NY SUPREME COURT RULING SLAMS ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
LEADERS WOOD AND DURST WHO HIJACKED LOCAL CHURCH

. . . . . Not satisfied with the destruction they have already wrought, the AOG is taking them to court again: Notice of Appeal was filed in the Appellate Div. of St. Lawrence County Supreme Court against local AOG Church. . . .

…

. . . . . All of these Scriptures apply to all Christians in the church throughout the Church Age.  But apparently George Wood, General Superintendent to the Assemblies of God, and Duane Durst, District Superintendent of New York District of Assemblies of God do not apply these Scriptures to themselves. 

However, even the chief Apostle Paul himself did not seize or hijack local churches, so how does any pastor, general superintendent, district superintendent, or bishop have the biblical authority to do so?  Durst and Wood have also defied Paul’s instructions in which he TWICE gave instructions for giving financially to the church, diametrically opposed to what the AOG compels members to do and what AOG major partner and collaborator Rick Warren requires in compelling members to tithe.  How could the Apostle Paul be clearer?  ALL giving must NOT be out of compulsion:

2Cr 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Note this is not each church, but each individual man.  There should be no patrolling of local churches to see if they are tithing or not.

Paul also twice eternally damned the Judaizers in Galatians who were trying to put Christians back under the law, which would include compulsory tithing as though it were a Temple tax. . . . . .

read the full article here.

The Hillsong juggernaut has planned a victory party on May 1 to celebrate its arrival in Brisbane despite its takeover of a Pentecostal church south of the city not yet receiving the green light from congregants.

Registered members of the Garden City Christian Church in Mount Gravatt will on Sunday vote on whether to officially appoint evangelists and Hillsong founders Brian and Bobbie Houston as senior pastors in a move that would see the church renamed the Hillsong Brisbane Campus.

Despite claiming their pending footprint into Queensland was merely a partnership with the existing church, an information document circulated at Garden City at a service on April 5 has left little doubt about the Houstons’ intentions to change the face of the congregation.

“We intend, as indicated earlier, to operate as Hillsong Brisbane Campus,” the document noted.

Anticipating the approval of the takeover by members will be a mere formality, Hillsong heavies have planned a large housewarming party at the church on May 1 – the day after the three-day Australian Christian Churches (ACC) national conference winds up at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

ACC, of which Mr Houston is the head, is the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God denomination.

“They’re going to have a gathering at the church to celebrate their win,” said a Mt Gravatt church congregrant, who asked that her name not be published.

The congregant fears the nature of the Mt Gravatt church, which has more than 1000 members, will continue to go backwards under the stewardship of the Hillsong franchise.

“It used to be a really humble church and it’s totally changed over the years,” she said.

“They do really, really frivolous things. Once they did skydiving to raise money for missions.

“If people want to support the church they will – you don’t have to have big names.”

She said her family intended to end their long-time association with the church when Hillsong took over.

Hillsong has indicated it would allow the church’s acting pastor Steve Dixon to remain for a transitional period and that members would not lose control over church assets under the so-called partnership.

But one former Hillsong congregant has warned that the “controlling cult” made fundraising and recruitment its highest priorities, with church members holding few rights.

“They’re coming off all kind and pastoral when in fact it is simply a company takeover,” said Tanya Levin, author of the 2007 book People in Glass Houses, about her experiences under Hillsong.

“It will be interesting to to see how much of their former church as they know it survives.

“Because the Assemblies of God have got a history of going in, taking over and pretty quickly throwing out everybody that the previous church actually thought were important.”

Hillsong’s headquarters, the “Hills” campus, is in the Sydney suburb of Baulkham Hills but it also has two other campuses in the city. It conducts services around Sydney and has established international extensions in the UK, the Ukraine, South Africa and Sweden.

Ms Levin said the move into Brisbane was the latest example of the Houstons’ desire to spread their influence.

“They’re really explicit about wanting other areas in the world,” she said.

“They want Africa, particularly, as well as India.”

The church has established a growing presence within political circles in recent years, with then-Prime Minister John Howard opening its Baulkham Hills complex in 2002 and the likes of Peter Costello, Alexander Downer, Helen Coonan and Bob Carr having attended Hillsong events and conventions.

I saw this article this past weekend and I was a bit stunned in a number of different ways:

1. It is an unbiblical statement as we are all called in God’s Word to be Watchmen and “good Bereans”

2. It comes from a Pastor in a denomination where the vast majority of its churches no longer have Biblical “elders” but instead have 501c3 corporate style Business Boards who do not know God’s word, take no part in providing oversight in what is taught or preached in their churches, the Pastor is a corporate style CEO where the “Pastor is Master” !

3. It comes from a denomination whose national leadership have increasingly compromised Biblical Truth, therefore abrogating their position as True Spiritual leaders and Biblical elders.

4. The Pastor who wrote the article is a Pastor who does not operate his church on the model of a plurality of  Spiritual elders who oversee and protect the spiritual health of the local church and the pastor as but one of those elders, but instead has a 501c3 Corporate style Business Board with the Pastor as CEO, where the “Pastor is Master” and if there are any “elders” they are “ruled” by the Pastor and his agenda.

The established visible churches have abrogated their role in guarding the Gospel and have instead put denominational allegience ahead of Allegience to God and Biblical Truth. Hence the need for Online Discernment Ministries to fill the gap and make people aware of the rapid disintegration of Biblical Truth in the vast majority of Churches.

Denominational “Professional” Pastor’s have put job security ahead of standing on Biblical Truth out of fear of being kicked out of their denominations and losing their pulpits, pension plans, and denomination perks!

Lets see what God’s Word says about the watchman position not only being reserved for ancient prophets, present pastors, seminary graduates, professional apologists, or just someone else besides you or the people you go to church with.

The fact is that the New Testament is full of exhortations for us to live godly, obedient lives. Doing that involves watchfulness, soberness, alertness, and even recognizing the enemy’s devices (2 Cor. 2:11) and warning others away from sin and satanic deception:

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”  (James 5:19,20)

Watching and warning were regular inclusions in Paul’s letters to the churches. Paul himself showed characteristics of a watchman and then urged the readers of his day and now us to “imitate” him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1). Paul modeled for us what Godly concern and sounding a trumpet looked like.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to grow in maturity and to imitate others who demonstrate faithfulness:

“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak to you in this manner. (The writer had previously been warning of the dangers of immaturity and apostasy). For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but IMITATE those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:9-12)

Peter tells us to be watchful (“sober; vigilant” 1 Peter 5:8), and the entire letter of Jude is a watchman’s warning, clearly identifying false teachers and crying out to church people like you and I “To Arms!!!” Of special note is verse 3:

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary (Lit: “compelled or pressured from the outside”. This construct is used 18 times in the New Testament) to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly (“Fight hard”) for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Jesus Christ Our Lord is the ultimate Watchman and “Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). He left a brilliant pattern for us to follow of One who knew no compromise as He proclaimed the truth. By doing that, He displayed “salt” and “light” to fallen mankind and then asked us to be those same preserving and illuminating elements in the world we live in. (Matthew 5:13,14)

Worthy of mention is the fact that Jesus never shied away from taking the tough stands against the corrupt teachings and false religion in His day. He clearly declared the truth about hell, a real devil, the horrors of sin, and coming judgment.

The scriptures are obvious and vast so we wont include them all, but these writers and the Lord Himself demonstrated qualities and actions that were watchful and protective. If we are to try to imitate our Lord and Savior and live Godly examples, then our lives need to reflect clear seeing, bold warning, and alertness in this dark time.

The “evangelist” who made his name kicking a cancer patient in the stomach and boasting of kicking an elderly women in the face with his biker boots left the center ring of the Pentecostal circus after refusing to reconcile with his wife because of his adultery and marrying his girlfriend. Now fellow false prophet, Rick Joyner, is helping Bentley plot his return to the spotlight. After all, what the world needs now is more Todd Bentley, right?

J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine, stuck his neck out and dared to call Joyner and Bentley wrong for what they’re doing. He went further and attacked the “greasy grace” of Christians today who refuse to hold anyone accountable for their conduct and console the perpetrator while ignoring the victims. Grady comments:

“Many Christians today have rejected biblical discipline and adopted a sweet, spineless love that cannot correct,” Grady said. “Our grace is greasy. No matter what an offending brother does, we stroke him and pet him and nurse his wounds while we ignore the people he wounded. No matter how heinous his sin, we offer comforting platitudes because, after all, who are we to judge?”

Rick Joyner immediately charged Grady with being self-righteous. (Boy, does this sound familiar, Mr. Grady!) No Rick, the truth is your protegé has no business in public ministry, is obviously suffering from psychotic delusions, is abusive to others and is in dire need of repentance for the sake of his soul. Further, Mr. Joyner, Todd Bentley’s 100-night freak show brought untold shame on the name of Christ, disillusioned countless ill and desperate people who believed Bentley’s lies, and demonstrated the total lack of spiritual discernment in millions of “Christians” today.

One anonymous Pentecostal source in the CT article says the following:

“I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the Antichrist when he shows up because they have no discernment.”

Correction: A large segment of the charismatic church has already followed many anti-Christs because they have no discernment. That goes for non-Charismatic Christians as well.

So, brace yourself for Todd Bentley’s soon return. The Big Top has already been erected, the popcorn is being popped, and the sawdust is already in the three rings…

(commentary in blue)

Let no man beguile you of your reward (concerns false doctrine) in a voluntary humility (refers to self-abasement) and worshipping of Angels (pertained to the Gnostic teaching; this false teaching claimed man could not go directly to God through Jesus Christ, but rather must reach after God through successive grades of intermediate beings, i.e., “Angels”), intruding into those things which he has not seen (refers to going outside the revealed Word of God), vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind (“mind of the flesh”, which means its not the mind of God)

And not holding the Head (failure to look totally to Christ and the Cross will ultimately lead to destruction), from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered (Christ is the source of all nourishment which comes by the means of the Cross), and knit together, increases with the increase of God (proper Faith in the Cross guarantees spiritual increase)

Recent happenings at the General Council of the Assemblies of God bear out the changes out that are even re-shaping denominations. As most of you know, a Resolution was taken to the General Council by some of the Southern New England pastors who are concerned that the Assemblies of God maintain Biblical integrity in view of the “changes” that are transpiring. The following is first hand report on the reception of that Resolution. Keep in mind that Resolution was entitled, “A Return to Biblical Integrity”!

“The Resolution entitled, “A Return to Biblical Integrity (Resolution 16) came before the Council on the last day of business which was Friday, the 13th of August. One of the authors of the Resolution noticed that the Resolution booklet contained only Resolutions 1-15. The booklet had been printed prior to adding Resolution 16 to the General Council agenda. It was requested therefore, that Resolution 16 also be made available to the Council. That was not forthcoming.

On Friday at about 3:30 p.m., the Resolution Committee Chairman, read the text of the Resolution and immediately informed the Chair that he had a motion to present to the body. The motion called to POSTPONE Resolution 16 indefinitely and to have the doctrinal purity committee write a position paper on the concerns raised by Resolution 16. The motion was seconded and some debate ensured. The Chair would only allow debate on the motion to postpone indefinitely. This Parliamentary move effectively ruled out any dialog concerning Resolution 16 itself.

Three of the signers did attempt to speak against the move to postpone indefinitely. One was allowed to complete his statement, two were ruled against. They were not allowed to finish their comments and their microphones were turned off in mid-sentence.

from Cephas Ministry

that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

The Lighthouse Trails Reasearch article below is from 2006 but very timely today because of the Assembly of God denomination at the highest levels being infiltrated and subdued by Brennan Manning’s false teachings.

See this article: Assembly of God Fall Further into the Ditch: Contemplative Prayer Seminars at Central Assembly

I have been receving some frankly astonishing communication from AOG’ers who see nothing wrong with Brennan Manning.

One even said they called Central Assembly and asked them what Brennan Manning was going to be teaching and the church had this to say:

“Brennan Manning will teaching on how to truly believe and receive the reckless, relentless, and unconditional compassion of God the Father through His Son, and how we all can say with John’s gospel, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

And the person took that as his teaching was therefore Ok! Now that is pretty much a canned statement and doesnt really say what specifically Brennan Manning will be teaching . I mean that statement could have been made by a Mormon!

The fact is Brennan Manning believes that we do not need to be forgiven of our sins, and that God accepts us just as we are. He even accepts Homosexuals as they are! and we just have a negative self image issue and we can have our self image changed to how God see’s us!

An excerpt from Psychoheresy on the Ragamuffin Gospel:

Over the years, the growing consciousness of radical grace has wrought profound changes in my self-awareness. Justification by grace through faith means that I know myself accepted by God as I am. When my head is enlightened and my heart is pierced by this truth, I can accept myself as I am. Genuine self-acceptance is not derived from the power of positive thinking, mind-games, or pop psychology. It is an act of faith in the God of grace (Ragamuffin Gospel p. 49, italics his).

“In Manning’s psychologized view of grace, self-acceptance is seen as the key to growth. Manning’s God is a universal Father of man, undistinguished from those with whom He has a special redemptive relationship. Manning’s gospel offers acceptance of self, not deliverance from sin.”

“Manning gives his view of the redemptive process:”

For “experiencing God’s love in Jesus Christ means experiencing that one has been unreservedly accepted, approved and infinitely loved, that one can and should accept oneself and one’s neighbor. Salvation is joy in God which expresses itself in joy in and with one’s neighbor.” (Ragamuffin Gospel p. 63).

“This is clearly a psychological salvation, not the full, eternal redemption purchased by Christ’s death and resurrection.” . . . .

Church history in America would suggest that the fall of God-centeredness during the 19th century and the rise of man-centered, method-focused evangelism and sanctification would supply an ample framework for the acceptance of the works of psychologists and psychology advocates like Manning.

from Lighthouse Trails Research:

Brennan Manning, a popular writer and speaker, is considered by many to be a kind of expert on the topic of God’s grace. Philip Yancey, editor for Christianity Today magazine, says “Brennan Manning [is] my spiritual director in the school of grace.” On the back cover of Manning’s book, Ragamuffin Gospel, Max Lucado states: “Brennan does a masterful job of blowing the dust off of shop-worn theology and allowing God’s grace to do what only God’s grace can do – amaze.” Few Christians would argue that we need God’s grace, and in fact it is only through that grace that we can even approach God. Scripture is clear about this:

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Ray Yungen, author and research analyst, says of Manning:

His appeal is easy to understand when one hears Manning in person. His manner is very genuine and down-home. Many admire him for his passionate and dynamic character. When he relates how his mother mistreated him as a young child you cannot help but feel his pain deeply. (A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., p. 82)

Yungen adds, “However, despite all his admirable qualities and devotional intensity, he teaches contemplative prayer as a way to God” (p. 82). And here lies the problem. When we understand the premise of contemplative, we realize that it is impossible to promote both grace and contemplative at the same time. Grace and contemplative are on opposite sides of the pole. They completely contradict each other. John Caddock, in his excellent article, “What
is Contemplative Spirituality and Why is it So Dangerous?” discusses this ragamuffin view of grace:

Manning makes statements which imply universalism. In The Signature of Jesus, for example, he says that contemplative spirituality (which he calls paschal spirituality) “looks upon human nature as fallen but redeemed, flawed but in essence good” (p. 125). For Manning the life, death, and resurrection of Christ mean that all are redeemed. There is nothing to be done to gain the life of God. Everyone already has it:

He has a single, relentless stance toward us: he loves us. He is the only God man has ever heard of who loves sinners. False gods-the gods of human understanding-despise sinners, but the Father of Jesus loves all, no matter what they do. But of course this is almost too incredible for us to accept. Nevertheless, the central affirmation of the Reformation stands: through no merit of ours, but by his mercy, we have been restored to a right relationship with God through the life, death, and resurrection of his beloved Son. This is the Good News, the gospel of Grace (The Ragamuffin Gospel, p. 18).

Manning says that God loves “all.” He is not speaking here merely of the compassion God has for the world which moved Him to send His Son to die for us (John 3:16). He is saying that God has already restored all people to a right relationship with Him. Notice that he first says “he loves us” and then “he loves all.” Clearly us, the first person plural pronoun, in this context includes everyone. Then, in the same context Manning goes on to say that “we have been restored to a right relationship with God.” We, there is the same group as the all mentioned earlier. All have been restored to a right relationship with God. Manning wants us to overcome our psychological fog so that we can realize it. The Good News is that everyone is already saved. The biblical view that all are lost and that only when a person trusts Jesus Christ as Savior he passes from death to life (John 5:24) is foreign to Manning and contemplatives.

So while on the surface, Manning appears to be teaching God’s grace, it is a “grace” that has been distorted and twisted. And woven dangerously throughout Manning’s writings is a spirituality (contemplative) that will lead his followers more into the arms of mysticism and altered states of consciousness than into the arms of Jesus Christ.

Caddock goes on:

[T]he key to spirituality, according to Manning, is a special type of prayer which he calls “contemplative prayer” or “centering prayer.” For the uninitiated, this may not seem ominous. It may sound like what God calls us to do in His Word. It is not. It is ominous. It is a practice derived from Eastern mysticism. In The Signature of Jesus, Manning writes, “The task of contemplative prayer is to help me achieve the conscious awareness of the unconditionally loving God dwelling within me” (p. 211). He also says, “What masters of the interior life recommend is the discipline of ‘centering down’ throughout the day” (p. 94)…. He instructs the reader in the practice of centering prayer:

“[T]he first step in faith is to stop thinking about God at the time of prayer”(p. 212)! …

The second step, according to Manning, is to “without moving your lips, repeat the sacred word [or phrase] inwardly, slowly, and often” (p. 218)….

The third step concerns what to do when inevitable distractions come. The answer is to “simply return to listening to your sacred word. Gently return your mind to your sacred word” (p. 218). Finally, “after a twenty-minute period of prayer [which Manning recommends twice daily] conclude with the Lord’s Prayer, a favorite psalm, or some spontaneous words of praise and thanks” (p. 219).

While such instruction leaves little to doubt as to Manning’s affinity towards contemplative, his consistent promotion and obvious admiration for numerous mystics is even more remarkable. In Ragamuffin Gospel, Manning favorably quotes Basil Pennington, Sue Monk Kidd, Anthony de Mello, Henri Nouwen, Francis de Sales, Gerald May as well as Marcus Borg, and Alan Jones. Every one of these names is connected with New Age mysticism and a unbiblical view of the gospel. Alan Jones, in his book, Reimagining Christianity says:

The Church’s fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it” (p. 132).

In spite of Jones’ obvious disdain for the message of Jesus Christ dying on the Cross to save sinners, Manning favorably quotes him, not just in Ragamuffin Gospel but four times in his book The Signature of Jesus. Actually, Manning quotes a who’s who of Eastern style meditation teachers in that book. Some of them are: Thomas Merton, Anthony de Mello, Basil Pennington, David Steindl-Rast, William Shannon (Silence on Fire) and Henri Nouwen. These names are some of the most serious contemplatives there are. And by that, I mean they believe (or did believe when they were alive) that God is in every human being thus all are saved. If this were true, then God the Father made a terrible mistake in sending his Son to die, for it would have been an unnecessary act.

Unfortunately, the type of grace that Manning and these other authors promote is so intermingled with New Age thought that it is not the grace that Hebrews 4 speaks of but is rather a belief system that leads followers down a pantheistic, mystical path and further and further away from the Cross. In Manning’s more recent book, Above All, he says: “[T]he god who exacts the last drop of blood from his Son so that his just anger, evoked by sin, may be appeased, is not the God revealed by and in Jesus Christ. And if he is not the God of Jesus, he does not exist (p. 58).” Manning actually took this idea, nearly word for word, from William Shannon, author of Silence of Fire. But Manning has made a habit of quoting Shannon. Ray Yungen elaborates:

[W]hen Manning quotes from (and even recommends in one interview) William Shannon’s book, Silence on Fire, one would expect to find a common ground somewhere between the two of them. Yet Silence on Fire contains nothing that would inspire a true evangelical. In fact, it is filled with universalist statements that would offend anyone with doctrinally-sound evangelical sensibilities. One portion states, “[T]here is a oneness in God that unites all women and men … The goal of all true spirituality is to achieve an awareness of our oneness with God and with all of God’s creation.”

Alan Jones, whom Manning also repeatedly quotes, calls the doctrine of the Cross a vile doctrine. This rejection of the biblical view of the Cross by Jones and Shannon is similar to that of Brian McLaren who says the doctrine of the Cross and Hell are “false advertising for God.” Such a view insists that a loving God would not send his Son to a violent death on a Cross, and yet we know that He did do that to His Son, who took the place for others who because of their sin, deserved such wrath. Now that is what I call true grace.

This is very sad and makes my heart ache for where the Assembly of God as a denomination is headed!

Central Assembly of God in Springfield Missouri is near the General Council of The Assembly of God’s Headquarters and many in the leadership of the General Council are counted in its membership.

You can see the details of the Brennan Manning conference on Central Assembly’s website here.

Jim Bradford, the Senior Pastor at Central is considered to be the top candidate as the next Head of the Assembly of God’s Evangel University.

Brennan Manning is a Roman Catholic and a former Franciscan Monk who advocates Contemplative “Prayer” and “Spirituality”. Contemplative Prayer is actually just renamed Hindu Transcendental Meditation.

Contemplative “Prayer” originated in the 4th Century A.D from what were known as the “Desert Fathers”. These were apostate Monks who spent their time in seclusion “meditating” in the caves in the remote deserts of Arabia, repeating a word or phrase over and over until they went into a trance,.  

This contemplative or “centering” prayer involves a person emptying their mind and concentrating on one word or phrase, and continually repeating it until the person reaches a “spiritual” trance state. And this is exactly the same as Hindu Transcendental Mediation.

And in the 2oth century a Trappist Monk by the name of Thomas Merton popularized Contemplative Prayer after he regularly travelled to the far east to make contact with and explore  Eatern Religions and Hindu Transcendental Meditation techniques.

Merton claimed to “have had a religious experience while viewing enormous statues of the Buddha”. Oddly enough Merton died in a freak accident on one of his trips to the far east exploring Eastern Religions. He was electrocuted while getting out of a bathtub when he touched a poorly grounded electric fan.

How sad that The Assembly of God Leadership has not only welcomed in Rick Warren’s apostate teachings but now the leadership is welcoming in Idolotrous Roman Catholic and Hindu teachings!

This tells me that the AOG is clearly reached the end of the road as a denomination that speaks Biblical Truth! 

from Save The AOG:

It has been reported to me by very recent members of Central Assembly of God, our flagship church, the church where many of the A/G Leaders attend, that Pastor Jim Bradford has hosted a Willow Creek 40 Days of Prayer seminar AND that he has scheduled a highly visible proponent of contemplative prayer to speak at Central Assembly. In fact, I verified with Central Assembly’s own web site that Pastor Bradford is so excited to present Brennan Manning in conference starting January 30th, 2009. Just pay 25 bucks and you too can be part of this exclusive event!

I can only logically conclude one of two things here: first, I would have to question Jim Bradford’s discernment, or second, I would wonder whether Jim Bradford is not a dupe of the Rick Warrens, Brian McLarens and Earl Crepses out there, but rather a fellow disciple of the New Age (Old Hinduism).

Neither alternative would be good. In the first case, a shepherd who has no warning bells go off when a wolf is near, is a danger to his flock and ought to be replaced. But, in this instance, Jim Bradford is inviting the wolf right into his sheepfold. In the second case, we have a hireling fattening his flock for the wholesale kill by Satan himself. God will not allow the introduction of Hinduism (an age old practice of inviting demons to enter into ones empty mind and daily activities) into our churches without punishment.

Why do I say Hinduism? Because contemplative prayer is simply a 21st century renaming of Transcendental Meditation, the Hindu practice of clearing ones mind to allow demons to enter in and speak. Contemplative prayer (CP) is putting oneself into a trance.

NOWHERE in the Bible is there any mention of putting oneself into a trance. The ONLY trances mentioned are those induced by God Himself! In CP, the practitioner EMPTIES their mind.

When God puts us into a trance, He FILLS our mind with His thoughts and His WORD. Think on this: in nature, whose boundaries were set by God at Creation, any empty vessel makes itself prone to be filled by the next and nearest opportunity. For instance, a city built below sea level is fine as long as the levies that surround it hold. But, as in Katrina and New Orleans, when the levies broke, the sea rushed in and mixed with the sewage creating uninhabitable space.

And finally, emptying our minds is disobedience to God’s command in Philippians 4:8 to THINK on these things referring to a list of traits which concretely describe the character of God Himself. Scripturally, I could go on and on. . . . . .

Read the Full article here.