Three NOT Recommended Lists - Spiritual Research Network

SPIRITUAL RESEARCH NETWORK
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL & ENCOURAGING BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT
DECEMBER 2013
In This Issue:
A DIRECTORY OF AUTHORS (Three NOT Recommended Lists) - By Chris Lawson
Dear “Contemplative Christian”: Are you the victim of seducing spirits? - By Ray Yungen
“That thou
mightest charge
[command] some
that they
teach no other
doctrine”
(1 Timothy 1:3)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and
Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I
besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou
mightest charge [command] some that they teach no other doctrine,
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions,
rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the
commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of
faith unfeigned [sincere faith]: From which some having swerved have turned
aside unto vain jangling...” (1 Timothy 1:1-6)
Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ
SRN Dec 2013
Dear friends of SRN,
In previous writings I have mentioned how Paul the
Apostle commanded young pastor Timothy to “remain in
Ephesus” so that he “may charge [command] some that they
teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). In the immediate
context of 1 Timothy 1:1-6, Paul explains his motivation for
the commandment. He says, “Now the end of the
commandment is charity [love] out of a pure heart, and of a good
conscience, and of faith unfeigned [sincere faith]: From which
some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling...”
What a wonderful thing it was for Timothy to be given a
heavenly directive by God the Holy Spirit, to encourage and
command believers that they should “teach no other
doctrine,” other than what the apostles taught. One would
think that all Christian leaders, even in our day, would
wholeheartedly embrace this command. Unfortunately
however, many leaders today cannot handle being told that
they are theologically in error, that their congregation or
denomination is in error, or that they themselves are sinning
because of their willful passivity in allowing false teachings
to be sold in their church or ministry bookstore.
The hard reality is that a vast number of church leaders
and Christian bookstore owners and managers see no
problem at all with the promotion and selling of material
which contains aberrant teachings and heresy. Material from
New Ager’s, alleged Christian “seers” (divination, false
visions, etc.), Word Faith Prosperity Gospel false teachers,
New Apostolic Reformation false prophets, Roman Catholic
heresies and a virtual Smorgasbord of pantheistic,
panentheistic, evolutionary and occult oriented literature can
be found in many Christian bookstores, both online and
offline. Alternative holistic health care and exercise practices
such as Yoga, Reiki and Therapeutic Touch (energy
channeling), Intuitive (Psychic) medicine, endless variations
of “energy work” and contemplative meditation (centering
prayer) are all part of the growing norm in the Christian
retail marketplace.
The big question Christians should be asking these days
is, “Why can’t and why don’t more church leaders expose
these practices for what they are?” The simple answer is,
many of them are not aware of the dangerous origin of these
practices. Many others, even though they may disagree with
such unbiblical teachings and practices, refuse to publicly
take a stand against them. The cost of doing so is that many
congregants may be “offended.” So, while compromising
leaders remain silent for fear of “offending” people, the body
of Christ is defiled with false teachings and practices.
To deal with this growing problem, this past month I
spent over three full weeks researching, examining, crosschecking and rechecking up to five times almost the entirety
of the names I listed in my new booklet, A DIRECTORY
OF AUTHORS (Three NOT Recommended Lists). I
assiduously rechecked my own work, the work of numerous
others, and even our own publishers work, so that every
single name included in our final list is there for valid
biblical discernment reasons.
Altogether, anyone teaching and/or promoting “other
[than biblical] doctrine,” either outright or by proxy, is
reason enough to “name names.” Jesus named names,
Scripture names names, the Apostles named names, and so
must we! Every single name in the compilation list was
found in either online or walk-in Christian bookstores.
Caveat emptor! – “Let the buyer beware!”
- Chris Lawson
ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF SRN
Proclaiming the Gospel and
Encouraging Biblical Discernment!
Spiritual Research Network (SRN) researches, informs and warns
about the dangers of cults, spiritual abuse and mysticism (occult)
based spirituality.
Spiritual Research Network (SRN) is an independent Christian
outreach that is committed first and foremost to the Lord Jesus Christ
and the integrity of God's Word - The Holy Bible.
From its inception as a tiny missions outreach in Edinburgh, Scotland
in 2004, the goal of SRN has been to provide a platform for outreach
so that others may come to a deeper understanding of the love, grace
and truth as it is found in the biblical gospel
of Jesus Christ, as taught in Scripture.
MISSION
The mission of SRN is to encourage
biblical discernment amongst those who
consider themselves to be biblical
Christians and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to nonbelievers.
For these reasons we give great emphasis to the person, work and
words of Jesus Christ in all of our activities.
PURPOSE
SRN exists in order to: Glorify, honor and serve the Lord Jesus Christ
by living and proclaiming the biblical Gospel message without
compromise; Provide evangelistic training and resources with an
emphasis on the Bible as the verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant
and infallible in the original manuscripts, and the supreme and final
authority in matters of faith and life; Expose teachings that oppose,
undermine and distort the biblical Gospel of God’s grace as found in
Scripture; Contend earnestly for the faith against those who
compromise, suppress or reject doctrinal truth; and Encourage and
support former members of other belief systems
who have escaped spiritual deception and abuse.
WEBSITE and NEWSLETTER
The SRN Website and Newsletter serve as an
extension of SRN’s local ministry. The General
Editor is Chris Lawson.
BELIEFS
SRN holds to the orthodox teachings of the historic
Christian faith. SRN holds the following as primary essentials for
Christian belief. “The Five Basic Doctrines: 1) The Trinity: God is one
"What" and three "Who’s" with each "Who" possessing all the attributes
of Deity and personality; 2) The Person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is 100%
God and 100% man for all eternity; 3) The Second Coming: Jesus Christ
is coming bodily to earth to rule and judge; 4) Salvation: It is by grace
alone through faith alone in Christ alone; 5) The Scripture: It is entirely
inerrant and sufficient for all Christian life.” SRN Statement of Faith
can be read online.
PROVISION
SRN is supported through the prayers and financial support of donors
who share our concern for God’s people and the lost. Accountability
and transparency is our policy. To help support the ministry of SRN
please see our current donation details online.
2
SPIRITUALRESEARCHNETWORK
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL & ENCOURAGING BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT
DECEMBER 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Directory of Authors (Three NOT Recommended Lists) - By Chris Lawson
Dear “Contemplative Christian”: Are you the victim of seducing spirits? - By Ray Yungen
A Directory of Authors
(Three NOT Recommended Lists)
Written and Compiled by Chris Lawson
It is no secret these days that Christian
bookstore and ministry resource
databases are often jam-packed with
so-called Christian resources that are
actually promoting anything but
biblical Christianity. Special care may
be taken by bookstore owners and
ministry leaders alike to ensure that
ministry and business are “in order,”
but, when a close look is taken, the
sale of spiritually unsafe material
abounds. This is the primary reason
for these three lists—to help warn and
protect you, the reader, and to provide
a quick reference guide.
You should know that many of the
authors listed here profess to follow or
glean from “Jesus,” yet at the same
time they assiduously reject the
biblical Jesus Christ of Nazareth Who
is Savior, Lord, and God. In fact,
many of these authors teach the
absolute antithesis (opposite) of the
historic Christian faith. Books rife
with New Age occult teachings and
practices abound in many Christian
missionary, church planter, and pastor.
My purpose in doing so has been to
help people escape dangerous occult
influences, heretical doctrines both
inside and outside the church, and the
bondage of satanic genius that holds
people captive by the powers of
darkness.
bookstores, and many owners and
managers are going to sell them,
regardless.
Over the past twenty plus years, I have
spent thousands of hours researching,
examining, and refuting dangerous
cultic and occult practices as a
The Christian literature marketplace
has become utterly dangerous in the
21st century. I never thought I would
see the day when New Age, occult,
eastern-style meditative practices and
all manner of aberrant and heretical
teachings would become
commonplace among Christian
bookstores. What’s even worse is that
much of this dangerous material is
couched in Christian jargon and
presented as spiritual paths to deepen
and connect more intimately with
God.
Considering these things, most of the
authors listed in the first two lists
profess to be “Christian,” while at the
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SRN Dec 2013
same time writing, recommending,
and/or personally endorsing either
outright or by proxy, heretical
teachings and/or dangerous
practices, which are contrary to
sound biblical theology.
Discerning believers have expressed
deep concern over the apostasy we
face in the 21st century churches. The
courage to stand firm and “earnestly
contend for the faith” (Jude 3)
coupled with a deep personal love
for the Lord Jesus Christ and His
Word are at the very foundation of
these believers’ lives. Their concern
for the spiritual welfare of the body
of Christ has been a deeply
motivating factor in this project.
4:17-21; Colossians 1:28-29; 2:8-9;
1 Thessalonians 5:1-22; 2
Thessalonians 1:3-2:16; 1 Timothy
1:3-11,18-20; 4:1-11; 6:3-5,11-12,
20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-15;
2:1-7,14-26; 3:1-4:22; Titus
1:9-2:18; 3:9-10; Hebrews 5:12-14
and chapters 11 and 12; James
1:1-5:20; 1 Peter 3:18-5:14; 2 Peter
2:2-3:16; 1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-6; 2
John 1-13; 3 John 9-12; Jude 1:1-25;
Revelation 2:1-3:22; 11:1-14;
13:1-18; 17:1-20:15.
Bell, Rob
Benner, David
Bennison, John
Bentley, Todd
Bickle, Mike
Bjorklund, Kurt
Blanchard, Ken
Boa, Kenneth
Bolger, Ryan
#1—The New Spirituality
in the Church
Bolz-Weber, Nadia
Bono
Each of the following authors
professes to be Christian and/or uses
biblical terminology in his or her
writing, yet promotes at least one of
the following serious false teachings:
contemplative spirituality (i.e.,
Spiritual Formation), the emergent,
progressive “new” spirituality, the
seeker-friendly, church-growth
movement (e.g., Willow Creek,
Purpose Driven) and/or Yoga.
Bordenkircher, Susan
A
Buchanan, John M.
Abbott, David L.
Budziszewski, J.
Adams, James Rowe
Buford, Bob
Allender, Dan
Burke, Spencer
Arico, Carl J.
C
Scriptural Admonitions,
Commands, and Warnings:
Armstrong, Karen
Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg
Artress, Lauren
Caliguire, Mindy
Genesis 1:1-12:20; Exodus
19:1-20:26; Deuteronomy 13:1-18;
18:20-22; 1 Samuel 28; Jeremiah 23;
Ezekiel chapters 1-3 and 8-11;
Daniel 1:8-21; 3:1-25; Zechariah
5:1-11; Matthew 7:1-5, 15-27;
23:1-39; 24:1-51; Mark 9:42-50;
13:1-37; Luke 9:23; John 17; Acts
8:9-25; 19:19-20; 20: 27-31; Romans
16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2
Corinthians 6:14-15; 11:1-4, 12-15;
Galatians 1:6-10; 2:4-5; Ephesians
4:11-16; 5:11-12; Philippians 1:8-11;
Assagioli, Roberto
Campbell, Joseph
B
Campolo, Bart
Babbs, Liz
Campolo, Tony
Bakker, Jay
Canfield, Jack
Barton, Ruth Haley
Card, Michael
Bass, Diana Butler
Carroll, L. Patrick
Batterson, Mark
Chalke, Steve
Baxter, Mary
Chalmers, Joseph
Our Lord Jesus Christ warned, “Take
heed that no man deceive
you” (Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5;
Luke 21:8). Paul the apostle warned,
“Let no man deceive you by any
means (2 Thessalonians 2:3). John,
the apostle warned, “Little children
[believers in Christ], let no man
deceive you” (1 John 3:7). Every
single New Testament book except
one warns about some form of
spiritual deception, false teaching, or
false teachers. Should we not “take
heed,” as God through His very
Word has so clearly warned,
especially as the days in which we
live grow precariously evil.
Borg, Marcus
Bourgeault, Cynthia
Bronsink, Troy
Brother Lawrence
Brueggemann, Walter
Bruteau, Beatrice
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SRN Dec 2013
Chinmoy, Sri
Fox, George
Hunt, Anne
Chittister, Joan
Fox, Matthew
Hunter, Todd
Claiborne, Shane
Friend, Howard E., Jr.
Hybels, Bill
Coe, John
Funk, Mary Margaret
I
Coffin, William Sloane
G
Ignatius Loyola, St.
Collins, Jim
Garrison, Becky
Issler, Klaus
Crabb, Larry
Geering, Lloyd
J
Cron, Ian
Gibbs, Eddie
Jager, Willigis
Crossan, John Dominic
Gire, Ken
Jenks, Gregory C.
Crowder, David
Goleman, Daniel
Johnson, Jan
D
Goll, James
Johnston, William
De Mello, Anthony
Graham, Dom Alfred
Jones, Alan
De Waal, Esther
Greig, Pete
Jones, Laurie Beth
Demarest, Bruce
Griffin, Emilie
Jones, Tony
Dillard, Annie
Griffiths, Bede
K
Dowd, Michael
Gru, Jean-Nicholas
Kaisch, Ken
Dykes, David R
Gungor
Keating, Thomas
Driscoll, Mark
H
Kelsey, Morton
Drury, Keith
Haas, Peter Traban
Kent, Keri Wyatt
Dyckman, Katherine Marie
Haight, Roger
Kidd, Sue Monk
E
Haliczer, Stephen
Kimball, Dan
Edwards, Gene
Hall, Thelma
King, Mike
Edwards, Tilden
Hansen, Mark Victor
King, Robert H.
Egan, Harvey
Hays, Edward
Kraft, Robert A.
Epperly, Bruce
Hazard, David
Kreeft, Peter
Evans, Rachel Held
Healey, Charles
L
F
Hedrick, Charles
L’Engle, Madeleine
Felten, David
Hildegard of Bingen
Lamott, Anne
Fleming, Dave
Hipps, Shane
Law, William
Flowers, Betty Sue
Holmes, Emily
M
Ford, Leighton
Hougen, Judith
Madigan, Shawn
Fosdick, Harry Emerson
Humphreys, Carolyn
Main, John
Foster, Richard
Hunard, Hannah
Manning, Brennan
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SRN Dec 2013
Martin, James
Patterson, Stephen J.
Shore, John
Mattioli, Joseph
Peace, Richard
Sinetar, Marsha
Matus, Thomas
Peale, Norman Vincent
Sittser, Gerald
May, Gerald
Pennington, Basil
Smith, Chuck, Jr.
McColman, Carl
Pepper, Howard
Smith, Elizabeth
McKnight, Scot
Peterson, Eugene
Smith, James Bryan
McLaren, Brian
Piper, John
Southerland, Dan
McManus, Erwin
Plumer, Fred
Spangler, Ann
Meninger, William
Pope Benedict XVI
Spong, John Shelby
Meyers, Robin R.
Procter-Murphy, Jeff
St. Romain, Philip
Miller, Calvin
R
Stanley, Andy
Miller, Donald
Rakoczy, Susan
Steindl-Rast, David
Moon, Gary
Reininger, Gustave
Strobel, Kyle
Moore, Beth
Rhodes, Tricia
Sweet, Leonard
Moore, Brian P.
Robbins, Duffy
T
Moran, Michael T.
Robbins, Maggie
Talbot, John Michael
Moreland, J.P.
Rohr, Richard
Tasto, Maria
Morganthaler, Sally
Rolle, Richard
Taylor, Barbara Brown
Mother Theresa
Rollins, Peter
Teague, David
Mundy, Linus
Romney, Rodney
Thomas, Gary
Muyskens, John David
Ruether, Rosemary Radford
Thompson, Marjorie
N
Rupp, Joyce
Thresher, Tom
Newcomer, Carrie
Russell, A.J.
Tiberghien, Susan
Norris, Gunilla Brodde
Ryan, Thomas
Tickle, Phyllis
Norris, Kathleen
S
Treece, Patricia
Nouwen, Henri
Sampson, Will
Tuoti, Frank
O
Sanford, Agnes
Twiss, Richard
Ortberg, John
Scandrette, Mark
V
P
Scazzero, Pete
Vaswig, William (Bill)
Pagels, Elaine
Schuller, Robert
Virkler, Mark
Pagitt, Doug
Selmanovic, Samir
Voskamp, Ann
Palmer, Parker
Senge, Peter
W
Paloma, Margaret M.
Shannon, William
Wallis, Jim
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SRN Dec 2013
Wakefield, James
Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556)
Ward, Benedicta
Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Jakob Böhme (1575-1624)
Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
John of the Cross (Juan de Yepes)
(1542–1591)
Ward, Karen
Warren, Rick
Desert Fathers, The
Webber, Robert
Wilhoit, James C.
Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)
Hadewijch of Antwerp (13th century)
Madame Guyon (1647-1717)
Willard, Dallas
Henry Suso (1295-1366)
Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582)
Winner, Lauren
Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894)
Hugh of Saint Victor (1096-1141)
William Law (1686–1761)
Wink, Walter
Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306)
Wolsey, Roger
Wright, N.T.
Modern Era (19th—20th Century)
Johannes Tauler (d.1361)
Y
John of Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)
Alexandrina Maria da Costa (1904–
1955)
Yaconelli, Mark
John Scotus Eriugena (810-877)
Bernadette Roberts (1931–)
Yaconelli, Mike
Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)
Berthe Petit (1870–1943)
Mechthild of Magdeburg (1212-1297)
Carmela Carabelli (1910–1978)
Meister Eckhart (1260-1327)
Domenico da Cese (1905-1978
Young, Sarah
Richard of Saint Victor (d.1173)
Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941)
Young, William Paul
Richard Rolle (1300-1341)
Flower A. Newhouse (1909-1994)
Yungblut, John R.
The Cloud of the Unknowing
(anonymous, instruction in mysticism,
1375)
Frank Laubach (1884–1970)
Theologia Germanica (anonymous,
mystical treatise, late 14th century)
Karl Rahner (1904-1984)
Yancey, Phillip
Yanni, Kathryn A.
Yarian, Br. Karekin M.
Z
Frederick Buechner (1926-)
Zeidler, Frank P.
#2—CHRISTIAN AND
NON-CHRISTIAN
MYSTICS OF THE PAST
Mystics from the past oftentimes
favorably endorsed by “Christian”
authors today
Middle Ages (Medieval Times) and
Renaissance
Lúcia Santos (1907-2005)
Thomas a’ Kempis (1380-1471)
Maria Pierina de Micheli (1890–1945)
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Maria Valtorta (1898-1963)
Walter Hilton (1340-1396)
Marie Lataste (1822–1899)
Renaissance, Reformation, and
Counter-Reformation
Marie Martha Chambon (1841–1907)
Brother Lawrence (1614–1691)
Martin Buber (1868-1965)
Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1822)
Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938)
George Fox (1624–1691)
Mary of Saint Peter (1816–1848)
Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)
Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
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Mary of the Divine Heart (1863–1899)
Beversluis, Joel D.
Covey, Stephen R.
Blavatsky, Helena
D
Boon, Brooke
D’Arcy, Paula
Boorstein, Sylvia
Dalai Lama, The
Bordenkircher, Susan
Daley, Rosie
Borris, Dan
Dass, Ram
Borysenko, Joan
Déchanet, J.M.
Boyce, Tillman
De Michelis, Elizabeth
Bradshaw, John
Dole, George F.
Brandt, Beverly F.
Doniger, Wendy
Browne, Sylvia
Dossey, Larry
Bryant, Christopher
Downey, Roma
Buck, Roland
Drosnin, Michael
Buri, Fritz
Dueck, Alvin
Burnham, Sophy
Dyer, Wayne W.
Burroughs, Kendra Crossen
E
Butterworth, Eric
Eadie, Betty
Lorna Byrne
Easwaran, Eknath
Byrne, Rhonda
Egeberg, Gary
C
Ehlers, Lesley
A
Calamari, Barbara
Eliade, Mircea
Aaron, David
Cameron, Julia
Elkins, Rita
Adiswarananda, Swami
Camp, Carole
Emonet, Pierre-Marie
Aitken, Robert
Candolini, G.T.
Epstein, Perle
Alexander, Eben
Campbell, Peter A.
Evans, Cheryl
Amen, Daniel
Cannon, Noreen
Wentz-Evans, W.Y.
Anand, Margot
Capacchione, Lucia
F
Anderson, Joan Wester
Childs, Hal
Farnham, Timothy J.
Anderson, Keleah
Chilson, Richard
Fay, Martha
Armstrong, Karen
Chittick, William C.
Ferguson, Marilyn
Au, Wilkie
Chodron, Pema
Fischer, Norman
B
Chopra, Deepak
Ford-Grabowski, Mary
Bailey, Alice
Choquette, Sonia
Fox, Emmet
Baker-Fletcher, Karen
Christ, Carol P.
Freeman, Laurence
Ballard, Jim
Clemens, Nancy
Fried, Gregory
Ban Breathnach, Sarah
Clifton, Chas
Fleming, Dave
Barnstone, Willis
Cole-Whittaker, Terry
G
Beattie, Melody
Conlon, James. A
Gach, Gary
Berg, Michael
Connell, Janice T.
Galdone, Paul
Besserman, Perle
Cooper, David E.
Gawain, Shakti
Bestler, Emily
Cousin, Pierre Jean
Gebara, Ivone
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968)
Pierina Gilli (1911–1991)
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (18811955)
Simone Weil (1909-1943)
Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
Thomas Merton (1915–1968)
Thomas Raymond Kelly (1893–1941)
#3—New Age Movement
Each of the following authors promotes
one or more of the following: New
Age/Eastern philosophy and/or
meditation, New Thought religion,
Kaballah, Sufism, and/or Buddhism.
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SRN Dec 2013
Geirsson, Heimer
Isherwood, Lisa
Littlejohn, Scott C.
Goehring, James E.
Ivker, Robert S.
Lipton, Bruce
Goldsmith, Joel S.
J
Loori, John Daido
Goldwag, Arthur
Jackson, Carl T.
Lopez, Donald S, Jr.
Goleman, Daniel P.
Jacobs, Alan
Louthan, Howard
Good, Deidre J.
Jampolsky, Gerald
Loya, Joseph A.
Gordon, Jon
Janis, Sharon
Loyd, Alex
Gover, Tzivar
Jaoudi, Maria
Luby, Thia
Gray, John
Jesseph, Joe R.
Ludemann, Gerd
Green, Arthur
Jobarteh, Sona
M
Gruagach, Ben
Johnson, Ben
MacInnes, Elaine
Guenon, Rene
Jones, James William
Macqueen, Gailand
H
Jones, John Miriam
Maddocks, Fiona
Hamilton, Jeffrey D.
Jordan, E. Bernard
Marshall, S. J.
Hamma, Robert M.
Jubien, Michael
Martin, Nancy
Hammer, Olav
Jung, Carl
Mascaro, Juan
Hanh, Thich Nhat
K
Matt, Daniel
Harman, Willis
Kabat-Zinn, Jon
McGinn, Benard
Harley, Gail M.
Kadowaki, Kakichi
McMahon, Edwin M.
Harris, Paul
Karma, Glin-Pa
Metcalf, Franz
Harvey, Andrew
Kaufman, Paul
Meyer, Marvin
Hay, Louise
Kautz, Richard A.
Momen, Moojan
Hays, Edward
Keizan, Zen Master
Morgan, Peggy
Hecht, Richard
Kelder, Peter
Morrissey, Mary Manin
Heidegger, Martin
Kellert, Stephen R.
Mozumdar, K.
Heine, Steven
Kessler, David
Muller, Wayne
Hendricks, Gay
King, Karen L.
Mundy, Jon
Herman, A.L.
Kirvan, John
Myss, Carolyn
Herrigel, Eugene
Klostermaier, Klaus K.
N
Hicks, Esther and Jerry
Kraftsow, Gary
Newell, Philip J.
Hinton, David
Krohn, Katherine
Nichols, Steve
Hite, Sheilaa
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth
Nietzsche, Friedrich
Hoffman, Lawrence A.
Kuhn, Christian
Northrup, Christiane
Holbrook, George
Kushner, Aryeh
O
Hornung, Eri
Kushner, Lawrence
O’Donohue, John
Hubbard, Barbara Marx
L
O’Flatery, Wendy Doniger
Hulnick, Ron and Mary
Lawrence, Ronald Melvin
Oliver, Harold H.
Huxley, Aldous
Layton, Bentley
Olson, Diane C.
Hyman, Mark
Lefebure, Leo
Ornish, Dean
I
Leong, Kenneth S.
Öz, Mehmet Cengiz, (Dr. Oz)
Idel, Moshe
Levine, Stephen
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P
Steiner, Rudolph
Whit, David Gordon
Palihawadana, Mahinda
Stephan, Danette
Wilkinson, Philip
Papus (Gérard Encausse)
Storch, Walburga
Winfrey, Oprah
Peck, M. Scott
Stryk, Lucien
Wolf, Laibl
Petulla, Joseph
Sturtevant, William C.
Wright, Dale S.
Po, Li
Sundararajan, K.R.
Wyatt, Thomas
R
Swami, Sri Purohit
Y
Ramer, Andrew
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Yogananda, Paramahansa
Rand, William Lee
T
Yoke, Ho Pen
Randazzo, Anthony, Fr.
Taylor, Jeremy
Young, Serinity
Raub, John Jacob
Taylor, Terry Lynn
Z
Ray, Michael
Teasdale, Wayne
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Redfield, James
Templeton, John Marks
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Tice, Paul
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Tide-Mark Press
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Roth, Ron
Tsu, Lao (Lao Tsu)
Rupp, Joyce
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S
U
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Virtue, Doreen
Sharma, Arvind
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Shaw, Beth
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Sheldrake, Alfred Rupert
Watts, Alan
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Walsch, Neale Donald
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Smart, Ninan
Weiming, Tu
Smith, Huston
Weil, Andrew
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Weiss, Brian
Song, Choan-Seng
Wilber, Ken
Sosa, Ernest
Williams, Jacqueline A.
Spangler, David
Williams, Raymond Brady
Sri Chinmoy
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Star, Jonathan
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Wines, Leslie
A Directory of Authors
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The Booklet Tract is 14
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Quantity discounts are as
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11
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11
SRN Dec 2013
Letters to SRN...
Hello Chris,
Just a word about your latest video and
podcast referencing yoga, occult, Rick
Warren, etc. Both are excellent! The
best way to destroy something, be it a
person, belief, or country has always
been from within. Your latest video and
podcast illustrate that the same type of
internal destruction of the Church is
taking place today. We appreciate all
you do and hope that you keep up the
great work! Hope your health is on the
mend as well. You and yours are in our
prayers daily. Regarding surfing, please
use caution. Lots of evidence that
Japanese nuke plant radiation is being
found in harmful levels on the west
coast. So happy to hear that you got a
Versa Trainer. It's not the ocean but it
will keep you tuned up for future
surfing adventures. God bless! In
Christ, JL (ID)
SRN,
In response to “NEW AUDIO/MP3
MESSAGE: Warning About New Age
Influences in Rick Warren's Daniel Plan
By Chris Lawson and Ray Yungen”
I'm writing another piece on this. RW is
quite a piece of work. Excellent
interview. Blessings, MW (e-mail)
Hi Chris:
Hope you and your family are doing
well. I saw this in a internet version of
one of our newspapers here. Very sad,
and how it is an example of how
foolish man is when we reject His
blueprint for life and try to recreate
ourselves. I thought maybe you might
be able to use this information to help
others to avoid such pitfalls. (National
Post, Bruno Waterfield, The Telegraph
October 2, 2013, ‘I’m a monster’:
Belgian man dies by medical
euthanasia after botched sex
change operation) Take care Chris. God
bless. PJ (Canada)
Dear Chris,
We know you have an incredibly full
plate, so no worries that this demands a
reply. We just wanted to be sure that
you know that you are being lifted up
for your health and your ministry.
Likewise we remember your dear
family and their needs. We have figured
that this must be an extremely hard
time for you and we just wanted you
to know how precious you have all
become. . Please, dear brother, when
you feel able, let us know if there is
anything we can do. Also, dear
brother, if we have ever erred or said
something amiss or were not
charitable in some way toward you,
please, please, let us know that we
may make it right. We are quite
sincere. We value our friendship with
you very much. We still say that we
have never, ever met a pastor who has
a heart like yours. You have given us
much by just being who you are and
we will never be able to thank you
enough. Sent with much love in Jesus'
name, B / J (Internet)
Hi Chris,
Just wanted to let you know to have a
really wonderful Thanksgiving and
that all your ‘ills’ will be nothing
prolonged, but a short ‘camel ride’ to
your destination. Just received my
copies of ‘Another Jesus’ from LHT
and lit right into it. I’m just sorry it
took so long for someone in the field
to get a grip on it. It’s been a battle
with neighbors, close friends, etc to
get them to see the anti-God, antiBible messages within. It’s that ‘what
good can come out of Nazareth?’
thing. Co-members of congregations
can’t know more than everyone else
does. If this book will help just one
person within our church, I’ll rejoice
till the cows come home. Have a
lovely day tomorrow and I know
you’ll thank Him for all your
blessings. Take care and carry on.
GN (e-mail)
Chris,
This was very encouraging a
newsletter. Scripture is what we have
for all of our life. Our [relative]
attends a church that is getting into
some of the emergent stuff. There are
some fine believers in it. Most of
them are ignorant of the wave of
apostasy today...Now their church
denomination is heading toward
including Mormons as believers. The
small group they're in is using one of
Rick Warren's books. I have been
telling him to read Scripture and not
other people's ideas. Please pray with
us, if you think of it, that [relatives]
will find another place to worship and
not go from the fireplace to the fire in
their choice. It's pretty hard out there
to find a good church. God bless you
as you continue your rehab. J. (PA)
SRN,
I admire your work. Please get the
word out on another dangerous
group...in Illinois. Cradle of Hope
Ministries. It is run by a selfproclaimed prophet: Tom Deckard.
He is bullying his members to
purchase real estate down on a
caribbean island to "avoid ww3" in
America. People are ruining their
lives over this...Thank you so much!
(Internet) [Dear Reader, we checked
out Mr. Deckard’s “ministry” and
indeed we share your valid concerns
about him. Articles can be found by
searching “Tom Deckard” “false
teacher” “false prophet.” It is our pray
too that many will avoid the false
teachings and influences of Mr.
Deckard.]
Chris,
Great letter and I’m happy that all
things “are working together...” We
NEVER know what God will do in
response to our acts of obedience
according to His Word....No gold
dust. No feathers. Just His Word. Take
care, keep exercising and many
blessings. G (e-mail)
SRN,
Hi, thank[s] a lot for what I have
learned through your letters and
[about the dangers of] yoga. Now I
know the truth of God’s Word.
Blessed! SO (Internet)
SRN,
Hello! I was browsing through the
Master List of bookstores and authors
to be aware of and was wondering if
you would consider adding the
author/speaker Marianne Williamson
(promotes “A Course in Miracles”) to
the list. Maybe she is already there
but I just missed it. Also, there is a
pastor in my area with quite a
following (large church, Sunday
service is broadcast on TV) who is a
Word Faith teacher. His name is Mac
Hammond and he has written several
books. I realize you can’t put every
questionable person on the list….I
just thought I would mention them.
Thank you for all you do! God Bless
you! I’m praying for you! SA
(Internet)
[Dear SA, we did add
Marianne Williamson to the list and
11
SRN Dec 2013
you will find her name on page 9 of
this newsletter, and on page 15 of our
new tract booklet A Directory of
Authors (Three NOT Recommended
Lists). Thank you for informing us, we
appreciate your help!]
Chris,
Mahalo again for the links. May you
hear, "Well done, good and faithful
servant" (Matthew 25:21) one day
from our Lord Jesus. I reviewed the
full length version on the
Contemplative Concerns and the
litany of demonic books out there WOW!...Seriously, this is all very sad.
People have gotten away from the
Word and are following a "different
Jesus, spirit and gospel" (from 2
Corinthians 11:4), and the so called
"Pastors" of these "churches" shall be
held accountable for such. They are
"blind guides" (Matthew 23:16) and
"clouds without rain, blown along by
the wind; autumn trees, without fruit
and uprooted - twice dead. They are
wild waves of the sea, foaming up
their shame, wandering stars, for
whom blackest darkness has been
reserved forever." (Jude 12-13) It is
evident, "...God sends them a powerful
delusion so that they believe the
lie..." (2 Thessalonians 2:11) as a
judgment, and being blasphemously
perpetrated in the name of God, the
Son or the Holy Spirit. They should
know better, but what about the
"sheeple" also falling into the pit with
them? Part of my calling is to go down
to the local library book sale several
times a week and to purchase books
(mostly cults - Book of Mormon, NLT,
etc. and usually selling for 25 cents)
that might trip up new believers or
those seeking the truth. They in turn
are ripped up and thrown away to help
prevent them from stumbling on them.
The irony is that the "Religious"
section is next to the "Occult/New
Age" section, when it appears that
they are one in the same. Let me know
if you have any titles missing from
your collection and I can keep an eye
or two...out for them for you. Found
an 1887 (book in great shape) the
other day on alleged Roman Catholic
Saints, amazing at what's in there.
How's this quote? "The Virgin Mary
of the Divine Redeemer, the woman
destined to crush the head of the
serpent." YIKES!!! [Relatives] are
devout Catholics and refuse to believe
things written on them, so, their own
authentic sources can not be denied
when confronted with the truth and
Scriptural truth. Yet, they still refuse to
believe. Anyways, off to look for more
books. A hui hou. ["Till We Meet
Again "]. M (Hawaiian Islands)
Hi Chris:
Hey Chris I hope you and your family
are doing well. I have noticed more
"watchman" type websites are
showing links to your sites. I was glad
to see that... Continue to pray for you,
your ministry and your family. PJ (email)
Chris,
...THANK YOU for your support.
I’m very grateful for all you do and
got the message that you’ve
compiled a list—it was on
Lighthouse. I’ll get some to pass
around. Have a wonderful, blessed
Christmas. Enjoy the family, take it
easy. Get your back totally healed. G
(e-mail)
Chris,
Greetings from Melbourne Australia.
Hope your doing great. Thank you
for all your research that you put
into your messages and ministry. It
was a real eye opener on your last
video. The depth of the
contemplative and self centered stuff
was just crazy. I have always
enjoyed your articles and videos. I
just wanted to encourage you to keep
up the great work. Praying for you
and SRN. Blessing mate, AR
(Melbourne, Australia)
Dear Chris,
I only have a moment, but we
wanted to thank you for the notice
we just received from SRN with all
that wonderful information about
[exposing] contemplative authors as
well as the links. We were especially
joyful on your behalf to see the
amount of videos you have been able
to generate since we last
corresponded. Praise the Lord for
His provision! The production
of these kind of videos was so
heavy upon your heart, that we
rejoice with you at your progress.
Dear brother, we continue to pray
that God will make you able and
give you strength as you finish this
task. (We also continue to lift up
your family! ) We do not know if it
is just a coincidence, but we wanted
to make note of something else. In
the body of the SRN notice you sent,
we found this: (2) To show church
leaders (including many Calvary
Chapel and Baptist pastors, etc.)
that they need to be aware of where
the Contemplative Spirituality
movement comes from, and that it
needs to be rejected and warned
against. We just wanted to thank you
for this reference. After the article
on ACT with their wimpy disclaimer
(see below), we were grateful that
you were specific. For what it is
worth--thank you B/J (e-mail)
Dear Chris,
Just finished watching the Vimeo
production about all the books that are
teaching eastern occultism IN THE
CHURCH! Thank you for standing up
for the TRUTH!!!! I have written to
you before and shared with you that I
have a passion for the Truth and it is
always exciting for me to see someone
willing to stand up for it these days. I
wanted to encourage you and tell you I
am praying for you. I KNOW how
hard it is today to do what you are
doing. You are standing against the
crowd… and I'm talking about
"Christians". It seems so clear to me
that we have gotten off the right
(narrow) path and yet most churches
are so far off and seem to be actually
"exiting" THE Path! Why is it only
clear to a few? Why are so few
willing to stand up for Truth??? Oh,
how we need revival - IN THE
CHURCH!!! We cannot expect revival
in America until the church is revived.
Just wanted to encourage you and tell
you THANK you for what you are
doing. I get your newsletter and love
it… and though we are now on SSD,
(Social Security Disability), we are
committed to supporting you when we
can and where we can. May our God
richly supply all that you need and
give you strength and courage in the
face of the enemy. My "friendly fire"
never touch you. May you have great
success in pulling many pastors and
teachers away from the wrong path
and get them set straight again. May
your own family be protected
supernaturally and may you be richly
filled with the Holy Spirit and His
wisdom! Much love and respect, DR
(CA)
11
CHRIS LAWSON
Casablanca, Morocco, East Africa
SRN
BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT
- THE MISSING JEWEL OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH!
December
14
SRN Dec 2013
Dear “Contemplative Christian”:
Are you the victim of seducing spirits?
By Ray Yungen, December 13th, 2013 (Lighthouse Trails Blog)
I once heard a radio interview with Richard Foster that revealed the high regard in which many influential evangelicals hold him. The
talk show host made his own admiration obvious with such comments to Foster as, “You have heard from God . . . this is a message
of enormous value,” and in saying Foster’s work was a “curriculum for Christ-likeness.” I found this praise especially disturbing after
Foster stated in the interview that Christianity was “not complete without the contemplative dimension.”1  Of course, my concern was
that Foster’s curriculum would result in Thomas Merton-likeness instead.
When I look ahead and ponder the impact of [what I am saying], unquestionably there are some very sobering considerations. The
contemplative prayer movement has already planted strong roots within evangelical Christianity. Many sincere, devout, and respected
Christians have embraced Thomas Merton’s vision that:
The most important need in the Christian world today is this inner truth nourished by this Spirit of
contemplation . . . Without contemplation and interior prayer the Church cannot fulfill her mission to transform and
save mankind.2
A statement like this should immediately alert the discerning Christian that something is wrong. It is the Gospel that saves mankind,
not the silence. When Merton says “save,” he really means enlighten. Remember, Merton’s spiritual worldview was panentheistic
oneness.
Some will see [what I am saying] as divisive and intolerant—especially those who share Merton’s view of the future. Pastors may be
set at odds with one another and possibly with their congregations; friends, and even family members may be divided on the issues of
contemplative spirituality. Nevertheless, having weighed the pros and cons, I am prepared to receive the inevitable responses from
fans of these contemplative mentors. And although I sincerely feel goodwill toward those I have critiqued, I am convinced the issues
are of vital importance, leaving me compelled to share them regardless of the cost.
After taking an honest look at the evidence, the conclusion is overwhelming that contemplative prayer is not a spiritually-sound
practice for Christians. The errors of contemplative spirituality are simple and clear for the following three reasons:
• It is not biblical.
• It correlates with occult methods (i.e., mantra, vain repetition).
• It is sympathetic to Eastern mystical perceptions (God in everything; all is One—Panentheism).
These are well-documented facts, not just arbitrary opinions. Furthermore, the contemplative prayer movement is uniform, indicating
a link to a central source of knowledge. Based on the above facts, we know what that source is.
The apostle Paul warns us of seducing spirits in his first letter to Timothy: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (I Timothy 4:1)
The operative word here is “deceiving” or seducing which means to be an imposter or to mislead. It is plain to see a real delusion is
going on or, as Paul called it, a seduction. How then can you tell if you are a victim yourself? It is actually not that difficult.
The doctrines (instructions) of demons—no matter how nice, how charming, how devoted to God they sound—convey that
everything has Divine Presence (all is One). This is clear heresy—for that would be saying Satan and God are one also (i.e., “I
[Lucifer] will be like the Most High,” Isaiah 14:14). If what Henri Nouwen proclaimed is true when he said, “[W]e can come to the
full realization of the unity of all that is,”3 then Jesus Christ and Satan are also united. That is something only a demonic spirit would
teach!
An even more subtle yet seductive idea says: Without a mystical technique, God is somehow indifferent or unapproachable. Those of
you who are parents can plainly see the falsehood of this. Do your children need to employ a method or engage in a ritual to capture
your full attention or guidance? Of course not! If you love your children, you will care for and interact with them because you are
committed to them and want to participate with them. The same is true of God’s attention towards those He has called his own.
15
SRN Dec 2013
And, we must not forget the most decisive indication of the Deceiver’s handiwork: the belief or doctrine in question will undermine
the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as both God and man and His atoning work on the Cross. The apostle John brings out this distinction
with clarity in his first letter:
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (I John 4:2-3)
It is evident then, that the whole idea of a Christ consciousness where we all have divinity, is completely unbiblical in that it negates
who Jesus was and what He came to do.
The central role of a shepherd is to guide and direct the sheep. The sheep know the voice of their Master by simply following Him in
faith (John 10:14-18). The Shepherd does not expect or desire the sheep to perform a method or religious technique to be close to
Him. He has already claimed them as His own.
Remember! Religiosity is man’s way to God while Christianity is God’s way to man. Contemplative prayer is just another maninspired attempt to get to God.
When we receive Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit—thus we receive God. Christians do not have to search for some esoteric
technique to draw closer to God. The fullness of God has already taken residency in those who have received Christ. The Christian’s
response is not to search for God through a method but simply to yield his or her will to the will of God.
When looking at principles like these, Paul’s warning becomes clear. A seduction will not work if we are wise to the ways of the
seducer.
Christians must not be led purely by their emotions or a particular
experience; there must be ground rules. A popular saying is: “You can’t put
God in a box.” That is correct in some ways, but it’s not true if the box is the
Bible. God will not work outside of what He has laid down in His message
to humanity.
The answer to the contemplative prayer movement is simple. A Christian is
complete in Christ. The argument that contemplative prayer can bring a
fuller measure of God’s love, guidance, direction, and nurturing is the
epitome of dishonor to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. It is, in essence,
anti-Christian.The late Dr. Paul Bubna, President of the Christian and
Missionary Alliance, wrote in an article, “Purveyors of Grace or Ungrace”:
Learn more about Ray Yungen and
A Time of Departing Ministries
on page 17.
Knowing Christ is a journey of solid theological understanding. It is the Holy Spirit’s illuminating the Scriptures to
our darkened minds and hearts that give birth to the wonder of unconditional love.4
The contemplative message has seriously maligned this wonderful work of God’s grace and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the one who guides the Christian into all truth. Those who have the Holy Spirit indwelling them do not need the
silence. It is one thing to find a quiet place to pray (which Jesus did) but quite another to go into an altered state of consciousness
(which Jesus never did). The Christian hears the voice of Jehovah through the Holy Spirit, not through contemplative prayer. Again,
Jesus made it clear He is the one who initiates this process, not man:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:15-17)
Scripture instructs us to “try the spirits” (I John 4:1). Let’s test them, using Richard Foster’s teachings. In his book, Celebration of
Discipline, Foster devotes a number of pages to what he calls the biblical basis for this form of prayer. He makes reference to many
instances throughout the Bible where God talked to people,—in other words, encounters between man and Divinity. But Foster then
jumps straight into contemplative prayer, leading the reader to think this is how it is done when, in fact, he has not really presented a
biblical basis for using the repetition of sacred words at all. He looks to the contemplative mystics to legitimize his teachings when he
writes:
How sad that contemporary Christians are so ignorant of the vast sea of literature on Christian meditation by
faithful believers throughout the centuries! And their testimony to the joyful life of perpetual communion is
amazingly uniform.5
16
SRN Dec 2013
That is the problem. The contemplative authors are “amazingly uniform.” Even though they all profess a love for God and Jesus, they
have each added something that is contrary to what God conveys in His written word.
Contemplative mystic John R. Yungblut penned the following observation that rings true for almost all such contemplative
practitioners. He concludes:
The core of the mystical experience is the apprehension of unity, and the perception of relatedness. For the mystics
the world is one.6
Panentheism is the bedrock of the contemplative prayer movement; therefore, the establishment of whether or not it is biblically valid
is imperative.
Foster also believes, that God’s ability to impact the non-contemplative Christian is limited. Foster expresses:
What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an
inner sanctuary in the heart.7
But the Trinity already has an inner sanctuary in every Christian. It is being in Christ (via the Holy Spirit) that allows every believer to
receive guidance and direction.
Furthermore, when Richard Foster cites someone like Sue Monk Kidd as an example of what he is promoting (as he does in his book
Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home), it is reasonable to expect that if you engage in Foster’s prayer methods, you will become
like his examples.
Monk Kidd’s spirituality is spelled out clearly in her book When the Heart Waits. She explains:
There’s a bulb of truth buried in the human soul [not just Christian] that’s “only God” . . . the soul is more than
something to win or save. It’s the seat and repository of the inner Divine, the God-image, the truest part of us.8
Sue Monk Kidd, an introspective woman, gives a revealing description of her spiritual transformation in her book God’s Joyful
Surprise: Finding Yourself Loved. She shares how she suffered a deep hollowness and spiritual hunger for many years even though
she was very active in her Baptist church.9 She sums up her feelings:
Maybe we sense we’re disconnected from God somehow. He becomes superfluous to the business at hand. He
lives on the periphery so long we begin to think that is where He belongs. Anything else seems unsophisticated or
fanatical.10
Ironically, a Sunday school co-worker handed her a book by Thomas Merton, telling her she needed to read it. Once Monk Kidd read
it, her life changed dramatically.
What happened next completely reoriented Sue Monk Kidd’s worldview and belief system. She started down the contemplative
prayer road with bliss, reading numerous books and repeating the sacred word methods taught in her readings.11 She ultimately came
to the mystical realization that:
I am speaking of recognizing the hidden truth that we are one with all people. We are part of them and they are part
of us . . . When we encounter another person, . . . we should walk as if we were upon holy ground. We should
respond as if God dwells there.12
One could come to Monk Kidd’s defense by saying she is just referring to Christians and non-Christians sharing a common humanity
and the need to treat all people well. Yet, while respecting humanity is important, she fails to distinguish between Christians and nonChristians thereby negating Christ’s imperative, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7), as the prerequisite for the indwelling of God.
Her mystical universalism is apparent when she quotes someone who advises that the Hindu greeting namaste, which translates, I
honor the god in you, should be used by Christians.13
Monk Kidd, like Merton, did not join a metaphysical church such as the Unity Church or a Religious Science church. She found her
spirituality within the comfortable and familiar confines of a Baptist church!
Moreover, when Monk Kidd found her universal spirituality she was no teenager. She was a sophisticated, mature family woman.
This illustrates the susceptibility of the millions like her who are seeking seemingly novel, positive approaches to Christian spiritual
growth. Those who lack discernment are at great risk. What looks godly or spiritually benign on the surface may have principles
behind it that are in dire conflict with Christianity.
17
SRN Dec 2013
Since the original edition of A Time of Departing came out [in 2002], two major discoveries have come to my attention. First, Sue
Monk Kidd has become a widely known author. She has written a bestselling book titled The Secret Life of Bees, which has sold
millions of copies. Her latest book, The Mermaid Chair, is also on the bestseller list. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I
found even more profound evidence that my conclusions about her worldview were right. It seems that just a few years after she had
written the book I’ve quoted, she wrote another book on spirituality. This one was titled The Dance of the Dissident Daughter. If ever
there was a book confirming my message, this book is it.
In her first and second books, Monk Kidd was writing from a Christian perspective. That is why the back cover of God’s Joyful
Surprise was endorsed by Virtue, Today’s Christian Woman, and (really proving my point) Moody Monthly. But with her third and
fourth book, Monk Kidd had made the full transition to a spiritual view more in tune with Wicca than with Christianity. Now she
worships the Goddess Sophia rather than Jesus Christ:
We also need Goddess consciousness to reveal earth’s holiness. . . . Matter becomes inspirited; it breathes divinity.
Earth becomes alive and sacred. . . . Goddess offers us the holiness of everything.14
There is one portion in Monk Kidd’s book The Dance of the Dissident Daughter that, for me, stands out and speaks right to the heart
of this issue. I want my readers to grasp what she is conveying in the following account. No one can lightly dismiss or ignore the
powers behind contemplative prayer after reading this narrative:
The minister was preaching. He was holding up a Bible. It was open, perched atop his raised hand as if a blackbird
had landed there. He was saying that the Bible was the sole and ultimate authority of the Christian’s life. The sole and
ultimate authority.
I remember a feeling rising up from a place about two inches below my navel. It was a passionate, determined
feeling, and it spread out from the core of me like a current so that my skin vibrated with it. If feelings could be
translated into English, this feeling would have roughly been the word no!
It was the purest inner knowing I had experienced, and it was shouting in me no, no, no! The ultimate authority of my
life is not the Bible; it is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in
time. It is not from a source outside myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul. Period.15
If Foster uses these kinds of mystics as contemplative prayer models without disclaimers regarding their universalist beliefs (like Sue
Monk Kidd), then it is legitimate to question whether or not he also resonates with the same beliefs himself. At a Foster seminar I
attended, a colleague of his assured the audience that when they were in this altered state, they could just “smell the gospel.” Based
on the research of this movement, what you can smell is not the Gospel but the Ganges [River]!16 (To better understand the
contemplative prayer (Spiritual Formation) movement, read A Time of Departing.)
Notes:
1. Interview with Richard Foster, Lou Davies Radio Program (Nov. 24, 1998, KPAM radio, Portland, Oregon).
2. Thomas Merton, Contemplative Prayer (New York, NY: Image Books, Doubleday Pub., 1989), pp. 115-116.
3. Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey.
4. Dr. Paul Bubna, President Briefings, C&MA, “Purveyors of Grace or Ungrace,” March 1978.
5. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (San Franciso, CA: Harper, 1988), p. 19.
6. John R. Yungblut, Rediscovering the Christ (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1991), p. 142.
7. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1988), p. 20.
8. Sue Monk Kidd, When the Heart Waits (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1990), pp. 47-48.
9. Sue Monk Kidd, God’s Joyful Surprise (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1987), p. 55.
10. Ibid., p. 56.
11. Ibid., p. 198.
12. Ibid., pp. 233, 228.
13. Ibid., pp. 228-229.
14. Sue Monk Kidd, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 1996), pp. 162-163.
15. Ibid., p. 76.
16. The Ganges is a famous river in India, thought to have holy powers but is actually very polluted.
To read and purchase Ray Yungen’s books and articles please visit:
Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Lighthouse Trails Research Project and Lighthouse Trails Blog
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
http://www.lighthousetrails.com
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/
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SRN Dec 2013
About The Writers
In This Publication
A Time of Departing: How
From Chris Lawson,
Editor, SRN
ancient mystical practices are uniting
Christians with the world's religions
SRN would like to extend thanks
to each author who has granted us
written and/or verbal permission to
republish their articles in our SRN
Newsletter. Each ministry has its
hands in numerous aspects of research
and writing and as we all know, the
work is far to extensive for any one
single ministry to cover. We appreciate
the well researched writings of others,
and we believe that our SRN
Newsletter readers will also.
We would like to encourage our
readership to visit our colleagues’
websites, and if you are led to, joyfully
support their ministry efforts through
financial and prayer support. None of
the ministries that we republish articles
from are in the ministry for money. In
fact, quite a few of us have suffered in
many ways for doing what we do telling tell the truth about what’s going
on in the church and the world.
Simple disclaimer: SRN includes
articles from fellow ministries in our
newsletter because we believe that
what we publish is pertinent to current
issues facing individual believers and
countless churches. SRN may not
necessarily agree with every single
aspect of ministry or theology that our
colleagues include within their
respective ministries, however, we do
see eye-to-eye on all of the essential
doctrines of the historic Christian faith,
without which one cannot be “saved.”
SRN as a ministry (and we
believe our colleagues as well) seeks
to keep a well balanced approach to
Christian theology, apologetics and
eschatology, as well as a firmly
grounded biblical hermeneutic that
rejects extremes, including but not
limited to Replacement Theology, any
form of anti-Semitism, the current
massive wave of heresies within the
hyper-Pentecostal charismatic
movements, and any form of
immorality or ethical perversions,
either in family life, or ministry.
- SRN
by Ray Yungen (A Lighthouse Trails Author)
Book Information: ISBN 0972151206, Retail - $12.95 Softbound 248 Pages
Description: A revealing account of a New
Age spirituality that has infiltrated much of the
church today. Exposes the subtle strategies to
compromise the gospel message with Eastern
mystical practices cloaked under evangelical
terminology and wrappings.
Topics include: Contemplative Prayer, Yoga,
Labyrinths, Spiritual Directors, Reiki, Desert
Fathers, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual
Disciplines, Purpose Driven and the Emerging
Church
Questions this book answers ...
1. Is Rick Warren's Purpose Driven paradigm
promoting the contemplative prayer movement? 2. How and through
whom is great delusion moving into the majority of churches today? 3.
What is wrong with "Christian" yoga? 4. What is the emerging church
really all about and why is it a dangerous spirituality?
Also find out about practices such as the labyrinth, reiki, meditation,
breath prayers, spiritual directors and much, much more.
Author Bio: Ray Yungen, author, speaker and
research analyst has studied religious
movements for the last twenty years. He is
available for radio and television interviews and
for seminars, conferences and college
assemblies. His exuberance for life and his love
for Jesus Christ and for people are evident in his
writing. Mr. Yungen resides in Salem, Oregon.
Available at Lighthouse Trails
Publishers. Quantity and
international discounts
available.
A counterview of an
evangelical paradigm shift
Coming Soon!
19
SRN Dec 2013
GOD’S WARNINGS AGAINST OCCULT PRACTICES
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
“When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the
abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to
pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or
a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto
the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be
perfect with the Lord thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and
unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.”
DANGEROUS MYSTICAL/OCCULT PRACTICES
Brief sampling of dangerous practices
Alchemy, Animism, Astrology, Automatic speaking (through spirits), Automatic writing (spirit-guided), Black
Magick, Cabalistic knowledge, Calling up the dead (séance), Candomble, Celtics (the religion, not Celtic
ethnicity), Centering Prayer, Channeling, Chaos Magic, Chiromancy, Clairaudience, Clairvoyance,
Crystalmancy, Demon worship and consultation, Discordianism, Divination, Eckankar, Enchantments,
Fetishism, Fortune telling, Freemasonry, Glass looking, Gnostic wisdom, Hermetic Traditions, Horoscopes,
Hydromancy, I Ching, Illuminated organizations, Illuminati, Incantations, Kabbalah, Knights Templar, La Regla
Lucumi, Lukumi, Lycanthropy, Macumba, Magic, magick (magical arts), Mediums, Mirror gazing, Necromancy,
Neo-paganism, Omens, Oracles, Ordo Templi Orientis, Ouija boards, Paganism, Palmistry, Prognostication,
Psychometry, Qabalah, Quimbanda, Radiestesia, Rosicrucianism, Runes, Santeria, Satanism, Scrying, Secret
societies, Sevi Lwa, Shamanism, Soothsaying, Sorcery, Spells (casting, conjuring), Spirit-guides, Spiritist’s,
Spiritualism, Tarot cards, Tea cup reading, Thelemite, Umbanda, Vedic Astrology, Vodun (Voodoo), White
Witchcraft (Wicca) Witchcraft, Wizardy, and yes, Harry Potter’s occultism too!
HOW ARE DANGEROUS MYSTICAL
AND OCCULT PRACTICES FINDING
THEIR WAY INTO THE CHURCH?
Find out at Spiritual Research Network!
VIDEOS:
Contemplative Spirituality Concerns
Sample teaching videos by Chris Lawson
AUDIO/MP3’s:
Warning About
New Age Influences
in Rick Warren's
Daniel Plan
By Chris Lawson
& Ray Yungen
20
SRN Dec 2013
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WEBSITES
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www.Spiritual-Research-Network.com
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ministry updates, prayer requests, outreaches, warnings about dangerous
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