USING NEW AGE MYSTICISM IN POLITICS?
IS HE FOR REAL?
"JESUS CALLING" JUST ISN'T AN APOCRYPHAL BOOK OF THE BIBLE IN THE CATHOLIC MANNER. BUT THEN AGAIN, RAISED AS A LIBERAL BAPTIST HE WOULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH CATHOLICISM, WOULD HE?
A LESSON LEARNED, BUT NOT FROM THE BIBLE:
SON OF A LIBERAL AMERICAN BAPTIST PREACHER &
JESUIT CATHOLIC MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DROP OUT
SEE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Walker_(politician)
SEE: http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2015/03/american-baptist-college-invites.html
SEE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Walker_(politician)
SEE: http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2015/03/american-baptist-college-invites.html
IOWA'S "FAITH & FREEDOM" EVENT
SCOTT WALKER WRAPS HIMSELF IN THE FLAG, BUT NOT THE BIBLE;
PREACHES FROM NEW AGE CHANNELED BOOK
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker reads from "Jesus Calling," a devotional book, during the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition event for potential 2016 Republican presidential contenders at the Point of Grace Church in Waukee, Iowa, April 25, 2015. Nine declared or likely Republican candidates descended on a large church in Iowa on Saturday to court evangelical Christians.
WHAT? ANOTHER "ALLEGED" CHRISTIAN REPUBLICAN FOR PRESIDENT?
SEE: http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_28029266/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Scott Walker, the son of a Baptist preacher, learned a lot about being a politician by going to church.
He was introduced to glad-handing while greeting worshippers beside his father after Sunday services. His confidence as a public speaker began at 2, when he delivered a Christmas greeting from the pulpit, and it blossomed when he preached occasional sermons as a teenager. And now, Walker's lifelong church involvement may be a powerful asset as he positions himself to run for the Republican presidential nomination and focuses on early primary and caucus states dominated by evangelical voters.
Already a hero to fiscal conservatives -- both the Tea Party base and billionaire donors like Charles G. and David H. Koch -- Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, planned to make his most explicit appeal yet to the Christian right last week before hundreds of social conservatives in Iowa. His implicit message is that in an unusually fractured Republican field, with 10 or more candidates potentially on the ballot in the Iowa caucuses next year, he is best positioned to unite the party.
Ahead of Saturday's candidate event -- organized by the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, part of the national group led by the religious activist Ralph Reed -- Walker hardened his positions on issues considered litmus tests for social conservatives, including abortion and immigration. He suggested in an interview with Glenn Beck on Monday that there are too many legal immigrants, a position to the right of other 2016 hopefuls.
But it is Walker's biography that could make him especially attractive to Christian conservatives. A life story that began in the Baptist churches his father led in Colorado, Iowa and Wisconsin continues today at the nondenominational evangelical church he attends in his hometown, Wauwatosa, Wis.
"My relationship with God drives every major decision in my life," Walker said in an emailed statement. While that relationship does not direct his daily decisions, he said, "our walk of faith helps us prepare for those decisions and provides us comfort as we seek to do God's will."
During his political rise in Wisconsin, Walker did not often emphasize his faith. But evangelicals make up nearly 60 percent of Republican caucus-goers in Iowa. They are an important factor in Southern primaries. And they continue to have an outsize influence on the Republican nominating process.
While he was raised a dutiful "P.K.," or pastor's kid, Walker's spiritual journey has not been without conflict. Over the years, his political views have sometimes made him a source of controversy in the places where he has worshipped.
Walker's father, the Rev. Llewellyn S. Walker, was a minister in the American Baptist Churches USA, a more pluralistic denomination than the conservative and better-known Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor Llew, as he was known, is a Republican, but politics and the social causes of the day did not animate his First Baptist Church in Delavan, Wis., where Walker lived from age 10 until he left for college. His father was foremost "a caregiver to the congregation," said the church's current pastor, the Rev. Michael Ida. He would spend half a day sitting in the hospital room of an ailing church member, praying and shooting the breeze.
Before the elder Walker retired in 1995, at the age of 56, he struggled with depression, Ida said. His wife, Pat, and the teenage Scott Walker shouldered some of his pastoral duties.
"There were Sundays when Scott would preach the sermon," Ida said.
As an adult, Walker moved to Wauwatosa, a Milwaukee suburb, in search of a Republican-leaning district in which to run for the state Assembly. He and his wife, Tonette, joined another American Baptist congregation, Underwood Memorial Baptist Church, which had a history of social activism.
A dozen years later, in 2005, Underwood voted to affiliate with the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, a gay-accepting national group, and a small rainbow flag was affixed to its signboard. (The hiring of a woman as pastor in 2003 had accelerated its progressive tilt.)
Walker, by then a candidate for governor, left the church.
"Tonette said they were looking for a more family-friendly place," said Marilyn Carrington, a longtime member.
Some members believed he had cut ties because of Underwood's liberal drift.
"As soon as we put the flag on the sign, he was out of there," said Kevin Genich, a former church member who knew Walker.
After a campaign event in Iowa last week, Walker deflected a question about whether he had left Underwood because it openly embraced gay members. He said there were few children the ages of his sons there.
"Ultimately, we wanted to go to a place where our kids would have the ability to interact with other kids," he said.
Walker's parents, who in retirement had moved to be near their son and joined Underwood, had no objections. They continue to worship there.
Meadowbrook Church, where Walker now worships, is politically and theologically conservative. It is accepted among the church's clergy and congregation that the Bible is the word of God, "without error," and that Christ's return is "imminent." It is led by a council of elders that is open only to men.
While the Rev. Jamie Washam, the pastor of Underwood, opposed a Wisconsin ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage in 2006, Meadowbrook's pastor urged members to vote to define marriage as between one man and one woman.
"The church cannot recognize any alternative arrangements as being God's will for any persons or society," the pastor, John Mackett, wrote on a church blog.
At the same time, Meadowbrook is not politically active on issues like abortion. Sermons hew close to Bible readings.
Mackett, who stepped down as pastor last year, said he had often received text messages from Walker on a Monday discussing his sermon.
"It was never a trite remark," he said. "It came out of a thoughtful reflection on something that was said or happened in church."
Describing the governor as "a very disciplined man," he said Walker followed a morning routine that included exercise, prayer and Bible study. Before being elected governor, Walker and his wife met with other couples for Bible study Sunday evenings in their home.
"Scott's seeking God is a 24/7 thing," said Mackett's wife, Betsy. "It's not just checking a box on Sunday."
But Meadowbrook did not escape the political convulsions touched off during Walker's first term as governor. In a speech to the congregation during its annual meeting in 2013, Mackett pleaded for an end to the "turmoil" caused by "slander" and "name calling" among members divided by politics.
He declined to elaborate in an interview. But Lee Heyward, who succeeded Mackett as head pastor, said, "John and Meadowbrook were going through a really tumultuous time during that whole season of Act 10," referring to the law Walker signed in 2011 that stripped Wisconsin's public employees of most bargaining rights.
The church has many members who are teachers, Heyward said, and they vociferously opposed the governor.
"There were people in the church that wanted John to come out and speak against Gov. Walker and his policies," Heyward said.
There also were supporters of the governor who wanted to hear their pastor defend him. Mackett refused to introduce politics into his sermons. Some people on both sides left Meadowbrook.
Walker said that when tens of thousands of protesters filled the state Capitol during the debate over Act 10, "my faith helped me stay calm and focus on the issue instead of matching anger with anger."
On Friday, as he began his two-day visit to Iowa, Walker indulged in the venerable political tradition of playing up his ties to the state with the nation's first nominating contest. In his case, the ties are genuine, dating to his grade-school years, when his father was a pastor in rural Plainfield. He remembered a tire rolling off his grandparents' car in Dubuque and visiting a Happy Chef restaurant.
In recalling the crucible of his political narrative, his fight against unions, Walker thanked Iowans for their moral support.
"So many of you just prayed for us," he said.
It is a line he hopes will convince evangelical voters that they speak a common language.
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“Jesus Calling” Book Sales Soar
After Walker Speech at Iowa Faith Summit
SEE: http://bereanresearch.org/jesus-calling-book-sales-soar-after-walker-speech-at-iowa-faith-summit/;
Things Jesus our Savior never said, but the false spirit of “Jesus Calling” did:
"When the path before you is dotted with difficulties, beware of measuring your strength against those challenges. Without Me, you will not make it past the first hurdle."
Hat tip to Warren B. Smith for alerting me to this. Warren has written the book,Another Jesus Calling, and exposed Thomas Nelson Publishing for trying to cover up the New Age verbiage from Sarah Young’s original book.
Newsmax has the story of presidential hopeful and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s extensive quoting of this problematic, theological train wreck of a book. The gov is a nice guy, but let’s hope someone close to him enlightens him about the spiritual dangers of quoting a false Jesus:
Sales of a Christian devotional book have spiked since Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin read excerpts from it during his speech at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition last Saturday.
Walker, who is considering a 2016 White House run, read from “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence,” which was written in the first-person voice of Jesus by author Sarah Young.
Young is a former missionary to Australia and other countries, Religion News Service reports. The book was published in 2004 by Thomas Nelson Publishers Inc., a division of HarperCollins.
In his speech to about 1,000 evangelical Republicans at the Point of Grace Church just outside Des Moines, Walker read from the book’s entry on June 4, the date of his Wisconsin recall election in 2012. He had read the entry several days after winning the election — Walker said he had been too busy with the recall that day — and a friend had sent him the item in an email.
“‘Welcome challenging times as an opportunity to trust me,'” Walker began. “‘You have me beside you and the spirit within you, so no set of circumstances is too difficult for you to handle.
“‘When the path before you is dotted with difficulties, beware of measuring your strength against those challenges,'” Walker continued. “‘Without me, you will not make it past the first hurdle.
“‘The way to walk through demanding days is to grip my hand tightly and stay in close communication with me,'” he read. “‘Regardless of the day’s problems, I can keep you in perfect peace as you stay close to me.'”
Reading the entry just days after becoming the only governor in the nation’s history to survive a recall, Walker told the Iowa crowd that, “It made me realize at that moment that the best time to minister is to accept God’s calling at the time when you least expect it.”
That, he said, led to his initial decision to run for governor in 2009 — and is fueling whether he might enter the race for the GOP presidential nomination.
Within days after Walker’s speech, “Jesus Calling” rose to No. 1 on several online book lists, including Amazon, RNS reports.
According to Publishers Weekly, the book has now sold 14 million copies in its many forms — calendar, smartphone app, children’s book — since it was first published.
“It’s a franchise,” Marcia Nelson, the magazine’s former religion reviews editor, told RNS.
“Jesus Calling” sold about 59,000 copies in its first few years, largely via word of mouth, according to RNS. It outsold “Fifty Shades of Grey” in the first half of 2013 — and was No. 1 on PW’s list by August.
“It’s a franchise,” Marcia Nelson, the magazine’s former religion reviews editor, told RNS.
“Jesus Calling” sold about 59,000 copies in its first few years, largely via word of mouth, according to RNS. It outsold “Fifty Shades of Grey” in the first half of 2013 — and was No. 1 on PW’s list by August.
It has consistently remained among the top three books on the list.
“‘Jesus Calling’ didn’t need Scott Walker to get a bump,” Nelson told RNS. “Christian publishing has had a massive hit on its hands ever since ‘Jesus Calling’ was published in 2004.”
Phyllis Tickle, a former PW religion editor, said that she could not remember another book — religion or not — being read in public by another presidential hopeful.
“Candidates will cite books,” Tickle told RNS, “but not like this.”
“‘Jesus Calling’ didn’t need Scott Walker to get a bump,” Nelson told RNS. “Christian publishing has had a massive hit on its hands ever since ‘Jesus Calling’ was published in 2004.”
Phyllis Tickle, a former PW religion editor, said that she could not remember another book — religion or not — being read in public by another presidential hopeful.
“Candidates will cite books,” Tickle told RNS, “but not like this.”
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EXCERPT: "As he stood in front of the audience, Walker read an entry from the devotional — which was written in the first-person voice of Christ — from June 4, which was the day in 2012 that he won the recall election in Wisconsin, according to NewsMax.
Here’s the portion of the “Jesus Calling” text that he read just before telling the audience that the book taught him an important lesson about accepting God’s calling at the most unexpected of times:
_______________________________________________________“‘Welcome challenging times as an opportunity to trust me. You have me beside you and the spirit within you, so no set of circumstances is too difficult for you to handle.When the path before you is dotted with difficulties, beware of measuring your strength against those challenges. Without me, you will not make it past the first hurdle.The way to walk through demanding days is to grip my hand tightly and stay in close communication with me. Regardless of the day’s problems, I can keep you in perfect peace as you stay close to me.”"
Scott Walker plugs a Jesus devotional
in a not-so-subtle sign to evangelicals
SEE: http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/30/scott-walker-plugs-jesus-devotional-book-sales-skyrocket/;
EXCERPT:
"Standing before more than 1,000 people at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, the Wisconsin governor used part of his time to read from “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence,” a Christian devotional written in the first-person voice of Jesus by missionary-turned-author Sarah Young." (And New Age heretic).
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LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS RESEARCH ARCHIVE ABOUT "THE JESUS CALLING" & SARAH YOUNG:
New Age Implications: Ten Examples
1) The New Age Book God Calling-"In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Sarah Young said she was inspired to receive “messages” from “Jesus” after reading the book God Calling. She stated:
2) Channeled “Messages” from “Jesus”-"In Jesus Calling, Young writes that “Jesus” told her “to be a channel of My loving Presence.”9 Obliging his request, her book is filled with channeled “messages” and “directives” she claims to have received from God. In her original introduction, she wrote:"My journey began with a devotional book (God Calling) written in the 1930s by two women who practiced waiting in God’s Presence, writing the messages they received as they “listened.” About a year after I started reading this book, I began to wonder if I too could receive messages during my times of communing with God. . . . So I decided to “listen” to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I sensed He was saying."
3) Visualization-"Sarah Young engaged in the occult/New Age practice of “visualization” when she “pictured” her family “encircled by God’s protective Presence.” “Visualization” and “guided imagery” have long been recognized by sorcerers of all kinds as the most powerful and effective methodology for contacting the spirit world in order to acquire supernatural power, knowledge, and healing. Such methods are neither taught nor practiced in the Bible as helps to faith or prayer."I have continued to receive personal messages from God as I meditate on Him. The more difficult my life circumstances, the more I need these encouraging directives from my Creator."
4) Meditation-"Jesus Calling readers are led to equate Sarah Young’s contemplative prayer process with biblical meditation. But to “make your mind like a still pool of water” as you passively wait “to receive whatever thoughts” Young’s “Jesus” may “drop into it” is much more akin to Eastern/New Age meditation."
5) New Age Terminology-"Throughout Jesus Calling, Sarah Young’s “Jesus” casually introduces New Age terminology in his channeled messages."
6) Divine Alchemy-"By Googling divine alchemy on the Internet, one will see countless references to the occult. The term divine alchemy is frequently found in the teachings of New Age leaders such as Marianne Williamson. She uses the term divine alchemy to reference the same practice of meditation Sarah Young’s “Jesus” is advocating. She writes:
7) Co-creation-"Sarah Young’s “Jesus” also introduces the key New Age concept of “co-creation.” This is a New Age evolutionary concept that falsely teaches that because man is God, he can therefore co-create with God. But man is not God."Meditation is time spent with God in silence and quiet listening. It is the time during which the Holy Spirit has a chance to enter into our minds and perform His divine alchemy.""
The New Age “Christ” has a plan. He is promising the world that Armageddon can be avoided and world peace can be achieved if everyone collaborates and “co-creates” with him."
8) God’s Dream; Deceptive Scheme-"The term “God’s Dream” is yet another part of the overlapping New Age language streaming into the church. God’s Dream is a vague, loosely defined New Age metaphor that attempts to unify different religions and faith groups in an unbiblical effort to attain world peace."
9) God “in” Everything-"The New Age teaches we are all “One” and we are all “God” because God is “in” everyone and everything. This belief is referred to as panentheism and is the foundational teaching of the New Age movement."
10) Sarah Young’s New Agey Mystical Moonlight Conversion-"In the original introduction to Jesus Calling, Sarah Young described how it was a walk in “God’s glorious creation” that led to her mystical moonlight conversion—that her “heart” was “converted” to “Jesus” when she “felt” “enveloped” by the “warm mist” of His “Presence.” But after nine years of publishing the mystical conversion account above, this original account has been suddenly replaced by a different, more traditional conversion account that Young now claims to have had prior to her moonlight walk. Instead of “God’s glorious creation” transitioning into her mystical moonlight conversion, now it’s her new conversion account that transitions into her considerably toned down walk in the moonlight."
Changing “Jesus Calling”—Damage Control for a False Christ by Warren B. Smith is our newest Lighthouse Trails Print Booklet Tract. Five Problems:
(1) Jesus Calling was inspired by a channeled New Age book
(2) Sarah Young originally wrote that she “received messages” from “Jesus” Himself
3) Sarah Young’s “Jesus” contradicts the Bible’s true Jesus Christ
4) Sarah Young’s “Jesus” stated that Abraham was guilty of “idolatry” and “son-worship”
(5) “Jesus” complains about the night of his birth
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ANOTHER ACT FIRST, THINK LATER CANDIDATE?
Scott Walker’s New Immigration Positions Criticized By Top Conservatives
EXCERPT:
In 2013, Walker said that he thought it “made sense” to enact a comprehensive reform plan that that would allow undocumented residents a path to citizenship after paying penalties. Critics call this “amnesty,” though the term is incorrect (it’s alternate punishment, not a pardon). At the time, many of Walker’s colleagues supported such a plan. In March of 2015, Walker admitted that he’d changed his position entirely: he no longer supports a path to citizenship for immigrants who have violated immigration law.
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