Are you aware of the dangers of Contemplative Spirituality? Would you know error as soon as you heard or saw something? Do you take the time to do some research on authors of books that are mentioned or suggested for you to read by those in leadership at your church before reading them? I pray that this post will help you learn to discern and show you just how very important it is to not only read and study God’s Word and to pray for discernment, but also how very important it is to always be alert for spiritual deception! I also pray that you will see just how subtle spiritual deception begins and how it can dangerously progress and lead you away from Biblical truth!
Before we begin, here’s some background information:
I used to be on Twitter quite frequently a few years ago. However, going on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, can turn the intended amount of time of being on there for just fifteen or twenty minutes, to at least an hour or two if you get drawn into commenting on a tweet or a post that you see the need to express your appreciation for or concerns about. It made me realize just how time consuming social media can be! All that to say this: I decided to go back on Twitter recently because I saw a huge spike in my blog stats on May 3rd, and the views were all coming from Twitter. Everyone was reading one of my most popular posts regarding why I left my church, Harvest Bible Chapel Rolling Meadows, back in 2012 after attending there for 14 1/2 years: https://living4hisglory.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/warning-you-with-tears/ Jessica Hockett, also a former member of Harvest Bible Chapel, had discovered my post and after realizing that she had been — and continues to be — an important person in the ongoing investigation regarding the misappropriation of funds by former Pastor, James MacDonald, and the wrongdoings and coverups that have been taking place at Harvest Bible Chapel Rolling Meadows, I began to read up on the very latest of what had been happening.
Now, to get to the important point of this post:
After a few weeks of being on Twitter and connecting with many people who also have serious concerns about those who once were in leadership there, and concerns regarding some who are still in leadership, as well as love and concern for the people who are still attending there, I saw that some people had posted a recording of a recent HARVEST BIBLE CHAPEL ROLLING MEADOWS FAMILY MEETING – (MAY 29, 2019) and decided to listen to see what people were being told by those in leadership and to also see if any emotional manipulation was taking place. There definitely was some emotional manipulation taking place by what was being said to those in attendance, but this post is going to focus on something else that is equally or even more serious. I will continue now by telling you what I heard in that audio that urged me to write this post in order to send out a serious warning not only to those who are still attending Harvest Bible Chapel, but also to everyone because these types of unbiblical teachings are coming full force into many churches these days through so-called Spiritual Formation classes and similar classes!
NOTE: To those of you who may now be read this post and are still choosing to continue attending Harvest Bible Chapel, (the Rolling Meadows location especially), I want to clearly state beforehand that my intention in writing this post is not to bring you any more pain as you are all trying to heal, but rather to help you — and every one else — realize the importance of thinking for yourselves, to help you realize the necessity of examining the Scriptures daily to see if what is being said is true (Acts 17:11), to alert you to what some — or all — of your leaders are involved in, and to give you information about some troubling things that they have already presented to some of you, and information about what they may very well present to you in the near future.
Although this information mainly has to do with HBC, this information is as relevant to every other Christian because what I am about to share with all of you is coming into many churches through numerous pastors, teachers, and authors of books that are being promoted at many churches these days.
Now back to the main thing that I heard as I listened to the audio of the family meeting at HBCRM and what I discovered after doing a lot of research:
As I continued listening, I heard Greg Bradshaw encourage everyone to “read” this summer and to “get a good book.” He mention a book entitled, Emotionally Healthy Church beginning at the 24:18 minute mark by saying:
“We’re reading as a church — we provided for our staff — ‘Emotionally Healthy Church.’ We’re reading ‘Emotionally Healthy Church’ book this summer as a staff…”
I had never heard of that book before, so I decided to do some research on it, as well as taking some time to do some research on the author, Peter Scazzero. Here are some of the alarming things that I discovered:
Here is what you will see the Our Vision page on the website of the church that Pete pastors, New Life Fellowship Church that is located in Queens, New York. Red flag words: Spiritual formation practices, Monastic values, contemplative and monastic traditions, Desert Fathers and Mothers, and monks.
(SOURCE) http://newlife.nyc/vision/
The following 1 hour and 16 minute video is the first of many videos that I watched and listened to in order to find out as much as possible about Pete Scazzero and what he teaches. Below the video you will see a list of notes that I took as I listened. I did that for you for the first 30 minutes of the video.
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Pete says people are not experiencing deep transformation.
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Mentions self awareness, managing one’s triggers under stress
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Pete claims to have had 4 conversions
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Notices and says, “People are not changing deeply in our church.”
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1994 Pete starts an inward journey for 2 years
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Started Christian counseling
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His wife confronted him on how he’s not a strong leader – left his church, attended another one
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Pete shows diagram created by now deceased professor of Fuller Theological Seminary , Robert Guelich and claims Emotional Health and Spiritual Maturity are Inseparable
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Emotional component
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He claims he and his wife were “born-again” again
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1996-2003 Claims “a little revolution took place in our church just by bringing in the emotional component”
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He still felt “something more was needed.” He “began to read quite a bit about Monasticism.”
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2003, 2004 – For a 4 month period he and his wife “visited a variety of monasteries and lived rhythms of silence and solitude.”
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A revolution. Third conversion.
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Pete says about Christians in general, “We’re so busy we have to live off other people’s spirituality.”
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Got people connected personally with God directly
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Made drastic move to slow down their lives
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“…people’s lives began to be radically transformed…finally wrote it down into a couple of books.”
The description that can be found under the following video on YouTube, says:
“Pete Scazzero interviews Rosy Kandathil about her experiences at the Monastery. Rosy is a former staff and pastor at New Life Fellowship and began a journey to become a Benedictine Sister.”
Being a former Catholic, I find it very troubling that he presented this woman, Rosy Kandathil, who was once a “pastor” at his church and who is now in the process of becoming a Benedictine nun to speak to the people at his church, but it further shows that he is clearly promoting Catholicism and Contemplative New Age spirituality.
Just in case the following video entitled, ‘Pete Scazzero Interviewing a Trappist Monk on Prayer‘ disappears for some reason, I did a quick capture of it for you to document the fact that Pete Scazzero is promoting eastern mysticism and Catholicism by featuring William Meninger, a Catholic trappist monk, at his church. Once again I must ask a question: Why would a professing Christian pastor choose to have a monk speak at his church if he wasn’t?
Here is the video:
Below are some quick captures from the above video that will show you how Pete Scazzero has embraced the teachings of Catholicism regarding communion, that being that Jesus Christ is truly present in the elements of bread and wine and that Jesus comes into us when we take communion:
Here is a reminder for you of what it says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding their communion which they call, the Eucharist:
“In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” (Para 1374 CCC)
Here is one of the anathemas (curses) regarding the Eucharist that you will find in the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent:
Canon 3 “If anyone saith that the Sacrifice of the Mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving; or that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifices consummated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or that it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema.”
[NOTE: Lord willing, I will be going in depth on the teaching of the Eucharist and the Sacrifice of the Mass in light of Scripture when we get to that part in the CCC book.]
One look at William Meninger in the following picture that was chosen as the main image for this video should leave no doubt in one’s mind that what he presents is not Biblical Christianity, but rather a form of mystical, New Age spirituality that is rooted in Buddhism, which is the same type of spirituality that Pete Scazzero is presenting at the church he pastors, New Life Fellowship Church in New York.
For those of you who have never heard of The Cloud of Unknowing, here are some resources for you to help you learn to discern so that you will not be deceived by this:
Lighthouse Trails Research:
The Cloud of Unknowing – “Take a little word, and repeat it.”
The Cloud of Unknowing – “Take a little word, and repeat it.”
DAVID CLOUD – WAY OF LIFE – EVANGELICALS TURNING TO CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
The reason I am concerned that these mystical, New Age practices might very well be encouraged to be practiced by those attending HBCRM is not only because this book by Pete Scazzero was mentioned by Greg Bradshaw at the Family Meeting as a book that is being read by the staff, but also because of what Greg Bradshaw said beginning at 16:03-16:46 minute mark which was:
“How do you rebuild hope? I told our staff and I’m telling you, ‘The way you rebuild hope is intimacy with God.’ There’s no shortcut… but if your struggling a little bit with hope, ‘What is this going to look like at our church,’ the way to build hope is intimacy with God. And how do you build intimacy with God? There’s no shortcut, it’s disciplines. It’s finding time to get alone with God. It’s called solitude.”
In order to show you that I am not merely speculating, here is some documented evidence that I came across in my research that will prove to you that as far back as 2012 Pete Scazzero and his Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS) teachings have been promoted in some ways at HBC:
I am also very concerned for all of you at HBCRM because of Greg Bradshaw’s emphasis on having “intimacy with God” and “getting healthy” as a church in light of his focus on Pete Scazzero’s book, ‘Emotionally Healthy Church’ which clearly presents New Age/New Spirituality/Catholic mystical practices as ways to have intimacy with God. After listening to the audio of HBC’s Family Meeting, I just strongly felt led to write this post as a warning of what might be presented to you this fall as the leadership at HBC seems to be raising a level of excitement about what they desire to see take place starting this fall season.
UPDATE 7/3/19 10:22 A.M. NOTE ADDED FOR CLARIFICATION:
I need to make it very clear that I am not saying that the leaders at Harvest Bible Chapel are intentionally and knowingly promoting these unbiblical, occultic teachings…they may be deceived into believing these are acceptable practices to do to bring one closer to God like so many other Christians have been (wrongly) led to believe. Harvest Bible Chapel leadership has been promoting Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer for many years now, and these women (wrongly) teach how to hear God speak to you. (Please consider reading the following post to see the documentation that I have on these women: HARVEST BIBLE CHAPEL LEADERSHIP, CHRISTIAN LEADERS, AND THE LACK OF BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT). However, there is no excuse for pastors and teachers who are held to an even higher lever of accountability (James 3:1) to fall for or to present such unbiblical practices to the people at their churches. Sadly, when many pastors see that a certain teacher is popular, they simply order their so-called “Bible studies” and fail to take the time to test what they actually teach against the truth of God’s Word to see if it is true or not. Harvest Bible Chapel Rolling Meadows leadership has fail to be Biblical shepherds and to guard their flock from false teachers; instead they just invite them in: Mark Driscoll, Steven Furtick, Levi Lusko, etc.
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28)
We are all called to: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22) As Christians, we think that we can trust those in leadership, but that simply is not true. The only one who we can completely trust is Jesus Christ alone and His Holy Word that will endure forever. (1 Peter 1:25)
Besides constantly praying for discernment, now, more than ever before, we as Christians must: study God’s Word ( 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV), examine the Scriptures daily to see if what is being said (and done) is true (Acts 17:11) or not, and always be alert so that we are not deceived by the many ways in which our enemy, the devil, is attempting to devour us. (1 Peter 5:8)
Please also consider reading this post regarding Levi Lusko: HOW DISCERNING ARE YOU? He was a guest speaker at Harvest Bible Chapel Rolling Meadows in 2016 on January 2nd and 3rd. [NOTE: Just to let you know, this post also includes a Biblical analysis of a message that T D Jakes’ daughter (Sarah Jakes Roberts) preached, entitled, ‘The Displaced Crown,’ but she did not present this message at Harvest Bible Chapel. The video that she preached her message in was taken down shortly after I posted it.] END OF UPDATE
Dear Harvest Bible Chapel Rolling Meadows members and attendees — and every Christian — beware! Beware of what is being presented to you as ways to develop intimacy with God. We have God’s Word, the Bible. What more could we ever need in order to develop intimacy with God? Nothing more! Especially when the practices that are suggested for us to do in order to have intimacy with God is derived from unbiblical, New Age practices that can be found in Buddhism, Hinduism, and mystical practices derived from Catholicism –practices that open up doorways into the world of the occult!
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
“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.” (1 Timothy 4:1)
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard. Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:25-31)
Thank you very much for stopping by today.
God Bless You
~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory
RELATED VIDEOS
In the following video, Pete Scazzero, who is also the co-founder of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship (EHD), where they “help leaders around the world grow their people into mature disciples of Jesus,” tells us how EHD has “helped thousands of people move from a shallow Christianity to a deep authentic relationship with God, themselves, and others.“ Although he may give some good suggestions in his courses, such as taking enough time to rest, to say that the Christianity of those who do not pursue the ways through which he suggests in his courses in order to be able to have a “deep authentic relationship with God” is “shallow Christianity,” is very troubling!
In the following video, ‘Pete’s Take on Daily Office,’ that you will find further below this quick capture from the video, Pete Scazzero has this to say beginning at the 1:31 minute mark:
“…but the silence to me is the quality that probably I found most significant because again, I’m being with Jesus my lover, and I’m quieting myself down, I’m centering in Christ and abiding in this love relationship allowing Him to love me and I’m loving Him back.” (Emphasis is mine).
This is sometimes referred to as spiritual romanticism; it is a completely unbiblical form of thinking in which we view Jesus Christ as our “lover.” This is frighteningly becoming a more common belief among professing Christian teachers (such as Ann Voskamp), and it leads Christians down an unbiblical and dangerous path!
Romantic Panentheism, a Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Romantic Panentheism, a Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Here is the video: Pete’s Take on Daily Office
In the video that you will find further below, which is entitled, ‘What is the Daily Office & Why is it Needed,’ at the 2:43 minute mark you will find this chart that shows ‘the core of the EHS (Emotionally Healthy Spirituality) Course.’ These are very similar to the experienced based methods that you will find in transcendental meditation and in the New Age Movement.
At the 3:23 minute mark in the video below you will hear Pete Scazzero quote Brother Lawrence, and at the 4:43 minute mark in this same video you will also hear Pete Scazzero quote Dallas Willard. Both of these men promoted unbiblical, contemplative, mystical, spirituality. (See information on these men that I have added below for you at the end of this post).
Beginning at the 5:09 minute mark in the same video that you will find further below, you will also see this chart with Silence & Stillness Guidelines that clearly present the same type of steps that you will find in eastern meditation practices in Buddhism, but they have been repackaged using Christian terminology:
Finally, here is the actual video, entitled: ‘What is the Daily Office & Why is it Needed?’
At the 4:12 minute mark in the following video you will hear Pete Scazzero say:
“Remember, the purpose of the Daily Office is to commune with God.”
He ends this video by saying: “…and I trust that you will find, as I have, that you are remembering and thinking of God much more throughout your days, in ways that you never imagined or did before.”
When anyone tells you to practice spiritual disciplines that are the same types of spiritual disciplines practiced by Buddhist and Catholic monks only Christianized to make them appear acceptable, or if you are told to read a certain book or that taking a specific course is going to change your spiritual life rather than telling you that all you need is to spend time with God in His spiritual life giving, life changing Word — the Bible — that should send up an immediate red flag within your spirit! We are sadly at a point in time when many professing Christian pastors and teachers are casting aside Biblical Christianity. Instead they are now focusing on man’s emotions and promoting having experiences with God that come directly out of the world of the occult!
I am sure that Pete Scazzero and his wife are probably very sincere and wonderful people, but they have sadly been deceived by accepting these unbiblical practices as ways to develop a deeper relationship with God. When trying to search for ways to help their people grow in their relationship with God and to grow spiritually, they have wandered off the Biblical path and are now presenting to their people — and to the world — teachings that are telling everyone to look inward instead of looking to God and seeking Him in His Word.
God is the only one who transforms us by His Word and by His Holy Spirit when we choose to believe the good news of the Biblical gospel and come to Him through Jesus Christ; transformation does not come about by looking inward and dwelling on the past and on our emotional pain and struggles. (Isaiah 43:18) (Philippians 3:13)
Jesus Christ was and is God in the flesh. Jesus, being fully God, took upon Himself human flesh and entered our sin-filled world. He lived the perfect, sinless life that we could never live, and became the perfect sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, willingly went to the cross where He bore all of our sins as well as all of our grief and sorrows, and God poured out all of His wrath intended for us because of our sins upon His one and only Son. He died in our place, was buried, and was gloriously raised to life on the third day in bodily form to show that God accepted His death as full payment for every one of our sins — no matter what we may have done! God is love, but He is also just. Therefore sin must be paid for, and Jesus paid our debt to sin in full –tetelestai. That is the life changing good news of the Biblical gospel that transforms a person’s life!
May I share a personal illustration with you? During the twelve years of my marriage I became a broken and shattered woman emotionally because of the way that my ‘husband’ treated me. However, everything began to change when I began to read the Bible and came to see the truly good news of the Biblical gospel for the first time and chose to believe it and to place my full trust in all that Jesus Christ accomplished for us. In the midst of my deep hurt I did not look inward. I cried out to God and read His Word often throughout each day as the tears fell and my heart broke in thousands of pieces. As I spent time in prayer and in His Word, God began to heal me and to renew my mind and troubled heart and I no longer based my worth as a person by how my ‘husband’ treated me, but rather by what God’s Word says. That is when my life began to change and God began to transform me into a new creation in Christ. Day by day I learned to trust God more, and day by day His strength became perfected in my weakness and His peace that surpasses all human understanding began to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus as I prayed and stopped worrying about everything. He proved Himself over and over to be faithful and able to meet all of my needs in ways that I never would have imagined!
I pray that Pete and his wife will begin simply seeking God in His Word and that one day he will cast these unbiblical practices out of his church, his books, and his presentations, as well, and that he will point his people — and all Christians — back to Jesus Christ — who was and is God in the flesh –so that they will find true and lasting transformation! As true Biblical Christians that is what we are all to do.
I hope you can now see that in many ways Christianity today is becoming more and more experiential based. Sadly, God’s Holy Word, the Bible, is now being used by many as a tool to bring one into an altered state of consciousness as it is twisted and repeated over and over. God’s Word is no longer seen as having the greatest importance as it is read and studied in context. The only way to truly come to know God is through coming to Jesus Christ in simple faith and believing that His “once for all sacrifice” was truly enough to pay the debt for all of our sins in full!
Please do not be deceived by these unbiblical types of practices that may sound very appealing to you emotionally, but at their very core is New Age Catholic mysticism.
RELATED VIDEOS
More videos to show you how William Meninger, who was a guest at Pete Scazzero’s church, is heavily involved in New Age/ New Spirituality/Buddhism/Catholic mysticism.
Here is some information regarding Fuller Theological Seminary, the seminary that now deceased Professor of New Testament, Robert Guelich taught at. He was the one who made the chart that Pete Scazzero showed in his presentation at the 22:32 minute mark in the first video entitled, ‘Emotionally Healthy Spirituality – An Evening With Pete Scazzero.’
Dear Mary, oh my! I am completely astounded at what you have unearthed here. The depth of demonic doctrines which Harvest is promoting is absolutely chilling. You are so correct to identify this as Buddhism. I have experienced someone trying to instruct everyone in our living room in how to go into the silence. Much like this Buddhist article instructs:
https://tricycle.org/magazine/listening-to-silence/
I went to the Rock of Roseville, CA – a sister church of IHOP and Bethel who teach contemplative prayer. I know of a homeschool mom who went to a silent retreat. I experienced a homeschool mom’s group promoting Tim Keller who taught “THE WAY OF THE MONK”. I experienced Orangevale, CA. Calvary Chapel Pastor Mike Flander’s promoting Ray Ortlund, then captain at Keller’s Gospel Coalition, who taught to ““Stare at the glory of God until you see it” and to “get in line for …awakening” which “entails so many of the visions “. I went to Mike Warren’s Grass Valley, CA. Calvary Chapel who promoted St. John of the Cross and where we sang a song by Phil Wickham which talked about rejoicing in a divine romance. Wickham joins with Catholics at ecumenical gatherings. I have also discovered that Biola features a page where Jeffrey Schwartz discusses the roots of mindfulness in ancient Buddhism and explains how it is supposedly consistent with Christian faith.
Just from my tiny pond of experience, I was running away from all of this for years, and blogs like yours helped me put a finger on what I was experiencing and helped me to realize that I could trust in God’s Word alone and that I was commanded to test what each Pastor said and compare it to Scriptures.
Thank you, Mary, for your faithfulness to encourage others to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. People need to realize when they are under those that rebel against the light; and know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
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Dear MayINotClang,
Thank you not only for your words of encouragement, but also for sharing verses of Scripture and some of the many ways that you have experienced first-hand how spiritual deception via Catholic and Buddhist mysticism is truly entering many churches these days!
Harvest Bible Chapel may not intentionally and knowingly be promoting these demonic doctrines, (and I need to go back and add that and some other things that came to mind when time allows)…they may be deceived into believing these are acceptable practices like so many other Christians have been (wrongly) led to believe, but there is no excuse for pastors and teachers who are held to an even higher lever of accountability (James 3:1) to fall for such unbiblical practices. As Christians, we think that we can trust those in leadership, but that simply is not true as you also pointed out by sharing what you have encountered. The only one who we can completely trust is Jesus Christ alone and His Holy Word that will endure forever. (1 Peter 1:25) Now, more than ever before, we as Christians must be alert and constantly pray for discernment and “examine the Scriptures daily to see if what is being said (and done) is true’ (Acts 17:11) so that we are not deceived by the many ways in which our enemy, the devil, is attempting to devour us. (1 Peter 5:8)
God bless you, dear friend and sister-in-Christ. May the Lord continue to use all that you have been through as you continue to expose error and ‘earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.’ (Jude3) ♥
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Very Dear Mary. Thank you for all your hard work. Your blog is amazing. Thank you and the Lord bless you richly.
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Thank you so very much, dear Jane, for your comment and words of encouragement! I truly appreciate you! You are a blessing to the Body of Christ as many of us seek to expose error and earnestly contend for the faith at a point in time when so many are abandoning Biblical Christianity and giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. (1 Timothy 4:1)
You’re welcome, and may the Lord bless you and your loved ones!♥
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Dear Mary, I have to believe this is not coincidental. First off, I was born in Queens, NY. If you look at the map for Peter Scazzero ‘s Church my birthplace is on that map. I a former Catholic, now born-again Christian. My son last weekend asked me to do a research paper on Celtic rites because the Spiritual Formation Pastor aka Contemplative Spirituality Pastor at his church, who has been attending monasteries and leading the congregation in monastic prayers, is really beginning to disturb him. I have watched one of her “sessions” provided to me by my granddaughter who also goes to this church and, being familiar with Contemplative Spirituality know that this is definitely it. In addition, 10 years ago I wrote a 150 research paper on Catholicism and its infiltration into the true church through Contemplative Spirituality because our then-Pastor had begun to introduce it to that church. Until one of my dearest friends – a former Christian bookstore manager well-acquainted with the deception urged me to research the topic I knew nothing about it. This is one of the end-time deceptions that has stealthily come into the church that people are totally unaware of. Praise God that you are writing about it! Barbara Wilhelm
Love, Barbara “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” Psalm 63:3
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Wow! =O Praise God! \0/ I am speechless! That definitely is NOT a coincidence! Thank you so much for sharing all of that! Yes, the unbiblical mystical practices in Catholicism are definitely infiltrating many churches through many different ways, and we must continue to point people to Jesus Christ and to His Word since so many roads are attempting to lead people to Rome! May He continue to use you for His glory, dear Barbara!♥
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Hello, can you tell me an example of what Levi Lusko and Steven Furtick are saying that are concerning you? I am now worried because my friend follows him on FB and has done a bible study series lining up with some of his preaching.
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Hi Jo! Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to make a comment and to express your concern about your friend. You have valid reasons to be concerned about your friend, but continue to pray for God to give your friend His wisdom and discernment, and lovingly try to let your friend know that many Christians are warning about how both Levi Lusko and Steven Furtick have twisted God’s Word in many of their teachings. I have written some posts that have pointed out some of these false teachings, and, when time allows, I hope you will consider reading them in order to see why I am among many Christians who are rightfully concerned about what Levi Lusko and Steven Furtick are preaching.
This post documents some errors in what Levi Lusko has taught:
https://living4hisglory.wordpress.com/2016/01/16/how-discerning-are-you/
Here are some posts regarding some false teachings of Steven Furtick and very troubling and unbiblical things about his church:
https://living4hisglory.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/unchanging/
https://living4hisglory.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/call-me-a-hater/
If I find any more posts or other articles or videos regarding them and the troubling things that they have said and teach, I will update this reply by adding them.
God Bless You, Jo
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Am I understanding you correctly that you believe only the written Word of God is the only way God interacts or “speaks” to believers? If so, that if false. The Holy Spirit came after Jesus left this earth and now resides in the believer as a “Spirit Filled Believer” most call it. God absolutely speaks to me. God absolutely leads me to do or pray or stop doing something. God’s written Word clearly explains His Holy Spirit dwells (makes a home) in the believer and that the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf with groans we cannot understand. Spiritual gifts are listed in several scriptures to include tongues (languages) not already known to the believer, prophecy (future event), word of knowledge (information about a person the believer could not have know in the natural) reavealed to him by God, and of course teaching and preaching. Teaching and preaching are NOT jobs or talents. They are equally spiritual gifts as the others that appear more supernatural, yet they are ALL supernatural and a work of the Holy Spirit.
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Thank you very much for stopping by and for taking time to make a comment, Jo. What a blessing it is to see that you take your time to carefully read a post and to question and test everything that you read against Scripture! If only all Christians would do that they would avoid being deceived by so many unbiblical and occultic teachings that are now in the church today!
No, I do not believe that God’s Word is the only way through which He interacts and speaks to us today. God’s Word tells us to pray for wisdom and not doubt. (James 1:5-8) Jesus told us in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate who will teach us all thing, so He does speak to us and reveals truth to us today, but never in a way that will contradict His Word. God speaks to us through other believers to confirm or to correct us, but once again we must test their words against Scripture to see if what they are saying is true or not.
I went to an Assembly of God church for 16 1/2 years where some people gave me so-called “words from the Lord” that turned out to be only the thoughts in their own minds, because if they were truly words from the Lord they would have come to pass. However, in spite of the fact that I was told numerous times that my husband would return home and that we would rejoice together, my husband did not return home, but instead married the woman whom he left me for about a year after the divorce that he filed for was final. A person’s faith could be shattered if they place their trust in alleged words from the Lord; we must love and live for God regardless if what we pray for comes to pass or not. He is worthy of all our love and praise just because of who He is, and not for what He does or doesn’t do.
We must be cautious and be certain to test everything against Scripture. God warns us in His Word that ‘even from among us men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them’ (Acts 20:25-31). There are many movements today in which leaders profess that the Holy Spirit is moving in their midst, when in fact these manifestations are either demonic in nature, or they are the result of emotional manipulation. Some examples would be found in the so-called “ministries” of Todd Bentley, Benny Hinn, International House of Prayer (IHOP), The Send, Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding CA, and many, many more.
I have actually been wanting to write a post addressing ‘Does God Still Speak To Us Today,’ to show just how real God is, but this post will also come with many warnings directly from Scripture that alert us to the fact that the time will indeed come — and I believe that we are living in that time now — when there will be false signs and wonders that will be so convincing it could deceive the very elect –if it were possible. (Matthew 24:3-25)
God Bless You, Jo
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In the third link you mentioned Steven Furtick’s poem/spoken word about “haters”. I did not watch the video, but read the transcript you provided. Nothing in that transcript showed unbiblical statements. I am clueless on what you think he did wrong or where you see pride.
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I had mentioned in my last post that I am taking some time off, but I wanted to reply to both of your comments before I shut down for awhile:
Regarding Steven Furtick’s video ‘Haters,’ he is mocking those who are warning about him and how he twists Scriptures, referring to them as those who are “defending the truth” and “taking a stand.” Someone would not know that unless they are familiar with the many who warn about him, and rightly so.
Although I do not endorse Chris Rosebrough, I appreciate how he thoroughly analyzes many sermons to see if what is being said by those who claim to preach and teach God’s Word is Biblical or not. Here is just one of his reviews on Steven Furtick’s sermons: Skip the beginning, if you’d like, by going straight to the 2:50 minute mark where he begins his Biblical analysis of Steven Furtick’s message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5KVeN-43U8
Steven Furtick also promotes T D Jakes, (who teaches unbiblical Word of Faith principles and who does not believe in the Trinity, an essential truth of the Christian faith). Steven Furtick also preached at T D Jakes’ church. You will see many videos in this list to give evidence of that: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=steven+furtick+td+jakes
Here’s a critique of T D Jakes given by James White. I do not endorse him either because of his adherence to Calvinism and Reformed Theology, but I do appreciate listening to some of his debates regarding Catholicism and some other topics. His examination of what T D Jakes said at the Elephant Room 2 Conference was actually the reason why I left my church (Harvest Bible Chapel) back in January of 2012 because this conference was the idea of my former pastor, James MacDonald, who allowed all of those in attendance that day to walk away from that conference with the idea that T D Jakes now embraced the Biblical view of the Trinity, when he clearly did not and still does not: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlmCq78v_Zs I share that with you so that you will hopefully come to realize how damaging it is for Steven Furtick to openly endorse T D Jakes at his church.
God bless you, Jo. Continue being a Berean. (Acts 17:11)
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