Here is a short (33 min) movie that challenges us to compare the Holocaust of Nazi Germany to abortion and it manages to weave the truth of God’s Word throughout. Ray Comfort does what he does best. He speaks to people on the street and asks them to think about things they had never considered before.
Warning: The movie is graphic with scenes of death camp victims and scenes related to abortion.
Christopher Lawson at Spiritual Research Network posts an excellent primer on the contemplative prayer movement. I have read much over the last few years regarding this anti-biblical practice. Yet I have found it hard to find a concisely written piece that defines it well. This article accomplishes that by defining the biblical error of contemplative prayer and gives properly researched warnings regarding professed Christians that support, teach and/or practice it. I do not judge the heart or the motive of those named. But we must judge rightly, according to the Holy Word of God, the teachings and practices of anyone claiming to be Christian. Even Paul’s teaching was tested against scripture (Acts 17:10-11). Why shouldn’t that be true of everyone else?
I thank Christopher Lawson for permission to reprint this article in it’s complete form.
Click here for PDF Version
Do Christian leaders understand the dangers of the Contemplative Prayer – Contemplative Spirituality [Spiritual Formation] movement? It appears that countless numbers of them do not. Countless others do not seem to care and others are hostile to those who expose the dangers of this so-called, ancient-future spirituality.
Contemplative Spirituality can be clearly defined this way:
Contemplative Spirituality: A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). [http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/]
The concern that has motivated the writing of this article stems from the fact that many Christian leaders are ignorantly engaging in and outright promoting this dangerous spiritual method. The core of this methodology, which can lead to extreme spiritual hazards, is meditative, contemplative - centering prayer. In light of this, vast volumes of contemplative promoting literature is being gobbled up by undiscerning Christians. This fact alone shouts forth with clarity that the missing jewel in the 21st Century Church is biblical discernment. The following examples and citations serve to show the incredible lack of discernment showing forth in the Church today.
NATIONAL PASTORS CONVENTION DISPLAYS LACK OF DISCERNMENT
The 2008 National Pastors Convention, which was brought to you by: Zondervan and InterVarsity Press, also had Presenting Sponsors: Vida, World Vision and Christianbook.com. The purpose of the 2008 National Pastors Convention was stated in their banner sentence for the convention:
nourish your soul. engage your mind. connect in meaningful conversation
[Zondervan links to the 2008 National Pastors Convention are no longer active]
Along with the Christian Yoga classes which will be [were] offered by Shelly Pagitt (Wife of Doug Pagitt from Solomon’s Porch) at this “Pastor’s Convention”, people had the opportunity to attend the National Pastor’s Retreat. The link to the National Pastors Retreats page informed Church leaders that they could “Experience a Deeper Connection with God” by attending this overnight retreat. According to the advertisements, the main speakers for this retreat were Joe Sherman and Ruth Haley Barton.
This National Pastors Retreat provides leaders with a safe place to be honest about the challenges of spiritual leadership, to experience spiritual rhythms of solitude, prayer, and community, and to deepen their understanding of leadership that flows from one’s authentic self. Led by The Transforming Center leaders Ruth Haley Barton and Joe Sherman,… Ruth Haley Barton is a Spiritual Director, teacher and retreat leader trained through the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and the Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership in Nashville, Tennessee. (http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/NPC/Retreat/)
Sherman and Barton are both co-founders of The Transforming Center (www.thetransformingcenter.org). Barton, president of The Transforming Center, is a teacher, spiritual director, and retreat leader. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church.
It is well known that Ruth Haley Barton is a promoter of Contemplative Prayer. She is the author of numerous books and in the 1999 Discipleship Journal (Vol. 113) she is quoted as saying:
Ask for a simple prayer to express your willingness to meet God in the silence … a simple statement …such as “Here I am.” … Help yourself return to your original intent by repeating the prayer that you have chosen.
EVANGELICAL LEADERS PROMOTE NEW AGE AND EASTERN SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
In an extremely well researched Lighthouse Trails press release entitled Evangelical Leaders Promote New Age and Eastern Spiritual Practices, we read the following:
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.
In Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driven Life, on Day Eleven, he encourages people to practice “breath prayers” by repeating words and phrases over and over in a mantra-style prayer, a practice used centuries ago by a group of mystical monks known as the Desert Fathers. This so-called “prayer” is identical to that found in Hindu yoga and Zen Buddhism….
Ruth Haley Barton, formerly of Willow Creek and trained at the very contemplative Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington D.C., wrote Invitation to Solitude and Silence, and teaches contemplative prayer through her Transforming Center. Barton co-authored with John Ortberg Ordinary Day With Jesus, which clearly instructs readers in mystical prayer practices. And as if that were not enough to show Ortberg’s sympathies to this New Age spirituality, he will be speaking this year at the National Pastor’s Convention where labyrinths, contemplative prayer exercises, and yoga workshops will take place.
Do not think that the infiltration stops there—Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, endorsed the back cover of Sue Monk Kidd’s book, When the Heart Waits. Monk Kidd, once a conservative Baptist, began practicing contemplative prayer and has now become a major promoter of the practice and of feminine spirituality. When the Heart Waits clearly shows her descent into this belief system. What was Peterson thinking when he put his name on that book?
Read entire Press Release: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/PressReleasemarhc252005.htm
But just what is this “invitation to solitude and silence”. And what is this “repetition of sacred words” one is supposed to engage in?
CONTEMPLATIVE CENTERING PRAYER AND THE SILENCE?
For those who are not yet aware of what “the silence” is, “the silence”, according to Buddhist, Hindu, Theosophist, Christian mystic, etc. literature is a self-induced altered state of consciousness one enters when practicing contemplative “centering” prayer. Referred to by occultists and Christian mystics alike, “the silence” is where individuals say they “commune with the Divine Consciousness”, or, the “Divine Self”. This is one of the roles of “meditation, concentration and contemplation” in the occult training of Hindu Yogi’s and Zen Buddhists. Christian Mystic Contemplatives such as Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington, Bede Griffiths, Brennan Manning (reader use caution at these web-links) and many others have this mystical-occult method into their brand of Christianity. Richard Foster gleaned it from Thomas Merton and other Christian mystics and has popularized it amongst Western Christendom. Basil Pennington, one of the best known proponents of the centering prayer practice, gave specific methodical guidelines for the centering prayer.
From the Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. website, on the Informational Pamphlet on Centering Prayer page, we read the following under The Guidelines:
1.Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. [[See also in pamphlet] Examples: God, Jesus, Abba, Father, Mother, Mary, Amen. Other possibilities: Love, Peace, Mercy, Listen, Let Go, Silence, Stillness, Faith, Trust, Yes.]
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your thoughts*, return ever-so gently to the sacred word.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. [*Thoughts include body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections]
http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/site/DocServer/MethodCP2008.pdf?docID=121
Wikipedia states the end result of centering prayer:
Ideally, the prayer will reach the point where the person is not engaged in their thoughts as they arrive on their stream of consciousness. This is the “unknowing” referenced in the 14th century book. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centering_prayer]
In actuality, “the silence” is an altered state of consciousness (Alpha state) whereby human beings, in a self-induced mystical way, interface spiritually with demonic entities that teach pantheistic (All-is-God, God-is-All) and pan-en-theistic (All-in-God) occult philosophy. Occult literature bears this out perfectly and this is why so many practitioners of Contemplative centering prayer end up believing an unbiblical, mysticism-friendly, Eastern occult world-view. Buddhist’s, Theosophist’s, Hindu’s, Jain’s, Witches, etc. do not come to the Biblical Jesus through Contemplative prayer. In fact, professing Christians can very easily erode their own personal biblical view of God as a result of practicing the unbiblical Contemplative prayer centering method.
PASTORS INFLUENCED BY CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS?
Are we saying that Ruth Haley Barton is purposefully leading people into altered states of consciousness in order to introduce people to demonic spirits? No, we are not implying that she is purposefully attempting to do this. We are simply making the point that occultists and non-Christian mystics who are in touch with demon spirits, use the same exact technique as Christian Contemplatives and “centering prayer” advocates. Or should we say, proponents of the Contemplative prayer methodology are doing exactly what occultists and mystics have been doing for centuries, only now it is Christianized.
To note, the Theosophical Publishing House in India, a well known producer of many volumes of occult literature, has published books that state in exactly the same terms as Christian Contemplatives how one can enter an altered state of consciousness. Through this occult method, Christian Mystics and practitioners of the occult alike get the same sensory loaded result! It is through deceitful theological term switching that Eastern evolutionary mystical occultism has worked its way into the Church. Inducing oneself into an altered state of consciousness and allowing ones God-given discernment faculties to be lowered, in order to “enhance communion with the Divine” is a dangerous game indeed. When this happens, the mind can be craftily influenced by malign spirit beings. A convoluted and distorted theology of God is oftentimes the end result of meditative contemplative prayer.
It is important to note that self-induction into altered state of consciousness is extremely dangerous. Christian mystics have done this through the centuries and they are doing it today. Hi-jacking Eastern spirituality (Buddhist, Hindu, etc.) in the name of Christianity, as a means to “connect with the Divine” and “have an experience”, is evil. Yes people are having “experiences” when they do these things but to be sure, they are not “connecting” with the God of the Bible. Let the reader forever remember that the world of the occult is centered around spirituality based on experience, not on Biblical truth. Contrary to the schemes of the Prince of Darkness, the kingdom of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ is based on worshipping God “in spirit and in truth”. Jesus said to the woman at the well:
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
TESTIMONY OF A FORMER SATANIST – MARTIAL ARTS EXPERT REGARDING CONTEMPLATIVE CENTERING PRAYER METHOD
Consider closely what a former Satan worshipper and Martial Arts expert of 18 years says. In his article entitled, Contemplative Prayer, Max Debono-De-Laurentis (MDDL Discernment and Study Ministry) writes concerning his testimony of coming to Jesus Christ out of the world of the occult:
When I was heavily involved in the occult/new age, one of the most important forms of developing your communion with the spirits was through mantra chanting and emptying the mind to hear what the spirit has to say to you. I understood that I was to hear my spirit tell me what to do. It worked, and I have the emotional scars to prove it.
When I got saved and set free through the shed Blood of Jesus and His resurrection, I believed this stuff was all behind me. I had repented of the occult practices I was involved in, from Martial Arts to Satan worship.
In the last 20 years as a believer I have seen more and more practices I thought I had left behind coming into the church and believers calling it Christian and Biblical. These practices have been around for three thousand years or so, and never until recently have they been called Biblical. [www.maxddl.org/Contemplative Prayer.htm]
THE WORD OF GOD VS. COUNTERFEIT SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
The Christian ought to remember that Satan is able to counterfeit spiritual experiences to such a degree that an undiscerning Christian can end up practicing Christianized occultism and Christianized Eastern mysticism. The definition of counterfeit is: “made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive” [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterfeit] This is exactly what Satan intends to do and is doing, at large, through unbiblical forms of mystical spirituality.
Are Christian pastors being deceived in different parts of the world today? Yes they are! Spiritual deception can happen to any Christian who is undiscerning and who is not grounded in the Word of God. Remember what Paul the Apostle stated so clearly to those whom he sincerely loved at Corinth:
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 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 11:3-4)
Are Christian pastors today being taught unbiblical, and even occult based mystical prayer methods? Yes they are! Jesus Christ our Lord never taught His disciples to practice “centering prayer”, or to ever so gently return to and repeat a mantra, a “sacred word”, etc. On the contrary, Jesus told His disciples to pray intimately to God and not use vain repetitions like the heathen do:
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. (Matthew 6:6-8)
Do Christian leaders really understand the Contemplative Prayer, Spiritual Formation Movement? It appears many do not. Are Christian leaders – even the very elect, being deceived today? It appears many are!
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24)
Christian pastors and Church leaders of today, let us, like the Apostles of old who knew their Lord and who personally knew His ways, be guided by the Holy Spirit and by the everlasting Word of God:
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
(Acts 6:4)
What follows is an open letter written by Tony Miano at The Lawman Chronicles.
Dear President Barack Obama,
My name is Tony Miano. I am a citizen of the United States and you are my president.
While we live in the same country, we also live worlds apart. We are very different–you and I. You are a politician and the most powerful man in the world–known to virtually everyone. I am a retired deputy sheriff, who is now serving in the ministry–known to very few.
Yet while we are different, we have several things in common. We are about the same age. We are both married to lovely, supportive women. We are raising daughters (although two of mine are now in college). We’re protective of our families. And we both profess to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Here are some of the statements you have made about your faith:
“I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life.”
“I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith.”
“I’ve been to the same church– the same Christian church– for almost 20 years . . .I was sworn in with my hand on the family Bible.”
“It is a precept of my Christian faith that my redemption comes through Christ, but I am also a big believer in the Golden Rule, which I think is an essential pillar not only of my faith but of my values and my ideals and my experience here on Earth.”
“My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won’t be fulfilling God’s will unless I go out and do the Lord’s work.”
Mr. President, you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ, yet you have said nothing about this…
You have said nothing publicly about the use of your image to blaspheme God.
The artist canceled the public unveiling of this blasphemous work, due to the public, moral outrage over the work’s content.
Mr. President, since your image was used to blaspheme the God in whom you say you believe, why hasn’t your voice been the first and the loudest to be heard? As a professing Christian and the present leader of our country, why aren’t you the leading Christian voice to say that you do not condone or appreciate the use of your image to blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ?
If you were to try to make the case that as a “community organizer” you want to bring people together, and to speak publicly about this would alienate non-Christians; or if you were to try to make the case that this is a “freedom of speech” issue and you would not want to be seen as infringing upon the artist’s right to free expression; then I would humbly submit to you, Mr. President, that anything and/or anyone you place before or above God, is your god.
Mr. President, any time you refuse to make a stand for God you are denying God. And the Word of God is clear. “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).
Could making such a public stand for the name and holiness of Jesus Christ prove costly? Could it cost you your popularity among the masses, both here and abroad? Could it cost you support within the halls of government? Could it cost you the White House? Could it cost you your very life? Jesus had an answer for concerns such as these.
“And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let Him deny Himself and take up His cross and follow Me’” (Mark 8:34).
Mr. President, whatever you are unwilling to sacrifice (even your life) for the sake of Jesus Christ is, in reality, your god. Whatever you love more than Christ; whatever you treasure more than Christ; whatever you will not forfeit for Christ is your god.
While there is only one Lawgiver and Judge and while there is only One who is able to save and destroy (James 4:12), and while I cannot know your heart, because I care about you as a human being I must tell you this. Your seeming indifference to this latest effort to dub you messiah, coupled with many things you have said in the past that run contrary to the Christian faith and the infallible Word of God; I must tell you that I do not believe you are a Christian. While you assert that you believe in Jesus Christ (even the demons believe and shudder–James 2:19), I do not believe you have received Him as Lord and Savior. I believe you are lost and in need of salvation.
Mr. President, I do not make such a statement–one that many professing Christians and non-Christians alike would wrongly deem judgmental–with any ill-will toward you whatsoever. On the contrary, Mr. President: I make such a statement because I care enough about you as a human being to tell you the truth. I love you enough to tell you the truth and run the risk of having you hate me for it.
Mr. President, there is yet another way you and I are very similar. We are both sinners. We have both violated the Law of God. Mr. President, if you have ever lied, stolen, taken God’s name in vain, looked at someone other than your wife with lust, or ever hated anyone then God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterous, murderer at heart.
Because God is good–because He is holy, righteous, and just–He must punish your sin. All sin is against God. The punishment God has ascribed for sin is eternity in hell, Mr. President. When you die and stand before Almighty God, He will not see you mounted on a donkey. He will not see you wearing the crown of thorns He allowed His only Son to wear. He will see you naked–clothed only in the filthy garments of your sin. And He will say to you on that great and terrible day, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you worker of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23b).
Mr. President, I do not want that for you. My wish for you is a very long and healthy life on this earth. I wish the same for your wife and your children; as well as your children’s children. But I want so much more than that for you. I want you to receive the free gift of eternal life that only God can give.
Mr. President, allow me to introduce you to the real Messiah–the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Two thousand years ago, God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ (fully God and fully man) to this earth (John 1:14). He lived the perfect life that you cannot live. He was nailed to a cross, shed His blood, and died taking upon Himself the wrath of God sinners deserve (Mark 15:22-26). Three days later, He rose from the dead defeating sin and death. As a result of Jesus Christ’s perfect life, shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection, God grants forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe (John 3:16). But in order for this to happen, Jesus said you must be “born again” (John 3:3). Being born again is a supernatural work that only God can do when He gives you a new heart and dwells in you in the person of the Holy Spirit. This change results in a hunger for righteousness that will cause you to repent, turn from your sins, and put your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Please, Mr. President, repent and believe the gospel. Turn from your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Neither you, nor the ecumenical, pluralistic, unjust god you have fashioned in your mind are the true Messiah. There is only One. His name is Jesus Christ–the God of the Scriptures–the Living Word.
Mr. President, it matters not to me whether thousands of people join me by signing this letter or it bears only my signature. What matters to me, Mr. President, is where you will spend eternity. What matters to me, Mr. President, is whether you will stand with me to exalt and glorify the name that is above every name–the name before which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess–Jesus Christ the Lord.
Respectfully yours,
Tony Miano
A Bondslave of the Lord Jesus Christ
Tim Challies at challies.com reviews the book, “The Shack” by William P. Young. Of the reviews I have read, his is the most even toned. I warn you, he does not recommend the book. But he does takes the time to give biblical responses to the doctrine presented in the book. He covers the topics of the Trinity, submission, free will, forgiveness, Scripture and revelation, and salvation. As a result of the popularity of the book and his review of it, Tim later expanded his review and now provides it in pdf form here. Tim summarizes his view of “The Shack” at the end of his expanded review:
“Focusing on just three of the subjects William Young discusses in The Shack, we’ve seen that errors abound. He presents a false view of God and one that may well be described as heretical. He downplays the importance and uniqueness of the Bible,subjugating it or making it equal to other forms of subjective revelation. He misrepresents redemption and salvation, opening the door to the possibility of salvation outside of the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross. We are left with an unbiblical understanding of the persons and nature of God and of His work in this world.
But this is not all. The discerning reader will note as well that the author muddies the concepts of forgiveness and free will. He introduces teaching that is entirely foreign to the Bible, often stating with certainty what is merely speculative. He oversteps the bounds of Scripture while downplaying the Bible’s importance. He relies too little on Scripture and too much on his own theological imaginings.
All this is not to say there is nothing of value in the book. However, it is undeniable to the reader who will look to the Bible, that there is a great deal of error within The Shack. There is too much error.
That The Shack is a dangerous book should be obvious from this review. The book’s subversive undertones seek to dismantle many aspects of the faith and these are subsequently replaced with doctrine that is just plain wrong. Error abounds.
I urge you, the reader, to exercise care in reading and distributing this book. The Shack may be an engaging read but it is one that contains far too much error. Read it only with the utmost care and concern, critically evaluating the book against the unchanging standard of Scripture. Caveat lector!”
I saw this video today at Reformed Baptist Fellowship and had to post it here. Dr. James White addresses Sean Penn’s comments at the 2009 Academy Awards. I appreciate his well reasoned response. I also appreciate the clear Gospel message he gives. Dr. White does not shrink back from the topic and stands on God’s Word.
“There is an insidious and dangerous teaching that I’ve noticed creeping in to my church, threatening my Christian hope, and stifling my evangelistic effectiveness. Up to this point, it hasn’t had a catchy title.But I want to correct that. I’m going to call this teaching ‘nowism’, from the English word ‘now’, meaning the present age.”
With that introduction Lionel Windsor writes about nowism at The Sola Panel. It is defined as a a way of life characterized by living for the moment and what is desired now versus living with an eternal focus and placing God’s priorities above our own. Speaking from a nowist position, one of the quotes that stood out was:
A lot of it has to do with the fact that we live in times of unprecedented economic prosperity. Many of us have careers; all of us have peace and social security. Nobody need starve in our country. If we want heaven, we can get it now; it comes on a stick in the ice cream section of the local supermarket! In fact, most of us have quite a lot to lose when Jesus returns, and we don’t have much reason to be very keen to see him come back and spoil it while we’re all enjoying ourselves so much. At least he could wait until the kitchen extension is finished and we get back from the overseas trip!
How painfully honest for some! Read the full post here.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 NASB
The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11 NASB
The above scripture references (1 John 4:1 and Acts 17:10-11) proclaim the need to examine all things presenting themselves as from God. Examining the scriptures to see if something is true is listed as the proper method. Because I was told that the Quickening workshop and the Personal Mastery workshops are the same other than the fact that the Quickening “actually used scriptures”, I decided to examine the Personal Mastery information in comparison to scripture. Part 1 is found here if you missed it.
The Personal Mastery workshops, according to the Klemmer.com website, have three categories “that best fits you”. They are Direct Sales, Corporate/Business Professional, and Community/Family. Each listing has a link to a page that outlines a typical seminar schedule. It also lists the tools and skills that will be obtained by attending the seminars. Some of the tools and skills are unique to the category, yet there are some consistent for all of them. Those are:
Increase your income
Heightened state of activity
Skill to create structural tension or generative energy
Increase your income was listed first in each category. I have no doubt that a high majority of people, including myself are interested in increasing our income. But is that a proper biblical desire? The Bible states:
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10 NASB
The verse says the “love” of money not the money itself is the problem. When we put our primary focus on wealth, money, possessions, etc. we deny the Lordship of Jesus in our lives.
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth. Luke 16:13 NASB
God’s method is:
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 11:4 NASB
The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life. Proverbs 22:4 NASB
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Joshua 1:8 NASB
Heightened state of activity is another skill that is listed for all three. The definitions that I was able to find were associated with symptoms of a head injury. Agitation and confusion were listed as descriptive of a heightened state of activity.Certainly this skill as defined is not desirable.
for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33 NASB
If the definition is more closely related to being more physically active, then there may be some value in it. But context is still the key. What is the activity? Unless the activity serves God and His purposes rather than our own selfish desires, the activity, heightened or not, is worthless.
Skill to create structural tension or generative energy is next on the list. The definition of structural tension is the recognition of what we want versus what our current reality is. The definition of generative energy is having the ability to originate, produce, or procreate. When these two phrases are used together I surmise the objective is to identify one’s current situation, decide what goal is desired, then to obtain that goal through self originating processes.
Each category lists two sentences as part of the first day’s training.
“The facilitator presents the idea of subconscious belief systems or programs and how they drive decisions. The participants see the incredible amount of change possible when they are able to recognize and change their belief systems.” The idea presented here is the existence of belief systems that are below our conscious level of thinking. The thought continues by assuming that our belief systems, once indentified, need to change. Because the “Quickening Personal Mastery” seminar is targeted at Christians, I am alarmed by that premise.
As I have said before, I have not attended these seminars and have no first-hand knowledge of the content. I also must say that Klemmer and Associates makes no claims to being a Christian organization, that I can find. The biography of the CEO and founder Brian Klemmer among other things states: “Brian is more than just a motivational speaker who gets an audience on a temporary high. The key to his effectiveness is the interactive nature of his presentation. His long standing results are the product of the unforgettable new ways people get to see themselves, their business, and life itself.” He certainly sounds like a powerful speaker, but is he a biblical one?
When I seek to understand the words that are being used, I find a self indulgent, self centered, man exalted teaching. The overall focus appears to be that we deserve anything we want and this seminar will show us how to get it. Certainly that is acceptable in the world, but a Bible believing Christian should see the error in it.
The Bible says:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24 NASB
and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:15 NASB
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NASB
As Christians, we are to die to our sin, our fleshly desires and selfishness and live in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. We cannot mix the things of the world and the things of God and believe that we are in God’s will. My recommendation, if you hadn’t guessed yet, is to attend a Bible preaching church that night and skip the “Quickening Preview”. If you must spend your $20-$59, buy a good study Bible and begin reading it. It will reveal God’s holiness, your sinfulness, and God’s love for you through Jesus Christ. That is the best life changing teaching you will ever get and it has eternal impact.
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! Galatians 1:6-9 NASB
What does the term “biblically based” mean to you? I admit that I have used that term for years. In doing so, I assumed everyone agreed with the definition I have in my head. But I find that different people apply that phrase differently. Knowing that, I strive to dig a little deeper when “biblically based” is used to describe a new teaching, ministry, book, or organization. That opportunity arrived just recently when I clicked a link on our community website that took me to an advertisement for Klemmer and Associates and their “Quickening Preview” seminar. It is billed as a “Biblically based leadership seminar designed specifically for the Christian community”.
First the “quickening” term itself is prominent in the Highlander movies and television series. Wikipedia explains that definition. The quickening is also defined as the moment that fetal movement is first felt by the pregnant mother. Another definition is the act of accelerating or increasing. Considering those definitions and their associations, I began to wonder what was biblical about this seminar.
After seeing the advertisement for the first time and understanding the connotations of the word quickening, I sent an email to Klemmer and Associates. Here is my brief email from July 20, 2008.
To whom it may concern:
I came across your website via a link from a local web page. I read a flyer for “The Quickening” workshop. You state it is “a Biblically based Leadership Seminar”. I wanted to know what your view of Jesus is? What do you believe about his claim to be God? What do you believe about his statement that there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus, himself?Thank you in advance for your consideration and reply.
Shane Wright
I never received a reply nor did I get the email returned as undeliverable. I don’t know if anyone read it or not. My objective was to establish if Klemmer and Associates aligns themselves with the Word of God found in the Bible or are just using God’s Word for their own purposes. From that email until August 17, I did nothing. My thoughts were that it was an out of town event. I certainly was not going and no one else I knew seemed to know anything about it. So I did not act.
On Sunday August 17, I was given a stack of half-page flyers for the event that had been placed on a table inside our church. I was certainly surprised. I thought this training had no opportunity to gain attention in our community much less our church. But here it was; a stack of flyers and I didn’t know how many had already been taken.
I am now bringing to light my concerns about this training. Sitting back is no longer an option. I believe the Lord requires us to “contend earnestly for the faith”.
Jude 3-4 NASB
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
We must contend earnestly but the Bible also says:
1 Peter 3:15 NASB
“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
So I must say that I am not attempting to judge the motives of those involved in this seminar. Nor am I attempting to judge the content of the training beyond what has been explained by Klemmer and Associates, been published on their website or I have seen in the advertisements for the event. I have nothing to offer of myself but I submit to you God’s Word and the information I have gathered. My desire is to shine the light of God’s Word on this event to demonstrate, it is not a biblically based training and it should not be attended by Christians desiring to be faithful to God’s Word.
I called Klemmer and Associates on August 18, 2008 and requested more information about the Quickening workshop coming up in Cameron MO. I was put on hold then transferred to Robin. When I asked for more information, an outline, or a list of topics that were covered in the Quickening workshop coming up in Cameron MO on August 31st, she directed me to the website. Robin continued to explain, in reference to the Quickening workshop, “truly what it is, is a preview into the Quickening Personal Mastery Seminar, which is a three day seminar”. I visited the website before my call so I knew that Klemmer offered other trainings not classified as “biblically based”. Up until this call I had not put the Quickening seminar together with any of the others. I thought it was just another, yet different seminar. When I asked Robin about the other trainings, she referenced the Personal Mastery seminars they give and said, “this one just happens to be the Quickening so it’s scripturally based. We do just a regular Personal Mastery. The content is the same, um you know, the modules are the same. The Quickening is actually integrated and actually uses scriptures. That is the difference.”
After my call, I went back to the website and found out that Robin is the designated Klemmer contact for the Quickening training in Cameron. She is also listed as a member of the Klemmer support team and her area of responsibility is the Personal Mastery workshops, along with two other support persons. The Quickening workshop is not listed as having any designated support people. So I am trusting what Robin said and believe that the Quickening workshop is the same workshop as the Personal Mastery workshops only the Quickening “actually uses scriptures”.
(to be continued)
The American Center for Law and Justice has been reporting on a mock terrorism drill in the Burlington Township in New Jersey from last week. Evidently the mock scenario involved a right wing group concerned about the separation of church and state. This group was upset about the daughter of one of their members being suspended for praying before school. So the mock drill plays out with this group attacking a high school, shooting students and taking hostages.
This is another opportunity to see the anti-Christian mindset that is growing. The obvious concern is not so much for the belief but for it’s boldness and for the support it receives. See the update of the story here.
Here is another video of John MacArthur. Here he speaks regarding the leadership of men in the church in general and specifically in his local church. I find the comment made by one of the reporters in John MacArthur’s story very revealing (as does John MacArthur). The reporter, confused by the support of the women of the church for male leadership, states that “these women seem intelligent”. Not only do they seem intelligent, they are. It is a wise man or woman that chooses to abide by the Word of God.
Here is the video. It is about 7 minutes long.
God’s Word
