Pastor John Chisham begins his review of this latest book by Rob Bell, the Elvis of the Emergent Church rebellion against Sola Scriptura:

Let me say first and foremost that I am angry at myself. I was suckered in to purchase this book by the crowd which states that I have no right to discuss ideas found in the book without having first read it. I always say to them that I do not have to go into a chicken barn to know that it stinks, there are lots of feathers flying around, and an incessant clucking noise. It is like my sister in law says “If a man speaks alone in a forest, is he still wrong?” Well, I was wrong to waste $20 on this book, and I find myself disgusted by the time that I spend reading it.

I think I will donate it to Joe Martino after I am finished, because his pastor (who wrote the book) has not, for some reason, given him a copy. The title did interest me, however, for I thought Rob Bell had gone reformed on me by stating the very Biblical concept that Jesus wants to save Christians. I thought Rob was talking about election, predestination, and foreknowledge of those who would believe. I have been disappointed…

Apprising Ministries offers a bit more perspective in this post on a letter from RZIM Speaking Team/Associate Writer Margaret Manning and how it applies to Ravi Zacharias’ lavish praise concerning Henri Nouwen and its position on Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism.

I have been a Christian for many years. Before God saved me when I was 34 years old in January 1986, I had been an unsaved Church member since I had been a child having made a profession of faith when I was 9 years old in 1960. During all of that time, I am sure I have heard dozens of different teachings on the Unpardonable Sin. What is it? I heard one preacher say that only first century Jews could commit this sin. Is that right?

(click here to read this post)

If you have appreciated My Utmost for His Highest (by Oswald Chambers, edited by Jim Reimann for its depth, the devotional Look Unto Me, by Charles Spurgeon and Jim Reimann, will be a must have. This is my favorite devotional for the New Year, and it will be right beside my Bible to be read daily. Read my review on Amazon here.

“Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10

Scientology teaches that people can become gods. Still, with the thousands of dollars that John Travolta and his wife have spent on becoming “Thetans”, John Travolta said today was the “worst day” of his life because of his son’s death. [source: CNN]. Apparently, Thetans are not omnipotent after all. L. Ron Hubbard taught that when a soul is “ready to expire” he or she is simply “ready to be recycled” in the “nearest maternity ward” to come back through reincarnation. You would think that with all the time and marketing the Travoltas have invested in Scientology, they could have gotten more for their money. Yet, the price for following “the prince of the power of the air” is never cheap.

The Bible gives the following warning to imaginary Thetans:

“Nevertheless, you will die like men…” Psalm 82:7

For more on the beliefs of Scientology (including healing rooms, rooms where people sit in silence staring at one another, and rooms where people sit across from each other barking like dogs), go to my article …Inside the Corridors of Scientology.

All. Thus we can admit that something like “universal salvation” is a fair implication of what we know of Jesus as well as what he taught. To deny universal salvation as implication and possibility, as hope and desire, is to limit and to restrict the power and grace of God.

To assert with absolute certainty universal salvation is to restrict the freedom and grace of God. Still, we may, indeed we ought, to hope and to pray and to work for what we do hope… And that’s why we cannot pronounce some last word on the possibility of the salvation of all. (Who Will Be Saved?, 66,67)

William Willimon

In this new missive Apprising Ministries offers food for thought as we watch evangelicalism circle up their wagons and head on back to embrace the apostate Roman Catholicism by following the quasi-Eastern spirituality of  Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic “Roshi” Richard Foster, which is then given a pseudo-scholastic spin from his spiritual twin ordained Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard. 

Perhaps this is why RZIM nows feels the time is right to come out of the closet to let us know they embrace Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM).

With the pending offensive coming through the Emerging Church rebellion against Sola Scriptura to be launched full-scale this year it’s a good time for real Christians to review proper views concerning God’s Word-the Bible. Here’s a couple of good sermons to start with from Dr. John MacArthur:

The Sufficiency of Scripture - Part One

The Sufficiency of Scripture - Part Two

HT: Wired4Truth 

Pope Benedict XVI’s address on World Peace Day outlined five global issues that threaten global peace. The pope called for the wealthy nations to respond as globalization solidifies the world.

The pope stated that “we all share in a single divine plan: we are called to form one family in which all – individuals, peoples and nations – model their behaviour according to the principles of fraternity and responsibility.”

The pope also said the the Church is a sign of unity of the entire human race.

See the similarities between the pope and Rick Warren’s PEACE Plan at The Watcher’s Lamp.

Most of the so-called evangelism of our day is a grief to genuine Christians, for they feel that it lacks any scriptural warrant, that it is dishonoring unto God, and that it is filling the churches with empty professors! They are shocked that so much frothy superficiality, fleshly excitement and worldly allurement should be associated with the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They deplore the cheapening of the Gospel, the beguiling of unwary souls, and the carnalizing and commercializing of what is to them, ineffably sacred. It requires little spiritual discernment to perceive that the evangelistic activities of Christendom during the last century have steadily deteriorated from bad to worse-yet few appear to realize the root from which this evil has sprung. It will now be our endeavor to expose the same. Its aim was wrong, and therefore its fruit faulty.

(click here to read this post)

Isn’t it clear that “practicing the presence” is for those who are not indwelt with the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit? There is no need to “practice” a “presence” when the perfect God of the universe dwells within you in all of His perfection. For full post go to the LTW blog here.

A short piece over at Apprising Ministries showing this magazine for teens girls from Focus on the Family wants to be able to give away a ”Bible devotional [which] revolves around lectio divina.”

In this edition of the Fighting for the Faith radio program Chris Rosebrough takes us through the highlights (maybe they should be called low lights) of the sad state of the apostate Christian church in America. This is a sobering look at Christianity in America and at the end of the program Rosebrough offers us the one solution that can turn things around. Please take the time to listen and share this important program.

Talk Show host Genn Beck, a baptized and practicing Mormon, recently had Focus on the Family pull a promotion piece they had initially run concerning Beck’s book. In this piece is an offer of hope for the new year for Beck.

I recently had my personal spiritual retreat on Monday afternoon (December 29th), in order to seek God especially for His direction for the new year (2009). I have been clearing leave during this season so I have had the free time to slow down and take stock of this passing year, and Monday afternoon was the time I had set aside to seek God exclusively for an extended period of time. It has indeed been a very refreshing time, though also one in which the flesh rails against the spirit the most. But I digress.

[more]

Christianity Astray Today is running a piece online called “Benedictine Wisdom.” Does anyone even remember the Protestant Reformation actually happened? Yep, sure did. In this new missive, as an ex-Roman Catholic, I offer a little reductio ad absurdum from an ex-Roman Catholic for your listening and dancing pleasure in the ecumenical Emerging Church rebellion against Sola Scriptura over at Apprising Ministries.

As you’ll see in this post containing the latest response from RZIM they continue dismissing the results of study by Apprising Ministries into Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) as well as that of others who belong to what RZIM calls “various ‘watch’ groups.”

Unfortunately RZIM is still equivocating with words as they go on defending Ravi Zacharias’ claim that Roman Catholic monk Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)—a superstar of CSM—was, “One of the greatest saints of recent memory.” But this does not involve a mere source quote because the statement clearly means Zacharias accepts Nouwen as a regenerated Christian.

It’s pretty sad when as a “Protestant” evangelical one’s teaching on meditation can be picked up and used byFranciscan Roman Catholics as has “Sister Patricia Proctor” as you’ll see in a short post at Apprising Ministries.

Apprising Ministries is aware that apologist Ravi Zacharias continues to defend his praise of apostate (at best) Roman Catholic mystic Henri Nouwen as “One of the greatest saints of recent memory.” And in addition RZIM is still spreading misinformation concerning the Contemplative/Centering Prayer Nouwen practiced and taught.

In this short post, for those not too lazy to look for themselves, are the facts as to where this antibiblical practice actually originated.

It may seem that the Political Correctness Award for the last week of 2008 will go to Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Orange County, California. Quoted in OneNewsNow.com, Mr. Warren said,

“I have in no way ever taught that homosexuality is the same thing as a forced relationship between an adult and a child, or between siblings,” Warren said. “I was trying to point out I’m not opposed to gays having their partnership. I’m opposed to gays using the term marriage for their relationship.”

You can read the entire article by CLICKING HERE.

From Baltimore City Paper: Something About Mary - An Emmitsburg Woman Receives Messages From Above. Not Everyone Is Happy About It.

Mary Blanchard reads an excerpt from a letter–officially, a “pastoral advisory”–that was sent by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien to all churches in the Baltimore Archdiocese in October. The letter regards an Emmitsburg woman ( Dr. Gianna Talone Sullivan ) who says that she has been receiving visions of the Virgin Mary almost daily for the past 21 years. These visions have been the centerpiece of the monthly meetings, and have drawn between 500 and 1,000 people to the Lynnefield Event complex to witness them.

Read the rest at Watcher’s Lamp.

Apprising Ministries continues to look at a letter from RZIM defending the work of Roman Catholic apostate (at best) Henri Nouwen and by extention apostate Roman Catholicism along with its Counter Reformation corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism. That RZIM would so agressively defend him shows that Nouwen—as a Roman Catholic mystic—has penetrated deeply into the mainstream of Christianity.

In this article we show some examples of his psycho-babble which is also quite reminiscent of Norman Vincent Peale disciple Robert Schuller. And should funding and time allow AM to stay online much longer we’ll have even more on Nouwen’s CSM showing how it’s in contradiction to Scripture and a pelagian view of the (non) fall.

“Can the rush grow up without mire?”-Job 8:11

The rush is spongy and hollow, and even so is a hypocrite; there is no substance or stability in him. It is shaken to and fro in every wind just as formalists yield to every influence; for this reason the rush is not broken by the tempest, neither are hypocrites troubled with persecution. I would not willingly be a deceiver or be deceived; perhaps the text for this day may help me to try myself whether I be a hypocrite or no. The rush by nature lives in water, and owes its very existence to the mire and moisture wherein it has taken root; let the mire become dry, and the rush withers very quickly. Its greenness is absolutely dependent upon circumstances, a present abundance of water makes it flourish, and a drought destroys it at once. Is this my case? Do I only serve God when I am in good company, or when religion is profitable and respectable? Do I love the Lord only when temporal comforts are received from His hands? If so I am a base hypocrite, and like the withering rush, I shall perish when death deprives me of outward joys. But can I honestly assert that when bodily comforts have been few, and my surroundings have been rather adverse to grace than at all helpful to it, I have still held fast my integrity? then have I hope that there is genuine vital godliness in me. The rush cannot grow without mire, but plants of the Lord’s right hand planting can and do flourish even in the year of drought. A godly man often grows best when his worldly circumstances decay. He who follows Christ for his bag is a Judas; they who follow for loaves and fishes are children of the devil; but they who attend Him out of love to Himself are His own beloved ones. Lord, let me find my life in Thee, and not in the mire of this world’s favour or gain.

From Spurgeon’s Morning by Morning devotional for December 27th.

Rick Warren is supposed to be a Christian pastor. That means he has the Biblical duty of shepherding God’s flock and the ministry of publicly preaching God’s Word. Warren’s Biblical job description is very simple. But when did pastors begin needing to employ security teams and P.R. experts? When did pastors have to start worrying about how they are portrayed in the media and have to develop counter strategies and P.R. stunts in order to get ahead of media cycles? Fact is, pastors who are focused on executing their Biblical duties don’t need security teams and P.R. experts.

All this begs the question, “What IS Rick Warren”? Why would a man who is supposed to be a humble Christian pastor be so preoccupied with his media image that he would pay top dollar to employ a P.R. team and then have that P.R. team work overtime during the Christmas season propping up his image? Fact is, there are only a handful of politicians in America that have P.R. teams as powerful as “Pastor” Warren has. The mix match is breathtaking and makes as much sense as a corporate office manager wearing football pads and helmet to work everyday.

What IS Rick Warren and why does a “pastor” have such a powerful P.R. team? Why does he need this? What is he trying to accomplish with this P.R. team? What is Warren really trying to protect and why?