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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

COMMUNITARIAN SOCIAL JUSTICE AGENDA IN EMERGING CHURCHES


Amitai Etzioni - Hidden Guru of Globalization:

From:
http://fanaticforjesus.blogspot.com/2012/03/communitarianism-collectivist-values-in_05.html:
"American sociologist and educator Amitai Etzioni was one of the prominent founders of this newly shaped philosophy. He believes that individuals have been given too much freedom and not enough responsibilities. Etzioni and other communitarians are in favor of more obligations and fewer rights.[4]They desire the community to live up to the basic principle of the good society. But as you will learn, it will only be good for those in charge."

From the excellent blog, The Communitarian Trap, one of three Christian blogs by its author, is this timely and thorough post, found at:
http://thecommunitariantrap.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hands-and-feet-of-christ-and.html.
Below is the complete, unedited post:

The Hands and Feet of Christ and the Identifying Marks of a Communitarian Social Justice Agenda

The Church on a Mission

 









_______________________________________________________
OUR COMMENT ABOUT "LIFE GROUPS": Here is an example of a feelings based, experiential "life group" 
ministry at a Baptist church, where "teaching and fellowship" are not the purposes. Instead, the focus is
on "sharing personal situations, self interpretation of Bible, group (community) over individual growth,
and how you can be 'used'". This is an excerpt from that church website at 
"Life Groups:
A Life Group is a small group of people who meet in homes in order to develop a deeper spiritual family where 
we experience and demonstrate the love and power of Christ. The goal of a Life Group is not “teaching” or 
“fellowship.”  While these are important elements, the goal is to experience Christ’s love and power.
This is a different purpose than a Bible Study group, where the goal may be to acquire Bible 
knowledge and apply it.  Life Groups maintain a healthy balance on four core values: Sharing, Study, Prayer,
and Service.
Share: Sharing is a time where you get to know others and where you allow others to know you, 
specifically to allow others to know the concrete ways in which you are currently looking for God to act in your
life.
Study: Life-change takes place when both God’s truth and the power of the Holy Spirit operate on our hearts. 
The clearest and most certain place where truth can be found is in the Scripture. For this reason, our groups 
will be driven to and driven by the Bible.
Pray: The purpose of the prayer time is to take the truths of the biblical text and “pray them into 
the heart” of each individual and the group.
Serve: Jesus came “to seek and save the lost.”  The activity, which energized his life, was looking out to 
needs beyond his own:  not an obsession with caring for himself.  The starting point for mission is the other 
members of the group and it grows towards those outside the group. As long as people come to Life 
Group primarily for what they can get out of it, rather than for what they can contribute to it, the group 
will be unhealthy and anemic."
________________________________________________________________________
Churches build community within groups, and in turn they perform service projects that reach into 
the surrounding community. Based on the service/volunteerism of the group, the church becomes a hub 
for the community. As a strategy of change agents, the Church is on a "mission from God" that has 
become the friendly face that is creating a good society, which will unknowingly facilitate the transition 
of Christians and churches into the collectivist mindset for the New World Order.
(OUR COMMENT: 
For example, Willowdale Chapel of Unionville, PA and their $6.5 million "Shine Like Stars" 
"community program" merging church ministries, government, and social service 
organizations. See: http://www.willowdalechapel.org/slscampaign/and our previous 
post about Willowdale's collectivist/communitarian approach at:
ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/02/willowdale-chapel-advised-by-tim-keller.html)




The hands represent the interconnectedness of the group, and 
unity in diversity - also seen in many churches. Ironically the 
ministry photo from the top of the post, parallels Amitai 
Etzioni's book cover. He's the founder of the Communitarian 
Network, and teaches the Third Way political concepts of the 
good society. Unfortunately, his ideas have proven to be 
totalitarian.


At the Root of Volunteerism
Volunteerism is an integral part of Communitarianism. It is part of being a good citizen. Based on the 
writings of Amitai Etzioni's Communitarian Network, the following statement describes how volunteerism 
fits into the community:
"National and local service, as well as volunteer work, is desirable to build and express a civil commitment. 
Such activities, bringing together people from different backgrounds and enabling and encouraging them 
to work together, build community and foster mutual respect and tolerance."[1]
Their logic is that you need to build community in order to create a collective mindset. Creating a collective 
mindset eliminates individualism, which is what America's social-political ideals were built upon. Collectivism 
is the basis for Karl Marx's Socialist/Communist philosophy. In collectivism, the group consensus comes first 
over one's personal ambitions. Wikipedia states that:
"Collectivism is any philosophic, political, religious, economic, or social outlook that emphasizes the
interdependence of every human.[2] The term interdependence in the Communist Manifesto (1848)
in describing the universal interdependence of nations in comparison to the old local and national seclusion
of independence and self-sufficiency."[3]
Marx and Engel's social relationships and processes are associated with Feudalism, including the 
interdependence of church and state, and the economic interdependence of families. Coincidentally, 
Feudalism is a system that is interconnected and interdependent, as you see below.[4]




















Realizing that these concepts lead to Communism, note what this U.N. representative said about unity in 
Diversity and interconnectedness:
 "...the highest possible attainment of a civilization, a testimony to the most noble possibilities of the human 
race. This attainment is made possible through passionate concern for choice, in an atmosphere of social 
trust." Michael Novak, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission [5]
Interdependence, unity in diversity, and interconnectedness are New Age/occult concepts that are taught 
in Theosophy. The Theosophical Society promotes the following:
"An essential principle of theosophy is its concept of a holistic world view which emphasizes the unity and 
interconnectedness of all life, the basic oneness of all people and all species of life. Its  philosophy points to 
a divine spark in each of us that is always part of the Source from which it arises."
These three teachings are being used to bring in the single authoritarian government. Take note of this 
statement from the UNESCO website. When following the link, you will see that all these concepts are there. 
It is man's solution to peace - which skirts around the true solution for peace:















Today, sustainable development calls to rethink our relationship to the economy, to society and the 
environment, bearing in mind that the emerging and future challenges of humankind do require 
collective responses, which implies the kind of solidarity that can result only from a culture of peace, 
non-violence and dialogue which condenses “that which binds” cultures and societies to each other 
and from within. In turn, a culture of peace fosters sustainable development since it is aimed at helping 
people cope resiliently and creatively with ethical, cultural, political, environmental and other social 
transformations.
True peace is not the lack of conflict between men, but the lack of conflict between men 
and God. God has given us the solution to human conflict and that solution is the person 
of Christ Jesus. There is only one “roadmap to peace” and it is the path with Jesus.[6]

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you would know that Antichrist will come in peaceably 
on a platform of peace, prosperity, and safety for all nations and all religions - deceiving the majority.
Satan has cleverly uses doctrines of demons to get the church on board with cleverly disguised global 
and community missional goals to assist the Enemy in securing the world for his purposes. Even the 
overemphasis of the teaching on love - it all plays a part of the elimination of intolerance, so that proponents 
can bring about civic cooperation, create responsibilities, and achieve common good  for the 
community/world.[7

The Purpose of the Church
Within the last decade, the corporate church has created a new mission for the Church - to be the hands 
and feet of Christ. The Purpose Driven and Emergent/Missional churches have used 1 Cor. 12:12-26 to 
create an unified Christian workforce for the world. Please read closely:
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, 
are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews 
or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body 
is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; 
is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; 
is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole 
were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the 
body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they 
many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: 
nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, 
which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be 
less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more 
abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, 
having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the 
body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member 
suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."
The true meaning of these verses is directed toward genuine believers, so that:
  1. Each believer in the Body of Christ will seek unity within the Body, and
  2. Each believer has a different spiritual gift, their position within the Body has an important part. 
It does not mean that the Church is to become the volunteer "good works" workforce for 
the community or some far-off land. If coupled with the Great Commission, it still isn't the 
correct use of scripture.
(Comment from us:
For example: "Good Neighbors Home Repair" of Kennett Square, PA, 
www.goodneighborshomerepair.org, an ecumenical, interfaith, interdenominational volunteer
organization that uses the services of students and others to do needed home repairs for the 
poor. Trouble is, they get exposed to mystical contemplative practices where they have meals 
and sleeping accomodations under the guise of "worship".)

The Christian Communist uses several passages to advance their theological and political theory based upon 
the view that the teachings of Jesus Christ compels Christians to support Communism as the ideal social 
system. Christ did not support any political system. He merely wanted believers to be connected with one 
another, and not fly solo. Since it is often times difficult living separate from the world system, He desired us 
to stick together. He wanted us to encourage one another in love, in spite of our giftings and differences 
within the Body.

















"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.Gal. 6:2
The modern church now sees fit to assume the key role of managing the transformation of society. 
That is a far reach from the original intent  for the purpose of the Church.
With the emphasis on the concern for community and social justice issues, this should cause us to 
question the genuine purpose of the Body of Christ. The Bible says that it is to: worship God (Luke 4:8
John 4:23), study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15), pray (Acts 2:42), love one another (John 13:35), bear one 
another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), learn how to live as godly people (Titus 2:11-12), for the perfecting of the 
saints (Eph. 4:12), and to spread the Gospel (Matt. 28:18-20).

Buzz Word: The Use and Meaning of Words
Change agents routinely alter the meaning and use of biblical words and phrases. For instance, 
the Emergent/Purpose Driven church use of the phrase "the hands and feet of Christ." This 
phrase actually has two meanings - one true and the other false. The first meaning is used in 
Gospel outreach. It describes one who goes out to preach the Gospel to an unsaved world headed toward 
judgment. It is one who reaches their surrounding community through Gospel Mission ministries to the poor, 
and prison outreach, as they deliver the “good news” that condemned sinners worthy of judgement from 
God’s wrath, having offended a holy God. It has been used over the years within the Church to emphasize 
that each individual believer, as they work in ministry, may be the only Jesus the unbelieving world will ever 
see. It's the basis for lifestyle evangelism, and it can often silently lead people to the Lord. 
The second use of the phrase is relatively new. The Purpose Driven, seeker friendly church, is 
one that improves society. Outside of bettering society, the missional concept has no content; 
it specifically denies a mission of proclaiming an escape from God’s coming wrath. 
For the Emergent, “The journey is the reward,” and the journey will certainly end well for all.[8
If it has a Gospel presentation, it's typically a weak one, or no Gospel at all. It mobilizes the unrepentant 
to good works - to be the hands and feet of Christ.













You can see the contrast in the sermon notes of this popular preacher, who will remain nameless. In his
Gospel-driven message,  he says:
"The work of Jesus Christ in the world is in the hands of those who belong to Him. In that sense, Christ has 
no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet. The Lord commissioned His earthly ministry to His followers,
saying, 'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the 
Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you (Matt 28:20)'"[9The phrase 
sounds similar to that of the Emergent/Missional church, but this preacher's church has only outreach to 
their local Gospel Mission, a prison ministry, a local Christian college, and a pastor's training program. He is 
not flawless, since his church promotes interdependence with government, but it doesn't seem to be 
promoting social justice missions projects.

Now let's look at Rick Warren's writings. In the following quote, Warren was speaking about disaster relief
for Hurricane Katrina:
"Disaster presents Christians with unprecedented opportunities to mobilize the Church
and become the hands and feet of Christ. We need to become audio-visual Christians – 
not just talking about it, but doing it." [10]




















Straight from Rick Warren's Dominionist plan.[11What makes it uniquely 
Communitarian is the interconnectedness of the social, political, and economic sectors.

This reflects the double meaning for 1 Cor. 12: 12-27, and how these are man's ideanot God's.
Mobilizing an army of Christian workers is a man thing, not a God thing. This was never seen in
the Bible, but is seen in the U.N. Millennium Development Goals - an organization Rick Warren has had 
closecontact with.[12]

Ironically, another famous person used the same concept of service. Teresa of Avila put it like this:
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which 
he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands 
through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are 
his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”


Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) was a prominent Spanish mystic, a Roman Catholic saint, 
involved in contemplative prayer. She wasn't hearing from the Lord, rather from the spirit 
world.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false 
prophets are gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: 
they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:16

Calling a Spade a Spade
What once seemed like a harmless principle on the unity of the Body taught in 1 Cor. 12: 12-27, 
is now the rallying cry of  the corporate Church. The once clear-cut purpose of the Church has 
now been molded by change agents to have the elements of  Tony Blair's interfaith Faith 
Foundation, the Roman Catholic-rooted  liberation theology, and Purpose Driven/Emergent 
church/missional model.
















Can you see how the Church has moved from freedom to servitude? Christians are slowly being
brainwashed to think like Communists.[13] Some in Christianity have traditionally viewed our service
to God as an act of slavery, taking the ancient images of slavery and superimposing them onto modern
Christianity. Their is a notion that our normal relationship and service to God should be that of a slave to
a master, instead of that of a child of God responding out of love and gratitude to a good God. In reading
the following verse, being slaves is not the picture of what Jesus described to us of who we are. He does
desire our obedience and service, but it is in our freedom that we do so.
 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the 
servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have 
heard of my Father I have made known unto you.John 15:13-15

Leadership Network
Church planting goals, sales tactics, and community "good works" outreach goals sound as 
though they are biblical, but actually spill over into a goal of reaching the local community 
with the totalitarian agenda of Communitarianism. They are using the concepts developed 
by the Leadership Network, whose goal it is to reach your church's global missions program.
__________________________________________________________

(Our Comments:
See our previous post: 
in which we pointed out:
"What in the world is going on?
    Do pastors learn this way of "doing" church from their seminary training? In part, yes. 
The other source is perhaps Rick Warren via Peter Drucker. Another would be the church 
growth methods of the "Leadership Network"http://www.leadnet.org/ for so-called "next 
generation pastors" running multi-site church "campuses" into change agents (facilitators) 
as described in:
See YouTube videos from Leadership Network Channel:

Leadership Network promo 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2iiXC0LY4g.


Communal Morphing by Steve Saccone: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqyhR2PFr9U.

    To quote the Leslies again: "Drucker has dedicated much effort into bringing the church 
into conformance with the “systems” model of governance, which is known as Total Quality 
Management in the corporate world.""In this model, parishioners are “customers.” "The 
focus shifts to “outcomes” which means that people will have to be held “accountable” for 
“performance.”" "Peter Drucker grew up under the influence of the German philosophies of 
the 1800s." "The Corporate and the Church subsume their identities and comfortably merge 
with State into one comprehensive “system” of governance for mankind.")
_______________________________________________________________















The Leadership Network's logo symbolizes the interconnecting network of feudalism. "The Feudal 
system had a ruling class who owned all the land and wealth, and provided security and safety to 
all the serfs. In turn the serfs provided work and servitude to their master. But many people do 
not realize the collective aspect of how serfs lived together.[14]" 


While watching the video, take note of the "global message," the use of Socialist Peter Drucker's name
(founder of the Purpose Driven model), the concern for sustainability, their use of guided solutions,
and the desire to change the world.


Then there is this video by the Leadership Network. Note as they speak about social justice. I should
mention first that the phrase "social justice" was coined by a Jesuit, and "is a part of Catholic social teaching,
the Protestants' Social Gospel. It is one of the Four Pillars of the Green Party upheld by green parties 
worldwide. Social justice is a secular concept, distinct from religious teachings, emerged mainly in the late
twentieth century, influenced primarily by philosopher John Rawls. [15]" In case you don't know, the
Jesuits lead the counter reformation and the Reconstruction movement of the Roman Catholic Church,
and are Dominionists.



And this one on community engagement being a mission for God.
See explanation of "cross domain" at the 8 minute mark especially:



Service Projects









Community service and Christian service projects are good things to do. Seeing the lives of 
the lost being touched by these projects is also good. Giving to the poor, needy, and 
oppressed is called for in the Bible. But we should not be ignorant of the fact that something 
greater is presently taking place. We should not be reluctant to question the change in the 
overall mission of the church, and try to see how it fits into the big world picture, even if they 
mention a generic "God" and say the Gospel is being preached.
(Comment:
See our notes above about the: 
"Good Neighbors Home Repair" 
Willowdale Chapel at:

Most of us have been taught not to make waves, be compliant, and not question authority, since it is
viewed by some to be sinful to disagree. We must understand that there is nothing wrong with questioning
what the church experts claim - since they are fully capable of being wrong. Many times this includes how
they use scripture.










Communitarian ideology has infiltrated the corporate Church, making it completely acceptable 
to become servants to the world. As their indoctrinating educational church materials continue 
to flood the Church, positions will continue to move believers from the socially conservative 
camp to the Communitarian camp, whether they realize it or not. As long as church members 
internalize the values of what they are being taught by these fraudulent evangelism experts, 
they will always fall prey to those who have grander ideas.

Perhaps we should consider these verses about helping the needy.
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your 
Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as 
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto 
you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee 
openly."
Could it be that when we help the poor, needy, and oppressed, that we do it in secret? Perhaps we should 
question whether these open acts of service are to be done on an individual basis among the Body of Christ 
first, then serving unbelievers who are open to the Gospel, second. Has the church considered that the 
people in their own congregation may be in need nearly as much as the heathen people in far-off lands? 
This is just one example of a possible inconsistency in the way we are doing things today in the church. 
It seems to me that helping those in private shows far more of a heart of compassion than that of an army 
of follower volunteers. If we are compassionate, we will help them without the group.

Specifics 
The following is a list of social justice issues. It is only an excerpt of a greater list from a Catholic university
website.

Catholic Social Justice Issues
  • Access to food, clean water and shelter 
  • Community: promotion of the common good, e.g. education 
  • Development of poor countries in an effort to alleviate human misery 
  • Dignity of the human person from creation: abortion; euthanasia; the death penalty 
  • Family-friendly economic policy—where does the US stand in this regard? 
  • Global responsibility for alleviation of economic inequality 
  • Human dignity: how poverty affects human rights 
  • Marginalization of the poor 
  • Pacifism, disarmament 
Children's Rights
  • Exploitation of children 
  • Child soldiers in Uganda 
  • Child workers enslaved on chocolate farms in Ivory Coast 
  • Child workers in India 
  • Human trafficking – prostitution 
  • Right to free education 
  • Right to adequate healthcare 
  • Rights and their corresponding social responsibilities
Climate Change
  • Climate change inequitably impacts developing countries 
  • Help is needed to adapt to climate change—technology, policy, etc. 
  • Effect of sea level rise to small island nations, e.g.
  • Enable the most vulnerable states and populations to become more resilient to climate change by 
  • mitigation and adaptation 
Criminal Justice 
  • Challenges of terrorism: extraordinary rendition, torture and unlawful detention 
  • Death penalty / capital punishment 
  • Human trafficking 
  • Police powers and human rights 
  • Prisoners’ rights 
  • Racial profiling 
Conclusion
When Christians walk through the doors of a church, they would never anticipate that they would be
intentionally deceived by a political agenda, no matter how subtle it is. This is why Communitarianism is
so cleverly disguised. It combines the believers desire to spread the good news, alongside the political
objective of creating a collectivist mindset. It is truth mixed with lies, and made to appear biblical.

As these church volunteer/service projects continue, allow my words to challenge you in determining how
participating in Christian community projects are part of the globalist/Dominionist/Communitarian plan to
transform the world. God's Word was intended to mean something very specific, but change agents have
seen the opportunity to manufacture this ingenious plan of the Enemy. Not only does it provide the
opportunity to create world socialism, but also a future false great awakening to accept a false messiah
figure. It is a conspiracy, and it's real.

It is a global deception...

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD
and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from 
us.' He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them inderision.Psalm 2:2-4

...and the Church is participating in it.

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing 
if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according 
to their works." 2 Cor. 11:13-15

Need I say more.


Related Posts
Communitarianism: In Transition to Collectivist Values - Part 1
Communitarianism: In Transition to Collectivist Values - Part 2

JOHN MACARTHUR BROADCAST FAVORABLY QUOTES DALLAS WILLARD CONTEMPLATIVE


As Lighthouse Trails Research reports in
www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20130826.htm#29,
John MacArthur's ministry "Grace to You" has been repeatedly rerunning a certain sermon supportive of Dallas Willard, a well known contemplative proponent. Here is the Lighthouse article in full:

"This past weekend, Lighthouse Trails received the following letter from one of our readers:
To Lighthouse Trails: Please listen to the sermon dated August 21st [at Grace to You].  I was shocked when John MacArthur promoted Dallas Willard.  Has anyone else contacted you concerning this endorsement? 
After receiving this letter, we  found the August 21st 2013 Grace to You sermon broadcast by John MacArthur, where MacArthur favorably quotes contemplative pioneer Dallas Willard (who passed away earlier this year). While researching this situation, we learned that this sermon was first aired in 1989. However, Grace to You (MacArthur’s ministry) has been presenting it for a number of years as part of a series called Faith Through the Fire.
While MacArthur’s original citing of Willard in this sermon took place many years ago,  the fact that it is still being offered at Grace to You in a sermon series and is being broadcast currently is cause for concern and is the reason we are writing this report. It is hard for us to understand why Grace to You would continue using this particular sermon, knowing how pervasive the Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative prayer) movement is today in the evangelical Protestant church; and as we will show below, even John MacArthur acknowledges that Dallas Willard is a key figure in that movement.
We are well aware that many Christians have a strong sense of devotion toward John MacArthur and trust his opinions and teachings. It is not our intention to discredit him; however, as we have consistently done now for 11 years, we are compelled to issue a warning to believers and a challenge to Christian leaders. Are we suggesting that John MacArthur is a contemplative prayer advocate or part of the emerging church? Certainly not! Are we saying it is wrong to use a broadcast today where Dallas Willard is quoted in a positive manner, giving credence to the man and the movement? Yes, we are saying that is wrong. Willard is largely responsible, along with Richard Foster, for bringing the contemplative prayer movement to the forefront of evangelical Christianity.
Those reading this who wish to defend MacArthur and Grace to You, saying that there is no issue here because the original sermon was so long ago need to understand that if this sermon were sitting in some obscure  archive, stored away for no one to see, we wouldn’t be writing this today. But that is not the case. Grace to You is continuing to use a sermon that should have been discarded years ago , and it must be treated as if it were new material because that is how it is going to be looked at by those who heard the recent broadcast and also by those who buy the Faith Through Fire series.
The section of the August 21st sermon  begins at about the 17:35 minute mark of the broadcast. MacArthur begins by talking about the spiritual disciplines and how they are important for the believer’s life to battle crises and hard times in our lives. He then quotes Willard and says the quote is from Willard’s 1988 book The Spirit of the Disciplines.
Dallas WillardWhile the section that MacArthur quoted from that book does not promote contemplative mystical practices, the point MacArthur is trying to make is actually the same point that contemplatives are trying to make: i.e., that we cannot truly be christlike without the spiritual disciplines in our lives. Certainly, MacArthur wouldn’t include the discipline of the silence like Willard does. For those who may not be able to access the August 21st sermon, here is the section of The Spirit of the Disciplines that MacArthur quoted:
The “on the spot” episodes [crises] are not the place where we can, even by the grace of God, redirect unchristlike but ingrained tendencies of action toward sudden Christlikeness. Our efforts to take control at that moment will fail so uniformly and so ingloriously that the whole project of following Christ will appear ridiculous to the watching world. We’ve all seen this happen.
Some decades ago there appeared a very successful Christian novel called In His Steps. The plot tells of a chain of tragic events that brings the minister of a prosperous church to realize how unlike Christ’s life his own life had become. The minister then leads his congregation in a vow not to do anything without first asking themselves the question, “What would Jesus do in this case?” As the content of the book makes clear, the author took this vow to be the same thing as intending to follow Jesus— to walk precisely “in his steps.” It is, of course, a novel, but even in real life we would count on significant changes in the lives of earnest Christians who took such a vow— just as it happens in that book. But there is a flaw in this thinking. . . [MacArthur skips a few paragraphs]
Asking ourselves “What would Jesus do?” when suddenly in the face of an important situation simply is not an adequate discipline or preparation to enable one to live as he lived. It no doubt will do some good and is certainly better than nothing at all, but that act alone is not sufficient to see us boldly and confidently through a crisis, and we could easily find ourselves driven to despair over the powerless tension it will put us through. (The Spirit of the Disciplines, p. 7-9)
MacArthur then tells his audience:
The secret of being ready for the crisis of having the yoke be easy and the burden be light is to learn how to live the Christian life all the time so that we have developed the habits, the resources, the responses, the timing, the strengths, the memory, the faith, the spiritual courage to handle it. That’s the issue. To behave like Jesus Christ is our goal. But to be able to do that is not the result of wishing. It’s the result of daily spiritual discipline.
In this article, we are not going to focus on the present-day Spiritual Formation theology of becoming “Christlike” through “spiritual disciplines” except to point to two chapters in Colossians:
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled  in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:  if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel . . . to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:  . . . which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:  whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1:21-23,25-28, emphasis added)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2: 8-10, emphasis added)
Paul concludes chapter 2 with a description of spiritual disciplines that were being used in that day (vs. 20-22), only to say that such things “have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body” (vs 23), but only serve to make men proud.
It is Christ in us (the born-again Christian believer) that perfects us, forms us, and changes us, not the spiritual disciplines of Dallas Willard, Thomas Merton, and Richard Foster! And bear in mind, when Willard (like Foster and Merton) speaks of the disciplines, he is including the “silence.” This silence that the contemplatives speak of is more than just an outer silence or quietness; it is meaning to silence the mind (put it in neutral so there are no thoughts). Willard states in The Spirit of the Disciplines:
In silence we close off our souls from “sounds,” whether those sounds be noise, music, or words. . . . Many people have never experienced silence and do not even know that they do not know what it is. . . . It is a powerful and essential discipline. Only silence will allow us life-transforming concentration upon God. (bold added, 1991, First HarperCollins Paperback Edition, p. 163-164).
Clearly, Willard is not talking about a quiet surrounding, as he says many have never experienced the silence. Everybody, at some time or another, has experienced being in a perfectly quiet environment.
The fact that MacArthur has supported his sermon on spiritual disciplines and Christlikeness with quotes from Dallas Willard (specifically from the most problematic book, The Spirit of the Disciplines), we feel a sense of duty to put forth this challenge.  The premise of the Spiritual Formation movement is not focused on the person of Jesus Christ, the born-again experience, or the life of Jesus Christ in the believer Who is the power behind true Christlikeness but rather is focused on the practice of spiritual disciplines. It is a very works-based belief system that zeros in on mystical practices.
What we primarily want to discuss in this article is Dallas Willard and his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines. We think when you see the evidence, you will agree that Dallas Willard should not be favorably quoted. If you have been reading Lighthouse Trails for some time, you may know that we have discussed this book on a number of occasions. The book is filled with references to and quotes by numerous contemplative figures including universalists and interspiritualists (e.g., Nouwen, Merton, Meister Eckhart, George Fox) as well as some names that would fall in the New Age/New Spirituality camp (e.g., Agnes Sanford and M. Scott Peck). And in the bibliography, there is The Cloud of Unknowing, the Desert Fathers, atonement denier Harry Fosdick, Ignatius of Loyola, Carl Jung, the mystic philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (whom MacArthur also quotes in the sermon and is addressed in Faith Undone), Evelyn Underhill, and Teresa of Avila. All of these names are in Willard’s book for one reason only – because he resonates with their spiritual viewpoints. And while The Spirit of the Disciplines was released back in the late 80s, Willard has maintained his affinity with most of these figures.  On Willard’s website, he recommends many of them as viable resources for spiritual growth. That list of recommended reading has been on his website for many years and remains there today even after his death.
In 2011, Lighthouse Trails posted an article titled, The “New” Emerging Theology Breeds Atheism in a Generation of Young People.   The article told about a young man who after sitting under Dallas Willard for 4 years at university declared himself an atheist. We asked the question, how could this happen? How could a young man raised in a solid Christian home change his views so drastically? It happened, and it is happening to countless young people who are sitting under the feet of bridgers – people like Dallas Willard who point their protégés to panentheists, universalists, and mystics. Another young man whom we came across who was looking for answers, found them by turning to Dallas Willard and Richard Foster. Listen to what he found:
I bumped into the classic spiritual disciplines while taking a course called “Dynamics of Christian Life” in my second year of Bible school. One of our textbooks was The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard. The course and textbook only touched on the actual disciplines, but the concept captivated me. The following spring, I found a copy of Richard Foster’s spiritual classic Celebration of Discipline in a used bookstore. Opening it and discovering each discipline [including the contemplative] detailed chapter by chapter, I felt a profound sense of joy and excitement. I’d found a real treasure.
Later, this young man became a free lance writer for the emergent organization, Youth Specialties. Listen to where the spirituality of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster led him:
I built myself a prayer room – a tiny sanctuary in a basement closet filled with books on spiritual disciplines, contemplative prayer, and Christian mysticism. In that space I lit candles, burned incense, hung rosaries, and listened to tapes of Benedictine monks. I meditated for hours on words, images, and sounds. I reached the point of being able to achieve alpha brain patterns, the state in which dreams occur, while still awake and meditating. – “Disciplines, Mystics and the Contemplative Life” by Mike Perschon
 For those not familiar with what the “alpha brain patterns” are, here are two descriptions:
“Mystical states of consciousness happen in the alpha state … The Alpha State also occurs voluntarily during light hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, day dreaming, hypnogogic and hypnapompic states.” Dr. Lee Warren, B.A., D.D. (source)
“Alpha is the springboard for all psychic and magical workings. It is the heart of witchcraft.”  Laurie Cabot, Power Of The Witch (p. 183)
And from Richard Foster himself:
“If you feel we live in a purely physical universe, you will view meditation as a good way to obtain a consistent alpha brain wave pattern.” Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline (1998 ed., p. 22)
The point here is that Dallas Willard has been a pied piper to countless people, leading them straight into the arms of mystical spirituality. What happened to Perschon and others like him is tragic. And we just cannot fathom the idea that not only will Willard’s influence continue on long after he has been gone from this planet but Christian leaders who should understand the dynamics of this movement will continue promoting him.
And one last issue on Dallas Willard we need to bring up, that of Sue Monk Kidd (discussed in A Time of Departing), whose endorsement sits on the back cover of The Spirit of the Disciplines. That endorsement enthusiastically proclaims:
A profound call to discipleship based on spiritual disciplines [that] awakens us to a forgotten truth, that the transformation to Christ-likeness is realized through taking on the ‘easy yoke’ of the disciplines.” — Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
 It is in The Dance of the Dissident Daughter that Monk Kidd says God is in everything, including human waste!
Deity means that divinity will no longer be only heavenly . . .  It will also be right here, right now, in me, in the earth, in this river, in excrement and roses alike. (p. 160)
Sue Monk Kidd was once a Sunday school teacher in a conservative Southern Baptist church. She began reading Thomas Merton, started practicing contemplative prayer, and lo and behold, today she is a goddess worshiper who rejects and dismisses the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And herein lies our concern. And it’s been our concern for over a decade now. If Christian leaders point people to contemplative teachers like Dallas Willard, they are inadvertently pointing them to Thomas Merton and a myriad of other panenthestic figures. That is the plain truth!
Frankly, we are surprised that the sermon by John MacArthur promoting Dallas Willard is still in active circulation and that Grace to You recently aired it. It seems so out of character. Especially when you consider what MacArthur said in an interview two years ago. In the interview, MacArthur was asked what he thought about the contemplative prayer movement to which he replied, “That’s just a lot of bunk. . . .  I don’t even know what they’re doing, and I don’t know what they come up with but all of that mystic stuff, Dallas Willard and others like him, confuse people because they use the name of Jesus and they talk about God and they use Bible verses.” So clearly, MacArthur sees Willard as part of this heretical movement. Lighthouse Trails hopes this is just a mistake.
One last concern here. In the interview above, MacArthur states that he doesn’t “even know what they’re doing” in reference to the contemplatives. We wonder if perhaps MacArthur doesn’t fully understand this movement and its occult nature. Many people see the New Age, contemplative, mysticism etc. as something not to be too worried about and that it is frivolous and nonsensical (in other words, just the product of one’s imagination) but really, it is much more profoundly dangerous than that. As Laurie Cabot says, it is the heart of witchcraft.  The Bible says there is a spiritual realm that is operated by Satan and his demons. However, many proclaiming Christians don’t believe that, and thus it is very difficult to persuade them that things like Yoga, Reiki, meditation, and contemplative prayer are indeed dangerous. But we are warned many times in Scripture about this evil spiritual realm. We are also told in Revelation that someday Satan will deceive the whole world (that’s a pretty wide scale deception!), and the vast populations repented not of their sorceries (Revelation 9:21).
These are serious times – they are perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1) - and Christian leaders and pastors need to be encouraged and exhorted to make no compromises when it comes to the Gospel.
To wrap this up, some may defend what John MacArthur did by saying that what he quoted in Willard’s book was harmless and benign. But when someone, especially someone like MacArthur who is followed by so many, quotes or references favorably a figure whose main teaching and emphasis is unbiblical, it negatively impacts resistance to the deception more fully developed in a literary work.  People start to have second thoughts. If MacArthur quotes from this book, some may say, then maybe it’s not that bad.
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. . . . be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. . . . give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. . . . Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4: 6, 12-13, 16)"
______________________________________________________

Monday, August 26, 2013

OBAMA IS SILENT: IRAN APPEALS COURT AFFIRMS 8 YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR AMERICAN PASTOR ABEDINI


As reported by the Digital Journal at http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1432424, in their article:

"ACLJ: Iran Delivers 'Devastating' Blow 
To American Pastor Saeed Abedini - 
Rejects Appeal, 
Affirms 8-Year Prison Sentence"

Excerpt:
"The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which defends human rights and religious freedom, said today an appeals court in Tehran rejected the appeal of American Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen, and refused to reduce his 8-year prison sentence. Pastor Saeed's wife, Naghmeh, called the decision "devastating" and the ACLJ is now exploring all legal and governmental options available.
"While we remained hopeful that Iran would use its own appeal process to finally show respect for Pastor Saeed's basic human rights, again Iran has demonstrated an utter disregard for the fundamentals of human rights," said Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the ACLJ, which represents Pastor Saeed's wife and their two children."
Naghmeh Abedini said:
"My husband is serving 8 years in the notorious Evin prison and facing daily threats and abuse by radicals because he refuses to deny his Christian faith. And yet, my President, President Obama, has not spoken a word about him."  









AIR FORCE VETERAN RELIEVED OF DUTIES FOR REFUSAL TO AFFIRM GAY MARRIAGE

Lesbian Commander Booted Air Force Sgt. 

for Christian Beliefs, Suit Claims

SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT PHILLIP MONK

The Christian News Network reported in 
http://christiannews.net/2013/08/19/christian-air-force-veteran-relieved-of-duties-for-refusing-to-affirm-homosexual-marriage/, quote:
"Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk has served in the Air Force for 19 years, and has been stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. When he recently returned from deployment, he found that he had a new commander, who was a lesbian." "But the commander told Monk that he needed to be on the same page as she was, and that if he didn’t do so, he would be moved elsewhere. She then questioned him on whether he believes it is discrimination for a person to state that they disagree with homosexual “marriage.” He replied that he did not wish to answer because of his convictions."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAxwGlyAP1Q, and/or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbBmSIDUDQ4.

From Charisma News: http://www.charismanews.com/us/40695-lesbian-commander-booted-air-force-sgt-for-beliefs-suit-claims, quote:
"Monk, a devout evangelical Christian, says he was told he wasn’t on the same page as the commander and that if he didn’t get on the same page, they would find another place for him to work. Later, the commander ordered Monk to answer the question of whether people who object to gay marriage are discriminating. Monk responded that he could not answer the way his commander wanted and feared an honest response would put him in legal trouble. At that point, Monk was relieved of his duties."

IOWA CHRISTIAN WEDDING VENUE OWNERS SUED FOR REFUSING TO HOST GAY WEDDING

The Christian News Network has reported at http://christiannews.net/2013/08/24/iowa-christian-couple-fears-shutdown-of-wedding-facility-after-homosexuals-file-complaint/, that 
"Iowa Christian Couple Fears Shutdown of Wedding 
Facility After Homosexuals File Complaint"

Saturday, August 24, 2013

KONG HEE & SUN HO COURT APPEARANCE~SYMPATHY SERMONS~BIRTHDAY BLESSED BY TONGUES~MYSTICAL VOICE OF GOD~KEEP GIVING MONEY

CITY HARVEST CHURCH, SINGAPORE

KONG HEE

SUN HO/"CHINA WINE"



As we previously posted about Kong Hee, pastor of City Harvest Church, Singapore, and his wife Sun Ho, (called China Wine or China Girl), who has a sexually immoral secular/"evangelistic" pop singing career, the following are some updates about what has been happening lately.

City Harvest's founder Kong Hee, 

four others arrested - 26Jun2012:



State of play of upcoming City Harvest Church 

members' trial:




Kong Hee, wife Sun Ho and church leaders 

arrive at Sub court:



    Concurrent with court appearances to answer charges of church financial mismanagement, criminal breach of trust, lavish lifestyles paid for by church funds over and above their salaries, and diversion of funds to pay for Sun Ho's immoral singing career, there has been a campaign of the usual corrupt pastoral manipulative tactics to erect a smokescreen of respectability, sympathy, mystical visions and messages from God, and other positive feeling and uplifting messages, mostly aimed at keeping the monies pouring in.
    The public image is one of downcast facial expressions, loss of weight, wrestling with doubt, the "suffering of Job", and having to deal with a load of stress. Behind that mask is the ever expanding wealth, resources, property, power and influence, allegedly for the glory of God. They think there is no shame here, since "the poor will always be with us" (Matthew 26:11 and Mark 14:7), and no biblical reason for Kong Hee and Sun Ho to "sell all" and follow Jesus (Luke 18:22; Matthew 19:21; Luke 12:33;

From YouTube: Kong Hee - Jabez and Dreams 

(as per Bruce Wilkinson's "Prayer of Jabez");

Quote from Hee: "Faith is 'Spiritualized Imagination" 

in this video, preceded by children leading worship:

In this video, Kong Hee credits Paul (David) Yonggi Cho en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Yonggi_Cho, as his own personal pastor.
Gary Gilley of Southern View Chapel has a thorough overview of the Word of Faith heresy movement and includes some startling comments about Yonggi Cho.
Excerpt:
"Paul (also known as David) Yonggi Cho is the pastor of the 700,000 Full Gospel Yoido Church in South Korea."

Introduction To The Yoido Full Gospel Church:


Excerpt continued:
"Cho, who often speaks at Robert Schuller Conferences on church growth (along with Bill Hybels), is perhaps the closest link to the occult. He teaches a concept called the "Fourth Dimension." The first three dimensions are physical and are controlled by the fourth, which is the spiritual. Cho teaches that Christians can get anything they want by calling upon the spirit world in the Fourth Dimension and visualizing what they want. When a person (Christian or unsaved) follows the proper formula of positive thinking, speaking and visualizing, they "incubate" and eventually give birth to their desires. These techniques are the same used in his occult-infested country. Cho is aware of this fact, but believes what works for "them" will work for "us" — so use it.""
"Paul Yonggi Cho, borrowing from the occult, has developed what he calls the "Law of Incubation." Here is how it works: "First make a clear-cut goal, then draw a mental picture, vivid and graphic, to visualize success. Then incubate it into reality, and finally speak it into existence through the creative power of the spoken word""

Kong Hee Christmas Sermon @ Yoido Full Gospel Church of Cho:

Prosecutors Say That ‘Pastor’ David Yonggi Cho “Has Been Indicted 
On Charges Of Breach Of Duty And Tax Evasion”:

City Harvest Church-Pastor Kong's 

Birthday Celebration with "Speaking in Tongues":





Kong Hee has a close affiliation with many other Word of Faith heretics, including Paul and Jan Crouch of TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), having his own platform there as well.


YOUTUBE VIDEO OF KONG HEE; SUN HO, OF CITY HARVEST CHURCH,
(CALLED "CHINA WINE" BY KONG HEE); ADVISORY PASTOR, PHIL PRINGLE(philpringle.com AND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Pringle
AT PRESENCE CONFERENCE 2012:

YOUTUBE: PHIL PRINGLE "SAW" THE HOLY SPIRIT TWICE IN PERSON:




For complete coverage of all this see: http://c3churchwatch.com/.











Friday, August 23, 2013

PEACEFUL IMPEACH OBAMA DEMONSTRATORS ARRESTED ON MISSOURI HIGHWAY OVERPASS

On a highway overpass in Missouri, several highway patrol police cars showed up and a group of police demanded that the Impeach Obama demonstration cease, but they could not cite any law or ordinance broken, claiming they didn't have to give a legal reason. They ignored the demonstrators claims for the constitutional rights of assembly and free speech. They arrested them and cuffed them, even tackling one man to the ground even though the video clearly shows he did not resist arrest. They were put in jail for 24 hours. This is an unbelievable violation of numerous constitutional guarantees. 
See: overpasses.org.
Published on Aug 18, 2013 on YouTube:
Make a donation to help with their legal fees here:http://www.gofundme.com/3zsxmk
Survival Doc (the videographer) and Mark M. are arrested for not obeying an officer and Mark was also charged with resisting arrest. Did he resist arrest? You be the judge. Oh, and they never read us our Miranda Rights. We spent 24 hours in the St. Charles Count Jail with Missouri Hwy Trooper Jenkins acting as judge, jury and executioner. (Note: I am the videographer of this video and the activist who was arrested wearing the yellow t-shirt. Near the end, as a cop had my left hand in a handcuff behind my back I am holding the camera in my right hand and as the cop is reaching for my right hand I pass the camera off to Constitution Kim who finishes the recording documenting my arrest.)
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Survival Doc's web site: http://www.TheNewSurvivalist.com

Some pictures were taken by unknown sources: