'Earnestly contending for the faith,' (Jude 3 ) as well as sharing encouragement and hope through Scripture (Romans 15:4), and through the poems and posts that I write. One of many voices on the Internet warning Christians of the importance of testing the teachings of men (and women) against the unchanging truth of God's Word. (Acts 17:11) I 'warn you with tears' through much of what I write, to 'be on guard against the savage wolves that will come in among us who will distort the Word of God' as God's Word warns us about in Acts 20:26-31
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JULY 8, 2020 NOTE: When time allows I will be updating this post with information regarding the latest developments concerning Doreen Virtue, Joshua Chavez, and Justin Peters.
NOTE: Updated this post on July 17, 2020 1:26 P.M. You will find all new UPDATES written in this teal color.
NOTE: Updated this post again on July 20, 2020 10:32 P.M. and July 21, 2020 2:49 P.M. with the latest developments. You will find these UPDATES in this pink color near the end of this post.
NOTE: Updated this post again on July 30, 2020 5:22 P.M. You will find this updated section near the bottom of this post in this green color.
NOTE: Saw the need to update this post again on August 24, 2020 12:20 P.M. by adding two videos. See the end of this post in this dark purple color.
First I want to begin this post by clearly saying that my intention in writing this post is not to bash Doreen Virtue, but rather to emphasize the extreme importance of not only praying for spiritual discernment but also to emphasize the extreme importance of testing everything that a professing Christian says against Scripture to be certain that all that they say lines up with Scripture. (Acts 17:11) Sometimes we are too quick to accept everything that a professing born-again Christian says is true without taking the time to pray for discernment as we either carefully listen to or read their testimony. Sometimes the music that may be played in the background of one’s testimony can move us emotionally and affect our ability to spiritually discern truth from error, as well.
I also want to make it clear that I am not denying Doreen’s salvation. Only God knows where each person stands regarding this extremely important eternal life issue and whether a person has made the decision to place their trust completely — and only — in the “once for all” sacrifice of His life in our place that Jesus Christ willingly offered when He shed His blood and died on the cross for our sins. What I am trying to show through all of the following information is the extreme importance of thinking for ourselves and examining all of the evidence in order to know what the truth really is, because the truth matters!
I also want to say that I personally do not know Doreen Virtue or Joshua Chavez, (who is known as Servus Christi on YouTube), and I have never personally interacted with either one of them in any way.
Although there are many concerns that could be brought to your attention regarding all that has transpired since Joshua Chavez posted his video entitled, ‘Justin Peters Now Believes Visions Of Jesus? (Doreen Virtue)’ the main issue that I will be addressing in this post is Doreen’s alleged vision of Jesus. However, I will post some of the information that addresses all of the issues so that you can see a well balanced view from all sides of this issue. It is my prayer that you will pray for discernment before you watch all of the videos posted below and come to your own conclusion after seeking God in prayer for the truth in this matter and looking into His Word.
For those of you who are not aware of who Doreen Virtue is, she was a top selling author for a top selling New Age publisher –Hay House. During her time in the New Age Movement she wrote many New Age books such as: ‘Healing With The Angels’, ‘Archangels & Ascended Masters: A Guide to Working and Healing with Divinities and Deities,’ ‘Daily Guidance From Your Angels,’ as well as many different types of Oracle cards (occultic cards used in giving so-called readings). Doreen is now a professing Christian, but many Christians (including myself) have some very valid concerns regarding some of the things that she has been saying.
This all started when Joshua posted his very in depth video analyzing Doreen Virtue’s testimony, the main point being on how she focuses on her alleged vision of Jesus that she claims to have had on January 7th of 2017 almost every time that she shares her testimony –including very recently. You will see that this is a fact by viewing the videos and documented information that I have added to this post. Although I would have liked to have seen more Christ-like love and grace shown by Joshua in the way that he presented much of his information regarding Justin Peters and Doreen Virtue, the fact remains that oftentimes Doreen does focus on the vision of Jesus that she claims to have had.
Picture above is a quick capture of Doreen Virtue holding a picture of the painting done by an artist that represents the alleged vision of Jesus that she claims to have had on January 7, 2017. You can watch the video HERE and the link is also posted further below in this post. NOTE: A comment was made in the comment section on one of these videos that show this painting which pointed out the disturbing fact that this “Jesus” does not have nail marks in His wrists or palms of His hands.
NOTE: Joshua has not allowed his video to be played on anyone’s website, so if you would like to watch it you will need to click on the link where it says, “Watch this video on YouTube.”
UPDATE: This video has now been taken down.
UPDATE: 7-17-2020 As you can see, YouTube reinstated Joshua’s video:
Here is a quick capture of what it originally looked like:
At the link below you will see a reupload of one of Joshua Chavez’s videos. IMHO it is the best one of his recent videos that focuses on Doreen and her inconsistencies regarding her alleged vision of Jesus. (This is the video in which you will see a picture of the Jesus that she allegedly saw in her vision). In this video Joshua gives his perspective and presents the documented facts on this whole issue:
Here is another very good video that contains clips of Joshua’s videos that were taken down by YouTube as well as documented evidence presented by Blood Bought Ministries regarding Doreen Virtue and her alleged vision of Jesus:
5-16-2020 – UPDATE: IT NOW APPEARS AS IF BLOOD BOUGHT MINISTRIES WAS FORCED TO REMOVE THE VIDEO, BUT CHOSE TO SET THIS VIDEO AS PRIVATE RATHER THAN DELETING IT.
5-17-2020 – 9:00 A.M. UPDATE: TODAY IT CAN BE VIEWED. PLEASE WATCH NOW WHILE IT IS STILL AVAILABLE:
UPDATE: 7-17-2020 At of today, this video is still available to watch in spite of what the text says:
BLOOD BOUGHT MINISTRIES – DOREEN VIRTUE AND HER DAMAGE CONTROL
After watching Joshua’s entire very lengthy video, which, for the most part, I found to be very eye opening regarding the very troubling fact that Doreen oftentimes focuses on her alleged vision of Jesus when she publicly shares her testimony, I immediately went to Doreen’s YouTube channel and watched her featured personal testimony video, which now has been marked private, (see quick captures of information I posted further below). In its place she now has a video of an interview that she did with Pastor Chris Quintana.
I then proceeded to go to her website where I found the following information as of 7:13 P.M., May 8th 2020 and quick captured everything and posted it below for you as documentation of what was presently there:
Under About Doreen Virtue in part it says:
“Raised in the new age, Doreen had a profound vision of Jesus on January 7, 2017 that led to her getting baptized and converting to Christianity.”
When I clicked on Doreen Virtue Testimony page it said the following:
“In this video, you’ll hear about the amazing experience and the 4 realizations which led to me becoming a born-again Christian, by clicking here.”
However, when I clicked on the link to view the video, as you can see from the quick capture below, it said,
“Video unavailable. This video is private.”
This appeared to be Doreen’s decision to begin what some would call, damage control.
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As I searched for other copies of Doreen’s testimony on video to see if she focuses on her vision of Jesus (before those videos possibly end up disappearing, as well), I came across the following two videos put together by a Bible believing Christian who is a former New Ager. She has a YouTube channel called, Truth Matters. In the following two videos she tests Doreen’s original testimony against Scripture and makes some excellent observations. Please considering listening to them when time allows:
UPDATE: Sadly, the person who put these videos together must have been forced to take them down. Her channel no longer exists, as well, but I can assure you that she did not present her comments in a mean-spirited way; she presented her information in a clear and Biblical manner using many Scriptures and in such a way that all Christians would see the serious concerns one should have with what Doreen had shared in her testimony.
Doreen Virtue’s Original Testimony to Christianity
Doreen Virtue’s Original Conversion Video Part 2
In the video further below, Doreen shares her testimony with Matt Blackburn. This video was posted on December 7th 2019 which was just five months ago at the time that I am writing this post. Beginning at the 24:49 – 28:49 minute mark you will hear Doreen say some of the following regarding her alleged vision of Jesus:
“I had this big experience on January 7th, 2017, Matt, that completely changed everything…”
“…all of a sudden everything disappeared in my vision field and all I saw was this vision of Jesus.”
“…it was like the veil lifted and he’s always there and I got to see him, but this light is what did move; it came out of his heart and I could feel the rays of this light and he actually had even pushed me back in my chair, and while this was going on, and I don’t know how long it lasted, I had these epiphanies which which means a realization and this knowingness.”
“And the first thing I knew was that Jesus is real. Jesus of the Bible is real. I had always doubted what the Bible had said about him, but he’s real.”
“And then the second realization was the Bible’s real. I mean, it just, I went from being a skeptic to a believer in a nanosecond, just…I knew the Bible was real. ”
“The third realization is that Jesus really had died for our sin. Again, I didn’t even believe he was crucified, let alone that he had died for sin “…and I could feel all of the sins on his body. I mean it was a palpable experience…”
“And the forth realization is I need to get out of the New Age…”
I am almost certain that it is just a matter of time before the above video gets taken down, as well, in what appears to be Doreen’s attempt to do damage control in order to keep the truth hidden of how recently she has proclaimed her vision as being Jesus without any doubt whatsoever. Here are some quick captures of some of the things that Doreen said in her interview with Matt Blackburn which shows that she bases her belief of the reality of Christianity not on the Word of God, but instead on the experience that she had –her alleged vision of Jesus that she said took place on January 7th of 2017:
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In case you missed it, I would like to bring the most concerning thing to your attention regarding what Doreen said at the 49:58 minute mark in the video above; speaking about Christianity, Doreen said the following:
“How do I know that it’s [Christianity] the real deal? I…I had this experience on January 7th of 2017. To my very bones…every soul in my, cell in my body knew that I was looking at the real Jesus.”
How many of you can see the serious danger in the things that Doreen has said? She is saying that she came to the realization that Christianity and Jesus Christ and the Bible are real after allegedly seeing a vision of Jesus. A Jesus that she describes as having rays of light coming out of his heart similar to the alleged vision seen by now deceased Catholic nun and mystic, Maria Faustina Kowalska, as Joshua rightly points out in his video, as well.
Doreen is telling everyone that she did not come to the realization that Jesus Christ and the Bible are real and that Jesus died for our sins by reading the Bible and hearing the gospel being preached. Instead she is saying she came to this realization by the vision that she allegedly saw! This is extremely troubling! Yes, Doreen is now speaking out and warning about some of the New Age practices that she was once involved in, practices that she claims she has repented of, but why is it that she mainly focuses on this vision almost every time that she shares her testimony? How is it that all of the thousands of Doreen’s followers cannot see this troubling fact?
Why is it that some Christians do not take the time to research a professing Christian’s beliefs before they choose to follow them or agree to accept their invitation to come on their show? People like Justin Peters, (whom I deeply respect because of how he speaks out regarding the false Word of Faith Movement), Chris Quintana, Phil Johnson, Chris Rosebrough — well respected professing Christian men who should know better — have all been guests on Doreen’s YouTube channel.
Since I had never heard of Matt Blackburn before I decided to do a little research on him simply by taking a look at some of the videos that he has posted on his YouTube channel. Here are just a couple of the troubling things that I found:
Although he professes to be a Christian, Matt Blackburn promotes the New Age practice of earthing (which is also referred to as grounding) on his YouTube channel (among other New Age things). If you’d like, you can read THIS POST that I wrote back in December of 2017 on this subject in order to warn Christians about it. On his website it gives a list of the things that he has studied extensively, which includes things such as crystal technology. This may be a case of a lack of diligence on Matt’s part to keep the information on his channel and website updated in order to reflect where he presently is in Christian walk with Jesus Christ, but it’s very troubling to think about the many people that he is leading astray by not deleting these things from his channel and website –if indeed he has rejected New Age philosophies and practices and repented for practicing and promoting them.
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In the process of writing this post I was contacted by a dear sister-in-Christ who shared a very disturbing update with me. It seems that Doreen Virtue is now saying that the vision she saw of Jesus could possibly have been a demon!
Do any of you find that rather suspicious that up until now she has insisted that she had seen the real Jesus in her alleged vision, and yet shortly after Joshua Chavez comes out with a video bringing attention to how Doreen focuses mainly on her January 7th 2017 alleged vision of Jesus when she shares her testimony, all of a sudden she is now saying it could possibly have been a demon? Doesn’t this seem more than just a coincidence? What will it take for some Christians to see the truth about someone they admire and follow who is quite clearly not being honest regarding some of the things they are saying and teaching?
On May 9, 2020, the day after Joshua posted his video, Doreen came out with this video. Although she does not mention Joshua Chavez by name, clearly it was a video response to what he had shared in his video entitled,‘Justin Peter Now Believes Visions Of Jesus? (Doreen Virtue),’ and she accuses him of slandering her:
UPDATE 7-17-2020: Doreen chose to delete this video. Appears to be more damage control:
The day after Doreen was interviewed by Katie — The Berean Millennial, (her interview is at the link that I shared with you earlier in this post), Doreen posted the following video which was basically what she had shared with Katie on Instagram, including that she was now saying that the alleged vision of Jesus that she claimed to have had on January 7, 2017 may possibly have been a demon:
UPDATE 7-17-2020 Doreen decided to delete this video, as well.
In the following video that I found on 5-11-2020 (a video that was first posted on YouTube on November 21, 2019 — less than six months ago from the time that I am writing this post), Doreen also shared her testimony — including her alleged vision of Jesus — on Tulips & Honey YouTube channel, and she does not say anything about it possibly having been a demon. She does say that she was not a Christian at this point, but again, the truth is that Doreen does focus on sharing her alleged vision of Jesus in the very recent past and she does not say that it was possibly a demon. Therefore, what Joshua said regarding her vision is true and it is not slander.
Below you will see some of the things that Doreen said in the above video that I have quick captured for you not only so that you can see what she says for yourself if you don’t have the time to watch the video, but also just in case the above video gets taken down at some point:
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You will hear and see the same thing in this audio (and the quick captures) of what Doreen had said when she shared her testimony very recently on the B.A.R. (Biblical And Reformed) Podcast that was posted on April 29, 2020:
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Yes, we are to extend grace to Doreen since she appears to be a fairly new Christian, and we definitely need to pray for her. Yes, she has been speaking out and warning about the dangers of yoga, the Enneagram, Contemplative Prayer, and other New Age practices because she has taught many occultic things in the past and she seems to genuinely want to warn Christians about the dangers of these things , but the following points need to be made:
The first point is this:
Why does Doreen see the need to put the emphasis on this vision almost every time that she shares her testimony?
The second point, which is the most important is:
Since she shared her alleged vision of Jesus on Tulips And Honey YouTube channel in November of 2019 , and then again in December of 2019 with Matt Blackburn, and again as recently as April 29th on B.A.R., and did not mention in any way whatsoever that it could possibly have been a demon, this is clear evidence that shows Doreen is presently covering up the truth with lies in her latest videos. Maybe she is afraid, and out of fear she is lying to protect herself from rejection, but a lie is a sin that must be confessed to the Lord, repented of, and admitted to her followers if indeed she is a Christian and wants to be pleasing to the Lord.
MY CLOSING THOUGHTS AFTER COMPLETELY WATCHING ALL OF THESE VIDEOS
Even though Joshua did not present all of his information in a Christ-like and compassionate manner regarding Justin Peters and Doreen Virtue, the fact remains that Doreen Virtue now looks like the completely innocent one being victimized by Joshua, when the facts show that she has lied and covered up the truth about her testimony and changed things to seemingly gain sympathy. In other words, Doreen has changed the facts and is misleading all of the thousands of people who follow her; people who deserve to know the truth — no matter what the cost.
Although I do not agree with Justin Peters’ Calvinistic/ Reformed Theology, as I previously mentioned I do truly appreciate his Clouds Without Water series exposing the Word of Faith heresies, and I agreed with much of what he said in his video regarding Joshua’s attitude and lack of love and compassion for Doreen. It was deeply troubling — and even embarrassing — to see the way Joshua treated Justin in his video playing that short clip over and over and over, ignoring — and seemingly not even taking the time to watch — the interview that Justin did with Doreen.
I also accept his explanation of why he didn’t check her out more closely before accepting her invitation to come on her program because many of us have learned that lesson in one way or another a little too late at least once in our lives, but I do pray that Justin will speak to her specifically about her vision and address these concerns that many of us have about the latest things that she has done and said in her recent videos.
Yes, Doreen did seem to have some, “Aha” moments as Justin Peters was sharing some Biblical truth with her regarding dreams and visions when she had asked him if “dreams from God are still for today,” but this question must be asked:
If Doreen sincerely did embrace this truth that Jesus does not speak through dreams and visions today based on what God’s Word says in Hebrews 1:1,2, why then did she continue to emphasize her vision at least two times since she received Justin’s Biblical response to her question during his interview that was posted on Doreen’s YouTube channel on November 28, 2019?
As I always try to stress in many of my posts:
As Christians *we are to be followers of Jesus Christ alone; we are not to follow any man — or woman — and their ministry to such a degree that we would ever wrongly think that they could never err in what they say or do. *(1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 1 Corinthians 3:1-7)
As Christians we need to realize the extreme importance of testing what professing Christians say — and do — in light of Scripture. (Acts 17:11)
As Christians we need to keep in mind the many warnings in Scripture about spiritual deception and false teachers in the last days and how even from our own number men — and women — will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:30)
I will be praying for Doreen to realize that Jesus Christ of the Bible knows the truth regarding her heart and her motives as well as what she truly believes about the alleged vision that she claims to have had on January 7th of 2017. He also knows why she now seems to be trying desperately to change her story. However, there is no good reason whatsoever for Doreen, a professing born-again Christian, to lie and to wrongly accuse Joshua Chavez of slander.
After watching some of Doreen’s videos it first appeared to me that she does seem to have a genuine and sincere desire to please God. I pray that is true, but honestly after watching her two latest videos I now have very serious concerns about her. If Doreen truly is a born-again Christian now, then I pray that out of a desire to live a life that is honoring to the Lord, she will take some time off from her YouTube ministry and go before the Lord and seek Him with all of her heart and do whatever needs to be done to make things right, all the while learning to trust Him even more. I also pray that she will come to the knowledge of the truth about the Biblical gospel and ask God’s forgiveness for placing her trust in experiences instead of in the finished work of Jesus Christ and the truth of His Word. I pray that many other Christians will pray for her, as well, instead of calling her horrible names in the comment section of these types of videos that allow for comments.
If you took the time to pray for discernment before reading this lengthy post and watching all of these videos, I pray that you now see the extreme importance of reading and studying God’s Word, constantly praying for discernment, and testing what every professing Christian says in light of Scripture so that you will never be deceived and led astray from Jesus Christ.
I am not wrongly judging Doreen by saying all that I did in this post. I, along with many other concerned Christians, simply tested what she has said and claims to have said against her own words that she has shared publicly. God’s Word shows us very clearly that there are times when we are to judge:
“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24)
“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
PLEASE REFLECT ON THESE SCRIPTURES
“You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars — all the heavenly array — do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has appointed to all the nations under heaven.” (Deuteronomy 4:15-19)
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:1-3 – KJV)
“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)
“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)
“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-7)
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. “(2 Corinthians 11:13,14)
“In fact everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus I give you this charge, 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 men 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 3:13-4:1-4)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But a man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it –he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:22,23)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:7-10)
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)
“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 any of you. 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)
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures above are from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
The Biblical Gospel
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21 – KJV)
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36 – KJV)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 – KJV)
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12 – NIV)
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:10-26 – KJV)
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 – KJV)
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 – KJV)
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:1-6 – KJV)
“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10 – KJV)
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7 – KJV)
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10 – KJV)
All Scriptures above were found on biblehub.com
RELATED VIDEOS
Video that my friend and dear sister-in-Christ put together regarding this issue has now been taken down.
Doreen Virtue’s Dishonesty
Justin Peters’ response to Joshua Chavez’s original video posted on May 2020:
Joshua’s Video Responding To Doreen Virtue’s Video – Posted May 11, 2020:
UPDATE: Joshua’s video has now been removed – Quick capture of his video can be seen further below.
UPDATE: 7-17-2020 As you can see, YouTube reinstated Joshua’s second video, as well!
Here again is the link to a reupload of this original video by Joshua Chavez that has documented information about this whole very extremely troubling situation regarding Doreen Virtue:
5-16-2020 UPDATE: There is now another upload of the original video by Joshua Chavez on YouTube, as well:
CHRISTIAN WRITER AND SPEAKER, WARREN B SMITH, WHO WAS ONCE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE NEW AGE:
PLAYLIST – WARREN WARNS CHRISTIANS ABOUT THE NEW AGE AND APOSTASY
ANOTHER VERY BIBLICAL AND IMPORTANT PRESENTATION GIVEN BY WARREN B SMITH
UPDATE: 7-17-2020MY FINAL CLOSING COMMENTS:
After watching Joshua’s latest video that you can watch directly below, I must confess that I was wrong to say that Joshua was being unloving towards Doreen because of some of the things that he had said in his previous videos. When a professing Christian is in error and is teaching error, we are to rebuke them sharply as Jesus Himself did, and as many of the apostles did, as well!
Also, because of some documented evidence that Joshua shared in THIS VIDEO (entitled, ‘DISQUALIFIED,’ which I have also posted below) regarding Justin Peters, I no longer trust Justin Peters or believe all that he had said concerning what he knew about Doreen before he accepted his invitation to be her guest on her YouTube Channel. Although Justin Peters has done a wonderful job of exposing the many heretical teachings in the Word of Faith Movement, his soft spoken manner can be very misleading; we must always test everything against Scripture and the truth that is presented to us regardless of how we may feel about a person!
JOSHUA CHAVEZ – MOST PROFESSING CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE HATED JESUS
UPDATE JULY 20, 2020 – VIDEOS – I DOCUMENT, YOU PRAY FOR DISCERNMENT AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF
JOSHUA CHAVEZ – VIDEO POSTED JUNE 19, 2020
THE VIDEO BELOW IS JUSTIN PETERS’ RESPONSE TO JOSHUA’S ABOVE VIDEO – THIS VIDEO WAS POSTED ON JULY 10, 2020
[NOTE: JUST SO YOU KNOW, I DO NOT FOLLOW OR ENDORSE JACOB PRASCH WHOM JUSTIN SPEAKS OF AT ONE POINT IN THIS VIDEO.]
After watching Justin Peters’ above video, I must tell you that even though I completely reject his Reformed Theology, I now believe Justin’s explanation regarding the other e-mails that were sent to him warning him about Doreen Virtue and the reason he gave for why he did not see them.
DOREEN VIRTUE’S APOLOGY VIDEO THAT INCLUDES AN ANALYSIS OF HER VISION WITH GUEST, CHRIS ROSEBROUGH, CAN BE SEEN AT THE LINK BELOW. [IMPORTANT NOTE: Many years ago I shared some of Chris Rosebrough’s videos with you in some of my posts in which he analyzed the sermons of some professing Christian pastors and teachers, such as Steven Furtick, and at that point I saw some value in his ministry. However,I no longer endorse him due to some of the things that have come to my attention, such as him being a Lutheran pastor who preaches in front of a statue of Jesus.]
This will probably be my last update for you on this post. If you would like to know the latest, then check both Joshua’s and Justin’s YouTube channels as well as Doreen’s channel from time to time. However, I encourage you instead to earnestly pray for Joshua Chavez, Justin Peters, and especially for Doreen Virtue, because there are some serious issues regarding Doreen and her soon to be released book in which she still speaks about her alleged vision of Jesus. If she is now in doubt about her vision regarding if it was Jesus or a demon that she actually saw, one must ask this important question:
If she took down her video about her vision that was on her website as well as on her YouTube channel because she did not want her vision experience to be a stumbling block for anyone and she didn’t want to cause confusion, (see video entitled, ‘DOREEN ANSWERS FAQ’S at the link below the following quick capture), why then is she openly and boldly posting advertisements on her Facebook page for her new book that includes the account of her vision?
Although I am trying to be gracious towards Doreen and not judge her heart or her motives, as a Berean at heart (Acts 17:11) I see the need to bring the following information to your attention:
After listening to DOREEN VIRTUE’S VIDEO in which she reads her revised version of Chapter 9 of her new book, DeceivedNo More, and talks about her alleged vision of Jesus, here are some troubling things that you need to be aware of:
As I was listening to her read from Chapter 9, a few things that she wrote in this revised version sent red flags waving and alarm bells going off in my spirit. Beginning at the 14:12 minute mark until the 14:36 minute mark, you will hear Doreen say this:
“…when the demon tried to tempt me by appearing as Jesus, God melted the snow upon my heart and allowed the Biblical truth to finally penetrate my heart. These were legitimate epiphanies, a term which means insights that help you to suddenly realize a deep spiritual truth. You might say it’s like a divine download.”
The term divine download is a New Age term, and you can see some examples of this by clickingHERE
Starting at the 18:05 minute mark until the 18:35 minute mark of this same video, Doreen said the following:
“I did not identify as a sinner because I didn’t understand the nature and the gravity of sin. My false beliefs unraveled as I had this epiphany. It was like I could feel the extreme weight of humanity’s sins striking Jesus’ crucified body like agonizing arrows. Of course I felt only a fraction of the weight and the suffering that Jesus endured on the cross to save us, but this realization radically transformed my beliefs. “
It’s very troubling to see that Doreen chose to keep that mystical experience that she claimed to have had in her revised version of Chapter 9. It brings to mind the Catholic mystic, Teresa of Avila, who allegedly had visions of Jesus and she claimed to have been pierced in her heart by arrows, as well:
Then beginning at the 24:14 minute mark, Doreen gives examples of how those in the New Age “ascribe healing and divination properties to each type of crystal.” She then goes on to mention two certain crystals and the divination properties that are given to them by those in the New Age. IMHO, as a professing Christian, Doreen should not be sharing that type of occultic information to those who may be influenced by hearing something like that because it could easily lure some of her followers into dabbling in the occult! This is why it is so very important for Christians to not only be followers of Jesus Christ alone, but also why it is so very important for us as Christians to test everything in light of Scripture and to focus on the truth that is found in God’s Word alone and not on any experience that a professing Christian — or anyone — claims to have had! END OF UPDATE
UPDATE: August 24, 2020 After watching the two following videos I saw the need to add them to this post so that you all can be aware of the disturbing facts regarding Doreen that cannot be denied:
Thank you very much for stopping by today.
Please keep Doreen Virtue and this entire situation in prayer. Pray that the whole truth will be made known and that God will be glorified in and through all of this. And, although Joshua Chavez has brought forth a lot of troubling things, I do pray that he will learn not to be so harsh and cruel with his attitude and words and try to present the truth in a more loving manner.
I do sincerely pray for Doreen, because only God knows her heart and her motives.
God Bless You
~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflections Of His Glory Photography
Featured photo taken by Mary K Dalke – Reflections Of His Glory Photography
Scripture added to photo by Mary K Dalke using Pixlr X free online photo editor
UPDATE:
Due to the fact that I have taken the past few days to research and to write this post, it will probably be another two week or so before I am able to finish the next post in my present series, Comparing Scriptures In A Catholic New Testament Bible To Teachings Found In The Catechism Of The Catholic Church — Dear Catholic Are You Going To Believe The Word Of God, Or The Word Of Man? UPDATE: Already completed and posted.
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, HarvestBible 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 reading 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 on 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.
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.
Pete says people are not experiencing deep transformation.
Mentions self awareness, managing one’s triggers under stress
Pete claims to have had 4 conversions
Notices and says, “People are not changing deeply in our church.”
1994 Pete starts an inward journey for 2 years
Started Christian counseling
His wife confronted him on how he’s not a strong leader – left his church, attended another one
Pete shows diagram created by now deceased professor of Fuller Theological Seminary , Robert Guelich, and claims Emotional Health and Spiritual Maturity are inseparable
Emotional component
He claims he and his wife were “born-again” again
1996-2003 Claims “a little revolution took place in our church just by bringing in the emotional component”
He still felt “something more was needed.” He “began to read quite a bit about Monasticism.”
2003, 2004 – For a 4 month period he and his wife “visited a variety of monasteries and lived rhythms of silence and solitude.”
A revolution. Third conversion.
Pete says about Christians in general, “We’re so busy we have to live off other people’s spirituality.”
Got people connected personally with God directly
Made drastic move to slow down their lives
“…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:
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 haveintimacywith 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!
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 immediatered 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.’
Lord willing, another new post coming later this month or in August on this same subject regarding how Catholic mysticism is infiltrating many churches these days and leading many Christians astray in order to show the extreme importance of reading and studying God’s Word and praying for discernment.
Also coming later in July, Lord willing, will be another new post in the series in which we will continue comparing the teachings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to a Catholic New Testament to show precious Catholics the truly good news of the Biblical gospel and that many of the things that they are being taught, which is based on the traditions of men, contradicts God’s Word, the Bible. It is equally important for all Christians to know this information so that they not only come to realize the need to share the truly good news of the Biblical gospel with their dear Catholic friends and family, but also so that they will not be deceived into thinking that Catholicism is Biblical and end up being lured into Catholicism by one of many ways that have been devised by our enemy, the devil.
Thank you for joining me for Part 2 in this series in which I will be sharing more information with you to give you further evidence in order to show you that the entity that is appearing in these apparitions and claiming to be the Virgin Mary is not the Virgin Mary of the Bible, but rather a deceiving spirit that is bringing unity among all religions and leading many of them into the Catholic church. If you have not yet read Part 1 in this series yet and would like to, you may do so by clicking HERE
APPARITION OF THE VIRGIN MARY – JERUSALEM – 1954
In the following video you will hear about an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary that took place at St. Anthony Coptic school in Jerusalem where Coptic Christians, as well as Catholics and Muslims attended:
THE APPARITIONS OF MARY AT ZEITOUN
In the video below (which can only be viewed on YouTube since playback on websites has been disabled by the video owner) you will hear the following concerning these silent apparitions that allegedly took place in Zeitoun, Egypt mainly between the years 1968 and 1970:
“As the years have gone by, these apparitions began to attract more and more people, sometimes gathering large crowds of 250 thousand people from different countries and faiths: Christians, Jews, Muslims and even nonbelievers ”
“…all the people present at the time — Christians and Muslims – could also see it.” “The silent apparitions at Zeitoun are considered to be an appeal to ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.”
The following video gives further details concerning these alleged apparitions regarding healings that were said to have taken place –by the hand of the Virgin Mary. In one instance it is said that a woman came to Zeitoun in search of a cure. Here is the summary of one account:
As a woman who was dying of cancer laid in her bed and before she drifted off into a deep sleep, she was visited by the Virgin Mary who appeared with a small boy who handed the Virgin Mary a small knife. The Virgin Mary told her that she was going to remove the cancer. “Xray analysis proved that she was free of cancer completely.” ‘There was no sign of any wound or any opening.’
It is implied to those who hear about this particular incident in which the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared and healed the woman of cancer, that this small boy who appeared with her was Jesus Christ, thus causing many to wrongly believe that Mary has more power that Jesus Christ, who was reduced from being Creator, Savior of the world, and God, the second person of the Trinity, to a helpless young child who serves Mary.
At this point I would like to stop for a brief moment to share another account with you concerning the Virgin Mary so that you can see the following:
Precious Catholics are being presented with a works based salvation gospel and a gospel that causes them to wrongly place their trust in the traditions and doctrines of their church instead of only trusting in the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the truth that is presented in Scripture
The Virgin Mary is elevated in the eyes of Catholics by implying that she has more power and authority that Jesus Christ
Here is a portion of the account that I quick captured for you further below:
“One day the King [Alphonsus, King of Leon and Galicia] became very sick. He went unconscious, and everyone thought he was dead! When he was unconscious he had a vision, and found himself before the judgment seat of God. Many devils were there, telling all the sins he had committed, and Our Lord as the Judge, was just about to tell King Alphonsus that he was going to hell! Suddenly Our Lady appeared on the scene and asked for a pair of scales. She placed the King’s sins on one of the scales and on the other scale she put the rosary, which he had always worn, and the Rosaries that had been said because of his good example. The Rosaries weighed more than his sins!
“Looking at King Alphonsus with great kindness, Our Lady said: “As a reward for this little honor that you paid me in wearing my Rosary, I have obtained a great grace for you, from my Son, Jesus. Though you were supposed to go to Hell, you will be able to live for a few more years. See that you spend these years wisely, and do penance!”
When the King came to, he cried out: “Blessed be the Rosary of the Most High Virgin Mary. By her Rosary she has saved me from the terrible fires of Hell!”
Here are some Scriptures to refute the idea that we can be saved by our good works:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26)
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”(Titus 2:13,14)
“But after the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)
Now back to the main focus of this post, which is how these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary are drawing many people of other religions into the Catholic church. I will then follow this section with information to show you the New Age/New Spirituality connection:
Below is a quick capture from an article in which you will read how “Muslims converted” because of these alleged apparitions that took place in Zeitoun, Egypt. Sadly, they did not convert by hearing about Jesus Christ and the Biblical gospel being preached to them, but rather by seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary. This is not Biblical Christianity.
In the article below you will see how apparitions of the Virgin Mary are being credited for “the conversion of millions of people to Roman Catholicism.” It’s also interesting to note at what point in church history these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego took place:
“…just as a large number of people were leaving the Catholic Church in Europe as a result of the Reformation, Our Lady of Guadalupe was instrumental in adding almost 8 million to the ranks of Catholics in the Americas between 1532 and 1538.”
In the following article, dated Aug. 11, 2oo9, Catholic News Agency reports that “the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a ‘salvation event’ specifically directed to evangelize of all of the Americas.”
One day when I first began doing research for the Fatima posts that I shared with you last year, I did a search on Lucia Santos, the oldest of the three children who claimed to have seen the apparitions of the Virgin Mary back in 1917, and just happened to come across the following video of two visionaries that I had never heard of before: Sister Lucia de Jesus and Friar Elias del Sagrado Corazon.
These alleged apparitions of Mary are among the many ways in which Catholicism is merging together with the New Age Movement. These messages claim to be “transmissions from the Virgin Mary” to visionaries, Lucia de Jesus and Friar Elias Del Segrado, (seen pictured below on the left), and are translated into English, (usually by this young woman on the right). The alleged apparitions have been taking place for ten years now, and these visionaries travel throughout the world bringing many supposed messages from Mary that speak of peace and unity.
They claim that the Virgin Mary has been transmitting messages to them for the past six to seven years. (Since 2011 for Friar Elias and 2012 for Lucia). As I listened to this video (and many more after it), it became very evident that these messages that were being transmitted were completely New Age in their beliefs because of their strong emphasis on unity and oneness, and did not resemble Biblical Christianity at all.
Sister Lucia and Friar Elias are part of an ecumenical movement that embraces all religions. In the quick capture below it says: “
The spirit of universality and ecumenism is the keynote of the Grace Mercy Order…”
“At Grace Mercy Order we aspire to live Christic universal love…”
Although, as stated above, they claim that they are “not linked to any religion but to the Christic life, in itself…” it is highly immersed in the traditions of the Catholic church as evidenced by the statues of Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, the rosary being prayed, the Eucharistic Christ being displayed in the monstrance, the sign of the cross being performed by those present at these gatherings, and more, as you will soon see further below in this post.
Here is some information that is posted on one of the YouTube channels that uploads some of the videos of these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the visionaries, Lucia De Jesus and Friar Elias:
Below is a brief history of the visionaries in which you will discover that allegedly Friar Elias began receiving messages from the Virgin Mary in 2011, and Sister Lucia began receiving them in 2012. According to this information there is another visionary, as well –Mother Maria:
Upon searching Facebook to see if I could find more information about these visionaries of the Grace and Mercy Order I found this page which will clearly show you the emphasis that this movement has on unity. Consider these words from the quick capture below and you decide if it reflects Biblical Christianity:
“As Mother of the World She is the Supreme Feminine Energy that is creator of all, and Her mantle encompasses all.”
This quick capture of their March 2017 Facebook page not only shows information about the latest messages allegedly transmitted to the visionaries through Mary, but also ones reportedly coming from Saint Josephand Jesus Christ:
God’s Word is clear that the Canon of Scripture is closed. However, would Jesus Christ really give a message like the one below if indeed He was still speaking today? Or is this rather a message that would come from a false Universal Christ? When you see the word “universe” capitalized, as you see it capitalized below, it denotes deity and life.
Many in the radical Environmental Movement believe that this planet [Universe] is a living being and oftentimes refer to it as Mother Earth or Gaia. If you’d like, you can read one of my former posts in which I shared some information on this:WARNING YOU WITH TEARS WEDNESDAY – EARTH DAY
Once again, although the Grace and Mercy Order claims they are not linked to any religion, you will now see more evidence of how Roman Catholicism is strongly being promoted:
Source – YouTube video entitled, ‘Apparition of the Virgin Mary Rose of Peace – Marian Center Menino Rei Brazil – Sept. 25, 2017
Starting at the 24:55 minute mark in the video below you will hear “the words that Mary transmitted for the apparition…” What you’re about to read is a very disturbing message that was allegedly transmitted to Sister Lucia from the Virgin Mary. As you read the following message, keep these questions in mind:
“Would the Mary of the Bible say these things? Or does this present a message akin to the New Age/New Spirituality movement that embraces all religions?
Here is the message allegedly given by the Virgin Mary to Sister Lucia:
“When the white buffalo would appear on the horizon, suddenly, walking with serenity before the eyes of the pure, it was a sign of prosperity and of hope. Its mouth did not speak. Its language was not known by humankind. Its silence would transmit the will of God to them. Its language was understood with the heart by those who knew how to become silent. When sadness flooded the hearts of humankind they cried out for the grace of seeing and of feeling the white buffalo. Its serenity calmed them and they felt the hope that the earth would remain fertile, alive, and sacred.
When the heart of the children of the earth was not reached in love and in joy, they cried out for the white buffalo. Its joy and its love did not come from this world, but it nourished and healed it. It appeared on the horizon and represented the arrival of the new cycles where life would have a greater meaning because the land would be fertile and so would the heart.
The white buffalo was the holy spirit of the earth which walked silent among humankind. It came to dissolve fear, anguish, sadness. It came to unite the hearts of the children of the earth with he who created the earth and all the other planets. He created the sun, the moon, and all life. The white buffalo was the bearer of purity and reunited the purity in the hearts of the children of the earth so that they would not lose the hope of a world in peace and in communion with life. The white buffalo was meek but invincible. Nothing could touch it and only the eyes of the heart could see it. Its mystery came from infinity, even though its appearance was of the earth. It made itself lesser than humankind with the living symbol of a simple animal, but it wanted to represent the all. Within it were both the small and the great, from the animals to the Supreme God. From nature to the all. The white buffalo thus made it possible to understand that God is in everything. I am the white buffalo, the spirit of the earth. The spirit of life.
I am the representation of the fertile cycles of the cycles of peace. In my presence despair and fear are dissolved, and hearts again find the faith and the love of God. I am, my children, the Mother of the earth, and also of heaven. The children of the earth were born on it, but they do not come from it. Their spirits come from me. They were born of the universal source of life, protected by the brightness of the stars that sparkle in infinity, embraced by the motherhood of God, Adoni. I come to this world so that you may regain purity and hope, so that you have fear and pain healed, and so that the certainty of being able to experience the sacred and unity on this earth with creation may again shine in your essences. I am here, beloved children, now resembling humankind with a body like yours and with a divine heart so that you may find again within yourselves what unites you with the creator, what makes you a mirror of his most sacred heart.
I came to mirror in your spirits the sacred and the divine. I appear on the horizon in silence, again bringing peace. I appear on this day of a new cycle representing a fruitful cycle in the life of this spirit. I want to strengthen your hearts and to build within you the new gardens of life. I want to cause the new human being to be born, recovering the purity and the divinity of the indigenous consciousness. I come to bring the grace of union with the origin for those called originating peoples and in this way all human hearts may rekindle within themselves the purity of the beginning, the original unity with the heart of God. May your lives be fruitful in love before the white buffalo…”(25:32 – 31:11 minute mark)
“I am the white buffalo, your mother and mother of all creation.”(31:39 minute mark)
If one takes the time to examine all of these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, you will see how this being who claims to be Mary presents a message that appeals to each people group that she appears to. In the above alleged apparitions in which these messages are given to Friar Elias and Sister Lucia, she speaks to the Indigenous people who have embraced a pagan philosophy that is also very New Age in their belief system, which is why the message refers to her as the White Buffalo.
The Native Heart Healing Oracle – Blue Angel Publishing
Upon doing research to see what I could find concerning the White Buffalo and native spirituality, I came across the following video in which Chief Arvol speaks of a prophecy that said a white buffalo calf would stand upon the earth, and when this would happen many changes would take place upon the earth. Chief Arvol also speaks of “the Creator Wakan Tanka” and a woman who allegedly appeared carrying a buffalo robe. When this woman allegedly appeared before the people the next day she came with the buffalo robe. As she began to walk away she rolled over, and as she stood up she changed into a young black buffalo, then a red one, and then proceeded to turn into a yellow buffalo. Then, as she went over the hill she became a white buffalo calf.
I am not trying to say that the appearance of this particular woman was an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary, and she never claimed to be the Virgin Mary. I am, however, trying to give you evidence of how these apparitions that claim to be the Virgin Mary (such as the entity that transmits messages to Sister Lucia de Jesus and Friar Elias) give messages that appeal to the spirituality that represents the people she is appearing to.
In this video you will also hear Chief Arvol use many terms that are also used by those in the New Age/New Spirituality Movement, as well as by those involved in the Environmental Movement: global warming, Mother Earth, spiritual unity, peace, harmony, etc.
Are you now beginning to see how many religions and all of these movements — especially the New Age/New Spirituality movement and the Environmental Movement — are all merging together?
Many involved in this movement speak of unity, oneness, and peace, but if one looks closely they will see this oneness is not the same as the oneness that Jesus Christ prayed for in John Chapter 17. For quite some time now we have been seeing many professing Christian pastors and teachers — including Rick Warren — promoting this type of unbiblical unity:
Christian author and speaker, Warren B Smith, was once deeply involved in the New Age Movement. Now he warns Christians just how dangerous this movement really is through the books that he writes and through the presentations that he gives at many Christian Conferences! When time allows, please consider listening to this insightful and very important presentation that he gave at the Last Days Bible Conference a few years ago.
The entity who claims to be the Virgin Mary in these alleged apparitions also refers to herself as the Lady of All Nations and says that she embraces everyone as her children — no matter what religion they are a part of. In some of the messages that were given during these apparitions by the one who calls herself The Lady of All Nations, to the visionary, Ida Peerdeman, “unity” among all Christians was emphasized, and many unbiblical and mystical words of instruction were also given. Here are some examples that you can hear in the video below. Be sure to test them in light of Scripture. These messages were given on September 20, 1951:
“Christians all over the world should unite.”
“Christians shall and must enter into themselves. Let them consider what part they are to play in this world.”
“It [the prayer] has been given so that the coming of the Spirit of Truth may be implored for the world. The lady says, “Child, why is this prayer not being spread abroad? What are they waiting for? I have taught it to you so that it might be circulated among the people. Let everyone say this short and simple prayer every day. This prayer is purposely kept short and simple so that every person may manage to say it even in this modern and speed crazy world. It has been given so that the coming of the Spirit of Truth may be implored for the world.”
No matter what anyone may say, there will be no peace in this world until Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns. To say that The Lady of All Nations is the “Key to World Peace” is completely unbiblical!
The last dogma that this entity who claims to be the Virgin Mary is demanding to be proclaimed, is for her to be declared the Lady of All Nations, as well as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of all Graces, and Advocate. She claims that she “freely cooperated with Jesus in redeeming the world.” The blasphemous implications can be clearly seen in the picture below:
In part, this is what the entity, (who claims to be Mary), requested to be said as a prayer:
“Let the Lady of All Nations, who once was Mary, be our Advocate.”
According to God’s Word, who is our Advocate?
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
According to God’s Word, we have only one Mediator:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
According to God’s Word there is only one name under heaven by which we must be saved:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
APPARITIONS OF MARY AND THE NEW AGE CONNECTION
In the following video, Cecil Andrews of ‘Take Heed Ministries,’ presents us with some excellent and even shocking information that shows the parallel between Catholic and New Age Marian Messages. When time allows, I truly hope that you will consider listening to this message that was given by Timothy Kauffman:
‘Catholic’ and ‘New Age’ Marian Messages in Agreement
For further information please consider reading the following by Cecil Andrews of Take Heed Ministries:
(Note: Sources with very good information; not an endorsement. It has come to the point where I can no longer endorse any ministry.)
In the video below is another supposed message given by the Virgin Mary and channeled through a woman named Julie Miller. Channeling is a New Age practice in which a spirit (and in this case it is said to be Mary, the mother of Jesus) speaks forth a message from beyond the grave. In this message you will hear terms such as: vibrations, energy, Mother earth,exhalein his light, pouring his love and light into every person of every creed and race, etc., demonstrating that this is not the Biblical Mary, but rather a spirit speaking forth a New Age message.
In many cases Mary is referred to as the Universal Mother or the Divine Mother, by those who promote the New Age agenda, once again, demonstrating that this entity is promoting unity among all people –Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The following message was channeled by a woman named Linda Dillon:
“…you are so much further ahead in this ascension process in this creation of nova Earth than you suspect “unity, connectedness, and balance and form in creation upon gaia in being a mother you are utilizing all of my blessings …..”
At gatherings, such as where messages offering love, unity, hope, and peace are allegedly being given from the Virgin Mary to visionaries, Friar Elias and Sister Lucia, which are then presented to unsuspecting people in an atmosphere where soothing music is being played, which breaks down the conscious mind so that it cannot properly think and reason, you will most certainly have people falling for a false Christ and an unbiblical Mary; a Mary who is presented as the Divine Mother, a title that many in the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism call their goddesses, as you will see from the quick captures below. Note also the use of New Age terminology that is used:
Giana Talone Sullivan is an example of a modern day visionary who claims to have received messages from the Virgin Mary mainly between the years of 1988 and 1995.
“The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore issued a statement saying they found no basis to support her messages as having an extraordinary source. The statement from the archdiocese condemns the alleged apparitions as not of a supernatural origin.” (1)
However, as you can see from the quick capture below, after French theologian, Fr. Rene’ Laurentin (“who was also an expert advisor for the Council during Vatican ll andan expert investigator of Marian apparitions and seers”) “brought a medical team of scientific specialists from France to America,” in part, the results of their investigation showed that she was found to be in the same state of ecstasies as other seers:
Scientific studies can be helpful to determine many things, but when it comes to the spiritual dimension everything — especially the messages — needs to be tested against God’s Word to see if it is true or not. (Acts 17:11)
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)
God’s Word also instructs us to test the spirits to see if they are from God.
“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)
In the following video you will see how some people are literally crying out from the depths of their hearts for the trees that are being cut down. While none of these people profess to be Christians, this is simply a clear example to show you just how far many have drifted from what is Biblical, to now embracing a pagan world view, and how Environmentalism has become a form of spirituality and religion.
Why are these people not instead crying out for the lives of the unborn who are being torn apart limb by limb out of the safety of their mother’s womb, or who are having their brains sucked out during a partial birth abortion? We have become a barbaric society in which many place more emphasis on caring for this earth rather than caring for God’s greatest creation –mankind, who has been created in His own image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26,27)
CLOSING COMMENTS:
Please wake up! In this post I have presented you with just some of the many ways in which the plan for ecumenism and creating a One World Religion is taking shape right before our very eyes! You can also see, from the information that I have added to this post, how precious Catholics are being lured into the New Age Movement by these so-called apparitions of Mary!
Yes, as Christians we are to take care of the world that God has entrusted to us, but to put more emphasis on creation rather than on the Creator is unbiblical, and can cause one to shift from what is truly important in the eyes of God –human life made in His image and preaching the Biblical Gospel of faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. The eternal destination of billions of people is at stake!
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone one who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:16-20)
Jesus Christ should be our focus, not the Virgin Mary. Many of the messages given to visionaries during all of these alleged apparitions clearly focus much more on Mary, rather than on Jesus Christ. In every form of deception there is always enough truth mixed in with lies so that the lies cannot easily be realized, which is why everything should always be tested against Scripture, and not against church teachings or the traditions of men, which is often the case when it comes to these apparitions and the Catholic church.
We can admire Mary for her willingness to submit to God and to become the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, since most likely she was falsely accused of adultery by many and endured much ridicule, as well. Mary indeed deeply suffered as she watched her Son — Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God clothed in human flesh — suffer the horrendous torture of crucifixion, which led to His death. However, Jesus Christ alone redeemed us. Mary did not in any way suffer to the point of sharing in our redemption process or adding to Jesus Christ’s sufferings to attain our redemption –no matter what any one may say! To say anything more is to add to Scripture, which is forbidden by God. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6)
Mary is rarely even mentioned in Scripture! (Lord willing, one day I will do a post on every verse in which Mary is mentioned so that you can see just how little she is mentioned). God’s Word clearly emphasizes that it was only the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ — the Lamb of God without spot or blemish — whose sinless life, sufferings on the cross, shed blood, and death was sufficient to satisfy God’s just demands by paying the debt for all of our sins –in full.
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28)
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”(Romans 3:22,25)
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made is meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:12-14)
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:6)
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing og the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14)
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:12-15,22)
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18,19)
God will not allow any one else to share His glory.
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8)
We must keep in mind what God clearly warns us about in His Word so that we will not be deceived:
“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:3-5)
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times men shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (1 Timothy 4:1)
We must be Bereans and constantly test everything against Scripture, including the messages and teachings of every pastor and teacher –no matter how well respected they may be or how many years they may already have been in ministry! (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22, Acts 17:11)
In PART 3 we will be taking a close look at some end time scenarios that are being presented these days by a growing number of professing Christians that are causing many Christians to not only take their eyes off of the Lord, but alsoto tread on some spiritually dangerous territory! I will be tying all of that together with the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, as well and sharing some rather controversial things with you in the process. The information that I will be sharing with you is extremely important for you to be aware of since it’s very possible that these things may very well become part of the strong delusion and spiritual deception that we are warned about quite frequently in Scripture concerning what will take place before the return of Jesus Christ to this earth.
I hope that you will join me for PART 3 in this series that I will try to have completed in the early part of May, possibly sooner –Lord willing. Because there is so much information that needs to be presented to you this may end up being a four part series instead of three, as I had originally planned.
NOTE: October 15, 2021 TO READ PART 3, the final installment in this series, Click >HERE<
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read this very lengthy post.
God Bless You
~Mary/Living4HisGlory
RELATED VIDEOS
Regardless of the fact that many alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary present messages that are saturated with Catholic doctrine, the evidence that these apparitions are capturing the attention of hundreds of people from different religions can clearly be seen. Here are some examples:
NOTE: This post was updated on February 28, 2021 in preparation for writing PART 3 in this series, ‘APPARITIONS OF THE VIRGIN MARY OR DEMONS IN DISGUISE – EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE IN LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE.’
“How can you tell if your church has adopted the Leadership Network paradigm?”
The above question that a listener sent in to Mike LeMay and Amy Spreeman on Stand Up For The Truth a few years ago is a question that writer and speaker, Sarah Leslie, of Discernment Research Group and Herescope addressed near the end of their time together for this show. The main topic discussed is the shift that is taking place in many churches these days, maybe even in yours. It is a shift from Jesus Christ and Biblical truth, which is the foundation for the church, to an experiential based system where the pastor runs the church like a corporation and presents his own agenda to the people of the church. Sadly, for those who do not stand with the pastor and his new vision for the church, they will either be pressured to conform, or they will be shoved under the bus as Mark Driscoll has said in the past to his congregation before the dismantling of his church finally took place due mainly because of his abusive behavior towards those in leadership positions at Mars Hill Church and those who also attended Mars Hill Church. When time allows, consider watching the above video, and keep these Scriptures in mind as you watch the video below:
“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” (1 Timothy 3:1-3)
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24,25)
“Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:7-9)
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary/Living4HisGlory
UPDATE: Still working on a few posts when time allows me to do so, and, Lord willing, I hope to have at least one finished by tomorrow evening so that I can share it with you. Otherwise, it should be done within the next few days.
Just a quick post to let you know about the Berean Call Conference that started today. The topics that will be discussed will be extremely important ones because they address many popular teachings that distort Biblical truth, the nature of God, and the gospel itself!
The topics that will be discussed will show you just how relevant God’s Word is for our day because the “doctrines of demons” that God’s Word warns us about in 1 Timothy 4:1 have now come into many churches these days through things such as Contemplative Prayer, Spiritual Formation classes, and through many other occultic practices. Because the titles of these occultic practices have been cloaked in somewhat Christian terminology when they are presented in many churches, and because some Christians fail to pray for discernment and fail to test things against Scripture and are just not aware of the fact that these practices are occultic in nature, many Christians are now being led away from Biblical truth and into the world of the occult!
Not only will these speakers share important information with you, but also these speakers will encourage you by sharing God’s Word with you. If you haven’t realized it yet, after listening to these speakers you will come to realize the extreme importance of testing the words of every pastor and teacher that you listen to against God’s Word so that you will not be among the many who have been deceived by some of these practices and teachings.
Even though some of these sessions have already ended, if you click on them you will still be able to listen to the entire presentation for at least the next few days.
As always, please be certain to test everything that you hear each speaker say against Scripture, as well as what each and every pastor and teacher that you listen to every day says. Spiritual deception in the church is growing faster than any of us as Christians ever imagined that it would, and as time goes on things will only be getting worse!
Also, if you decide to check out the websites of the speakers — or any Christian website — I urge you to test everything that you will find there against Scripture, as well, because sadly, many pastors and teachers these days who were once Biblically solid, are slowly beginning to stray from Biblical truth and are now embracing many of the teachings that you will become aware of and warned about in this Conference.
When time allows I hope that you will tune in and listen to these speakers and the very important messages that they will be sharing this weekend.
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your day to read some of my posts and poems.
This totally is not my normal thing to post, but I just saw the above video on Facebook and had to share it with all of you. After all, God’s Word does have some good things to say about laughter and being joyful:
“A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;(Ecclesiastes 3:2-4)
“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)
“Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all [ye that are] upright in heart.” (Psalm 32:11)
“Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. (Psalm 126:2,3)
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Proverbs 15:13)
“A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)
Keep in mind, though, that those of us who are born-again Christians should be holy as He is Holy, and therefore our speech and the things we watch and laugh at should be things that are pure and innocent. Here is a little of what God has to say in His Word concerning this:
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:1-14)
I need to share a warning with you about laughter though, which will then keep this post in line with the many forms of spiritual deception and mysticism that I constantly warn you about:
As many of you know, with some genuine gifts from God, there are also counterfeits from Satan. His counterfeit for true joyous laughter that you need to be aware of has been entering many churches in the past and is continuing to do so! The following video by Andrew Strom will give you a frightening look at what is happening in the name of Christianity today. In his Documentary he seeks to answer the question, ‘Why are these manifestations so similar to eastern religions and Hinduism and the Kundalini cults, which are not found in Scripture and are not found in classical Christianity at all…” “…exactly the same as what we have been seeing…” (Not his complete quote from the 4:45 -5:58 minute mark).
In this Documentary Andrew Strom goes back to the recent past and analyzes many of the so-called ‘revivals’ such as the Toronto Blessing, the Pensacola Outpouring, and the Lakeland revival, and shows how the same spiritual activities that can be found in the world of the occult and in Buddhism and Hinduism also took place at these revivals, and how these same manifestations can be found in many churches and movements today!
For those of us who are truly born-again Christians by the Spirit of God, we know that in spite of how difficult out lives may be at times, our joy comes from the Lord; no matter how difficult the circumstances in life may be, the joy that comes from being in Jesus Christ is a joy that can never be taken away! It is not a fleeting moment or two of laughter and happiness that comes from what happens in life, but a true joy that sustains us in the midst of our trials and carries us through to the end in spite of the sadness we may feel at times because we have been forgiven and cleansed from sin, guilt, and shame because we have chosen to place our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and we rest in the fact that He is in control and will always work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28)
Now I need to start cleaning and get back to listening to Roger Oakland who is now giving his presentation at Pastor Chris Quintana’s Calvary Chapel Cypress for the Defending The Faith Conference! Please pray, though, because they have been running into many technical difficulties! You can also listen live by clicking HERE
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your relaxing weekend (at least I hope you are taking some time out to relax) to read some of my posts and poems.
Have you unknowingly been lured into New Age mystical practices by teachers claiming that certain “new ways to pray” will bring you closer to God? Have you signed up for classes in Spiritual Formation, or has your pastor been preaching on it? Have you been involved in “Christian“ Yoga, Centering Prayer, Contemplative Prayer, or Lectio Divina? Well, this series of posts in the new Category of posts that I have entitled, ‘MYSTICISM MONDAYS,‘ will attempt to not only peel back the layers of the many forms of spiritual deception that have been entering the church in order to reveal them to you as being lies of the enemy of our souls, but also the intention of these posts is to present you with the truth of God’s Word in order to expose the spiritual dangers of these practices.
Lord willing, at least once a month on a Monday, I will be sharing teachings with you from Christian experts on the subject, some of whom have even been personally involved with these dangerous practices. All of these teachings that I will be presenting to you will focus on many Scriptures; those who speak on these topics will not just be talking about these practices, because it’s only the truth of God’s Word that will expose the dangers of these practices and set a deceived person free.
Lord willing, when time allows, I will be writing many posts in the future zeroing in on specific Christian programming and Christian teachers who are promoting these deceptive practices, (I recently posted a very lengthy one concerning Moody Radio which I recently updated, and when time allows I will complete it by adding notes that I took as I listened to many of Moody’s, now cancelled, Midday Connection programs) but since my time is getting rather limited these days because of other important responsibilities that I now have, I will oftentimes simply be sharing a video or an article with you.
When time allows, I truly hope and pray that you will take the time to listen to these messages or read these articles, as well as read the upcoming posts that — Lord willing — I will be writing on these important topics so that you can be aware of these false teachings that are deceiving many Christians –possibly even you!
Please be sure that you test the teachings of all those whom you listen to against Scripture as God’s Word shows us that we are to do (Acts 17:11) so that you will never be deceived.
I hope and pray that all of you who are Bible believing followers of Jesus Christ are constantly testing what your pastors and teachers are presenting to you against the truth of God’s Word as we are shown in Scripture to do (Acts 17:11) no matter how long they have been in ministry, because many pastors and teachers are now embracing and presenting New Age mystical practices to their people through things such as yoga, as well as though meditation practices which often times are found in Spiritual Formation classes and are referred to as Contemplative Prayer, silent prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize, etc.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Mysticism in the church is one of the many ways that Satan is now using to bring about the oneness and unity that is being promoted in the world to bring about the One World Religion. Sadly, many pastors and teachers lack discernment and have now become tools in Satan’s hands to promote these mystical practices. We must keep in mind what God says in His Word:
“Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)
Are you a follower of a man (or woman) and their ministry? Or are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Will you be a Berean and examine the Scriptures daily to see if what they are saying is true? Will you walk in the light and in truth and leave, if necessary, if Yoga and other mystical practices are being promoted at your church? Or are the relationships that you have developed over the years while you have attended your church more important to you than being obedient to God and the truth presented in His Word? True followers of Jesus Christ will follow Him –no matter what the cost.
“For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.” (2 Corinthians 2:9)
Now for today’s Mysticism Monday:
Today I would like to share some very good information with you concerning Mysticism and the Emergent Church from a ministry that I recently discovered through someone on Facebook who has been posting some of their videos. The name of this ministry is Youth Apologetic Training. Please continue to test everything that you hear and read in light of Scripture, but so far everything that I have seen and heard seems to be very Biblical. Although this series on the Emergent Church was written in 2013, it is still very relevant for us today. This article addresses labyrinths, yoga, Contemplative spirituality, breath prayers, mantras, and more. You can also click on links to listen to many podcasts concerning the Emerging Church, and many other topics, as well.
Because of how drastically our world has changed, and is continuing to change, especially morally and spiritually, I have a deep concern and burden for the youth of today, and I know that many of you do, as well. I hope and pray that you will find this website to be a good source for helpful information for you to help your children and teens, and that you will be able to share some of this information with them, as well, so that they might learn to discern and realize just how relevant God’s Word is for today. The Bible is not an old book with outdated information, as some sadly seem to think it is. God does not change, and His Word does not change either. It is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and with 100% accuracy it has already revealed what will happen before it has happened, and it will continue to do so, thus verifying the Bible is indeed the very Word of God!
The Bible is filled with prophecies! It is said that almost one third of Scripture is prophetic. Here is a very good article by Let Us Reason Ministries for those of you who would like to read more on this subject:
If you had a chance to watch the videos from Calvary Chapel Cypress‘ ‘CHANGES WITHIN THE CHURCH ROUND TABLE MEETING‘ with Pastor Chris Quintana, Roger Oakland, Xavier Ries, as well as the videos from Hosanna Christian Fellowship’s Conference, ‘THE REMAINING AND ONGOING DANGERS OF THE EMERGENT CHURCH MOVEMENT‘ with Roger Oakland, Warren B Smith, Paul Smith, and Xavier Ries, (I also posted these videos further below for you) then I am sure you realize that the Emergent Church Movement is alive and well today! This movement elevates having experiences with God over the Word of God, and, sadly, they do not place very much emphasis on God’s Word at all; they do not acknowledge it as absolute truth, but rather something that can be debated and adjusted in light of how the culture is today.
Please pray and take time to read and to study God’s Word so that you will not be one of the many who are being deceived and led astray by these movements and mystical practices that are coming into many churches these days!
RELATED SCRIPTURES
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:8,9)
“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. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:16-21)
“Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1,2)
“When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:18-20)
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary/Living4HisGlory
YOUTH APOLOGETICS TRAINING – EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE – PROPHECIES OF JESUS
RELATED VIDEOS
EMERGING CHURCH ROUND TABLE MEETING – POSTED BY ROGER OAKLAND
Posted by Hosanna Christian Fellowship (Please read the concerns that I addressed in my post about what Xavier Ries said in the first video at the 1:27:56 – 1:28:09 minute mark in this Conference by clicking HERE and reading the 2/6/16 UPDATE, or just pray for discernment before you listen to these videos. Always make sure that you test everything that you listen to and read against Scripture. – Acts 17:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The following videos from the Remaining and Ongoing Dangers of the Emergent Church Movement Conference were posted by Roger Oakland. For whatever his reason may have been, he chose not to include any of Xavier Ries’ presentations from this Conference, which I am thankful for, because even though Xavier had a lot of good things to say, he did cause a lot of confusion for many as they watched and expressed their concerns during the live streaming of this event.
REMINDER FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED:
Don’t forget about the Calvary Chapel Cypress Defending The Faith Conference coming up this weekend! If they live stream this event or upload it onto YouTube, Lord willing, I will post it here on my blog for you.
Have you unknowingly been lured into New Age mystical practices by teachers claiming that certain “new ways to pray” will bring you closer to God? Have you signed up for classes in Spiritual Formation, or has your pastor been preaching on it? Have you been involved in “Christian“ Yoga, Centering Prayer, Contemplative Prayer, or Lectio Divina? Well, this series of posts in the new Category of posts that I have entitled, ‘MYSTICISM MONDAYS,‘ will attempt to not only peel back the layers of the many forms of spiritual deception that have been entering the church in order to reveal them to you as being lies of the enemy of our souls, but also the intention of these posts is to present you with the truth of God’s Word in order to expose the spiritual dangers of these practices.
Lord willing, at least once a month on a Monday, I will be sharing teachings with you from Christian experts on the subject, some of whom have even been personally involved with these dangerous practices. All of these teachings that I will be presenting to you will focus on many Scriptures; those who speak on these topics will not just be talking about these practices, because it’s only the truth of God’s Word that will expose the dangers of these practices and set a deceived person free.
Lord willing, when time allows, I will be writing many posts in the future zeroing in on specific Christian programming and Christian teachers who are promoting these deceptive practices, (I recently posted a very lengthy one concerning Moody Radio which I updated last weekend, and when time allows I will complete it by adding notes that I took as I listened to many of Moody’s, now cancelled, Midday Connection programs) but since my time is getting rather limited these days because of other important responsibilities that I now have, I will oftentimes simply be sharing a video or an article with you.
When time allows, I truly hope and pray that you will take the time to listen to these messages or read these articles, as well as read the upcoming posts that — Lord willing — I will be writing on these important topics so that you can be aware of these false teachings that are deceiving many Christians –possibly even you!
Please be sure that you test the teachings of all those whom you listen to against Scripture as God’s Word shows us that we are to do (Acts 17:11) so that you will never be deceived.
I hope and pray that all of you who are Bible believing followers of Jesus Christ are constantly testing what your pastors and teachers are presenting to you against the truth of God’s Word as we are shown in Scripture to do (Acts 17:11) no matter how long they have been in ministry, because many pastors and teachers are now embracing and presenting New Age mystical practices to their people through things such as yoga, as well as though meditation practices which often times are found in Spiritual Formation classes and are referred to as Contemplative Prayer, silent prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize, etc.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Mysticism in the church is one of the many ways that Satan is now using to bring about the oneness and unity that is being promoted in the world to bring about the One World Religion. Sadly, many pastors and teachers lack discernment and have now become tools in Satan’s hands to promote these mystical practices. We must keep in mind what God says in His Word:
“Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)
Are you a follower of a man (or woman) and their ministry? Or are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Will you be a Berean and examine the Scriptures daily to see if what they are saying is true? Will you walk in the light and in truth and leave, if necessary, if Yoga and other mystical practices are being promoted at your church? Or are the relationships that you have developed over the years while you have attended your church more important to you than being obedient to God and the truth presented in His Word? True followers of Jesus Christ will follow Him –no matter what the cost.
“For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.” (2 Corinthians 2:9)
Now for today’s Mysticism Monday:
On February 5, 2016, Larry DeBruyn of GUARDING HIS FLOCK was a guest on Tom McMahon’s radio program Search The Scriptures 24/7. The title of their discussion was Have You Contemplated Your Spirituality? Some of the things they discussed were Contemplative Prayer, solitude, silence, the desert fathers, what is true spirituality, and more. Everything was examined in light of Scripture, including the life of Jesus to see if any of these practices were in any way presented in Scripture as an example for us to follow.
When time allows I hope you will listen to these programs so that you might grow in your understanding of how mysticism is rapidly entering many churches these days and leading many astray. Please don’t allow yourself to be one of the many who are being deceived by these spiritual practices that attempt to lure you in through your emotions. Stand fast against the wiles of the devil! (Ephesians 6:11)
For those of you who would rather read the articles, or for those of you who may have some type of a hearing problem, you can read Part 1 and Part 2 of their discussion at the links below which are actually the transcripts of their conversations.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17)
“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:3,4)
“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)
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men. after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)
“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 20:26-31)
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems.
Have you unknowingly been lured into New Age mystical practices by teachers claiming that certain “new ways to pray” will bring you closer to God? Have you signed up for classes in Spiritual Formation, or has your pastor been preaching on it? Have you been involved in “Christian“ Yoga, Centering Prayer, Contemplative Prayer, or Lectio Divina? Well, this series of posts in the new Category of posts that I have entitled, ‘MYSTICISM MONDAYS,‘ will attempt to not only peel back the layers of the many forms of spiritual deception that have been entering the church in order to reveal them to you as being lies of the enemy of our souls, but also the intention of these posts is to present you with the truth of God’s Word in order to expose the spiritual dangers of these practices.
Lord willing, at least once a month on a Monday, I will be sharing teachings with you from Christian experts on the subject, some of whom have even been personally involved with these dangerous practices. All of these teachings that I will be presenting to you will focus on many Scriptures; those who speak on these topics will not just be talking about these practices, because it’s only the truth of God’s Word that will expose the dangers of these practices and set a deceived person free.
Lord willing, when time allows, I will be writing many posts in the future zeroing in on specific Christian programming and Christian teachers who are promoting these deceptive practices, (I recently posted a very lengthy one concerning Moody Radio which I will continue to update until completed) but since my time is getting rather limited these days because of other important responsibilities that I now have, I will oftentimes simply be sharing a video or an article with you.
When time allows, I truly hope and pray that you will take the time to listen to these messages or read these articles, as well as read the upcoming posts that — Lord willing — I will be writing on these important topics so that you can be aware of these false teachings that are deceiving many Christians –possibly even you.
Please be sure that you test the teachings of all those whom you listen to against Scripture as God’s Word shows us that we are to do (Acts 17:11) so that you will never be deceived.
I hope and pray that all of you who are Bible believing followers of Jesus Christ are constantly testing what your pastors and teachers are presenting to you against the truth of God’s Word as we are shown in Scripture to do (Acts 17:11) no matter how long they have been in ministry, because many pastors and teachers are now embracing and presenting New Age mystical practices to their people through things such as yoga, as well as though meditation practices which often times are found in Spiritual Formation classes and are referred to as Contemplative Prayer, silent prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize, etc.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Mysticism in the church is one of the many ways that Satan is now using to bring about the oneness and unity that is being promoted in the world to bring about the One World Religion. Sadly, many pastors and teachers lack discernment and have now become tools in Satan’s hands to promote these mystical practices. We must keep in mind what God says in His Word:
“Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)
Are you a follower of a man (or woman) and their ministry? Or are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Will you be a Berean and examine the Scriptures daily to see if what they are saying is true? Will you walk in the light and in truth and leave, if necessary, if Yoga and other mystical practices are being promoted at your church? Or are the relationships that you have developed over the years while you have attended your church more important to you than being obedient to God and the truth presented in His Word? True followers of Jesus Christ will follow Him –no matter what the cost.
“For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.” (2 Corinthians 2:9)
Now for today’s very short, but very important, Mysticism Monday:
This post has to be very short because my condo is still rather messy, and as I am writing this I am eating my cereal out of a container meant for left overs, and eating it with a fork. That’s what happens when a Berean and detective-at-heart is filled with an urgency to warn other Christians by spending countless hours writing and updating posts out of a desire to reach other Christians in order to emphasize the importance of testing the teachings of Christian pastors, leaders, and writers against the truth of God’s Word so they will not be deceived! At least that’s my excuse reason.
In all seriousness now, I’d like to share one of Ray Yungen’s ‘For Many Shall Come In My Name’ programs that he does on Rapture Ready Radio with you. In this episode Ray Yungen is joined by Jackie Alnor of THE SCATTERED SHEEP REPORT. The World The Parliament of the World’s Religions, oneness, the pope, Contemplative Prayer, and Beth Moore are some of the topics discussed in the following thirty minute message. Just click on the link below.
ADDITIONAL UPDATE ADDED 1/31/16 7:14 P.M. CONCERNING LEVI LUSKO BELOW
How certain are you that you could never be deceived? If you read and study God’s Word and have learned how important it is to test the teachings and actions of every Christian pastor, teacher, and speaker that you listen to against Scripture, then the likelihood of you being led into deception is pretty low. However, if you still have not learned that our trust is to be in God alone and not in any pastor or teacher, and if you only look to men (or women) for the truth of God’s Word instead of relying on the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth, then I am sorry to say that you have a very high chance of being deceived. We must never forget the many warnings in Scripture about spiritual deception, false teachers, doctrines of devils and apostasy in the last days –no matter how many years someone has been teaching or preaching God’s Word!
Here are two examples that I’d like to bring to your attention in order to show you why it is so very important for us as Christians to pray for discernment, and why we must always ‘test all things’ and ‘examine the Scriptures daily to see if what is being said (by those who claim to speak for God) is true.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22, Acts 17:11)
1) In November or December of 2015 as I was listening to a particular Priscilla Shirer message in order to test what she was saying in light of Scripture, the following video that was in the sidebar on YouTube caught my attention:
Since I have never heard Sarah Jakes (daughter of T D Jakes, a known Modalist) preach before, I decided to listen to her message, as well. She entitled her message “The Displaced Crown,” and the text that she based her message on was Luke 1:45, which says:
“And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told to her from the Lord.”
Sarah Jakes said all of the following within the first five minutes of her message:
“Just to give you all a little bit of background as to how I came to this message, I was studying in Mark, and there’s this part in Mark where Jesus has healed a leper, and he tells the leper, “Go straight to the priest. Don’t tell anyone what I’ve done, just go straight to the priest, and the leper goes and tells everyone as people do as soon as you tell them don’t, you know…keep a secret.”
“So I’m studying this text why is it that Jesus didn’t want anyone to know about the gift? Because at this point, I mean, He knows what He’s been called to do, He knows that there will be masses of people who are drawn to Him, and I wonder why He didn’t want anyone to know. So I’m reading, how did he get this courage to stay focused on the purpose in spite of the people, and to stay focused on what God has called Him to do in spite of the crowd that would eventually surround Him.”
“And so, it’s Mother’s Day, and so I always feel like a lot of good things that reside in us come from our mothers, and so I went back into studying Mary and how He developed this purpose and this focus and this vision. And it really challenged my heart…”
At this point she shared how she became pregnant at the age of thirteen and had her son at the age of fourteen, and then continues her message by saying:
“…So I’m studying this text about Mary, and above all I wanted to know, how did she teach Him to not be ashamed of who He was and who he came from, because I’m sharing my story all across the world now, and I have my own son…”
“And so, but I just wondered like from a practical mothering standpoint, and it actually prompted… I think it’s going to be my third book…I want to write this book called, Dear Mary, where I ask her these questions like, “Dear Mary, How did you teach Him to be courageous? How did you teach Him to trust His purpose? Because…at the end of the day, when I got pregnant at thirteen, I carried a lot of shame and a lot of guilt, but I think it had more to do with what people thought about me, and what I thought about myself, and then I wanted him to be proud that I was his mother. And I didn’t know if he could be proud that I was his mother, with everyone saying negative things about me. (Brief pause) I’ve never talked about it in front of him, so I might cry.”
“But, um…the difficult part about raising a child who you want to stay focused on purpose and to be courageous, is that at the end of the day you know at one point they’re going to have to withstand hearing the whispers of other people. And how do you share your truth, when you’re afraid of hearing your truth yourself? How can you teach your child to love and accept who they are and where they come from, if you’re still struggling yourself? And so I’m looking at Mary, and I’m like, “How did you do this, how did you teach…how did you let him go into this world where you knew He would be criticized, you knew He would be crucified? But still He managed to stay focused on who He was?” She could have built a lie. She could have told Him Joseph was His father, and He could have gone into the world and never known who He really was.”
Did you discern how a Christian could easily be led astray if they are not grounded in God’s Word and instead become captivated by her touching story and her sweet and gentle demeanor? As I mentioned earlier, the portion that I shared with you above was only from the first five minutes of her message! So many concerns came to mind as I listened to her entire message. How about you?
Here are just a few of the many questions and concerns that came to mind as I listened to the first five minutes:
–Will her book Dear Mary be similar to Sarah Young’s Devotional, Jesus Calling? In other words, will she write Mary’s replies to her questions in first person voice?
–Will she actually give answers to her questions that she presents to Mary as she writes her book? Or will she merely speculate?
–Since Scripture is rather silent concerning Mary, if she does give clear answers to her questions, will she then claim that she heard from Mary herself?
–If she does receive/provide answers to her questions, then it will be considered new revelations, which will be unbiblical since the canon is closed. Yet, how many Christians will still go out and buy her book? Sadly, since I have been told that many follow Sarah Jakes, there will be many who will probably choose to buy her book.
–Will more Christians be drawn to Mary and be led down the road that is leading Christians to Rome because of her book, and also due to the fact that many pastors and teachers are calling for unity with the Catholic church? (This thought strongly motivates me to finish reading the last 300 or so pages of my Catechism of the Catholic Church book so that I can finally write my post in which, Lord willing, I will be comparing the teachings of the CCC to God’s Word, the Bible, in order to warn Christians of Catholicism’s many unbiblical teachings that are deceiving many precious Catholics –including my family).
–Can Christians hear from listening to her message how she is glorifying Mary by saying it was what she did that kept Jesus focusing on His purpose and what He was called to do? Where can she find any Scriptural basis for saying such a thing?
–Can Christians discern while listening to Sarah Jakes’ message how she completely loses sight of the fact that Mary and Joseph were baffled at the response that Jesus gave them when they found Him in the temple? (Luke 2:41-50 See below under Related Scriptures). That portion of Scripture, (among others such as Matthew 12:47-49) shows that Mary oftentimes lost sight of Jesus’ mission, and that He was fully aware of who He was and what His purpose was without any help from Mary.
–Will Christians have the ability to discern that Jesus is basically being stripped of His deity by some of the things that she has said?
–How many Christians will be filled with deep concern when they hear her say that if it wasn’t for what Mary said and did, then Jesus could have gone into the world and never known who He really was?
Those are just some of the many serious questions to ponder concerning what Sarah Jakes said in her message!
Now on to the second thing that I would like to bring to your attention:
2) Harvest Bible Chapel Rolling Meadows had Levi Lusko, pastor of FreshLife Church in Montana, as their guest pastor on Saturday and Sunday, January 2nd and 3rd of 2016.
As heartbreaking and as devastating as it must have been, and still continues to be, that Levi and his wife lost their precious five year old daughter, Lenya, when she died just five days before Christmas in 2012 after having a severe asthma attack, there are a few things that those of you who attend Harvest Bible Chapel — and all of you — need to be aware of concerning Levi Lusko in regards to the conferences that he takes part in, the company that he keeps, and the false teachers that he promotes. Just a little further below you will see how he is endorsing these men, who are also pastors, through his tweets and retweets. Men such as: Ed Young, Mark Batterson, Brian Houston, Carl Lentz, Steven Furtick, and more.
In this post you will also find many videos on these men so as to provide evidence as to why they are false teachers.
Let’s take a look at this first tweet. At first glance it seems like Levi Lusko took part in a Christian conference and did some good preaching.
However, listen to a little of what he said at this conference in the 2 minute and 42 second video below, as well as the next very short video of the highlights of this conference to see if everything was Biblical and glorifying to God:
As you can see by this next tweet, Levi Lusko preached the first message in the new series of messages on Influence at Ed Young’s church:
In the beginning of the video below you will hear Levi Lusko say some of the following:
“It’s an enormous honor and a privilege to be with you. This church has made such an impact in our hearts, in our lives, in our ministry.”
“You guys are making a difference far more than you know around the world through the influence of this house, and the way that Pastor Ed and Lisa have pioneered for twenty six years so faithfully continually pushing the envelope with consistency, trusting God, stepping out in new ways, investing in young leaders…” (Emphasis is mine).
(Yes. In spite of the fact that it is unscriptural for a woman to be a pastor according to 1 Timothy 2:12-14, Pastor Ed Young’s wife is also the pastor of their church).
In case some of you are not aware of who Ed Young is, these videos will give you a pretty good idea:
You can also read these articles about Ed Young which were written by the late Pastor Ken Silva who earnestly contended for the faith until the very end:
Levi Lusko will also be one of the speakers at Ed Young’s CREATIVE CHURCH CONFERENCE (C3 Conference) coming up on February 10th and 11th 2016:
Another guest speaker at the C3 Conference will be Bil Cornelius who wrote the following book along with Bill Easum. Both men are pastors, but sadly, the title of their book will demonstrate once again, just how many pastors are losing sight of the fact that they are to simply be faithful to preach the Word of God, and it is God alone who will be the one who will grow the church. (Acts 2:47) Instead they see “…the need for an unhesitant pursuit of excellence in all areas of the church’s ministry, and the requirement that you picture an audacious vision for your church and live into that vision.”
As you can see from the following two tweets, Levi Lusko is not only promoting Mark Batterson, who is the Lead Pastor of National Community Church and author of the highly controversial book, The Circle Maker, but also he is promoting Brian Houston, who is the pastor of Hillsong Church in Australia, home of the worship group, Hillsong United. He is also promoting Carl Lentz who is the focus of Brian Houston’s tweet that Levi Lusko retweeted. (Please see the many videos that I added concerning all three of these pastors under Related Videos so that you can become aware of the valid concerns that many have about these pastors).
Here we see him promoting Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in North Carolina:
If the name Jefferson Bethke doesn’t ring a bell, this may help. His video Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus went viral:
However, if you read the following article by Lighthouse Trails, you will discover his real message, and realize the extreme importance of always praying for discernment:
As you can see by the next tweet, he is totally recommending Pastor Craig Groeschel’s book to everyone:
Here’s some information on Pastor Craig Groeschel. In the video below, Chris Rosebrough of FIGHTING FOR THE FAITH, does a sermon review on Craig Groeschel’s sermon based upon his previous…new book. (Hmm. Sound familiar?).
As you can see from the following tweet, Levi Lusko took part in Passion 2016 where Christian leaders (that many have valid concerns about) such as Ravi Zacharias, Christine Caine, and John Piper, also spoke. Up to 40,000 young adults were said to have gathered for this event:
Below you will find a video Playlist of all of the messages given at Passion 2016 for those of you who are interested in listening to them and testing them in light of Scripture. However, I suggest that you listen a.s.a.p., because normally they only allow them to remain public for a very limited amount of time before they become private:
At the link below starting at the 39 min. and 07 second mark, you can hear Chris Rosebrough give a Biblical analysis of the 6th session of Passion 2016 concerning Louie Giglio’s message. He also gives a Biblical analysis of Christine Caine’s message starting at the 01:08:19 mark. (For those of you who are interested, Chris Rosebrough analyzes a message that Beth Moore gave on TBN at the 50:12 min. mark in the following program, as well).
In this next tweet we discover that Levi Lusko also preached at the Hillsong Church located in Los Angeles, where Benjamin Houston (son of Brian Houston) and his wife Lucille are the Lead Pastors.
The following tweet raised a red flag since I am a former Catholic, and Catholicism refers to Jesus as a “Victim” in the Sacrifice of the Mass. However, God’s Word clearly shows us that Jesus gave His live willingly! (John 10:17,18) (Also read Hebrews 10:5-10)
"The power to go from VICTIM to VICTOR is contained in 3 words: HE IS RISEN." @louiegiglio#passion2016
Levi Lusko preached at Holy Trinity Brompton in England where Nicky Gumbel is one of the leaders. In this video, Levi Lusko briefly makes a comment encouraging people there to get more involved in Alpha, a course that is unbiblical and strongly promoted at Holy Trinity Brompton (as well as Willow Creek Church in Chicago and many other churches) and leading many Christians into Roman Catholicism. (See videos below under Related Videos to learn more about the Alpha course and Nicky Gumbel).
Levi Lusko also preached at Steven Furtick’s Elevation Church:
As Steven Furtick introduced Levi Lusko he said something that was quite revealing and very troubling. In part he said the following:
“His new book, Through The Eyes Of A Lion, is here; it’s available. I want everybody to get one.”
“He shared some of this with our church before, and it was one of the most remarkable weekends we’ve had in the history of our church, and I said, “Bro you gotta come back. You gotta preach this book to our people. I want the message to get out. I want everybody watching on line to get this story in their heart…to get faith in their heart.”
Please don’t think that I am being nit-picky or insensitive, because when you have a man who is a preacher saying to another preacher to preach his book, having a desire for everybody watching online to “get faith in their heart,” when God’s Word says to “Preach the Word,” (2 Timothy 4:1-4) and that “faith comes byhearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” (Romans 10:17), that is a clear indication of a serious problem!
UPDATE 1/31/16 Chris Rosebrough just did a review this past Friday of one of Levi Lusko’s sermons that truly raises some seriousred flags because he says in his message that “Jesus had suicidal thoughts in His head.” You can listen to a portion of Levi Lusko’s message entitled Terror By Night – Paper Tigers, and Chris’ review of his message starting at the 00:38:55 minute mark at the link below. (You may also be interested in listening to his review of Beth Moore’s (unbiblical) message entitled, Make Jesus the Romance of Your Life that starts at the 00:57:34 minute mark which comes right after his review of Levi Lusko’s message).
A very important thing that we as Christians must always remember is that when we listen to someone who shares something about their lives that begins to deeply touch our hearts, we must never allow ourselves to be moved by our emotions in such a way that we end up becoming desensitized to the point where we are no longer alert and on guard against anything unbiblical they might say or do. If we allow our emotions to be in control instead of God’s Holy Spirit, it is then that we could easily become deceived and led astray.
Take the video of Sarah Jakes, for example. While it is very commendable that she made the choice to give life to her son when she found out that she was pregnant at the tender age of thirteen, and that in time she was able to rise above the shame and the rejection that she felt because of how other Christians treated her due to the wrong choices that she made, if Christians are moved by sympathy for her or admiration of her when they listened to her speak, then they may have missed some very disturbing things that she said that should have raised some serious red flags if you listened to her message. And if you caught many of the things that she said, and became filled with concern, then, well done; you are very discerning!
Another important thing to remember is:
Never simply accept the fact that your pastor has approved of the pastors and teachers that he is allowing to speak at your church. Do your own research to make sure that they are Biblically sound teachers of God’s Word, or you may end up being deceived by their teachings if you choose to buy their books or listen to their messages or the teachers that they endorse through their tweets on Twitter, or their comments on Facebook.
Here are the most important questions to ask yourself:
Is the pastor who is the guest speaker preaching Jesus Christ? Is his message solely based on a certain Biblical text? Or does his message focus more on his life or his experiences with just Scriptures added here and there?
Levi Lusko’s message was truly inspiring and deeply moving, but we must always remember the command given in Scripture how it is the Word of God, Jesus Christ, and the good news of the gospel that is supposed to be preached:
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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 4:1-4)
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” (1 Corinthians 1:17)
“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves, your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5)
Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your relaxing weekend (at least I hope it is) to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary/Living4HisGlory
RELATED SCRIPTURES
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Hebrews 1:1-6)
“Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared Me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.” Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said He, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:5-10)
“Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.” (Luke 2:41-50)
“While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said unto Him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee. But He answered and said unto him that told him, Who is My mother? And who are My brethren? And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, Behold my Mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50)
“Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (John 10:17,18)
“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)
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (2 Peter 2:1)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
“Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)
“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 20:26-31)
1) The unbiblical nature of the Alpha Course which Levi Lusko briefly mentioned, but nonetheless promoted when he spoke at Holy TrinityBrompton in England, which is responsible for leading many Christians into Catholicism.
2) How Catholicism is being promoted through the unity and oneness that is taking place when men of God begin to make compromises, and how many Christians are being lured into Catholicism by experienced based teachings which are being promoted at many churches today.
(POST UPDATED MONDAY 1/18/16 1:51 P.M., 3:27 P.M., AND 9:43 P.M. THEN AGAIN ON THURSDAY 1/21/16 8:27P.M. ).
UPDATED Saturday 1/23/16 8:58 P.M. After working on this post for over 10 hours today by adding a lot of information concerning Levi Lusko’s tweets.
UPDATED 8:46 A.M. Sunday 1/24/16 Added video of Steven Furtick, Hey Haters and two Ed Young videos.
UPDATED 4:34 P.M. Sunday 1/24/16 Added more information concerning Levi Lusko’s tweets and videos of the Passion 2016 Conference.
UPDATED AND COMPLETED 8:35 P.M. SUNDAY 1/24/16
UPDATED SUNDAY 1/24/16 10:29 P.M. ADDED HILLSONG’S VERSION OF SILENT NIGHT
Desiring for God to use all that I have been through in life, I decided to start my first blog, living4hisglory.wordpress.com, in order to write poems about some of those experiences to bring glory to God, as well as to share them with others with the hope of encouraging those of you who have been broken and shattered by life's circumstances and hurt by those who were supposed to have loved you rather than abuse you in some way.
Also, because of some pastors and teachers today who seem to be abandoning Biblical Christianity and instead seem to be either seeking to build their own empires and promoting their own agendas, and at times even leading the people in their churches into unbiblical, 'mystical practices' without some people even realizing it, I saw the importance and necessity to begin writing poems and posts in order to inform Christians, as well as to make Christians realize the extreme importance of testing what people say (who claim to speak for God) against the truth of God's Word, (Acts 17:11) so that they will not be deceived. It has never been -- nor shall it ever be -- my intention to bash any particular pastor or teacher; my sole purpose in bringing attention to false teachings is to make Christians realize that we are to be followers of Jesus Christ, and not to be followers of any man (or woman) and his (or her) ministry. I hope that you will be blessed -- as well as challenged -- by the things that I write.
NOTE: COMMENTS ON ALL POSTS CLOSE ONE MONTH AFTER THEY ARE PUBLISHED.
Thank you for stopping by and taking time to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary - Living4HisGlory
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary K. Dalke and Living4HisGlory Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
NOTE: Any adds that may be displayed on my blog have not been chosen or approved by me; I can't even see any adds that WordPress chooses to post here.
Desiring for God to use all that I have been through in life, I decided to start my first blog, living4hisglory.wordpress.com, in order to write poems about some of those experiences to bring glory to God, as well as to share them with others with the hope of encouraging those of you who have been broken and shattered by life's circumstances and hurt by those who were supposed to have loved you rather than abuse you in some way.
Also, because of some pastors and teachers today who seem to be abandoning Biblical Christianity and instead seem to be either seeking to build their own empires and promoting their own agendas, and at times even leading the people in their churches into unbiblical, 'mystical practices' without some people even realizing it, I saw the importance and necessity to begin writing poems and posts in order to inform Christians, as well as to make Christians realize the extreme importance of testing what people say (who claim to speak for God) against the truth of God's Word, (Acts 17:11) so that they will not be deceived. It has never been -- nor shall it ever be -- my intention to bash any particular pastor or teacher; my sole purpose in bringing attention to false teachings is to make Christians realize that we are to be followers of Jesus Christ, and not to be followers of any man (or woman) and his (or her) ministry. I hope that you will be blessed -- as well as challenged -- by the things that I write.
NOTE: COMMENTS ON ALL POSTS CLOSE ONE MONTH AFTER THEY ARE PUBLISHED.
Thank you for stopping by and taking time to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary - Living4HisGlory
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary K. Dalke and Living4HisGlory Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
NOTE: Any adds that may be displayed on my blog have not been chosen or approved by me; I can't even see any adds that WordPress chooses to post here.
Picture above is a quick capture of Doreen Virtue holding a picture of the painting done by an artist that represents the alleged vision of Jesus that she claims to have had on January 7, 2017. You can watch the video HERE and the link is also posted further below in this post. NOTE: A comment was made in the comment section on one of these videos that show this painting which pointed out the disturbing fact that this “Jesus” does not have nail marks in His wrists or palms of His hands.
That’s what happens when a Berean and detective-at-heart is filled with an urgency to warn other Christians by spending countless hours writing and updating posts out of a desire to reach other Christians in order to emphasize the importance of testing the teachings of Christian pastors, leaders, and writers against the truth of God’s Word so they will not be deceived! At least that’s my 
Mary Dalke - Living4HisGlory
Living4HisGlory 