SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADERS CALL
FOR A GREAT AWAKENING IN U.S.
SEE: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2015/newsletter20150810.htm; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Thousands of messengers at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention knelt in prayer and raised their hands to heaven July 16 as they prayed for revival in the church and a great awakening across the United States. . . . “The only thing that can ultimately reshape America is a spiritual awakening and the next move of God,” Ronnie Floyd, president of the SBC, told messengers. “When you look at it historically, there is no great movement of God that is not first preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God’s people.The article quoted several Southern Baptist pastors attending the summer event who named numerous sins from which Southern Baptists and Christians in general needed to repent: pride, racism, apathy, and so forth. While these are all sins that Christians do need to repent of if they are guilty of them, there was no mention of one sin that is having detrimental effects within SBC and the Christian church at large. We are referring to the Southern Baptist’s sinful embracing of the “new” anti-Gospel spirituality, which includes occultic prayer practices (contemplative) and emergent/social justice/anti-Christianity ideologies. We present two pieces of evidence to show both of these are true statements. First, this short Letter from the Editor that we received this month:
“When was the last time that you gathered with thousands of people on a Tuesday night in the summer and prayed for spiritual awakening in the United States? We have full confidence in God and God alone.”
Dear Lighthouse Trails:Jesus Calling is a book who’s author was inspired by the New Age channeled book God Calling. If you have not researchedJesus Calling, we recommend you read Warren B. Smith’s book“Another Jesus” Calling or his article/booklet The New Age Implications of Jesus Calling.
I attend (won’t join) a Southern Baptist church wherein most of the women are heavily involved with Sarah Young’s, Jesus Calling. I shared with the pastor articles confirming this is not a Christian book, but he doesn’t acknowledge my e-mails or the material that I personally handed to him. People that are so-called Christians have verbally attacked me because I said this book is “New Age.” I imagine you get a lot of unfavorable comments as well. J.
The second piece of evidence is with LifeWay Resources (the SBC resource arm), which continues to present to Southern Baptist members a deluge of contemplative/emerging/New Spirituality promoting books. Here is a short list of the many examples that are on the LifeWay Resources website:
1. The complete line of Sarah Young’s Jesus Callingbooks13. At least 1 book that includes as an author heavy weight emergent Tony Campolo
2. Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen
3. 15 items by or about Brennan Manning
4. Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas (instructs, repeat a word for 20 minutes)
5. Books by Dan Allender (promoter of Brian McLaren and the emerging church)
6. Books by Ann Voskamp (emerging church writer involved with the IF movement)
7. Ruth Haley Barton materials (major player in the contemplative/spiritual formation movement)
8. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence (who danced violently like a mad man when in the silence)
9. Books by Walter Brueggemann (who loved Alan Jones’ book Reimagining Christianity which denies the atonement)
10. How to Stay Christian in College by Catholic convert J. Budziszewski (Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa High School used this book too – how funny to use a book written by a man who changed from Christianity to Catholicism!)
11. At least 1 book by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (a strong contemplative proponent who resonates with many New Age teachers)
12. Lord, Save Us From Your Followers by emergent Dan Merchant
14. Books by heavy weight emergent mentored by Tony Campolo, Shane ClaiborneThe books and authors listed above represent, promote, or/and endorse an occultic mystical New Age spirituality that has sorely infiltrated the Christian church. This is not a complete list. To do that, it would take us hours because LifeWay Resources carries an almost countless number of contemplative and/or emergent books. If you want to see for yourself, use our Directory of Authors by Chris Lawson and compare some of the names on that list with the authors being carried on LifeWay. And you may type in any of the names above into our blog search engine and our research siteand get plenty of information showing the spiritual propensities of these authors.
15. Books by or about Richard Foster and/or Dallas Willard
16. A book called Mustard Seeds, which promotes goddess worshipper Sue Monk Kidd
17. Incidentally, also carries David Jeremiah’s book, Life Wide Open, in which he too promotes Sue Monk Kidd
19. Books by contemplative author Pete Scazzero
20. Last but certainly not least, several books by prolific emergent leader Leonard Sweet
21. God Calling, the New Age channeled book that inspired Sarah Young to write Jesus Calling.
We find it ironic (and tragic) that Southern Baptist Convention pastors say they want a “Great Awakening” when the leaders of this denomination are falling headlong into great spiritual deception and taking millions of Baptists with them. Several years ago, LifeWay Resources removed books by Catholic mystics such as Basil Pennington, Thomas Keating, and Thomas Merton after Lighthouse Trails and other ministries brought it to their attention that these authors’ writings were not compatible with biblical Christianity. In addition, somewhere along the line, they removed books by Brian McLaren and Rob Bell. But what good did that do when the authors they continue to sell to their readers, while sounding more Christian than McLaren and Bell, are really “preaching” the same contemplative/emergent/New Spirituality message.
If you are not sure just what the contemplative/emergent/”New” Spirituality message is, please research this out until you fully understand the serious implications.
And, if you live near a LifeWay Store, perhaps you should call and ask why they are carrying Jesus Calling and other books that are not biblically sound. (Store locator) By the way, the number of LifeWay stores is growing. For instance, in 2013, LifeWay purchased Berean Christian Storesgiving LifeWay 17 more stores.
If you are Southern Baptist, or if you attend a SBC church, isn’t it time to challenge your leaders and pastors to repent of the sin that will help lead the church into a great apostasy rather than a great awakening?!
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. (1 Timothy 4:1)
