Showing posts with label Mysticism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mysticism. Show all posts

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Another Jesus Calling



Christianbooks.com
Author Warren B. Smith has written a must read book documenting his concerns about the popular Christian devotional book "Jesus Calling". The devotional book written by Sarah Young has sold millions of copies by it's publisher Thomas Nelson, yet what's been pointed out in Smith's book shows there are similar new age messages/teachings from a new age book from the 1930's called: "God Calling", which Sarah Young praised as an inspiration in her own book: Jesus Calling. Young's book: "Jesus Calling" is a collection of messages presented in the form of a daily devotional book. Smith shows the "Jesus" of Sarah Young's book is "Another Jesus" and not the Jesus of the Bible. 


Warren Smith warns most urgently about his concerns on pg. 43: "The very real danger of spiritual experences is that they can be used to introduce new truths and new revelations. This is what the New Age is founded on, and the experiential "truths" and "revelations" of the New Age have been in the process of "infecting" the church for many years now.  As these new truths and new revelations supplant God's Word, they definitely revolutionize man's thoughts of Jesus Christ---which opens the door to embracing "another Jesus."
 

 
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom
 we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
 which ye have not received, or another gospel, which
 ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
 (2 Corinthians 11:4)
 

The author Warren Smith shows how Young's Devotional book contradicts Scripture as he cites various quotes from the Jesus Calling book.  Smith warns about the danger of contemplative prayer which is also promoted in Sarah Young's book and the concerns of elevating spiritual experiences over the Word of God.  This is a book that gives much needed discernment about this popular christian book. Recommended reading. This book can be ordered from Lighthouse Trails.


Warren B. Smith has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania; M.S.W. from Tulane University. Warren served as a social worker and directed several homeless programs in Northern California and served as a hospice social worker in New Orleans and in California. Because of his past involvement in the New Age movement, he has written extensively on the subject of spiritual deception.  He is a conference speaker in the U.S. and Canada.
 
 
 

Below is also a link to a companion booklet that covers recent problems with the Sarah Young book "Jesus Calling". This booklet from Lighthouse Trails - "Changing Jesus Calling - Damage Control for a False Christ" highlights further problematic issues with the publishing of Young's book and changes that have since occurred in it's text of the 10th Anniversary edition by the Thomas Nelson publisher while accountability issues are examined.   To order the Booklet click here: Changing Jesus Calling (This booklet outlines 5 problems with the book by Sarah Young - 'Jesus Calling'.
 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

A New Earth An Old Deception

Featured heavily on Oprah and touted by critics and readers alike, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle is finding a huge following in the culture. Promoting ideas and beliefs that seem godly and good, this bestselling book is wrapping the country in a cocoon of sound spirituality. Or is it?


It may sound right---almost Christian, in fact---but something isn't quite right says Richard Abanes, the author of such books as The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code. Equipping Christians with biblical answers and viewpoints, Abanes helps believers---as well as the curious---understand that Eckhart Tolle's message is dangerous.


Easy to read, A New Earth, An Old Deception is a concise refutation of the Oprah-promoted bestseller, providing a clear biblical response to this new age message. Topics include Tolle's misuse of Scripture, false teachings on God, the Bible's teaching on evil, A New Earth's version of salvation compared to God's plan, and much more.

 
This book can be ordered from Christianbooks.com

Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 9781441203137
ISBN-13: 9781441203137


 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Contending for the Faith

From the cover: “Recent years have seen an explosion of independent ministries claiming apostolic and prophetic offices. These new apostles and prophets are claiming the Church must come under their authority and direction in order to fulfill her end-time purpose. New doctrines and practices are being introduced into the Body at an alarming rate.




This book examines the claims and doctrines of the new apostles and prophets in the light of Biblical revelation and offers a response for the discerning Christian. “ Recommended Reading. One of the best new books on the subject.
 
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ…These are wandering starts for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Jude 3,4,12


This Book can be purchased Here: Amazon.com
 
Keith Gibson has served in Christian ministry for more than 27 years. He is the founding pastor of Word of Life Community Church. He also serves as the Kansas City Director for the Apologetics Resource Center. He and his wife Doreen have been married over 26 years and have five children.


Title: Wandering Stars
Publisher: Solid Ground Christian Books
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 978-159925-317-4 


 
See Other Reviews of this Book:

Gary Gilley’s Book Review

MM Outreach Book Review of Wandering Stars - Newsletter order information
http://mmoutreachinc.com/nv/nv102ad-inc.html




Sunday, November 17, 2013

Seeing A World of Difference




One or Two describes as "One-ism" and "Two-ism," the two ways of being spiritual.   One-ism believes that everything that exists is of one substance and that the goal of theology, spirituality and even sexuality is to destroy all distinctions, and bring all things together.
 
 
Two-ism believes that there is a God outside creation who made all that is not God and has structured creation for the good of humanity. Two-ism has implications in our theology, spirituality and sexuality.
 
 
The book is based on the argumentation of the apostle Paul in Romans 1. Peter Jones analyzes the current cultural expressions of spirituality in light of these two approaches.

 
About the Author
Peter Jones holds an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a ThM from Harvard divinity School, and PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. He taught at the Reformed Seminary in Aix-en-Provence, France for seventeen years, and was active in church planting. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, he is now Director of truthXchange (a 501 c3 organization), Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Scholar in Residence at Westminster Seminary California, where he was a professor from 1991-2003. He is the father of seven children and has numerous grandchildren.
 
This Book can be purchased at Amazon.com - See Here.

Publisher: Main Entry Editions; First edition (June 1, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0974689521
ISBN-13: 978-097468952

 



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Suicide of American Christianity



 
American Christianity is dying a slow death at its own hands. Instead of positively affecting the secular culture, we are being infected by it under the guise of being "seeker-friendly" and "loving." Soon, the church may be an exact mirror of the culture that seeks to destroy us.

With a lack of strong, principled leaders, and with followers who want their ears tickled instead of being challenged to pursue righteousness, American Christianity is writing its own epitaph as it slowly dies. Unless we reverse course by embracing the complete, absolute truth of God's Word and stop trying to redefine God in our selfish human image, only a remnant will remain from a once-powerful church.

Do we have the courage to challenge our leaders and ourselves to reject secular culture and its influences? Or will we continue to die a slow death at our own hands as we continue to inhale the cancer of secular humanism? Time is running out.


Publisher: WestBow Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 1449750249
ISBN-13: 9781449750244

This Book can be purchased at Christianbook.com ( See Link:
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=750244&event=AAI
 


Monday, October 1, 2012

YOGA and the Church



YOGA UNCOILED: From East to West

For Order Information click
on Image
From the cover: Many believe they can practice yoga postures, breathing, and focusing techniques devoid of yoga’s spirituality, not realizing that yoga is an inherent part of Hindu philosophy which teaches man and nature are one with divinity.


Today, yoga is experiencing a worldwide renaissance and in America has more than 70,000 yoga teachers working in 20,000 locations. Although viewed primarily as fitness instructors, these trainers are in reality the leading missionaries of eastern religion in the west. The twenty-seven billion dollar a year yoga industry is marketed to students, athletes, businessmen, pregnant women and senior citzens promising solutions for stress reduction, concentration problems, and issues of self confidence.


Once viewed by Christians as a pagan import from the East, yoga has now become mainstream in the church through “Christ-centered yoga classes” designed to help improve spirituality and experience “the presence of God”. But is yoga’s mysticism compatible with historic Christianity?

 
Video-journalist Caryl Matrisciana, who was born and raised in India, returns to her native land to search for truth among India’s leading experts and examines what Christian Yoga practitioners in the West are saying about their Yoga participation.

 
With critical discernment, this hard-hitting and informative DVD explores the ramifications of dismissing yoga’s core spirituality, and blending Biblical terminology and precepts with eastern meditative techniques and practices.  To order this DVD please visit the website below:
 
 
Caryl Matrisciana‘s Website: - http://www.caryltvshop.com/

To order this DVD online visit the website: http://www.caryltvshop.com/Yoga-Uncoiled-From-East-To-West-DVD.html


About the Author

Film Maker and best-selling author Caryl Matrisciana is a well-known expert on ancient and modern world religions, contemporary cults, the New Age, and the occult. Caryl has co-produced or contributed research and expertise to more than 55 documentaries in the past 30 years. For the past 23 years Caryl was the Creative and Marketing Director for Jeremiah Films, a Southern California film company, a leader in documentary film production and video distribution. She was instrumental in the research and production of many of the films covering a myriad subjects and also narrated many of them.

Can Yoga ever be Christian? 




Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A Different Gospel

The ''name it, claim it'' theology of the Word Faith Movement is presented as biblical---but is it? In this compelling book,

McConnell documents the historical link between faith theology and New Thought metaphysics.

He then analyzes faith theology's doctrines of healing and prosperity as well as its understanding of the atonement of Christ to show how they deviate from biblical teaching.

Copyright 1988/1995
Publisher:  Hendrickson Publishers
ISBN: 1565631323

Read/Reviewed: 4/2001

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Book on the Prophetic Movement


Why I Left the Prophetic Movement

The Author Andrew Strom tells of what he has seen occurring at a Conference in Kansas City and how he discerned it. He describes what he saw going on there was so disturbing, pagan and ungodly that he left the Prophetic Movement. Strom believes that the movement is dominated by a spirit of divination and fortune-telling, and believes that it is beyond reform.



We are not in agreement with some things in the book, such as Strom disparaging remarks about discernment ministries, who have warned the Church of these false teachings for years. But he does bring up some very important points and examines what is happening within the Prophetic Movement and appeals to Scripture. Strom gives a strong warning to those who have been “Touched” and who are involving themselves in the manifestations, visitations, and experiences that are occurring in recent revivals, and as to those claiming to be prophets such as : Todd Bentley, Patricia King, and others. Those involved need to renounce it, in Jesus Name, with your mouth, and then have nothing more to do with it!

There is a good section in the book on IHOP and the modern Prayer Movement and it’s “Bridal Paradigm” - the Romancing Jesus teachings that are promoted in popular Contemporary Christian Music of today, and how this distorts a Christian’s true understanding of Christ and God’s Holiness. Some are justifying their own beliefs in this teaching based on Mystics who are quoted and teach these beliefs and supporting it, they somehow believe that this makes it correct or that this ’Bridal/Romancing Jesus teaching is supported in the Bible when clearly these teachings are not in scripture. Strom plainly shows how these extra-biblical teachings can lead an unsuspecting listener to accept false teachings and can open a Christian up to unclean and deceitful spirits.

The chapter on why correcting false teachings is NOT a Matthew 18 matter, was especially helpful. One thing I didn’t like about the book was it’s critical references to heresy hunters, yet Strom’s own chapter on discernment is no different than what ‘heresy hunters’ and/or discernment ministries have been warning the Church about for years and have been solidly standing firm in the faith on the truth of God‘s word.
 
 
We bought this book in early June/2008, someone we know was involved with Todd Bentley’s ministry school and revival teachings and read some sections of this book to her. This helped the person to evaluate the teachings of this movement and reconsider their involvement, but for some, seldom is this truly possible so quickly, since the teachings, peer-pressure and fleshy appeal is so seductive. It is always advisable to continually pray for those who have gotten involved with these teachings.
Copyright © 2008 - Andrew Strom
Publisher - Revival School
ISBN: 13: 978-0-9799073-0-2
Reading/ Reviewed: July 14,2008

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Complete in Christ

Our Sufficiency in Christ - John MacArthur

In this book the Author reminds us that the Bible provides for the believer ‘everything for life and godliness’ 2 Peter 1:3, and exhorts the reader how to apply the riches of Christ that is our inheritance at Salvation. To be in Christ is to have: wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corth 1:30. His grace is supplied, we have every spiritual blessing. Eph. 1:3.

The author shows how major shifts in theology and practice have had various effects on the Church. In addressing Gnosticism, (defined as a heresy that causes people to seek hidden knowledge beyond what God has revealed in His word and through Christ.) John MacArthur shows how these old heresies are troubling the Church today, and are currently challenging the authority of Scripture and the Gospel. Modern believers are mixing God’s Word with psychology and mysticism.  He writes that people don’t go heretical all at once, “It is gradual. And they do not do so intentionally most of the time. They slip into it through shoddiness and laziness in handling the word of truth…a flashy new idea, along with a little laziness or carelessness or lack of precision in handling the truth of God.”

This book covers so much more then I have written here. This book is clearly a good book for Christian growth. Your faith will be strengthened. Recommended reading.

John MacArthur -  - is Pastor-Teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California and serves as President of the Master’s College and Seminary.
Website  Grace to you  
Copyright © 1998 by John MacArthur (originally published by word publishing)
Publisher: Crossway Books & Bibles 
ISBN: 1581340133

Reading / Review Date: December 24, 2007