sincerity or having a personal relationship with God” is not scriptural and fails to comprehend that everyone has a personal relationship with God –
A relationship as one condemned who will stand before the Righteous Judge. Stand to receive punishment due the unrighteous, unregenerate, unforgiven sinner, or stand as the redeemed covered in the Righteousness of the LORD, whose heart was broken as we acknowledged our sins, sins that are now forgiven by the King of kings and LORD of lords – there is no other way.
“How can I be right with God?” is no longer a question that need be ask when happiness rather than God’s holiness is the issue at hand. Salvation is not a matter of divine rescue from the judgment that is coming on the world, but a matter of self-improvement in order to have the best life now. The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus the Christ. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, that Jesus will give us the desires of our heart, we must preach that God will judge and Jesus has satisfied God’s judgment…if man will repent [turn] and place his trust in the LORD who alone is Mighty to save.
We can take our place before Almighty God with the prostitutes and publicans or with the tax collector who entered the temple, but stood afar off. Not raising his eyes toward heaven but beating his breast he cried unto the LORD: “have mercy on me a sinner” or we can stand before God as the Pharisee who entered the temple and approached the altar with head held high, in pride and arrogance thanking God that: “I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector” - who then proceeded to give God a list of his virtues - 'his works' of righteousness.
“…Jew and Gentile both are under sin. For as it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one, There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none who does good; no not one. Their throat is an empty tomb; with their tongue they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps in under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace, they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” Romans 3:9-19
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins might be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD.” Acts 3:19
By: M.E. Townsend
‘You can receive God’ grace offered to you by believing in Jesus to be all that God said and all that you need.
If you are not saved and want to be, just repeat this simple prayer:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I invite you into my life, I believe with all my heart that God raised Him from the dead. Please forgive me from all my sins. In the Holy Name of Jesus I ask You. Amen.”
Congratulations! You are saved and on your way to heaven if you prayed that prayer and sincerely meant it – or are you?
Walking out of the church, the unrepentant sinner basks in the knowledge that where he was once lost, he now is saved. He no longer fears the wrath to come, but breaths a sigh of relief – not fearing judgment or hell - he has prayed the prayer – he is on his way to heaven, or is he?
“Therefore if any man be in Jesus the Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed away, all things are become new.” II Corinthians.5:17
Have all things become new for the one who prayed the simple ‘sincere’ prayer? Are they a new creation after believing ‘with all their heart’? Do they profess ‘Christianity’ yet continue in their sinful lifestyle? Have they seen the darkness of their own soul – the self-deception of their own heart? Have they acknowledged the wilful disobedience of their sin and their desperate need of a Saviour? If not, then they would be wise to remember that the demons in hell sincerely acknowledge and believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They know far better than we who Jesus is, yet this has not brought them to salvation.
This theology of praying a simple prayer, asking Jesus into your heart, reflects a broader assumption among many evangelicals today that one is saved by making a decision to have a personal relationship with God. This gospel of “submission, commitment, decision, sincerity or having a personal relationship with God” is not scriptural and fails to comprehend that everyone has a personal relationship with God –
A relationship as one condemned who will stand before the Righteous Judge. Stand to receive punishment due the unrighteous, unregenerate, unforgiven sinner, or stand as the redeemed covered in the Righteousness of the LORD, whose heart was broken as we acknowledged our sins, sins that are now forgiven by the King of kings and LORD of lords – there is no other way.
“How can I be right with God?” is no longer a question that need be ask when happiness rather than God’s holiness is the issue at hand. Salvation is not a matter of divine rescue from the judgment that is coming on the world, but a matter of self-improvement in order to have the best life now. The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus the Christ. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, that Jesus will give us the desires of our heart, we must preach that God will judge and Jesus has satisfied God’s judgment…if man will repent [turn] and place his trust in the LORD who alone is Mighty to save.
We can take our place before Almighty God with the prostitutes and publicans or with the tax collector who entered the temple, but stood afar off. Not raising his eyes toward heaven but beating his breast he cried unto the LORD: “have mercy on me a sinner” or we can stand before God as the Pharisee who entered the temple and approached the altar with head held high, in pride and arrogance thanking God that: “I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector” - who then proceeded to give God a list of his virtues - 'his works' of righteousness.
“…Jew and Gentile both are under sin. For as it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one, There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none who does good; no not one. Their throat is an empty tomb; with their tongue they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps in under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace, they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” Romans 3:9-19
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins might be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD.” Acts 3:19
Friday, June 19, 2009
From Natural to Super Natural
By: M.E. Townsend
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord.'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
We claim faith in Jesus the Christ. We stand with voices raised heavenward singing, “Standing on the promises of God,” we glibly quote scripture and encourage our neighbors and friends to ‘only believe’. Yet, when we are confronted with trials and testing, when our own world appears to crumble beneath us, we cry in agony, race to the doctor, grab a pill or call a friend to listen to our woes.
We generally feel sorry for ourselves, while bemoaning the unfairness of our circumstance we fail to remember the words of the Psalm - "Be still [cease striving] and know [remember] that I AM God."
While this may be natural, we were not chosen of God to be natural, we were chosen by God, 'out of the world', a new creation in Him - called to be a supernatural people. We all too quickly panic rather than praise and all too soon forget:
“In all [these] things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
[Romans 8:37]
Scripture tells us -
“Endure hardship as discipline. God is testing you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” [Hebrews 12:7]
Again, scripture tells us -
“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” [James 1:1-4]
We are powerless in and of ourselves. We read in Habakkuk, ‘it is The LORD God who is our strength. It is He who makes me walk on high places.’
We are admonished to never forget - ‘we are not to conform to this world [the natural] but be transformed by the renewing of our mind [supernatural] so that we might prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.’ [Romans 12:2]
By: M.E. Townsend
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord.'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
We claim faith in Jesus the Christ. We stand with voices raised heavenward singing, “Standing on the promises of God,” we glibly quote scripture and encourage our neighbors and friends to ‘only believe’. Yet, when we are confronted with trials and testing, when our own world appears to crumble beneath us, we cry in agony, race to the doctor, grab a pill or call a friend to listen to our woes.
We generally feel sorry for ourselves, while bemoaning the unfairness of our circumstance we fail to remember the words of the Psalm - "Be still [cease striving] and know [remember] that I AM God."
While this may be natural, we were not chosen of God to be natural, we were chosen by God, 'out of the world', a new creation in Him - called to be a supernatural people. We all too quickly panic rather than praise and all too soon forget:
“In all [these] things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
[Romans 8:37]
Scripture tells us -
“Endure hardship as discipline. God is testing you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” [Hebrews 12:7]
Again, scripture tells us -
“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” [James 1:1-4]
We are powerless in and of ourselves. We read in Habakkuk, ‘it is The LORD God who is our strength. It is He who makes me walk on high places.’
We are admonished to never forget - ‘we are not to conform to this world [the natural] but be transformed by the renewing of our mind [supernatural] so that we might prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.’ [Romans 12:2]
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Is There"Christian" Yoga?
by Roger Oakland
"Yes to Yoga: Can a Christian breathe air that has been offered to idols?" The title caught my attention in a Christianity Today article. The author begins:
"It's 7:45 p.m. on a weekday and for the first time today, I consciously slow down my breathing. I send the air deep down into my belly, letting it rise and fall like a wave."In ... Out ... Along with a group of 30 people ... I use the unhurried cadences of the air filling and leaving my lungs to lull my muscles and joints into daring postures...."Finally--my favorite pose that comes at the end of each workout--a corpse, during which I lay down and relax every muscle.
Now, you may be asking the question, why would Christianity Today publish an article promoting Eastern religion? Yet, the author of the article claims to be an evangelical born-again Christian. She says yoga draws her closer to Jesus. In her own words:
"[Y]oga has never had any negative influence on me, and it doesn't trigger any harmful religious impulses. Just the opposite is true. The three hours a week I spend doing yoga ... draw[s] me closer to Christ."
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth, this he will also reap"
Galatians 6:7
The woman sees yoga as a way to connect with the Holy Spirit, and the breathe in, breathe out repetition is essential:
"Holy Spirit in. Anything that's not from God out. Come Holy Spirit. Renew my mind. In. Out."
Christian yoga practitioners often claim they cannot be deceived, even though they know what yoga is and where it comes from. The author of the article states:
"Now, my enthusiasm for yoga doesn't mean I'm in denial about its Hindu roots.... I know that hard-core yogis believe that yoga is more than exercise or a relaxation technique. To them, it's a religious ritual. But the Hindu gods don't make it onto my mat. Yoga purists don't lead classes at mainstream American gyms."
In other words, it's OK to do yoga if you only do it halfway. But the problem is, you cannot disobey God just halfway--and the demons know it. So what would Jesus say? Can a Christian incorporate Hindu spiritual practices in order to get closer to the Jesus of the Bible? I have a strong suspicion the "Hindu gods" have an agenda to introduce unsuspecting yoga practitioners to a different Jesus.
"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Jesus the Christ." Colossians 2:8
A most insightful article on this topic comes from a surprising source. The article, titled "There is No Christian Yoga," is written by Yogi Baba Prem, a Hindu Yogi, a Vedavisharada trained in the traditional gurukural system. Listen to what he has to say about Christian yoga:
"It was quite astonishing to see on the flyer "Christian Yoga! This Thursday night...." I could feel the wheels spinning in my brain. "Christian Yoga," I thought. Now while Christians can practice yoga, I am not aware of any Christian teachings about yoga. Yoga is not a Judeo/Christian word! ... It is a Hindu word, or more correctly a Sanskrit word from the Vedic civilization. So how did we get "Christian Yoga"?..."Hinduism should reclaim its full heritage and not allow other groups to rename its sacred teachings under their banner, especially when they have no history of those teaching within their own system. If they wish to "borrow" and say this comes from our brothers and sisters in Hinduism, then that is another thing.... Hinduism should guard against its sacred traditions becoming distorted and taken away."
This Hindu yogi resents Christians grabbing Hinduism's spiritual practice and calling it Christian. His resentment is understandable. How would we feel if there was suddenly a new craze called Hindu communion. We'd say, "Communion is about Jesus Christ. It can't possibly be called Hindu." How tragic that a Hindu guru sees the problem, but Christian leaders don't. In 2006, the same year this article came out, Thomas Nelson, the largest Christian publisher, published a book titled Yoga for Christians. And incredibly enough, many ministries and Christian organizations today are selling the book in their bookstores and churches across the nation have embraced 'christian' yoga teaching and practicing the techniques of 'sacred' Hinduism!
"They speak falsehood one to another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak."
Psalm 12:2
by Roger Oakland
"Yes to Yoga: Can a Christian breathe air that has been offered to idols?" The title caught my attention in a Christianity Today article. The author begins:
"It's 7:45 p.m. on a weekday and for the first time today, I consciously slow down my breathing. I send the air deep down into my belly, letting it rise and fall like a wave."In ... Out ... Along with a group of 30 people ... I use the unhurried cadences of the air filling and leaving my lungs to lull my muscles and joints into daring postures...."Finally--my favorite pose that comes at the end of each workout--a corpse, during which I lay down and relax every muscle.
Now, you may be asking the question, why would Christianity Today publish an article promoting Eastern religion? Yet, the author of the article claims to be an evangelical born-again Christian. She says yoga draws her closer to Jesus. In her own words:
"[Y]oga has never had any negative influence on me, and it doesn't trigger any harmful religious impulses. Just the opposite is true. The three hours a week I spend doing yoga ... draw[s] me closer to Christ."
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth, this he will also reap"
Galatians 6:7
The woman sees yoga as a way to connect with the Holy Spirit, and the breathe in, breathe out repetition is essential:
"Holy Spirit in. Anything that's not from God out. Come Holy Spirit. Renew my mind. In. Out."
Christian yoga practitioners often claim they cannot be deceived, even though they know what yoga is and where it comes from. The author of the article states:
"Now, my enthusiasm for yoga doesn't mean I'm in denial about its Hindu roots.... I know that hard-core yogis believe that yoga is more than exercise or a relaxation technique. To them, it's a religious ritual. But the Hindu gods don't make it onto my mat. Yoga purists don't lead classes at mainstream American gyms."
In other words, it's OK to do yoga if you only do it halfway. But the problem is, you cannot disobey God just halfway--and the demons know it. So what would Jesus say? Can a Christian incorporate Hindu spiritual practices in order to get closer to the Jesus of the Bible? I have a strong suspicion the "Hindu gods" have an agenda to introduce unsuspecting yoga practitioners to a different Jesus.
"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Jesus the Christ." Colossians 2:8
A most insightful article on this topic comes from a surprising source. The article, titled "There is No Christian Yoga," is written by Yogi Baba Prem, a Hindu Yogi, a Vedavisharada trained in the traditional gurukural system. Listen to what he has to say about Christian yoga:
"It was quite astonishing to see on the flyer "Christian Yoga! This Thursday night...." I could feel the wheels spinning in my brain. "Christian Yoga," I thought. Now while Christians can practice yoga, I am not aware of any Christian teachings about yoga. Yoga is not a Judeo/Christian word! ... It is a Hindu word, or more correctly a Sanskrit word from the Vedic civilization. So how did we get "Christian Yoga"?..."Hinduism should reclaim its full heritage and not allow other groups to rename its sacred teachings under their banner, especially when they have no history of those teaching within their own system. If they wish to "borrow" and say this comes from our brothers and sisters in Hinduism, then that is another thing.... Hinduism should guard against its sacred traditions becoming distorted and taken away."
This Hindu yogi resents Christians grabbing Hinduism's spiritual practice and calling it Christian. His resentment is understandable. How would we feel if there was suddenly a new craze called Hindu communion. We'd say, "Communion is about Jesus Christ. It can't possibly be called Hindu." How tragic that a Hindu guru sees the problem, but Christian leaders don't. In 2006, the same year this article came out, Thomas Nelson, the largest Christian publisher, published a book titled Yoga for Christians. And incredibly enough, many ministries and Christian organizations today are selling the book in their bookstores and churches across the nation have embraced 'christian' yoga teaching and practicing the techniques of 'sacred' Hinduism!
"They speak falsehood one to another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak."
Psalm 12:2
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you;on their part evil is spoken of, but on your part He is glorified."(I Peter 3:14)
Dr. Francis Schaeffer, who has been called the greatest Evangelical theologian of the last 100 years, warned that as the anarchy increased in our world due to moral relativism, that totalitarianism would rise to control the chaos. Schaeffer issued that warning over 30 years ago and said we had a brief window in which to preserve our religious freedoms. Dr. Schaeffer believed that the greatest contributing factor to the rise of totalitarianism was the fact that the Evangelical Church was accommodating to a growing humanist culture and not standing for Biblical truth.
"Nowhere is that more apparent than in the “Emergent Church Movement” and in the “Seeker-Friendly Movement,” but it is epidemic in the Evangelical culture as a whole. Tragically, what Schaeffer predicted would happen in the church and the culture is now happening before our eyes. Schaeffer stated that it did not matter whether or not the totalitarianism came from the left or the right because the results would be the same.
The words of Dr. Schaeffer reverberate in my mind, as I watch the rise of a global totalitarian state and the great apostasy that the Apostle warned about in II Thessalonians. For the most part the Evangelical Church in America and Europe is the Laodecian Church that Christ warned of in the Book of Revelation." [Paul McGuire]
It is this same Laodecian Church that existed in Nazi Germany before the Third Reich took control. The result of the Laodecian Church is the explosive growth of a humanist and world socialist government. This “Fourth Beast” which Daniel warned about will persecute true Bible believing Christians in America, and around the world - persecution in a manner that most Evangelical Churches and their leaders are unprepared for.
'Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated.'
Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch survivor of the Nazi Concentration Camps, and a lifelong missionary. Corrie was a believer in facing tribulation. She was one of the many people who were persecuted in concentration camps during World War II. Her family was murdered before her eyes, but though her life was threatened, God led her through that terrible time.
Corrie lived to testify all over the world of how God brought her out of that time of trouble. In an interview titled "Prepared for the Coming Tribulation", she shared the following plea for the saints to prepare for their faith to be tested. It serves today as a timely warning to the comfortable and complacent western church as it approaches the threshold of the endtime drama.
"We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes,“ to stand and not faint.
There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. In China, the Christians were told that they would be" raptured." Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it."
With the words of Job ringing in our ears, let us stand and proclaim the glory of our God ~
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him", for I know that to all who overcome, He shall give the crown of life.
Dr. Francis Schaeffer, who has been called the greatest Evangelical theologian of the last 100 years, warned that as the anarchy increased in our world due to moral relativism, that totalitarianism would rise to control the chaos. Schaeffer issued that warning over 30 years ago and said we had a brief window in which to preserve our religious freedoms. Dr. Schaeffer believed that the greatest contributing factor to the rise of totalitarianism was the fact that the Evangelical Church was accommodating to a growing humanist culture and not standing for Biblical truth.
"Nowhere is that more apparent than in the “Emergent Church Movement” and in the “Seeker-Friendly Movement,” but it is epidemic in the Evangelical culture as a whole. Tragically, what Schaeffer predicted would happen in the church and the culture is now happening before our eyes. Schaeffer stated that it did not matter whether or not the totalitarianism came from the left or the right because the results would be the same.
The words of Dr. Schaeffer reverberate in my mind, as I watch the rise of a global totalitarian state and the great apostasy that the Apostle warned about in II Thessalonians. For the most part the Evangelical Church in America and Europe is the Laodecian Church that Christ warned of in the Book of Revelation." [Paul McGuire]
It is this same Laodecian Church that existed in Nazi Germany before the Third Reich took control. The result of the Laodecian Church is the explosive growth of a humanist and world socialist government. This “Fourth Beast” which Daniel warned about will persecute true Bible believing Christians in America, and around the world - persecution in a manner that most Evangelical Churches and their leaders are unprepared for.
'Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated.'
Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch survivor of the Nazi Concentration Camps, and a lifelong missionary. Corrie was a believer in facing tribulation. She was one of the many people who were persecuted in concentration camps during World War II. Her family was murdered before her eyes, but though her life was threatened, God led her through that terrible time.
Corrie lived to testify all over the world of how God brought her out of that time of trouble. In an interview titled "Prepared for the Coming Tribulation", she shared the following plea for the saints to prepare for their faith to be tested. It serves today as a timely warning to the comfortable and complacent western church as it approaches the threshold of the endtime drama.
"We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes,“ to stand and not faint.
There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. In China, the Christians were told that they would be" raptured." Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it."
With the words of Job ringing in our ears, let us stand and proclaim the glory of our God ~
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him", for I know that to all who overcome, He shall give the crown of life.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Standing Faithful in the Furnace
By M.E. Townsend
“The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10
In expectation of the abundant life, with ‘Praise the Lord’ easily slipping off our tongue, we begin our walk of ‘faith’ trusting all will run smoothly and that we will overcome every trial with a song in our heart and a spring in our step. We assume our role as a “child of the King” eagerly awaiting our best life ever, having been taught that God wants the best for His children, we sit perched on the promises of God -
“Whatever you ask in My Name, that will I do.”
“If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”
“Because I live, you will live also.”
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.” [John 14:13, 14, 19, 27]
Then one day, without warning – we ask yet we do not receive. We continue to ask as our circumstance grows worse yet we do not receive the answer we so desperately seek. Our peace destroyed, our heart troubled, we find, to our dismay, that we are afraid. We bind the authority of satan, casting him out; we command he remove his hand from the “child of the King” With a loud voice, believing confession brings possession, we ‘call forth those things that be not as if they were’ – never realizing it was God who called into existence those things that were not, and not man. [Romans 4]
Doubt replaces faith as “what ifs’ steadily creep in - “What if my faith is too small?” “What if I did not “do” the Word of God as I should?” “What if I have been living in the flesh, therefore living in unbelief?” No longer perched on the promises we find ourselves struggling to even believe the promises as each “what if” unravels our faith one thread at a time.
With a lack of diligence, we give little thought to the growing of our faith. We chose to ignore “the testing of our faith produces endurance” choosing instead to claim “whatever you ask in My Name, that will I do.” Never considering that we must learn to trust in the faithfulness of our Faithful God, we remain spiritual and mental midgets. James tells us to: “count it all joy when we fall into trials” but we are too busy rebuking the devil to count the joy.
The proving ground for the life of all believers will never be found outside of pain and suffering, but only within the confines of the furnace of affliction. Moses learned much as he tended sheep. Learning patience, Moses waited on God's timing until at last he became the shepherd to lead the people of God out of Egyptian bondage into the land of Promise.
Joseph too was chosen to be a mighty deliverer. With long, weary, trying years spent in the dungeon Joseph learned to trust in the faithfulness of his God. Joseph was slandered, maligned, afflicted and oppressed but he could say with certainty: you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
When the times of testing come and we find yourselves surrounded by a blazing furnace of oppression, realize that many times the Lord will use just such a place to reveal Himself in greater splendor and glory. Realize also that God has allowed this experience of testing, this furnace of affliction so that sin and self might be burned out of our lives.
Remember God has called us to be holy, because He is holy. God will choose us and use us - if we endure the test.
We are not the victim of circumstance. We are a child of the King! We belong to God! However, we are the clay on the potter's wheel. Pressures will come, we will experience rejection, face hardship and loss, be scorned and ridiculed; but our LORD God is the One who orders all things in the lives of His children.
Everything is in the hand of God. Nothing comes to us by accident nor outside His will.
BE FAITHFUL! Be faithful even though you find yourself surrounded by the flaming fiery furnace of heavy trial. Be Faithful and
"... hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful - The Lamb of God." [Hebrews 10]
The beautiful promises found in the Book of John were spoken by our LORD to His committed disciples. Peter spoke on behalf of them all when he said:
“See, we have left all and followed You.” [Luke 18:28]
To claim the promises found in these scriptures, without fulfilling the condition is not faith, it is presumption.
Where do you stand? Are you a disciple of the LORD or a member of the church -perched on the wrong promise?
By M.E. Townsend
“The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10
In expectation of the abundant life, with ‘Praise the Lord’ easily slipping off our tongue, we begin our walk of ‘faith’ trusting all will run smoothly and that we will overcome every trial with a song in our heart and a spring in our step. We assume our role as a “child of the King” eagerly awaiting our best life ever, having been taught that God wants the best for His children, we sit perched on the promises of God -
“Whatever you ask in My Name, that will I do.”
“If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”
“Because I live, you will live also.”
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.” [John 14:13, 14, 19, 27]
Then one day, without warning – we ask yet we do not receive. We continue to ask as our circumstance grows worse yet we do not receive the answer we so desperately seek. Our peace destroyed, our heart troubled, we find, to our dismay, that we are afraid. We bind the authority of satan, casting him out; we command he remove his hand from the “child of the King” With a loud voice, believing confession brings possession, we ‘call forth those things that be not as if they were’ – never realizing it was God who called into existence those things that were not, and not man. [Romans 4]
Doubt replaces faith as “what ifs’ steadily creep in - “What if my faith is too small?” “What if I did not “do” the Word of God as I should?” “What if I have been living in the flesh, therefore living in unbelief?” No longer perched on the promises we find ourselves struggling to even believe the promises as each “what if” unravels our faith one thread at a time.
With a lack of diligence, we give little thought to the growing of our faith. We chose to ignore “the testing of our faith produces endurance” choosing instead to claim “whatever you ask in My Name, that will I do.” Never considering that we must learn to trust in the faithfulness of our Faithful God, we remain spiritual and mental midgets. James tells us to: “count it all joy when we fall into trials” but we are too busy rebuking the devil to count the joy.
The proving ground for the life of all believers will never be found outside of pain and suffering, but only within the confines of the furnace of affliction. Moses learned much as he tended sheep. Learning patience, Moses waited on God's timing until at last he became the shepherd to lead the people of God out of Egyptian bondage into the land of Promise.
Joseph too was chosen to be a mighty deliverer. With long, weary, trying years spent in the dungeon Joseph learned to trust in the faithfulness of his God. Joseph was slandered, maligned, afflicted and oppressed but he could say with certainty: you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
When the times of testing come and we find yourselves surrounded by a blazing furnace of oppression, realize that many times the Lord will use just such a place to reveal Himself in greater splendor and glory. Realize also that God has allowed this experience of testing, this furnace of affliction so that sin and self might be burned out of our lives.
Remember God has called us to be holy, because He is holy. God will choose us and use us - if we endure the test.
We are not the victim of circumstance. We are a child of the King! We belong to God! However, we are the clay on the potter's wheel. Pressures will come, we will experience rejection, face hardship and loss, be scorned and ridiculed; but our LORD God is the One who orders all things in the lives of His children.
Everything is in the hand of God. Nothing comes to us by accident nor outside His will.
BE FAITHFUL! Be faithful even though you find yourself surrounded by the flaming fiery furnace of heavy trial. Be Faithful and
"... hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful - The Lamb of God." [Hebrews 10]
The beautiful promises found in the Book of John were spoken by our LORD to His committed disciples. Peter spoke on behalf of them all when he said:
“See, we have left all and followed You.” [Luke 18:28]
To claim the promises found in these scriptures, without fulfilling the condition is not faith, it is presumption.
Where do you stand? Are you a disciple of the LORD or a member of the church -perched on the wrong promise?
Friday, June 5, 2009
FALL OF BABYLON - a VISION-
by Darren Smith. (1 Jun 09).
The Lord kept me up most of the night bringing a word for me to share and to share now. Many times I wait until I have prayed over what I hear in my spirit, but I can't wait to send this word out.
Last night while praying before I went to bed, The Lord gave me a vision that really rattled me.
In the vision I saw this land split into four parts with each one under its own flag. Each region had terrible destruction and many people were dead. As I looked over the destruction I was crying and the Lord asked me, "Why are you crying over the fall of Babylon? As a matter of fact, why have you been praying for the healing of Babylon?"In this vision I didn't have an answer and the Lord opened a scrolland started reading off the indictments against our country, but before each one he clearly called the USA Babylon.
The list was long and to the point, with such points as the killingof several generations of unborn children. Beside this charge He added that these babies had been sacrificed to the god of self. The list also included greed, idolatry, pride, fornication, and many others, so many I could not even read them all. As I looked at the list of charges I was overwhelmed and broken by the fact that we live every day in a nation that is so far removed from God and in total opposition to the Kingdom of God, yet we are comfortable here. We have become just like Lot living in Sodom,the prosperity that the nation offers us has blinded us from the evil that rules this land. We complain about how bad it is but still stay attached to it with every ounce of strength we have.
The Lord told me to look at the nation as He sees it, not through my eyes but through His. I could not look too long before I had to agree and repent of loving Babylon. Once I repented the Lord told me to prepare for the fall as time is running out. I must preach the Gospel of The Kingdom not the Gospel of America. America is already judged, the time of shaking is now and will increase rapidly this summer. Water shortages and food shortages will become common this summer, as well as fuel shortages. Civil unrest will become common place in large cities first but will spill over into the rural areas as well.
Natural disasters will stretch the resources of the nation to the breaking point and the government will use this to take freedom away. Brothers up north take note, you will see this start to happenquickly. Please seek the Lord for direction as you are out of time. The west coast will see this soon as well, please prepare.
In this vision there was a great wasteland that appeared to be in the center of the nation where everything was wiped out and I saw masses of people wandering without direction. They were dirty and ragged, almost dead and there was no relief in sight. Most of you reading this think I'm crazy I'm sure, but I must be faithful to share what I'm given to share.
The Lord told me to cry from the mountain tops to repent and seek the Lord now!! We don't have any more time to seek after the things of this world. He has also given me teaching to prepare people to pass through this time of shaking into the Kingdom and I must be faithful to preach this word anywhere I have an open door. If you want to hear this word please contact me to set up times and places, but again I must warn you, we are running out of time. We must stop living like we have all the time in the world. We must stop crying over the fall of Babylon and press into the Kingdom.-
You may contact Darren via email at streetscapeministries@yahoo.com
by Darren Smith. (1 Jun 09).
The Lord kept me up most of the night bringing a word for me to share and to share now. Many times I wait until I have prayed over what I hear in my spirit, but I can't wait to send this word out.
Last night while praying before I went to bed, The Lord gave me a vision that really rattled me.
In the vision I saw this land split into four parts with each one under its own flag. Each region had terrible destruction and many people were dead. As I looked over the destruction I was crying and the Lord asked me, "Why are you crying over the fall of Babylon? As a matter of fact, why have you been praying for the healing of Babylon?"In this vision I didn't have an answer and the Lord opened a scrolland started reading off the indictments against our country, but before each one he clearly called the USA Babylon.
The list was long and to the point, with such points as the killingof several generations of unborn children. Beside this charge He added that these babies had been sacrificed to the god of self. The list also included greed, idolatry, pride, fornication, and many others, so many I could not even read them all. As I looked at the list of charges I was overwhelmed and broken by the fact that we live every day in a nation that is so far removed from God and in total opposition to the Kingdom of God, yet we are comfortable here. We have become just like Lot living in Sodom,the prosperity that the nation offers us has blinded us from the evil that rules this land. We complain about how bad it is but still stay attached to it with every ounce of strength we have.
The Lord told me to look at the nation as He sees it, not through my eyes but through His. I could not look too long before I had to agree and repent of loving Babylon. Once I repented the Lord told me to prepare for the fall as time is running out. I must preach the Gospel of The Kingdom not the Gospel of America. America is already judged, the time of shaking is now and will increase rapidly this summer. Water shortages and food shortages will become common this summer, as well as fuel shortages. Civil unrest will become common place in large cities first but will spill over into the rural areas as well.
Natural disasters will stretch the resources of the nation to the breaking point and the government will use this to take freedom away. Brothers up north take note, you will see this start to happenquickly. Please seek the Lord for direction as you are out of time. The west coast will see this soon as well, please prepare.
In this vision there was a great wasteland that appeared to be in the center of the nation where everything was wiped out and I saw masses of people wandering without direction. They were dirty and ragged, almost dead and there was no relief in sight. Most of you reading this think I'm crazy I'm sure, but I must be faithful to share what I'm given to share.
The Lord told me to cry from the mountain tops to repent and seek the Lord now!! We don't have any more time to seek after the things of this world. He has also given me teaching to prepare people to pass through this time of shaking into the Kingdom and I must be faithful to preach this word anywhere I have an open door. If you want to hear this word please contact me to set up times and places, but again I must warn you, we are running out of time. We must stop living like we have all the time in the world. We must stop crying over the fall of Babylon and press into the Kingdom.-
You may contact Darren via email at streetscapeministries@yahoo.com
Monday, June 1, 2009
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness… Romans 1:18
STRANGE FIRE
By: M.E. Townsend
"Truth must be spoken, however it be taken."—John Trapp
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” Leviticus 10:1-2
In the name of tolerance and diversity, churches across the nation, and around the world, have embraced centering prayer, soaking prayer, contemplative worship, and “Christian” yoga. Incorporating Buddhist mysticism calling it Christian Meditation, using repetitive phrases both in song and prayer intending to focus the mind on the sacred while bringing one into a deeper spiritual experience, with Hindu Occultism masquerading as Christian Yoga, and with the new-man centered view of God we have driven worship from the sacred to the insane.
“Strange Fire, Strange Fire!” Says the LORD.
With lights dimmed and candles lit, regardless of denomination, we are invited to be still and quiet before the LORD. It has been stated that ‘the quiet repetition of a single word can help us to descend with the mind into the heart…This way of simple prayer …opens us to God’s active presence.’ [The Way of the Heart p.62] Should we not recognize that with this divergence in worship styles a deviation from what God ordained in His Holy Scripture to what man has set as the order of worship has occurred?
“Strange Fire, Strange Fire!”
When we make common the holiness of God, refusing to honor Him or His Word, choosing instead to follow the teachings of man rather than the Truths of God, we fall from adoration into ambiguity, no longer honoring or revering the King of Kings and LORD of Lords. Transformed by New Age meditations we become New Spirituality mimes, no longer offering God our petitions and prayers, our intercessions and thanksgiving.
Sadly, all that remains is ~ ‘Strange Fire.’
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” I John 4:1
“For a time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables. II Timothy 4:3-4
STRANGE FIRE
By: M.E. Townsend
"Truth must be spoken, however it be taken."—John Trapp
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” Leviticus 10:1-2
In the name of tolerance and diversity, churches across the nation, and around the world, have embraced centering prayer, soaking prayer, contemplative worship, and “Christian” yoga. Incorporating Buddhist mysticism calling it Christian Meditation, using repetitive phrases both in song and prayer intending to focus the mind on the sacred while bringing one into a deeper spiritual experience, with Hindu Occultism masquerading as Christian Yoga, and with the new-man centered view of God we have driven worship from the sacred to the insane.
“Strange Fire, Strange Fire!” Says the LORD.
With lights dimmed and candles lit, regardless of denomination, we are invited to be still and quiet before the LORD. It has been stated that ‘the quiet repetition of a single word can help us to descend with the mind into the heart…This way of simple prayer …opens us to God’s active presence.’ [The Way of the Heart p.62] Should we not recognize that with this divergence in worship styles a deviation from what God ordained in His Holy Scripture to what man has set as the order of worship has occurred?
“Strange Fire, Strange Fire!”
When we make common the holiness of God, refusing to honor Him or His Word, choosing instead to follow the teachings of man rather than the Truths of God, we fall from adoration into ambiguity, no longer honoring or revering the King of Kings and LORD of Lords. Transformed by New Age meditations we become New Spirituality mimes, no longer offering God our petitions and prayers, our intercessions and thanksgiving.
Sadly, all that remains is ~ ‘Strange Fire.’
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” I John 4:1
“For a time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables. II Timothy 4:3-4
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