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Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

Herescope blog has been highlighting a 1979 Consultation of leading evangelicals for the past few weeks. This "Continuing Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns" was summarized in a book of "Addresses, Responses, and Scenarios" entitled An Evangelical Agenda: 1984 and beyond. The Consultation was sponsored by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and brought in evangelical leaders from several disciplines for several days of controlled presentations, in which dissenting opinion was stifled.

The Consultation also brought in a leading New Age Theosophist, Willis W. Harman. Harman was a leading futurist, and one of the key leaders to bring New Age propaganda to the mainstream through his various affiliations and organizations. Christian researcher Constance Cumbey warned in the early 1980s that

"The year 1975 was a banner year for the New Age Movement. That was when its disciples had permission from the deceased Alice Bailey to 'come out of the closet' and spread the New Age message to the world. Wiuth joie de vivre they did go public. [David] Spangler, Mark Satin, and a host of other New Age personages and organizations launched their public work." (The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, pp. 52-53)

This Consultation proves to be a watershed event in evangelical history. It became a launching pad for bringing the New Age Movement into the evangelical church. It laid the groundwork for many new strategies and doctrines that would influence the next 25 years -- key years in which evangelicalism swept into the mainstream of American society and began affecting politics and culture.

The doctrine of the FUTURE is particularly relevant to what happened next. This is because the Consultation embraced an alternative future -- one not found in Scriptures -- as a way to harness evangelical energy to work towards a new age/new world order. Using the standard change methodology, the Consultation first worked to create a crisis and then offered a solution.

The Crisis defined:

Hudson T. Armerding, Chairman of the Consultation and then-president of Wheaton College, defined the crisis in his Foreward in a way that demonstrated that he had already been influenced by the futurist rhetoric wildly proliferating during the chaotic 1970s:

"Our age is characterized by increasing uncertainty about the future and by mounting anxieties that are both personal and corporate. The questions of survival in the event of a nuclear holocaust are being asked... massive energy shortage, a world-wide monetary crisis..., or an overpopulated planet."

Armerding next warned Christians that this bleak future would be dismal for them:

"For the Christian there is the prospect of moral and ethical disintegration in the society in which he lives and the distinct possibility of rejection or even persecution in a world increasingly hostile to the Gospel." [emphasis added]

The proposed Solution:

Armerding proposed a solution that was consistent with the New Evangelials since the 1940s. Neo-evangelicalism had long-since repudiated separatism and fundamentalism, and preferred to "dialogue" with the culture:

"The Consultation described in this volume attempted to develop a perspective that was realistic rather than naively optimistic or hopelessly pessimistic. A sense of urgency and a sense of truth were both evident....

"The real test of the effectiveness of this Consultation lies in what difference it will make within the Christian community in the days to come.

We trust that [this Consultation] will enlarge the vision of God's people and enable them to have a still more effective stewardship of time and opportunity in these critical days." (An Evangelical Agenda: 1984 and beyond, pp. vii-viii) [emphases added]

In other words, in order to escape potential persecution or rejection -- which might have happened if evangelicals had boldly proclaimed God's prophetic future to the emerging New Age Movement -- these evangelical leaders chose to embrace an alternative worldview, a new paradigm about the future that came straight out of the bowels of Alice Bailey's Luciferianism!

The Truth:

The Scripture has much to say about the Future, particularly in prophecy. Believers can be reassured by the Word of God and need not be swayed by fear-mongering, future crisis scenarios, current events, or aberrant doctrines. God promises believers that:

"For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34)

"For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death." (Psalm 48:14)

"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 21)

"I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8)

Next: the long-term repercussions of the 1979 Consultation

There were long-term repercussions when the evangelical Consultation of 1979 invited Theosophist Willis Harman to speak on the topic of "A Utopian Perspective on the Future" without opposition. Twenty-six years later evangelicalism bears signs of his influence. This is most evident in the rise of marketplace ministries.

Few realize that Willis W. Harman could be called the "Father of Workplace Spirituality." Willis Harman was one of a group of scholars and policy analysts who helped write The Changing Image of Man, a landmark study prepared for the Charles Kettering Foundation by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) Center for the Study of Social Policy. Willis Harman was the director of this Center.

New Age author, Marilyn Ferguson, wrote about this report in her 1980 book The Aquarian Conspiracy.

"Changing Image of Man, the now classic report issued by SRI... described a new transcendental social and business ethic characterized by self-determination, concern for the quality of life, appropriate technology, entrepreneurship, decentralization, an ecological ethic, and spirituality. The report urged a rapid corporate understanding of this emergent order, 'probably the most important observation of our time.'" (p. 342)

Ferguson continues, "In the new paradigm, work is a vehicle for transformation." (Ibid.) [emphases added]

Later in this same chapter, entitled "Values and Vocation," she states that work "also becomes a medium through which the individual can express the vision of the Aquarian Conspiracy." (p. 346)

In fact, Harman was so influential at this time, that some historians suggest that he had much to do with the writing and publication of Ferguson's landmark book ushering in the New Age Movement. Harman went on to write a number of books about business, including The New Business of Business: Sharing Responsibility for a Positive Global Future. He co-founded the World Business Academy and is credited with the inspiration for Spirit at Work. His New Paradigm business concept meant a total overhaul -- or paradigm shift -- in the global society. This shift would be facilitated by the integration of spirituality with the workplace.

Raising the hard questions

Is the rise of marketplace spirituality in neo-evangelicalism evidence of a real revival? Or is it just a "christianized" implementation of Willis Harman's Luciferian philosophies, sugar-coated with new doctrinal emphases to make it more palatable to unsuspecting believers? What about C. Peter Wagner's newly minted doctrine about marketplace "apostles"? (See Herescope's first post.)

Tomorrow Herescope begins an in-depth investigation of the evidence of Harman's long-term influence over the "emergent" marketplace transformation, including his close connections with some of evangelical's leading marketplace ministers.

The Truth:

"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without and that ye may have lack of nothing." (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

"It is a great ornament to religion when the professors of it are of meek and quiet spirits, diligent to do their own business, and not busy-bodies in other men's matters." (Matthew Henry's Commentary)

To be continued tomorrow. . .

Christianity Today magazine was launched by neo-evangelical leaders in the mid-1950s who needed an organ that would "defend the evangelical faith at the intellectual level." Billy Graham was instrumental in this endeavor. Harold J. Ockenga, in his Foreward to The Battle for the Bible by Harold Lindsell (Zondervan, 1976) explained that "Neo-evangelicalism was born in 1948.... It differed from fundamentalism in its repudiation of separatism and its determination to engage itself in the theological dialogue of the day." (p. 11) [emphasis added]

By 1977, and then again 1979, at the two Consultations about the future, neo-evangelicals had opened the door wide enough to engage in "theological dialogue" with Theosophists! The Billy Graham organization, connected officals, and related entities were very involved in the planning and program of these two Consultations.

It is therefore ironic that Christianity Today in February 2003 published a major article expressing concern about the new spirituality in the business world. Jeff M. Sellers, identified as an associate editor of Christianity Today, attended a Spirit in Business World Conference, which he reported on in some detail in "The Higher Self Gets Down to Business" [http://www.christianitytoday.com/workplace/articles/ct-2003-002-1.34.html] Two sidebars, also by Sellers, are linked to at the end of the article.

Sellers explained that the New Age conference participants from the corporate and business world believed that "business will help usher in a universal shift in consciousness" by relying "less on rational thought and more on intuitive 'inner wisdom.'" He noted that "the visionaries in the movement advocate... business playing a key role in a paradigm shift from scientific materialism to a metaphysical outlook -- the mind influencing or dictating reality. "

Sellers honestly identified the conference as "New Age religion" and factually described a few of its key tenets. For example, he pinpointed the "pseudo-science" of business guru Peter Senge. But the reader should be cautioned that not all of the information in the article, or its sidebars, would stand as accurate today. While Sellers in 2003 drew lines in the sand between New Age and evangelical definitions of terms, today -- just a few short years later -- the marketplace ministries have borrowed the New Age nuances, even to the point of creating new doctrines. And while Sellers maintained that evangelicals could enter the marketplace spirituality movement relatively unscathed by New Age influence, evidence to the contrary is mounting.

The dialogue with Theosophist Willis Harman in the late 1970s opened the door to a leaven that is now on the verge of permeating neo-evangelicalism entirely.

Willis Harman's influence

Ironically again, under the section of his article entitled "Founding Visionary," Jeff Sellers gave a brief history of the influence of Willis Harman, recognizing him as "the movement's unofficial father" and a "metaphysical futurist." Sellers accurately pointed out that, to Harman, visualization was not "merely a means of clarifying goals, but of altering material reality." Unfortunately, Sellers did not delve into the many relevant examples of neo-evangelicals engaging in this very practice, particulary due the influence of the marketplace transformation leaders bringing in "emergent" doctrines about "envisioning" or "vision-casting" to bring about some purported "Kingdom" purpose.

Finally, although the article by Sellers is very interesting to read, it is not entirely factual. The history of neo-evangelical workplace spirituality needs to be re-examined in light of the 1979 Consultation when Willis W. Harman, business guru extraordinaire, made serious inroads into evangelicalism. The precise infiltration methodologies, which New Age author Marilyn Ferguson identified as "conspiratorial" in The Aquarian Conspiracy, have succeeded in bringing theosophical philosophies into the church via the business model.

The Truth:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)

Tomorrow, Lord willing, more history of relevance. . .

"The purpose of the [1977] Consultation was to encourage evangelical leaders to think futuristically and begin long-range planning for the church in the face of possible alternative futures." [emphasis added]

This quotation is from Evangelicals Face the Future, in a Preface written by Donald E. Hoke, identified as the Coordinator for the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois. The 1977 "Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns" was held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hoke explains that, "In early 1977 Drs. Billy Graham and Hudson Armerding and I called together a small group of evangelical leaders to consider the future of the church and evangelicalism in the last 23 years of this century." [emphasis added]

Hoke then explained the rationale for evangelicals to embrace futurism:

"Traditionally, evangelicals have thought much about prophecy but little about our more immediate earthly future. James Sire's penetrating question (Eternity, January 1976), must be faced: "What if Christ does not come -- for 10, 100, 1,000 years?"

It is quite clear that the evangelical leaders who met in 1977 had decided that the Biblical future, expressed in prophecy, was not adequate for a postmodern world "crisis." Hudson T. Amerding, Chairman, wrote in the Foreward that

"world events underscore the necessity of acting strategically to advance the cause of Christ. The acceleration of change and the magnification of issues having consequences around the world highlight the urgency of the task that lies before evangelicals." [emphasis added]

Even a cursory examination of the literature from the global missions movement over the next 28 years reveals that this language about "acting strategically" to "advance the cause" became the pervasive rallying cry. And the "acceleration of change" and "urgency" mantras, first taught by the futurists, became the raison d'etre for every novel program or practice -- particularly well-disguised in the doctrine of "advancing the Kingdom" and "fulfilling the Great Commission."

Don't be deceived! The global futurists that rose to prominence in the decade of the 1979s were not some benign group of rational scientists and academics. Rather, they were a group of wild and wacky Luciferians who had a rabid agenda which they wished to foist upon the world. These futurists do have an alternative future scenario. It is one that is well-documented in their literature. For example, Barbara Marx Hubbard, a close associate of Willis Harman, wrote that her "alternative to Armageddon is the Planetary Pentecost" which can only be escaped through "global cooperation" and participation in one's own "evolution to godliness." (The Revelation, pp. 157 & 174)

The Truth:

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Peter 3:3-4a)

Tomorrow: Hoke's 1977 presentation on the Club of Rome

It seems strange to revisit the Club of Rome reports that were issued during the decade of the 1970s. But in the context of the 1977 Consultation of leading evangelicals, which was discussed yesterday on Herescope as part of an ongoing history lesson on neoevangelical heresy, it becomes necessary.

Donald E. Hoke, a Consultation organizer, identified as the coordinator of the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois, in his opening presentation on "Views of the Future as Reflected in Reports to the Club of Rome," did not use the occasion to dispute the Reports. Rather he made a lengthy factual presentation of the contents of the Reports. Hoke reported on the formation of the Club of Rome:

"Born in April, 1968, when an international group of scientists, educators, economists, humanists, industrialists, and civil servants gathered in Rome at the invitation of Dr. Aurelio Peccei a foresighted Italian economist, the Club of Rome now numbers some 70 persons from 25 nations in its restricted elite membership. None are politicians, nor does the group seek to express any single ideological, political or national point of view." (Evangelicals Face the Future, p. 3) [emphasis added]

It was the last statement, highlighted above, which is either incredibly naive or potentially misleading. The Club of Rome did indeed have an ideology -- an ideology that is antithetically opposed to biblical Christianity: worldwide population controls, the formation of a global economic system, the creation of a new international order, food production, extreme environmentalism, etc. And Aurelio Peccei, its co-founder, did have a personal ideology and aligned himself with Planetary Citizens along with Willis W. Harman, the Dalai Lama, David Spangler, William Irwin Thompson, Donald F. Keys, Rene Dubois and other Luciferians. To explain why this is significant:

"The work of Planetary Initiative (PI) followed years of preparation by the Network of World Servers, set up by Alice A. Bailey in 1925. The role of the World Servers (also called "Servant of the World") was to act as the "vanguard for the reappearance of the Christ. . . " The organization controlling PI, which coordinates the efforts of the networking groups, is called Planetary Citizens. One of the official purposes of Planetary Citizens is to aid the 'world servers' everywhere." (Constance Cumbey, The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, 1982, p. 84)

Historian Dr. Dennis Cuddy wrote of Peccei's ideology. "On May 3, 1974, the Toronto Globe and Mail [reported] that Club of Rome cofounder Aurelio Peccei said, 'A new international order will have to be established, not just in the economic sphere but in social and political areas.'" (The Globalists, p. 137)

Donald E. Hoke could have used his speech as an opportunity to distinctly separate biblical Christianity apart from the the crisis-mongering documents produced by the Club of Rome. But that did not happen. Instead, he concluded with a significant proposal from the 1977 Goals for Mankind Club of Rome report:

"Of all possible scenarios for the solution of world problems, the authors feel that the most hopeful scenario -- that group which is most likely to lead world consciousness to an awareness of its problems and to its solutions -- is what they call 'the religion science-led scenario. . . . The greatest hope for the world lies in the religionists and scientists uniting to awaken the world to its near fatal predicament and then leading mankind out of the bewildering maze of international crises into the future Utopia of humanist hope. . . . Of significance to us here is the conviction expressed in their latest book that religious leaders must lead the way, hand in hand with science, if we are to find any solution to the predicament of mankind." (Evangelicals Face the Future, p. 8)

Of course, (as was covered in previous Herescope posts) just two short years later in the 1979 Consultation, Willis W. Harman was invited to address the topic of creating a Utopian future based upon metaphysical science.

The Truth:

"For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth." (Psalm 119: 89-90)

Tomorrow: How futurists influenced the church. . .

Peter Drucker, the business management guru, is one of the earliest futurists to come out with philosophies for the 21st Century. Peter Drucker's ideas have become so cross-pollinated with modern evangelicalism -- particularly in the the Purpose-Driven church, and marketplace ministries -- that it becomes important to address his philosophies.

Drucker's book Landmarks of Tomorrow was a futurist classic. First published in 1959, in 1996 it was re-issued with a new Introduction by the author. Like futurist Willis Harman several decades later, Drucker wrote about the necessity to create a "metaphysical science" for the coming "new age" -- "The new view of the world, the new concepts, the new human capacities" (1996 Introduction, p. xvi). Drucker believed that man's inherent problems could be overcome, apparently even the "problem" of Original Sin:

"Knowledge and power have been problems of man since the Garden of Eden. Now they are in the center of his existence. The solution to them which the new age finds will, in the last analysis, determine its character and meaning. If it fails to solve them, it will not only be a dark age without starts even to light up the night; it may well be the last age of man -- and conquest of space will not alter this. If however the new age succeeds in solving these problems, it could become one of the greatest eras of man." (p. 268) [emphasis added]

Expressing his religious philosophy, Drucker wrote, in an apparent reference to Genesis 3:5:

"Society needs a return to spiritual values -- not to offset the material but to make it fully productive. . . . Mankind needs the return to spiritual values, for it needs compassion. It needs the deep experience that the Thou and the I are one, which all higher religions share." (1996, p. 264-265)

In his early life Drucker was influenced by German mysticism. In his later life Drucker was influenced by Zen. Both philosophies incorporate the idea of holism. He defined it in the 1996 Introduction: "the parts exist in contemplation of the whole." (p. 6) Elsewhere he expressed his Zen philosophy in an interview with Harriet Rubin for Inc. magazine ("Peter's Principles," 3/1/98 [http://www.1099.com/c/ar/ia/petersprinciples.html]). In discussing how Drucker sees the world, Ms. Rubin noted that he collected Japanese paintings. "They teach him about Japan, but they also teach him how to look."

"Drucker takes me into his study. He points to a few black smudges on a yellowed piece of paper on the wall. The painting looks like nothing in the Louvre. I find myself thinking that it's black and white and pitifully austere. Drucker adjusts his thick glasses and looks. "I bet you don't see much in it," he says. I rub my 20/20s. He's right. He starts teaching me the way a Japanese painter would look at things.

"He hands me a book, A Concise History of Japanese Art. Inside is a tiny pencil, nesting in a page that says the following:

"'The Zen-inspired painter seeks the 'truth' of a landscape, like that of religion, in sudden enlightenment. This allows no time for careful detailed draftsmanship. After long contemplation, he is expected to be able to seize inner truth in a swordlike stroke of the brush. This 'essentialism' can be expressed equally well in a large landscape or in the branch of a tree, in the broadest panorama as well as in each of its minute components....'"

Interestingly, this philosophy of "holism" forms a foundation for much of the doctrine perpetuated by the global futurists. Noted futurist Ervin Laszlo, in his 1974 book A Strategy for the Future: A Systems Approach to World Order, developed a blueprint for world governance based on the concept of holism. (Ervin Laszlo had much to do with the Club of Rome, which is relevant to yesterday's Herescope post.)

Futurism and Rick Warren

This discussion of Drucker's religious beliefs is important in light of the Christianity Today article cited on Herescope on 10/04/05 in which Drucker -- a major architect of workplace spirituality -- is mid-identified as a Christian by writer Jeff Sellers. Drucker's key influence over the second half of the 20th century was, of course, primarily in the business world. He was one of the premier agents of change, bringing the new doctrines of futurism to the corporate world, cleverly wrapped in the language of economics. However, he also concentrated his efforts in what he called the "private sector," i.e, churches and charities. In this capacity Drucker has been a "mentor" to Pastor Rick Warren, helping him to establish Purpose-Driven as a major name brand in the evangelical market. Drucker "has been a close friend of his for years. . . 'I once heard Drucker say this,' Warren said. "'Warren is not building a tent revival ministry, like the old-style evangelists. He's building an army, like the Jesuits."'" ("The Cellular Church," by Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker magazine, 9/12/05)

Indeed, the estoeric philosophy of holism is most evident in the cellular structure of the small groups that Warren is building.

The Truth:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of man. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-5)

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)

Check Herescope blog daily . . .

Herescope has been examining the significance of a historical moment in 1979 when evangelical leaders opened the door to dialogue with a noted occultist, Willis Harman at a Consultation about the future. Harman had proposed a new psychic science. To put this event in context, it is necessary to go back and take a look at the formation of Neo-Evangelicalism. Few modern Christians know this history. It explains how heresy has flooded the church.

Dr. Harold John Ockenga has been called "The Father of New Evangelicalicalism." He coined the term "neo-evangelical," which means "new evangelical." He explained this in the Foreword to Dr. Harold Lindsell's book, The Battle for the Bible (1976):

"Neo-evangelicalism was born in 1948 in connection with a convocation address which I gave in the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena. While reaffirming the theological view of fundamentalism, this address repudiated its ecclesiology and its social theory. The ringing call for a repudiation of separatism and the summons to social involvement received a hearty response from many evangelicals. . . It differed from fundamentalism in its determination to engage itself in the theological dialogue of the day. It had a new emphasis upon the application of the gospel to the sociological, political, and economic areas of life . . . .

"Neo-evangelicals emphasized the restatement of Christian theology in accordance with the need of the time, the reengagement in the theological debate, the recapture of denominational leadership, and the reexamination of theological problems such as the antiquity of man, the universality of the flood, God's method of creation, and others." [emphases added]

Why is this significant? Because 29 years later, there were observable fruits from the philosophy of engaging in "theological dialogue." Dr. H.J. Ockenga was present at the first Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns in 1977 in the capacity of an official responder to an address entitled "The Economy and Resources" by E.V. Newland, an executive of Royal Dutch Shell Corporation. Mr. Newland spoke at length about the world's overpopulation "problem," a key feature of the Club of Rome reports. He mentioned China's "compulsory systems" of birth control (coercive abortions) in a morally neutral fashion. Dr. Ockenga's response was not to debate, nor stand for what was biblically right, but rather to dialogue inclusively: "We have to think through, it seems to me, in these areas in the light of the great philosophies of the world." (Evangelicals Face the Future, p. 74) [emphasis added]

The Neo-Evangelical Science

A good refutation of Ockenga's neo-evangelical philosophy can be found in a book entitled The New Neutralism II by John E. Ashbrook [http://www.hereistand.com/homepage.htm]. Commenting on Ockenga's definitions of neo-evangelical (quoted above) Ashbrook observes,

"Re-entering the theological dialogue with modernism was an important cause to new evangelicalism. Notice that it is described as 'dialogue,' not debate. A debate is a conflict which clarifies a position. A dialogue is a conversation which compromises a position." (p. 7)

The open door to new "science" and new philosophies can be seen in Ockenga's 4th goal of neo-evangelicalism, which was a "reexamination of theological problems such as the antiguity of man, the universality of the Flood, God's method of creation and others." Ashbrook calls it "the most destructive compromise of all."

"The Bible declares that God did these things in a certain way. Man cannot accept that at face value, because he has never seen creation in seven days or a universal flood. To reexamine what God has told us He did is to subject God's Word to the judgment of science. If a man accepts God's sovereignty he needs no reexamination. On the other hand, if a man accepts only science he must reexamine, reexamine and reexamine. This reexamination of Biblical truth by worldly scientists has had a deadly effect. . . . From its inception new evangelicalism has been determined to impress the world with its intellect. It has craved the respect of academia. It has determined to earn plaudits at the fountainheads of secular learning." (Ibid, p. 8)

The Truth

"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 10,11)

"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Corinthians 1:20,21)

More tomorrow!

What has happened since the evangelical door was cracked open to let in a Theosophist 26 years ago? The floodgates have opened. Neoevangelicalism is now openly partying with the Theosophists and planning a new future.

In May 2000 Bob Buford's Leadership Network sponsored a "Exploring Off the Map expedition into the 21st century. . . for the purpose of charting new maps." This conference took 18 months to prepare and was a team-based experiential learning laboratory based on the Lewis and Clark expedition. 550 leaders and church leadership teams participated in this "relationship building" focused event. The rationale was said to be because "the world has changed significantly in the last five years and the old ministry maps are outdated. Because the culture has shifted. . . ."

Who was brought in to speak for such an event? An array of well-known business "gurus," including some with extremely well-documented New Age credentials. Some of them are noted for playing both sides of the fence -- acting like evangelicals when it suits, and other times hobnobbing with the most gilded Luciferians. These speakers were glowingly described:

"They [conference participants] were led on their journey by a team of Chief Scouts that included story teller/film producer Dayton Duncan, learning organization pioneer Peter Senge, experience economy experts James Pine and Jim Gilmore, consultant/teacher extraordinaoire James Collins, systems thinking/organizational pioneer Margaret Wheatley, world class observer/author Robert Kaplan, management and organizational behavioral leaders Marjorie and Ken Blanchard, and church historian/cultural maven Leonard Sweet."

Each of these individuals can be individually researched on the Internet to see their New Age and/or Christian credentials. Let the reader be cautious! Internet searches on some of these names end up in the darkest depths of Luciferian Theosophy.

Peter Senge was called a "Prophet" by participant/leader Todd Hunter and was reported to have spoken "prophetically" even though he talked about Buddhism. Margaret Wheatley was also reported to have spoken "prophetically," although her credentials are flagrantly un-Christian. The whole event was described as "prophetic." False prophecy, perhaps, but not Biblical truth.

[Material for this report was gleaned from the following urls, some which may no longer be active:
http://www.leadnet.org/allthingsln/archive_next.asp
http://www.leadnet.org/allthingsln/archives/NEXT/3qtr_2000.pdf]

The Truth:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clthing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-16a)

More to follow. . . .

The Assemblies of God denomination came out with a "VISION for Transformation" statement recently. It is about the same as every other "vision" statement used by churches these days for "transformation."

The futurists are big on envisioning the future, too. They are evolutionists who believe that mankind can "consciously" create his own future by envisioning it collectively. The futurists work with the New Age movement to promote the use of the metaphysical technique of "visioning" ("envisioning," "vision-casting" etc.). Psychic psychologist Carl Jung referred to it as "active imagination." Psychics believe that "visualization" will produce external effects and alter reality. Cooperative visioning is a method of "convergence" and "synergy" -- a way for humanity to evolve to a higher level of "consciousness."

So why are churches doing these New Age-driven "vision" statements? Because they were sold this technique by business gurus (including some mentioned on yesterday's post) and told that this was a necessary part of the "strategic planning process." Cloaked in the rhetoric of business, an occult methodology has entered the church. This occult technique actually entered the church much earlier with the psychological technique of guided imagery. And many Christians bought into the New Age health practice of "envisioning" cancer cells being eaten up. But with the advent of business, visioning became a collective planning exercise.

The Assemblies of God document entitled "Theological Basis for Our Paradigm Shifts," prepared by "The RoadMap Design Team" states:

"As we at the National Office contend to make the General Council a world-class ministry and workplace, the most important thing to us is What Jesus Thinks. Before we consider launching any initiatives, we want to make sure we first understand what Jesus thinks About the Issues Surrounding Transformation."

The RoadMap Design Team then proceeds to list thirteen Priorities of Jesus, one of which is quite representative of the pervasive influence of the business/transformation gurus.

"Customer Focus We live to serve our constituents, and not vice versa. Our goal is to meet their needs, not just to sell our products. To that end we will listen to and learn from them; we will build genuine, caring relationships with them. We will see our relationship with them more as consultants than a sales force." [emphases in original] [http://www.vft.ag.org/theologicalbasis.cfm]

The Truth:

The above statement gives whole new meaning to Matthew 21:12: "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves."

And pertaining to any guru's bold assertion that we can create (envision) our own future, these Scriptures are particularly applicable:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8, 9)

The use of the term "visioning" and all of its variants is part and parcel of the futurists' method of operating. They believe that "vision casting" is a way to transform Earth's future and man's destiny. Just before his death, Willis Harman (see previous posts) served as co-editor for The New Business of Business: Sharing Responsibility for a Positive Global Future, a publication of his World Business Academy (Berrett-Koehler Pub., 1997). Part Five of the book, entitled "Discovering the Spiritual Dimension of Business," details how to integrate spirituality (not Christian!) with the business domain. An example of this is given in a chapter by Taoist Diana Whitney,"Spirituality as an Organizing Principle," in which she explains "visioning."

"Shared vision and common values are said to create organization meaning and to provide the impetus for organizational change. Leaders at all levels of the organization are guided to inspire (to fill with spirit) rather than to motivate. Visionary leadership, . . . is said to make the difference between successful and unsuccessful organization change. 'Visioning,' or conversationally projecting the organization into the future, and creating alignment among organizational members about the desired future are essential organizing endeavors." (p. 193-194) [emphasis added]

This type of language has entered evangelicalism like a flood. It came into the church via the business gurus and consultants. Churches have been feeling pressure to define their "mission, vision, and values." Pastors have been told they should strive to become "visionary" leaders. Rick Warren holds himself up as an example. He wrote:

"I know my leadership style. I am a big-picture, vision-casting leader. . . . There is nothing inherently right or wrong about being a vision-casting leader. It is simply the way God wired me." [http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200401/200401_20_pastors.cfm]

"Creative Visualization" is said to be the "process of using mental images in order to acquire what one desires or produce changes in one's attitude, thus creating one's own reality. . . ." according to the Seeker's Handbook, an occult dictionary by John Lash (Harmony Books, 1990). Envisioning is being widely used by neoevangelical leaders, both individually and corporately, as a way to "name it and claim it," "declare" something into existence (United States Strategic Prayer Network), or bring about desired transformative results. In a recent interview in the New Yorker magazine, Rick Warren provides a poignant example of this practice:

"Warren's publishers came to see him at Saddleback, and sat on the long leather couch in his office, and talked about their ideas for the book. 'You guys don't understand.' Warren told them. 'This is a hundred-million-copy book.' Warren remembers stunned silence: 'Their jaws dropped.' But now, nearly three years after its publication, The Purpose-Driven Life has sold twenty-three million copies. It is among the best-selling nonfiction hardcover books in American history. Neither the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, nor the Washington Post has reviewed it. Warren's own publisher didn't see it coming. Only Warren had faith. 'The best of the evangelical tradition is that you don't plan your way forward -- you prophecy your way forward,' the theologian Leonard Sweet says. 'Rick's prophesying his way forward.'" (Malcolm Gladwell, "The Cellular Church," 9/12/05) [emphasis added]

The Truth:

"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;" (Psalm 100:3a)

Christians are being deceived into thinking that "visioning" processes such as these are necessary to bring about the Kingdom of God. Nothing could be further than the truth!

"I know of no scriptural requirement that our visualization is necessary to fulfill Jesus' prayer 'Thy Kingdom Come.' His Kingdom will come with or without our visualization. But it could well be that our visualization -- deliberate disobedience of God's prohibition against sorcery -- could prevent us from entering that Kingdom!" (Constance Cumbey, A Planned Deception, 1985, pp. 179-180)

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderes, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Revelation 22:14-15)

Here is a little vocabulary exercise for Herescope readers. Read each of these definitions below. Then ask yourself the following questions: Are these terms being used in evangelicalism today? Can you find them in the Bible? Is so, check a good concordance and look up the definitions. If not, where did the terms come from?

Are neoevangelical leaders using these terms in the same way that the pagans use them?

“VISUALIZATION A loose term for numerous practices in which mental pictures are called up and used for different purposes: to contact someone telepathically, heal from a distance, achieve a desired state (happiness, peace, courage), attain a desired goal or possession (fame, money, sexual charm). Encompasses many popular practices now in use, though the discipline itself is very ancient and seems to have been developed in almost every culture of the past. May be divided into two classes: CREATIVE VISUALIZATION for the purpose of producing external effects and the use of visual imagery for inner exploration of the processes of the unconscious, as in the Jungian work.

“QUEST The act of seeking, either for oneself or for one’s purpose. . . . Typically it involves entering upon a PATH of experience that does not necessarily lead to a fixed and final goal, because the very process of traversing the path evolves into an ongoing act of self-discovery. The quest is a developmental and educational process, which in our time calls for the discipline of PATHFINDING, due to the enormous array of options that face the seeker. Through questing, one comes to a sense of purpose as well as a state of enlightenment regarding one’s relationship to God, to self, to others, and to the events of one’s time. One image of the quest is the LABYRINTH. . . . In the Western Mysteries, the question (usually of the hero or demigod) represents in story form the process of individuation. See also VISION QUEST, SERVICE.

“VISION QUEST A term made popular in the current revival of shamanism, referring to a long-established practice common to the American Indians, Siberian shamans, and Australian Aborigines, in which the seeker of self-knowledge and spiritual power (often a boy at the age of puberty) enters upon a deliberate ordeal of seclusion, fasting, and prayer, with the aim of self-purification and the hope of receiving a vision that will show him his true path in life. Equivalent to the QUEST in European folklore.

“PATH ‘. . . progress, a way of going.' Any way of self-discovery; any method of teaching that leads to increased self-awareness and deeper participation in life; any technique of practical and/or theoretical use in exploring and evolving human potential. Not the where, but the way of getting there. At worst, a serious distraction from being here. Specifically, a spiritual path is a way of progressing toward a richer and keener awareness of how we are all involved in the dynamic of life as intricate parts of a vital, all-encompassing whole. . . . See also LIFE-PATH.”

These definitions are excerpted from The Seekers Handbook: The Complete Guide To Spiritual Pathfinding by John Lash (Harmony Books, 1990) which is basically an annotated occult dictionary.

Are evangelicals leaders putting a glossy whitewash on these words to make them appear biblical? You decide!

The Truth:

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Proverbs 29:18)

"Thy WORD is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)

"Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight." (Psalm 119:35)

More on this topic tomorrow!

Yesterday, Herescope readers were given definitions for some popular new terms used by neoevangelical leaders. Here are a few more.

Have you ever wondered about the popular term being bandied about in neoevangelicalism today, “servant leader” or “servant leadership”? Perhaps Bible verses like these came to mind: “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:” (Matthew 20:27) or “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

But is this what the business gurus mean when they train Christian leaders to be “servant leaders”? Visit the website http://www.greenleaf.org/catalog/category.php?category=6 and click on “Servant Leadership” to see if this was what Jesus was talking about in the Scriptures. Especially note the list of books found at http://www.greenleaf.org/catalog/category.php?category=6. What do these authors mean by the term “servant leader”?

Jeff Sellers, writing in Christianity Today, February 2003, “The Higher Self Gets Down To Business,” compared the “New Paradigm” (New Age) business model to what he called Christ’s “Kingdom” model and noted how coinciding the two models could appear on the surface:

“Most of the New Business values fit well into Christ's kingdom: love; honor; service and servant leadership; trust-based ("covenantal") relationships between manager and employee, rather than fear-based ones dependent on corporate hierarchy; community; environmental stewardship; creativity; cooperation; qualitative company assets like a sense of achievement; competence; ethical behavior; corporate higher purpose and responsibility; and personal fulfillment and development.

“Not that the values espoused by New Paradigm business originated with it. Most had found their way into the mainstream long before the movement adopted them: Participative decision-making and servant leadership models that favor horizontal management structures, values-driven and people-first corporate philosophies, workplace wellness programs, and vision and mission statements. All emerged atop the tide of the past century's evolving management theory—itself often influenced by biblical values.”

Beware of misconceptions: this “past century’s evolving management theory” is rooted in the models of psychology and sociology, inherently man-centered philosophies. Many of the methodologies in modern management that have entered neoevangelicalism are manipulative and deceptive; utilize psycho-social peer group dynamic techniques; and are pragmatic, goals-oriented, and results-driven. Others are more esoteric, and would closely resemble the definitions below:

LEADERSHIP “The highest and the most complete model of man conceived and sculpted by the Indian civilization has been that of the rishi [i.e., process of comprehending the whole order of the cosmos, ed.]. The key personalities – that is, the leader – in every field used to abide instinctively by the cultural imperative of nurturing the rishi dimension in their character. . . . Etymologically, rishi implies three characteristics:
Eternal traveler (in the realm of high knowledge)
Piercer of the veil of darkness (in others)
Seer of totality

“These indeed are the pillars of Self-grounded, rita-informed wisdom leadership.”

WISDOM LEADERSHIP “What then,. . . is the basis of wisdom leadership? It is the capacity for referring to the self to the Self that is established in rita. What will this kind of Self-empowerment lead to? This will equip leadership in all walks of life to help us progress toward the true ideal of life for any society: translating the order of the cosmos (rita) into the order of society. This cosmic order or dharma includes the material, as well as the moral and the spiritual.”

"SERVICE [being a servant, ed.] Commitment to cocreation, including the salvation of humanity and healing of the Earth. The particular and unique task of fulfilling one’s destiny. To be distinguished from DHARMA in Eastern spirituality: not a duty assumed but a free choice rooted in love, determined by no other principle than the creative vision of the one who undertakes it. . . .” [emphasis added]

"DHARMA . . . Found in both Hindu and Buddhist relgion as a term for the path of service appropriate to an individual, the way of doing what is true for that one. In practical terms, duty or obligation to fulfill a particular mission or task. To find your dharma is, quite literally, to do your thing, to serve the cause of truth as you see it." The exact Western equivalent is SERVICE." [emphasis added]

[The first two definitions are derived from S.K. Chakraborty, defining “leadership” in his chapter “Wisdom Leadership: Leading from the SELF,” found in Willis Harman’s New Business of Business: Sharing Responsibilty for a Positive Global Future (Berrett-Koehler, Pub., 1997), p. 216. The third and fourth definitions are from The Seekers Handbook: The Complete Guide To Spiritual Pathfinding by John Lash (Harmony Books, 1990)]

The Truth:

For a fruitful Bible study look up the word “servant” in Strong’s Concordance. Notice the difference between an evil servant and a good servant. Here are a few other verses of relevance:

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” (Matthew 24:45,46)

“Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching:” (Luke 12:37a)

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13)

Stay tuned for more definitions of popular terms!

Continuing the series of Herescope posts that examine the occultic roots and definitions of new-fangled words that have risen to popularity in evangelicaldom. . . .

Labyrinths as a form of prayer walking are rapidly increasing in popularity as a personal way to gain more spirituality. Several examples can be found at:

http://www.whfirstchurch.org/labwalks.htm
http://www.lessons4living.com
http://www.oursaviourslc.org/messenger.htm

According to Webster's Dictionary, a labyrinth is "a structure containing an intricate network of winding passages hard to follow without losing one's way; maze." In Greek mythology "such a structure built by Daedalus for King Minos of Crete, to house the Minotaur," a half-bull, half-man creature which was annually fed "seven youths and seven maidens from Athens." A labyrinth is synonymous with something complicated, perplexing in arrangment, puzzling, intricate, and difficult to follow.

According to the occult reference The Seeker's Handbook, the etymology of the word "labyrinth" has to do with "labor, birth, or rebirth. At sacred sites, such as Chartres, Glastonbury, and Knossos on Crete, a maze constructed of earthwalls, ruts, tiles, or underground windings, believed to have been used in initiations . . . ."

"In our times, the analogue of modern seeking -- a quest [see Herescope 2 posts back, ed.] that twists and winds, yet exhibits an amazing design, the kind of pattern produced as the seeker responds, moment by moment, to the lessons and opportunities for self-revelation posed by life itself. . . ." [emphasis added]

The Seeker's Handbook also postulates that the butterfly image is connected to the labyrinth myth "because in Greek it is the word psyche which is also used for human soul. It was also an emblem held sacred to the Great Goddess or Mother Earth. ". . . [T]he butterfly motif suggests that the meandering design of the labyrinth may have been derived, by some wild transposition, from tracking the flight of that elusive and beautiful creature." (John Lash, The Seeker's Handbook, Harmony Books, 1990, p. 307)

Another occultic definition for labyrinth can be found at http://labyrinthsociety.org: "The labyrinth is an archetype of transformation. Its transcendant nature knows no boundaries, crossing time and cultures with ease. The labyrinth serves as a bridge from the mundane to the divine. It serves us well." (Kimberly Lowelle Saward, Ph.D., TLS President)

The Truth:

Walking through labyrinths, prayer walking, prayer journeys, quests, and every other sort of new terminology that has entered the neoevangelical lexicon are all spiritual activites per se. But, dear believer, just because something is "spiritual" doesn't make it biblical!

Clearly, the idea of labyrinth prayer walking originates from some very pagan rituals, rites of initiation (which included human sacrifice), myths and fables. The Christian believer is warned about engaging in mythology:

"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." (1 Timothy 1:4)

"But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7)

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3,4)

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)

The Christian walk is not a labyrinth. It is not a complex and intricate path. It is not a puzzle, nor is it crooked, nor is it obscure. The Lord has promised us that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). As Christians, we are to run the race with perseverance, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). And finally, brethren, remember the Lord Jesus Christ's words:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

More tomorrow!

"The contemporary thinker [Rick] Warren cites most often in conversation is the management guru Peter Drucker, who has been a close friend of his for years." (Malcolm Gladwell, "The Cellular Church," The New Yorker, 9/12/2005)

The October 7th Herescope reported on Peter Drucker and Buddhism. Since Peter Drucker was one of Rick Warren's most influential mentors, it is relevant to examine what Drucker believes.

Another eastern religion that has influenced Drucker is Confucianism. In a Journal of Management History article entitled "The unfashionable Drucker: ethical and quality chic," (2000, Vol. 6, Iss. 1), authors James S. Bowman and Dennis L. Wittmer explain:

"Drucker describes Confucian ethics as a guide for organizational ethics; indeed, it is 'the most successful and most durable ethics of them all: the Confucian ethics of interdependence' (1981a, p. 30). One of the reasons it is so fitting is that he views ethics as concerned with relationships and appropriate behavior between parties (e.g. managers and employees, manufacturer and customer, or faculty and student). . . .

"Convinced of the overall importance of Confucian ethics, he claims that 'if ever there is a viable "ethics of organization", it will almost certainly have to adopt the key concepts of Confucian theory: clear definitions of relationships, universal rules, focus on behavior rather than motives, and behavior that optimizes each parties' benefits' (Drucker, 1981a, pp. 35-6)."

Here is what The Dictionary of All Scriptures and Myths has to say about Confucius:

"'Chung-ne (Confucius) handed down the doctrines of Yaou and Shun, as if they had been his ancestors. Above, he harmonised with the times of heaven, and below, he was conformed to the water and land. He may be compared to heaven and earth, in their supporting and containing, their overshadowing and curtaining, all things. He may be compared to the four seasons in their alternating progress, and to the sun and moon in their successive shining" (G.A. Gaskell, [The Julian Press, 1960] quoting from J. Legge, Teachings of Confucius, in a definition on p. 169)

In other words, what Drucker calls "Confucian theory" is rooted in buddhic teachings of the occult. The ethical system of Confusius emphasized external behaviors -- devotion to family and society, ancestor worship, justice and peace.

The Truth:

Peter Drucker's management theories are results-oriented, outcome-based, peer-focused, and performance-driven. The focus is on external "works." It is no wonder that Confucianism appeals to him.

It is a concern, therefore, that Rick Warren has now issued a call for the start of a Second Reformation which will emphasize "works." Last spring he said, “The first Reformation was about belief; this one’s going to be about behavior” (www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArID=9290) [emphasis added].

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

Check back tomorrow!

In the past ten years the word "mentor" has replaced the biblical word "disciple."

The word "mentor" first became popular in the New Age business world. It was brought in via business gurus and the many leadership training workshops over the past 25 years. During the Promise Keeper era, "mentor" caught on like wildfire, leaving biblical vocabularly far behind. The biblical meaning of "disciple" has to do with teaching and instructing the Word of God. The word "mentor" means someone who is role modeling, or serving as a guide to proper behavior, attitudes, character, etc. Obviously "mentoring" de-emphasizes the Word of God.

What is a "mentor"? It is more accurate to ask, "Who is Mentor?" for it is a channeled demonic spirit and/or man named Mentor is whose name now replaces "disciple" in the neoevangelical lexicon:

"MENTOR, control of Stainton Moses, said to be Algazzali of Ghazali, Professor of Theology at Baghdad in the XI century, the greatest representative of the Arabian Philosophical School. His main duty was to manage the phenomena at the seances. He was very successful with lights and scents and brought many apports. In Book XVI there is a story of his carving heads on two shells in the dining room while dinner was going on; the sound of the process was heard." (Nandor Fodor, An Encyclopaedia of Psychic Science [The Citadel Press: 1966], p. 239)

A seance requires the use of a medium. Stainton Moses, referenced above, was "the charge [channeler, ed.] of an organized band of 49 spirits" who "asserted that a missionary effort to uplift the human race was being made in the spirit realms" and that "Moses was selected as the channel of these communications." (Ibid., p. 249). Ghazali (Mentor) is listed as one of his 49 channeled spirits.

A "control" means "state of possession of the medium by an invisible operator," also called a "guide." The term "implies enduring attendance by a distinct and continuous personality to use the entranced medium's body, to deliver direct or relayed messages. . . ," and is an entity that "steps in . . . to explain confusion. . ." (Ibid, p. 57).

Those who naively (or obstinately) believe that "mentor" is an innocent term that Christians can freely use as a substitute for "disciple" should think twice. Clearly the word "mentor" carries the occultic meaning of a spirit guide.

The Truth:

Seances, or attempting to communicate with the dead, are expressly forbidden in the Bible:

"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:" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12a)

And, as believers, we should not seek an alternate "spirit" imparted by some man, even if he claims to possess great supernatural abilities -- "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2:12)

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which he have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:4)

For the reader's edification, here is an excerpt from John Gill's 18th century Commentary, on Matthew 28:19, specifically pertaining to what "disciple" means:

". . . 'disciple all nations': make them disciples by teaching them; or, as the Persic version, by way of explanation, adds, "bring them to my religion and faith": not that they were able to do this of themselves, but they were to teach men externally, or outwardly minister the word, whilst the Spirit of God internally applied it, and taught, and made men true disciples of Christ: and they are such, who have learned to know themselves, their sin, and lost estate by nature; to deny themselves, both sinful and righteous self; who have learnt to know Christ, and the way of righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation by him; and who are taught and enabled to part with all for Christ, and to bear all for his sake, and to believe in him, and give up themselves to him, and follow him whithersoever he goes:" [http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/GillsExpositionoftheBible/gil.cgi?book=mt&chapter=028&verse=19

Stay tuned!

C. Peter Wagner is always coming up with radically unorthodox new doctrines to justify "kingdom" endeavors of the Apostolic Reformation. Below is a classic example:

“We need to take a new look at one of our most quoted Bible verses: 'The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost' (Lu. 19:10). In the past, most of us thought that Jesus was saying 'to seek and to save those who were lost.' Consequently, we applied it to saving souls. But now we realize that we should have taken Jesus’ statement at face value, namely 'that which was lost.'

“What is it then, that was lost and that Jesus came to seek and to save? The answer is in the first chapter of Genesis. God’s original design was that Adam and Eve should have dominion over all of God’s creation (see Gen. 1:28). But they disobeyed God, they lost their authority, Satan usurped it and he became the god of this age. Satan’s kingdom encompassed all of the human kingdoms of the earth (see Lk. 4:5-6)

“Why did Jesus come? He came with His kingdom, namely the kingdom of God, to invade the kingdom of Satan for the purpose of taking back dominion of God’s creation which was lost in the Garden of Eden. The Holy Spirit is now speaking to the churches and saying that God’s people must do what it takes to transform society, segment by segment, until God’s kingdom is seen on earth as it is in heaven.” [C. Peter Wagner, “Transform Society!” Global Prayer News, Vol. 6, No. 3, Jul-Sep 2005.]

Beware of an Alternative Redemptive History!

This statement by Wagner is not Christian orthodoxy. This teaching originated in the Latter Rain cult. A number of solid biblical refutations of this type of spiritual warfare doctrinal error can be found on-line at www.deceptioninthechurch.com. Below is a quotation from Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, whose report, "The 'Script' Underlying Spiritual Warfare Christianity" is posted at http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel15.html --

"A 'world-view' is an arrangement of ideas in and through which a person interprets and judges reality. It is a background 'script' that undergirds, consciously or unconsciously, more or less consistently, a person's thoughts and actions. In the jargon of biblical/theological studies there is a long German word 'Heilsgeschichte," meaning roughly 'salvation history'. 'Salvation history' is the series of events and truths that portray God's redemptive plan across the ages, a worldview focused specifically on the elements of salvation. From it is drawn the church's historical teaching about salvation. It is broad in scope, usually beginning with creation and the fall and moving on through the incarnation of Christ, His substitutionary death for human sin, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the founding of the church by the apostles, the second coming of Jesus, the final resurrection and judgment, and the final state of glory. It is a consistent biblical paradigm of what God has done in history to make salvation from sin not only possible, but an assured reality.

"There is room to flex when interpreting some of the details, but all orthodox Christians 'color within the lines' and remain true to the overall script of biblical salvation history.

"Again, beware. In recent decades a radically different script of salvation history worldview has entered the scene. Unfortimately, it is rarely recognized as being outside the boundaries. It has many things in common with orthodox Christianity, but its underlying heilgeschichte [salvation history, ed.] is fundamentally different. It is a rival salvation history, which promotes a false gospel. The current evangelical culture of downplaying theology in favor of pragmatic evangelistic strategies is a main reason why this alien heilgeschicte [salvation history, ed.] is often undetected when it creeps, or even stalks boldly, into the church. This movement appeals widely because it promises heretofore unheard-of success in evangelism and rapid church growth."

For more information on this topic, read Dr. Steinkamp's excellent report, "The Technology Of Spiritual Warfare Evangelism," posted at the same website at http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel9.html

The Truth:

The Scripture from Luke (19:10) that C. Peter Wagner was trying to create a new theology around happens to correspond to a verse from Matthew. Below is that verse from Matthew -- in context. When read in context, it is obvious that the new-fangled doctrine that Dr. Wagner is trying to concoct can't withstand the most basic biblical standards of proper exegesis:

"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

"Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:1-14)

The unorthodox teachings of Rick Joyner, especially in this recent writing, are more reflective of the writings of Barbara Marx Hubbard, a Luciferian, in her book The Revelation than they are of Christian doctrine. Beware! This is not orthodox Christianity!

JOYNER "prophesied":

“The earth will be restored to its former paradise so that there is no more war, sickness, dying, hunger, or even pain. . . . Our message must change from proclaiming that the end is coming to proclaiming that the beginning is coming.

“Great changes have been happening deep in the heart of the church for years. These are about to accelerate, resulting in such a great transformation that it will be viewed as the greatest move of God in His people since the Day of Pentecost when He first poured out His Spirit on the Church. . . .

“The sword of the Lord will sweep over the whole earth and remove from among His people all who are not bowing before Him. He will remove the arrogant and the stumbling blocks. . . .

“. . . this repentance will result in a great pruning. . . and many will not make it.

“The branches that are cut off from it will wither and die very fast. Do not die with them.”

[Rick Joyner, “PREPARE THE WAY,” August 8, 2005, http://www.morningstarministries.org/, as published by http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=3306]

HUBBARD wrote:

“The alternative to Armageddon is the Planetary Pentecost. When a critical mass is in the upper room of consciousness on a planetary scale, each will hear from within, in their own language, the mighty words of God.” (p. 157)

“Here we are . . . on the threshold of global co-creation wherein each person on Earth will be attracted to participate in his or her own evolution to godliness.” (p. 174)

“By your acts you shall be judged as to whether you can evolve, or must be ‘cast into the lake of fire,’ which is the second death. (p. 254)

“At the co-creative stage of evolution, one self-centered soul is like a lethal cancer cell in a body: deadly to itself and to the whole.” (p. 255)

“The selection process will exclude all who are exclusive. The selection process assures that only the loving will evolve to the stage of co-creator.” (p. 303)

“The surgeon dare leave no cancer in the body when he closes up the wound after a delicate operation. We dare leave no self-centeredness on Earth after the selection process. For when we complete the process of the transformation, all who live on will be empowered to be godlike.” (p. 240)

[Barbara Marx Hubbard, The Revelation: A Message of Hope for the New Millennium (Novato, Calif.: Nataraj Publishing, 1995)]

These statements may also be compared with the 9/19/2005 Herescope.

The TRUTH:

2 PETER 3

"This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

The following description of the new practice of "spiritual direction" was given in a Christianity Today/Christian Woman Today article from 2004.

"Her palms open heavenward, Helene sets them on the couch by her thighs and then starts with a prayer. On occasion, she rings a brass bell to separate the clamor from the quiet. Sometimes she lights a candle, as if to remind us that the Holy Spirit is with us, interceding on our behalf with words we don't even know how to find.

"For the next two or three hours, Helene listens intently with me for God's voice. I pay her $30 for this priceless gift. We sit in her sunroom, chatting about my everydayness: the job, the migraines, the mother, the husband, the sex, the prayer life, the joys, the mistakes. Sometimes we read Scripture; in it we find people with the same concerns as mine. In it all, I slowly notice God beckoning.

"Helene isn't a mystic or a saint. The title I use for her—spiritual director—isn't helpful, either. As any decent spiritual director is quick to say, the term's a misnomer. Helene doesn't tell me what to do or try to answer questions only God can answer. In her sunroom, we listen for—and sometimes hear—the Holy Ghost."

The article is by Agnieszka Tennant, entitled "Drawing Closer to God: How a spiritual director can help you grow in your faith." She comments,

"I like the way psychotherapist-turned-spiritual director Larry Crabb describes spiritual direction—listening to the Spirit on behalf of another. The director is there merely to accompany you through listening, questions, and prayer, as you notice the movement of God in your life. "

The author, who is quite sold on the positive benefits of this practice, continues:

"Some people don't think of themselves as 'spiritual.' The good news is, Christ wants us to come to him anyway. You present yourself to God and to your director just as you are—even if it means hassled, depressed, stressed out, tired, or angry. . . . A good director will help you find God's 'holy invitations, to use Jeannette Bakke's words, 'whether you are glad or sad, overwhelmed by life or savoring it.'" [all empheses added] [http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2004/005/8.46.html September/October 2004, Vol. 26, No. 5, Page 14.]

What is Spiritual Direction -- really?

There is a practice in the occult that fits the model of spiritual direction. A medium, sitting for the purpose of obtaining supernormal manifestations or establishing communication with the spirit world. There is special attention to the establishment of a favourable environment, such as eliminating excess noise, stopping conversation, keeping still, holding hands, lighting a candle or otherwise paying attention to lighting, singing, and even the location of the furniture. Occult resources state that having a relaxed natural attitude is most conducive.

These descriptions above are derived from various metaphysical definitions of a seance. A seance requires the use of a mediator (a medium) to facilitate connecting with the spirit world. This practice is expressly forbidden in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Saul visited the witch of Endor in I Samuel 28 when the Spirit of the Lord departed from him.

The Truth:

Dear believer, if you feel you need a "spiritual director" it is time to run, not walk, back to the Word of God and seek the LORD with all of your heart: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

Christian believers need no human mediator, priest, medium or "spiritual directo