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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

DEFUND OBAMACARE~IMPEACH OBAMA MOBILIZING

Michael Connolly of Overpasses.org lists a number of reasons to justify Obama's impeachment:
See: http://overpasses.org/index.php/reasons-for-impeachment/. The complete list unedited is below:


Reasons for Impeachment


“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” 
  1. President Obama has appointed numerous people to cabinet level positions without the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, as is required by the Constitution. These individuals are given extraordinary power and independent funding, and are not under the scrutiny of Congress. The fact that Obama calls them Czars does not make them legal. He has also made illegal recess appointments of other members of his cabinet that required Senate approval. He simply declared that the U.S. Senate was in recess despite the fact that no such declaration had been made by the Senate. The President has no Constitutional authority to do this. 
  2. The push by Pres. Obama to pass healthcare legislation in the Congress of the United States that he was fully aware was unconstitutional. He has continued to use his powers and executive branch of government to implement this legislation despite the fact that a federal judge had declared the entire law unconstitutional, and ordered that it not be implemented. In addition, Obama has directed members of his administration to violate the right to freedom of religion protected by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution.  Religious institutions such as churches and schools have been ordered to provide contraceptives and abortion inducing morning after pills to employees as part of the health care bill requirements. The fact that this is a direct violation of their religious teaching is of no concern to Obama. 
  3. Despite the fact that the United States Senate refused to pass the Cap and Trade bill, the President has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to use regulations to implement key portions of the bill, including those regulating so-called greenhouse gases. Obama himself has acknowledged that this will force energy prices in this country to skyrocket. He is taking these actions in direct defiance of the will of the people of the United States, the will of Congress, and the Constitution. The actions of the EPA include regulations that will force many coal burning power plants to close. 
  4. Through the Department of the Interior (DOI) Obama has placed a moratorium on offshore oil drilling or exploration off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States and in parts of the Gulf of Mexico. He has also prohibited new drilling exploration on federal land in any states in the United States. These actions by the DOI have continued in direct defiance of several court orders issued by Federal Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans, Louisiana declaring that the department had no authority to issue such a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf. In fact, the Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) has been held in contempt by the same judge. The administration has claimed to be complying, but has tied up the drilling permits in so much red tape that the effect is the same. 
  5. Instead of allowing American companies to drill for oil domestically, Obama has betrayed the American people and authorized loans of billions of dollars to countries like Brazil and Mexico so that they can drill for oil, and then sell that oil to the United States. This will dramatically increase our dependence on foreign nations including Venezuela, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and even Libya that do not serve the interest of America or the American people.  Obama has also refused to approve the keystone pipeline from Canada to the United States that would not only lessen our dependence on oil from countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, but create thousands of new jobs in the United States. The decision on the pipeline is one that belongs in the hands of the members of Congress, not the President. 
  6. President Obama has abdicated his responsibility to enforce the laws of the United States against illegal immigration. He has virtually declared our southern border an open border by declaring certain areas of federal land in states like Arizona as off-limits to federal, state, and local authorities. This is despite the fact that these areas are being used to bring in thousands of illegal immigrants, massive amounts of drugs, and also being used by foreign terrorists to infiltrate the United States. He has also ordered the border patrol not to arrest most illegal immigrants entering the country, and has stopped deportation proceedings against thousands of people in this country illegally. He is in effect instituting the so-called “dream act” bypassing the Congress of the United States which has sole authority over immigration matters. 
  7. The President and his Attorney General Eric Holder have clearly violated their oath of office by joining with foreign countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, and Columbia, in lawsuits against the sovereign states of Arizona, Georgia, and Alabama to stop them from enforcing the federal immigration laws. 
  8. President Obama has ordered the Federal Communications Commission to adopt regulations giving the federal government control of the Internet and its contents, including providing Obama with a kill switch that gives him authority to shut down the Internet if he sees fit. This is in direct violation of a decision by the United States Supreme Court that the FCC has no Constitutional authority to control the Internet.  There were two bills pending in Congress to effectively give Obama the kill switch he wants over the Internet. When these two proposals, the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) were withdrawn amid public outcry Obama announced he will sign an international treaty that purports to give him the same authority. He has signaled his intention to do this as an “Executive Act” and not bring the treaty to the Senate for ratification as required by Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution. I believe he intends to take the same action in regard to the United Nations Small arms treaty and the UN Law of the Sea treaty that are both unlikely to get Senate approval. 
  9. One of the paramount responsibilities of the President of the United States and his executive branch of government is to enforce and defend laws adopted by Congress unless they are declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. Obama has decided that he should ignore this Constitutional mandate, and that as President he is more powerful than either the Congress of the United States or the Supreme Court. He has unilaterally declared that the Defense of Marriage Act passed by the Congress is unconstitutional, and further declared that he will not have the Justice Department defend it against lawsuits.  His administration has also refused to enforce laws against voter intimidation and federal law that requires states to purge their voter registration lists of deceased individuals and those that are registered illegally. In addition, the Justice Department is refusing to allow states to enforce laws requiring proof of identity by voters at the polls. Obama has essentially said that he is the supreme ruler of the United States, and that the Congress and the Federal Judiciary are irrelevant. 
  10. It has been widely reported that acting through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms the Obama administration was involved for months in getting legitimate and law-abiding gun store owners along our southern border to supply weapons to straw buyers who the government knew would deliver them to the drug cartels in Mexico. This was billed as a sting operation against the cartels when in fact it was designed to produce fraudulent data showing that large numbers of weapons were going from the United States to the Mexican drug dealers.  This data was then to be used, and is being used, to try to justify new gun control regulations to limit the rights of American citizens to keep and bear arms. It has nothing to do with arresting members of the drug operations. The administration has, in effect, armed our enemies, and one border patrol agent has already been killed by one of these weapons. Now, Obama continues to impose gun control laws by Executive order so he will not have to deal with Congress. The administration is also refusing to cooperate with the committees in the House of Representatives that are investigating the entire operation. It is even defying Congressional subpoenas. 
  11. The President of the United States is not authorized by the Constitution to take our nation to war without the consent of the Congress of the United States. The only exception to this is the authority granted to the President by Congress under the War Powers Act. This law allows the President to take immediate action without the consent of Congress if there is an imminent threat to the security of the United States, or its citizens. Although there was clearly no such imminent threat caused by the Civil War in Libya, the President committed members of the United States military to combat missions in a foreign country without the consent of Congress. He based his authority on a United Nations resolution, and a resolution by the Arab League.  Now, the President has carried it one step further. During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 7, 2012, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told Senators that the President has authority to take our country to war without the Congressional approval required by Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution. The administration is taking the position that it can ignore Congress as long as it has United Nations approval or NATO approval.  However, these actions may be the least of the worries facing the American people. The White House insisted that language be included in the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that gives the President sole authority to order the military to arrest and indefinite detain American citizens on U.S. soil if the President suspects them of terrorist ties. This was amazingly passed overwhelmingly by Congress. It appears to be another situation where few members read the bill before voting on it.  This was almost immediately followed by another unconstitutional executive order titled the National Defense Resources Preparation order. It is similar to orders signed by past Presidents, but this one includes language that appears to give Obama the authority to declare martial law in peacetime, and take over the allocation of everything from food and fuel to transportation and health care. This violates the Constitution in a number of different ways. 
  12. Last but not the least of my dirty dozen of impeachable offenses, is the fact that since taking office the President has used executive orders, laws pushed through Congress in the dark of night, and administrative actions by his departments to nationalize and control automobile manufacturers, banks, insurance companies, and portions of the healthcare industry. This is designed to take our country from a free enterprise economy to a socialist economy. There is absolutely no authority in the Constitution of the United States that allows the President to do this. Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution provides as follows: “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” I contend that among those high crimes and misdemeanors is the intentional violation of the oath of office administered to the President and all other federal officials. In fact, federal law at 5 U.S.C. 7311 specifically provides that violation of the oath of office includes advocating the overthrowing of our constitutional form of government. This is specifically declared a criminal offense in 18 U.S.C. 1918 and is punishable by both a fine and imprisonment. In the 12 areas I mentioned in the paragraphs above I firmly believe that Obama, Eric Holder, and numerous other members of his administration have gone beyond just advocating the overthrow of our constitutional form of government. They are actually engaged in making it happen, and as a result should be impeached and convicted. There are also the emerging issues of corruption such as the Solyndra scandal caused by Obama using stimulus money to pay off campaign contributors.  Will there be an impeachment and conviction in the current Congress? Probably not, since it takes a two thirds vote in the House of Representatives to impeach, and a two thirds vote in the Senate to convict. With Harry Reid and the progressives still in control of the Senate, and many of them guilty of some of the same impeachable offenses, they will resist it. However, we are the American people and we still have a right to control our government, and the people elected to represent us. Therefore, I am personally calling on the conservative members the House of Representatives to bring this action based on the grounds I have enumerated so that the American people can understand what is really at stake here. Then “we the people,” can make our voices heard.
– Michael Connelly, retired constitutional lawyer Michael Connelly teaches constitutional law through Education to Go, an online company that provides courses to numerous universities. He is a retired attorney, the author of four books, publisher of a website, and retired Army.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
 See Gina Miller's article at: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/miller/130806,
"America outraged: 'Overpasses for Obama's Impeachment' goes nationwide Tuesday"
Excerpts:
"-Impeachment must be the centerpiece of the 2014 elections – and candidates for both houses must sign a pledge to impeach!"

"-Boehner must be dumped as Speaker and replaced with the next president of the United States, whoever that may be, chosen by the House – the 'people's chamber'!"
"QUIT BEING AFRAID OF THE PETULANT DICTATOR IN THE WHITE HOUSE"

ATHEIST CIVILIAN MICHAEL WEINSTEIN STILL SUPPRESSING CHRISTIAN SPEECH IN THE MILITARY



American Family Association reports about the bullying of, and the suppression of, free speech by Christians in the military. Also see our previous post about the bullying by Michael Weinstein here:
http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/05/pentagon-confirms-may-court-martial.html.

 American Family Association
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AFA to Air Force leaders - We want a meeting

August 6, 2013

Dear ____,This week, your American Family Association sent a letter to the U.S. Air Force asking for
a face-to-face meeting to discuss the military branches' recent string of anti-Christian hostilities
against chaplains, officers and enlisted men who publicly share their faith.
The letter to Air Force Secretary Eric Fanning noted that "on April 23, 2013, Air Force and Pentagon
representatives met with Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) President Michael Weinstein,
" thus, the Pentagon should hear from all concerned," which includes Christian-based organizations
like AFA.
Our request follows a strongly-worded letter from 53 members of Congress to Secretary of
Defense Chuck Hagel, questioning why the Air Force would grant a private meeting with Weinstein,
whose organization urged the military branch to begin a "cleansing" of any public expression of the
Christian faith in the military.
For example, after receiving a phone call from Weinstein last month, the commander of the Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska censored an essay by a base chaplain entitled "No Atheists in
Foxholes: Chaplains Gave All in World War II."  Within hours, on Weinstein's demand, the commander
ordered the essay removed from the base website.
The bottom line is this: We believe the Air Force is taking anti-Christian directives from a civilian 
atheist. And just like Congress, we want to know why.
The Air Force bent over backwards to meet with Weinstein, bringing in high ranking officers like
the Judge Advocate General, Deputy Inspector General, Deputy Chief of Chaplains, Director of Air
Force Equal Opportunity and other staff members.
_________________________________________________________________

Here are the letters mentioned above:

_________________________________________________________________

See our previous post about the bullying by Michael Weinstein of the military:
____________________________________________________

YouTube videos of the atheist Michael Weinstein demanding Christians be denied their right to free speech:
CHRISTIAN HATRED:
Published on Aug 3, 2012 by MRFF (Military Religious Freedom Foundation headed by Weinstein) on YouTube titled:

"Why We Fight: Defending Our Troops From Christian Fundamentalist Predators":

"An interview with Mikey and Bonnie Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) on the struggle to defend service members' civil rights by protecting the constitutional separation of church and state within the U.S. Military.

The grassroots campaign to ensure that religious freedoms are upheld in the United States Armed Forces will take considerable financing. Funding is required to educate and inform the public and media, to pursue legal remedies in the courts, and for normal operating expenses. The generous support of individuals and businesses enables MRFF to accomplish our critical goals."

In addition, Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs reported at:

"NAVY SEAL FAMILIES: MUSLIM CLERIC 'DAMNED TO HELL' DEAD NAVY SEALS AT CEREMONY"

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/05/navy-seal-families-muslim-cleric-damned-dead-navy-seals-at-ceremony.html. Quote: "Military brass prohibited “any mention of a Judeo-Christian God” at the ceremony. According to the press release released by the fallen's families, dhimmi military brass “invited a Muslim Cleric to the funeral for the fallen NAVY SEAL Team VI heroes who disparaged in Arabic the memory of these servicemen by damning as infidels to Allah.”
                                                 
See Pam Geller's other post at:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/07/before_
benghazi_there_was_extortion_17.html.

Way of Life reports as well:
http://www.wayoflife.org/index_files/friday_church_news_14_31.html:
"MILITARY CENSORS CHRISTIAN CHAPLAIN (Friday Church News Notes, August 9, 2013, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from Breitbart.com, July 24, 2013: “A Christian chaplain in the military is being officially censored for engaging in free speech, and anti-Christian activists are demanding he be punished. Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes is a Christian chaplain currently serving in the U.S. Air Force. He is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. As an ordained clergyman whose duties are to provide religious instruction and spiritual counseling, he has a page on the base’s website called ‘Chaplain’s Corner.’ Reyes recently wrote an essay entitled, ‘No Atheists in Foxholes: Chaplains Gave All in World War II.’ This common saying is attributed to a Catholic priest in World War II, made famous when President Dwight D. Eisenhower said during a 1954 speech: ‘I am delighted that our veterans are sponsoring a movement to increase our awareness of God in our daily lives. In battle, they learned a great truth that there are no atheists in the foxholes.’ As reported by Fox News’s Todd Starnes, when Reyes referenced this famous line in his essay, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) contacted the base commander, Col. Brian Duffy, demanding he take action on Reyes’s ‘anti-secular diatribe.’ ... They accuse him of violating military regulations. My legal research on this issue uncovered no regulation prohibiting Reyes’s speech, which looks like expression protected by the free speech and religious freedom provisions of the First Amendment. Military leaders did not respond to Fox’s inquiries asking the Air Force to identify any such rules. Nonetheless, only five hours after MRFF’s complaint, the essay was removed from the website. Duffy has profusely apologized in MRFF for not stopping this religious leader from sharing religious thoughts. But this response--which again appears to be a violation of Reyes’s First Amendment rights—is insufficient for MRFF. They said, “Faith based hate, is hate all the same,” and, “Lt. Col. Reyes must be appropriately punished.” (Emphasis added). ... MRFF is activist Mikey Weinstein’s organization. He called observant Christians ‘fundamentalist monsters’ seeking to impose a ‘reign of theocratic terror,’ and he described sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as an act of ‘spiritual rape’ that makes believers ‘enemies of the Constitution’ who are committing an act of ‘sedition and treason’ against this nation.”"


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

SOVEREIGN GRACE ELDERS COMMEND C.J. MAHANEY; CONDEMN BRENT DETWILER

The SGM Council of Elders Issue Statement Commending C.J. Mahaney & Condemning Brent Detwiler
Monday, August 5, 2013 at 7:52PM
Brent Detwiler
The SGM Council of Elders posted a statement on their website today that commends C.J. Mahaney and condemns me.  It comes as no surprise.  I've know about it for the past three months.  I am preparing a response that I will post on Friday, Aug 9.  I don't want to rush a response.  This is another defining moment.
____________________________________________________
This is the disgusting statement in its entirety from the elders of Sovereign Grace Ministries. If anyone needs to repent, its not Brent Detwiler. All this while criminal charges are still being investigated and an appeal made in the civil suit.
The Sovereign Grace Council of Elders held their inaugural meeting May 23-25, 2013, in Orlando, Florida. In addition to approving a motion to form a Strategy Committee for International Missions and confirming Mark Prater as the first Executive Director, the Council of Elders also approved, by a supermajority, the following statement to be sent to every Sovereign Grace church and posted on the Sovereign Grace Ministries website. 
As the Sovereign Grace Council of Elders, representing the elderships that govern local churches, we believe that Brent Detwiler has repeatedly and grievously slandered our churches and our leaders.[1]  We denounce as sinful and unbiblical his determined effort to accuse our brethren.[2]  Consequently, we urge our brothers and sisters in Christ to avoid giving audience to Brent Detwiler’s unbiblical speech until such a time that he repents of this ungodly pattern. Such harmful speech is ruinous to the church of God. 
Furthermore, in contradiction to Brent Detwiler’s ongoing statements, we vigorously reiterate our support of C.J. Mahaney as a qualified minister of the gospel.[3] While we wholeheartedly support our reformation in polity, we also publicly declare our gratefulness for C.J.’s many years of service and commend his ongoing ministry of the gospel.[4] 

[1] This belief is based on the numerous public statements Brent has made accusing leaders of Sovereign Grace churches of lying, deception, hypocrisy, conspiracy, abuse, etc. without due process nor sufficient information and at times blatantly contrary to the facts.
[3] Per Interim Board announcement on the review panels dated January 25, 2012 andPreliminary Panel Report dated July 27, 2011.
[4] C.J. serves as a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville but does not hold a staff position with Sovereign Grace Ministries, Inc.



Monday, August 5, 2013

ROMA DOWNEY NEW AGE ADVOCATE PARTNERS WITH "WOMEN OF FAITH"~WOMEN SHOULD AVOID THESE CONFERENCES

Lighthouse Trails Research reports that Roma Downey, New Age advocate, is joining arms with "Women of Faith", and warns, as before, that Christian women should avoid their conferences.
Fall 2013 Promo videos:



Max Lucado, contemplative proponent and believer in "baptismal regeneration" also promotes "Women of Faith":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_1BvDQ5DN8.

Priscilla Shirer, another reason to avoid the conference:
See posts about Shirer by Apprising:
http://apprising.org/2012/02/27/women-pastors-priscilla-shirer-and-the-southern-baptist-convention/.
http://apprising.org/2010/07/26/priscilla-shirer-and-contemplativecentering-prayer/.
http://apprising.org/2010/08/28/priscilla-shirer-promoting-contemplativecentering-prayer/.
http://apprising.org/2010/09/23/priscilla-shirer-points-us-to-richard-rohr/
(See Rohr below in our posts)
http://apprising.org/2012/08/23/true-woman-conference-speaker-priscilla-shirer-hears-gods-still-small-voice/.
http://apprising.org/2012/11/26/priscilla-shirer-excited-her-brother-performed-at-joel-osteens-heretical-word-faith-church/.
And our own previous posts about Richard Rohr, mystical monk:
http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/04/much-more-on-rohr-plus-enneagrams.html.
http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-connection-between-lgbtq-soulforce.html.

Christine Caine of Hillsong, Australia, another reason to avoid the conference:
Ruth Haley Barton, a contemplative mystic, will be attending the Assembly of God "Believe" conference event in Orlando, Florida, August 5-9, 2013, along with Franklin Graham, Christine Caine of Hillsong, Australia, Judah Smith, and Joni Eareckson Tada, among many others. See: http://generalcouncil.ag.org/.
See posts about Caine by Apprising:
http://apprising.org/2012/01/22/word-faith-pastrix-christine-caine-preaches-sunday-morning-sermon-for-steven-furtick/.
http://apprising.org/2011/09/23/code-orange-speaker-christine-caine/.
http://apprising.org/2012/06/06/the-budding-femance-between-word-faith-pastrix-christine-caine-and-kay-warren/.
http://apprising.org/2012/06/22/pastrix-christine-caine-honored-to-speak-at-lakewood-church-youth-conference/.
http://apprising.org/2012/10/03/christine-caine-to-preach-weekend-services-at-saddleback-church/.
http://apprising.org/2012/09/17/christine-caine-says-word-faith-teacher-joyce-meyer-is-her-spiritual-mother/.

Lysa Terkeurst promoting "breath payers" in her book "Made to Crave", and who endorsed Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand GiftsAnn Voskamp has a blog where she shares how to do Lectio Divina. Both of these women are deceiving many women with their contemplative mysticism.
See Lighthouse Trails Research about "breath prayers": 
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/breathprayer.htm, and "lectio divina":
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=10887.



A number of other Word of Faith heretics and rock groups will be at this convention, so avoid!

MercyMe Rock Group: 
See: Way of Life: 
file:///C:/Users/John/Downloads/Directory_of_Contemporary_Worship_Musicians%20(1).pdf: Select quotes:
"MercyMe is a rocking contemporary band that is ecumenical and charismatic. In early 
2011 they included Roman Catholic Matt Maher on their Rock & Worship Roadshow. It is obvious that the members of MercyMe fill  their minds and hearts with a lot of licentious secular rock. MercyMe’s popular “Word of God Speak” worship song is pure charismatic mysticism. Consider the lyrics:
“Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain, washing my eyes to see our majesty. To be still and know that you’re in this place, please let me stay and rest in your holiness. ... Finding myself in the midst of you, beyond the music, beyond the noise. All that I need is to be with you and in the quiet I hear your voice.” This “open yourself to the flow of the Spirit” has led to all sorts of unscriptural doctrines and practices."

Third Day Rock Group:
See: Way of Life: Select quotes:
"One of the themes of CCM is ecumenical unity, and that is evident in Third Day’s “Come Together” album. Third Day performed for the Roman Catholic Youth Rally in 2011, which featured Pope Benedict XVI and a Catholic mass during which a piece of bread allegedly became Jesus."

Mark Lowry:
See: Way of Life: Select quotes:
"Mark Lowry labels living standards and ecclesiastical separation “legalism”Lowry’s tirade against “legalism” is a smokescreen for his rebellion against Bible-believing Christianity. Lowry’s ecumenical, positive-only philosophy is evident in his attitude toward preaching on Hell. In 1997, Lowry joined Roman Catholic Kathy Troccoli and 40 other CCM artists to record Love One Another, a song with an ecumenical theme. In an article in CCM Magazine, Lowry praised Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. Lowry had no word of warning about Mother Teresa’s false gospel that has caused multitudes 
to die with a false hope."
Example video, titled:

"Mark Lowry Recovering Fundamentalist", 

(Funny "Christian" Humor, But Still Very Ecumenical 

in Spirit and Mocking of Fundamentalists):




See our previous post about Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett:
http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/05/global-leadership-summit-2013.html,
with this part about Downey:

Roma Downey:
Dave Mosher Blog has a group of excellent posts http://davemosher.wordpress.com/?s=roma+downey on Roma Downey and her New Age beliefs and associations, in particular this one:
http://davemosher.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/touched-by-an-angel-roma-downeys-new-age-ish-little-angels-series-for-preschoolers-claims-to-be-christian/, revised March 27, 2013. In it we see Roma Downey on the cover of OM Times, http://omtimes.com/a New Age publication. See Downey's biography and interview at OM Times here: http://omtimes.com/2011/07/roma-downey-truly-an-angel/.

David Cloud's Way of Life reports:
Roma Downey, the Roman Catholic co-creator (with her husband, Mark Burnett) of the History Channel’s popular “The Bible” miniseries, says Pope Francis is “a new pope of hope” (“Roma Downey,” Christian Post, April 4, 2013). Here is the promotion video of "The Bible" series:


    Downey, famous for her role as “the angel Monica” in the new-agey TV series “Touched by an Angel,” plays the part of Mary in “The Bible” miniseries. She says the example of Pope Francis will cause “the seeds of hope to flourish in people’s hearts and people’s lives.” In an earlier interview, Downey said, “I have prayed to Mary and loved her my whole life” (“The Bible: An Epic Mini-Series,” Catholiclane.com, Feb. 28, 2013). Roma attended the University of Santa Monica http://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/offering Master's degrees in Spiritual Psychology“founded by New Age spiritual and self-help guru John Roger” (“Roma Downey Happy Out of Spotlight,” Beck/Smith Hollywood, April 23, 2013). She says that she listens to books on tape by New Age guru Eckhart Tolle, who teaches the divinity of man. The creators of “The Bible” miniseries have not been afraid to add to and change God’s Word.

Christian Research Network discusses Downey and the "Bible" miniseries:
http://christianresearchnetwork.org/2013/03/15/roman-catholic-roma-downey-producer-of-the-bible-miniseries-says-francis-i-will-be-a-pope-of-hope/.

Rick Warren's Saddleback Church invited Downey and Burnett to do a "question and answer" time during February 2013 showing of the Bible miniseries: http://saddleback.com/blogs/communityblog/mark-burnett-and-roma-downey-coming-to-saddleback/.
_______________________________________________________________

Lighthouse article in full, unedited:

    Lighthouse Trails first addressed concerns about the Women of Faith conferences in 2006. In an article, we stated:
Women of Faith is a Christian franchise that has held conferences for over 3 million women since its inception in 1996. In 2000, Christian publisher Thomas Nelson bought the Women of Faith franchise and has a strong influence in the organization. Nearly all of the regular Women of Faith speakers are Thomas Nelson authors, and Thomas Nelson books are sold at the Women of Faith conferences, thus women attending the conferences will get a hearty dose of Thomas Nelson.
In light of books published by Thomas Nelson that have contemplative slants, women attending these conferences should use discernment and wisdom. Below is a list of some Thomas Nelson books and authors that have New Age and/or contemplative content. Incidentally, nearly all of these books below are sold through the Women of Faith online bookstore, including Yoga for Christians and The Secret Message of Jesus:
Yoga for Christians by Susan Bordenkircher
The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren
Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado
Speaking My Mind by Tony Campolo
Celebration of Discipline (Spanish) by Richard Foster
The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge
Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri Nouwen
How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life by Mark Victor Hansen
Seeing What is Sacred by Ken Gire
So You Want to Be Like Christ (Workbook) by Chuck Swindoll
In 2007, Lighthouse Trails posted an article titled “10, 000 Expected to Attend Women of Faith Conference.”  In that article, we stated that the “women who attend Women of Faith conferences will be exposed to mystical spirituality, and because they trust Women of Faith, they will be caught unaware and put in harm’s way.”
In 2010, we posted John Lanagan’s article “Why Are Women of Faith Promoting Mystic/Emerging Brian McLaren?”  Lanagan expressed his concerns about Women of Faith including the fact that the organization was selling Brian McLaren’s books. Lanagan stated:
When a well known organization like Women of Faith is the reason women are exposed to false teaching, whether through exposure to The Message paraphrase, or to the apostate rebellion of Brian McLaren, this should not be accepted with a yawn and a shrug. . . .  Is Women of Faith on its way to purveying a generic spirituality?
We fear we must say yes to John Lanagan’s question. Women of Faith is going from the frying pan into the fire. In a June 21stChristian Post article, “Mark Burnett, Roma Downey Partner With Women of Faith, ‘Believe God Can Do Anything’ Tour,”  it explains how Women of Faith “has partnered with ‘The Bible’ producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey to incorporate parts of the highly successful History Channel program into its ‘life-changing’ tour. That probably sounds UN-alarming to most people. After all, what could be wrong with a  program called The Bible?  And the series (now seen by over 100 million people), The Bible,  is being promoted widely by many Christian organizations and ministries with a broad marketing target.
It was concerning enough knowing these past several years that Women of Faith introduced their women to Brian McLaren and other emergent-type names. But Roma Downey falls as much in the New Spirituality camp as McLaren, if not more. First of all, Roma promotes the Roman Catholic church. In an article we posted earlier this year,Rick Warren Endorses 2013 Book, “Catholics Come Home” – Calls Catholic Evangelization “Critically Important,” we quoted Downey as saying this about the Catholics Come Home book: “Catholics Come Home inspires each of us to share God’s love with others, in order to help change the world for the better, for eternity!” And, in a book titled Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life, there is a companion “Meditation” CD by Roma Downey that comes with the book.
But Roma Downey isn’t just a Catholic promoter. She is a New Age/New Spirituality promoter. Within the pages of a book titledLoyalty to Your Soul by Ron and Mary Hulnick (published in 2010 by the New Age publisher, Hay House), Downey endorses the book saying:
As a USM [ University of Santa Monica - a New Age metaphysical school] graduate, I know firsthand the value I received from participating with Ron and Mary  in the Master’s degree Program in Spiritual Psychology. I am so grateful to haveLoyalty to Your Soul to sweetly remind me of all I have learned. Let’s just say that I went from playing an angel on TV to living more of an angelic life every day. The teachings in this beautiful book have sent me on a journey to the very center of my own being where, wrapped in the safe wings of Love, I feel as though I have come home.
Downey’s endorsement in the Hulnick’s book is nestled in with full-blown New Agers like Barbara Marx Hubbard, Joan Borysenko, and Gay Hendricks (The Corporate Mystic). By the way, Neale Donald Walsch, the New Ager who said that Hitler did the Jews a favor by killing them,wrote the foreword to Loyalty to Your Soul.
Clearly, Downey read this book and resonates deeply with it to say what she did about it. To get an idea of this “journey” that Downey is on, listen to a few quotes from Loyalty to Your Soul:
Center your awareness in your heart and consciously look for the Loving Essence in the person in your presence. By doing so, you’re signifying your respect for the Soul before you . . .  Maintain awareness that you’re in conversation with another Divine Being who is engaged in having a human experience. (p. 209)
We ask for the presence, protection, guidance, and Love of the Divine Beings  who work with each of us. (from the “Invocation” – emphasis added
“When people speak of spirituality, they simply mean awareness of the sacred reality of the Divine Essence within and beyond all creation.” (p. 8, quoting favorably a New Age “spiritual teacher”)
For the awakening person, there is a growing yearning for time in the silence. There is a sense of needing time and space for contemplation, meditation, walking in nature, and just plain being alone. Attuning to the inner channel of Divine Love is supported by quiet moments. (p. 27)
You begin to recognize others as Divine Beings, and the situations and circumstances of your life as learning devices. (p. 31)
Those familiar with New Age teachings will recognize such statements as being the core essence of the occult (that man is divine).Loyalty to Your Soul is a contemporary version of A Course in Miracles (the New Age book Warren B. Smith talks about in his biography, The Light That Was Dark).
In addition to endorsing Loyalty to Your Soul, Downey also endorsed a book called Angels in My Hair: the true story of a modern day Irish mystic by Lorna Bryne. The book is about spirit guides in people’s lives.
We find it disconcerting to know that someone with Downey’s spiritual propensities, who attended a New Age university, helped to create a program on God’s Word.
So, the question we have is this: Now that Women of Faith has “partnered” with Roma Downey, will the millions of women who attend Women of Faith conferences be led down the same path Downey has found herself on? Perhaps we should ask Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer,
 Lisa Harper
(See Lighthouse Trails brief description of Lisa Harper at http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=10843, with a quote from this link: "In looking at her 2011 book, Stumbling into Grace, she is quoting several major contemplatives: Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Brennan Manning, Richard Foster, Anne Lamott, and at least one New Age author, Gerald May. We don’t know that she is advocating contemplative practices in her book, but clearly she is reading from and gleaning from the mystics and passing those “insights” onto her readers.")
and Sheila Walsch the answer to that question – they will be the speakers at the Women of Faith “Unwrap the Bible” conference in 2014 (see video below where Downey promotes this conference). But then, you might get a biased answer – Moore, Shirer, Harper, and Walsch are all proponents of contemplative spirituality, and those who understand the dynamics of contemplative prayer know that it is a comfortable companion to the ”theology” behind A Course in Miracles.
Evangelical and Protestant Christianity are becoming synonymous with contemplative spirituality. In other words, where you find evangelical and Protestant Christianity, you will increasingly find contemplative spirituality (i.e., Spiritual Formation). And in this paradigm shift, we can see that Alice Bailey’s prediction that the church will be the avenue through which the “Aquarian Age” will enter the world, preparing for that one whom the Bible warns will deceive the whole world.
Related Video: (If you cannot see this video below, click here.)
(Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUJxZq6rT04).

Who’s Promoting Burnett/Downey’s The Bible:
Southern Baptist Conventionhttp://www.lifeway.com/Article/The-Bible-Miniseries-An-Interview-with-Roma-Downey-and-Mark-Burnett.
Focus on the Familyhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/radio.aspx?ID={8AA137FE-2171-40A9-9569-E902F99BD82B}
Willow Creek Associationhttp://www.willowcreek.com/events/leadership/speaker_mark_burnett.asp
Rick Warren and Saddlebackhttp://saddleback.com/blogs/communityblog/mark-burnett-and-roma-downey-coming-to-saddleback/
Oprahhttp://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Why-Diogo-Morgado-Didnt-Feel-Worthy-to-Play-Jesus-Video
More endorsements, click here.om the Frying Pan into the Fire: Women of Faith Partners with New Age Advocate Roma Downeyrom the Frying Pan into the Fire: Women of Faith Partners with New Age Advocate Roma Downey

CHARLES STANLEY'S "IN TOUCH" MAGAZINE EDITORS ADAMANT ABOUT PROMOTING CONTEMPLATIVE MYSTIC JONATHAN WILSON-HARTGROVE AND OTHER MYSTICS



Lighthouse Trails Research has attempted to persuade the editorial staff (headed by Cameron Lawrence) of "In Touch" magazine to reconsider their promotion of contemplative mystics and their ideas to no avail. The same response of willing ignorance and deception still infects "In Touch" when told about Wilson-Hartgrove.
See: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20130805.htm.

See our previous posts about Wilson-Hartgrove:
http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/03/charles-stanleys-drift-toward.html.
http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/07/wild-goose-chasenazarene-mike-king.html.

See the reason Lighthouse has it right:

Wilson-Hartgrove on the Rule of Catholic Monastic 

Saint Benedict:


Also see these videos where Wilson-Hartgrove again promotes the rule of Saint Benedict and the "New Monasticism":

Lighthouse Trails article in full, unedited:

Lighthouse Trails has watched in dismay over the past few years as Charles Stanley’s In Touch magazine has made the decision to promote contemplative/emergent names. When our editors picked up a copy of the August 2013 issue and saw a feature article written by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, we decided to call In Touch Ministries to find out who was responsible for the content in the magazine. Sadly, the response we received from the editorial department at In Touch left us with a sinking feeling that the evangelical church has been seduced and there was no turning back.
We’ll talk about the phone call in a minute but first a look at Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.

In June of 2011, Lighthouse Trails free lance writer Mike Stanwood wrote “Contemplative Spirituality Lands on Charles Stanley’s In Touch Magazine . . . Again.”  In this article, it was revealed that in the January 2011 In Touch magazine issue, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove was featured in an article written by In Touch Managing Editor Cameron Lawrence. That article, titled “The Craft of Stability: Discovering the Ancient Art of Staying Put,” highlighted the “ intentional Christian community” at the Rutba House (Wilson-Hartgrove’s home) and their “daily prayer routine.” The In Touch article stated that Rutba House is an evangelical community rooted in the Protestant tradition and that Wilson-Hartgrove is an ordained Baptist minister, yet it also reported that Rutba’s community principles are borrowed from Benedictine monks and that all of their efforts are based on St. Benedict’s “rule of life.”
(See: http://emerging-communities.com/tag/rutba-house/)
Charles StanleyIn Stanwood’s article, he points out that Wilson-Hartgrove is part of the “New Monasticism” movement within the emerging church. To help you understand just how serious this situation is with Charles Stanley and his ministry, read this following section of Stanwood’s article:
Wilson-Hartgrove is most recently known for co-authoring Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals with new monastic activist Shane Claiborne. Other books he has authored may also fall into the emerging/contemplative category. For example, one such book called New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today’s Church (1) has been endorsed by mystic proponents Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle,Tony Campolo, and Catholic priest and centering prayer advocate Richard Rohr. The mystics resonate with the “new monasticism” – this is plain to see.
On the surface, the new monasticism may look OK with its many good works of helping the poor and the needy. But the underlying belief system does not line up with biblical doctrine; rather it is about establishing an all-inclusive kingdom of God on earth now where individual salvation is replaced with a community salvation for the whole world. Atonement has less emphasis on Jesus Christ as the only atonement for man’s sins and instead becomes an at-one-ment where all of creation is “being” saved by coming together as one (and yes, seeing the divinity of man). This is the kind of “atonement” that McLaren, Tickle, and Rohr would resonate with.
It is important to see that they don’t just resonate with the good works coming out of the new monasticism; born-again Christians have been performing good works by helping the poor and needy for centuries and continue to do so. While this new monasticism supposedly distinguishes itself by its good works,  in reality it is mysticism and the foundational beliefs of mysticism (i.e., panentheism, kingdom now, etc) that distinguish it. And it is that element that Tickle, McLaren, and Rohr embrace.
Additional resources on Wilson-Hartgrove’s website include a DVD called Discovering Christian Classics: 5 Sessions in the Ancient Faith of Our Future, a five-week study with contemplative advocate Lauren F. Winner (Girl Meets God) for high school or adult “formation.” A description of this DVD states:
“You will discover the meaning of conversion and prayer from the Desert Fathers and Mothers; how to love from the sermons of St. John Chrysostom; St. Benedict’s Rule of Life and how it became one of the foundations of Western Christian spirituality; how to have an intimate relationship with God according to The Cloud of Unknowing; and what it means to ‘pick up your cross” in the Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis.’”
Another book Wilson-Hartgrove has authored, called The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture, refers readers to the wisdom of Lao-tzu, the desert monastics, Thomas Merton, Benedictine spirituality, panentheist and interspiritualist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Benedictine nun Joan Chittister.
In a Beliefnet interview one year ago, Wilson-Hartgrove shared how “we need the wisdom of those who’ve gone before us.” This wisdom he is referring to comes not from the Bible, but from the contemplative “Benedictines (who) taught us to start the day with common prayer.”1
After seeing what is at the core of Wilson-Hartgrove’s spiritual wisdom, it is not surprising to learn that he recently made an appearance  at the [very emergent] Wild Goose Festival .2 According to an article in the Christian Post, the Wild Goose Festival  was a “four-day revival camp in North Carolina featuring music, yoga, liberal talk and embracing of gays and lesbians.”
The fact is, anyone who is drawn to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, as Wilson-Hartgrove is, has got to be following a different spirit and another gospel or at the very least greatly deceived. Chardin, who is attributed to the term “cosmic Christ,” did not hide the fact in his writings that he believed, not in the Christ of the Bible, but a christ consciousness in every human being.
While we do not challenge Wilson-Hartgrove’s sincerity or concern for the poor and needy, we must challenge his consistent promotion of contemplative mystics and emergent leaders, and he certainly does not seem like a proper fit with In Touch Ministries, that is unless In Touch is going emerging. The reason we say this about Wilson-Hartgrove’s sincerity has to do with the phone call we had with two editors of the editorial staff of In Touch magazine on July 24, 2013. One of the editors we spoke with was Cameron Lawrence, the Editor in Chief (and also the one who wrote the 2011 In Touch article featuring Wilson-Hartgrove). Lawrence asked us if we had ever spoken with Wilson-Hartgrove personally, suggesting that he was a sincere man who lived out the Gospel by helping the needy. We answered him by stating that the issue at hand was not a private matter but rather a public issue because Wilson-Hartgrove is a public figure (books, conferences, articles, etc). We said that it did not matter what he might say in a private conversation, but it did matter what he was teaching others. And it mattered greatly that In Touch was promoting him.
When we spoke with Cameron Lawrence, we told him we wanted to know who was responsible for putting the article by Wilson-Hartgrove in the magazine to which he told us “the entire editorial staff” made the decision. We asked him if he would be interested in seeing some of our documentation to which he answered, “I have been on the Lighthouse Trails website, and I didn’t find it helpful.”  The other editor we spoke with, who wished to remain anonymous, said it sounded like we were on a “witch hunt” to which we responded, “No, we are part of a Gospel-protection effort.”
At times like this, it is difficult not to become discouraged by the lack of interest in Christian intelligentsia and leadership regarding the contemplative/emerging issue. What more can we say to show them what seems so obvious to ourselves and many other Bible believing contenders of the faith? A number of years ago, when the Be Still DVD (a contemplative infomercial) came out and we saw Charles Stanley’s name in the credits as someone who supported the DVD, we contacted his ministry and spoke with a personal assistant. He accepted our offer for a free copy of A Time of Departing but said that Charles Stanley would be too busy to read it.
If the mystics whom Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove gravitates to are right, then Jesus’ words that He is the only Way to the Father are wrong. You can’t have it both ways. The opposite view – the contemplative – is that God is in all things, including all people. This is what all mystics believe, across the board. And if that were true, then the need for a Savior would vanish, and there wouldn’t be any need for ”one way” to God because man is already indwelled with God and a part of God.
  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Endnotes:
1.  New Monasticism & The Emergent Church: FS Talks with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove:http://blog.beliefnet.com/flunkingsainthood/2010/06/new-monasticism-the-emergent-church-fs-talks-with-jonathan-wilson-hartgrove.html.
2. Learn more about the Wild Goose Festival here: Left-Leaning ‘Wild Goose’ Festival Draws Ire of Evangelicals