Participants: Chris Shelton (Host), Kenny Shelton
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000051
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00:41 Hello and welcome to "Behold the Lamb Presents."
00:44 I'm Chris Shelton your host and I want to extend 00:47 a warm welcome to you for tuning in with us today. 00:50 Today's message is the second and our final message 00:53 on a widely controversial subject that we have entitled, 00:56 "Spiritual formation, a blessing or a curse." 01:00 During our first program, I spoke to you 01:03 briefly about the origin of this movement 01:05 and a bit of it supposed purpose. 01:08 I asked the question as to whether or not this movement 01:11 may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. 01:13 You know what I mean. 01:15 Something very harmful yet disguised in Christianity. 01:19 Please allow me to share a quote 01:21 from the website www.gotquestions.org. 01:27 "The spiritual formation movement is very popular today. 01:30 It is, however, in many ways a move away 01:35 from the truth of God's word to a mystical form of Christianity. 01:39 And it has infiltrated, to some degree, 01:42 nearly all evangelical denominations. 01:45 The idea of spiritual formation is based on the premise 01:48 that if we do certain practices, we can be more like Jesus. 01:53 Proponents of spiritual formation erroneously teach 01:56 that anyone can practice these mystical rituals 01:59 and find God within themselves. 02:02 Too often, adherents of the current 02:04 spiritual formation movement 02:06 believe the spiritual disciplines 02:08 transform the speaker by his or her 02:11 entering an altered state, 02:13 an altered realm of consciousness. 02:16 The spiritual formation movement is characterized 02:19 by such things as contemplative prayer, 02:21 contemplative spirituality, and Christian mysticism." 02:27 What I've found in my studies is that this movement 02:31 has found no boundaries in religious beliefs. 02:35 In fact even though we are dressing the problems facing 02:39 our evangelical churches who are promoting 02:42 these new types of practices you really don't even 02:45 have to be Christian or a seeker of truth in any form or fashion 02:50 to experience this altered state. 02:53 The Bible on the other hand promotes the thought-- 02:56 now listen carefully, that we are to be seekers of truth 03:00 and that our meditation is to be upon Christ and His word. 03:04 Whereas to experience this ecstasy of spiritual formation, 03:09 as some call it, you are to learn to meditate 03:12 by emptying the mind and losing control 03:15 of oneself to the God within or spirit within. 03:19 Friends, our only hope is to be as Christ was 03:24 and to fully trust in the word as He did even 03:28 when He was tempted by the enemy 03:30 who had appeared to Him, to Christ, 03:33 disguised as an angel of life from heaven. 03:37 You know, Pastor Kenny he has been studying this movement 03:40 for quite sometime now and I am sure that he has much to share 03:45 to help us more fully understand what spirit is behind this 03:50 and just how to deal with it. 03:52 But first, we are so blessed to go to the 3ABN worship center 03:56 and listen to a song entitled, "Oh, I Want to Know You More" 04:01 as sung by Christian Berdhal. 04:24 Just the time I feel 04:29 That I've been caught in the mire of self 04:37 Just the time I feel 04:41 My mind's been bought by worldly wealth 04:47 That's when the breeze begins to blow 04:53 I know the Spirit's call 04:59 And all my worldly wanderings 05:04 Just melt into His love 05:11 Oh, I want to know You more 05:15 Deep within my soul, I want to know You 05:19 Oh, I want to know You 05:22 To feel Your heart and know Your mind 05:26 Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me 05:31 Cries that say I want to know You 05:37 Oh, I want to know You more 05:48 When my daily deeds 05:52 Ordinarily lose life and song 05:59 My heart begins to bleed 06:03 Sensitivity to Him is gone 06:11 I've run the race but set 06:14 My own pace and face a shattered soul 06:22 Now the gentle arms of Jesus warm 06:27 My hunger to be whole 06:34 Oh, I want to know You more 06:38 Deep within my soul, I want to know You 06:42 Oh, I want to know You 06:45 To feel Your heart and know Your mind 06:49 Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me 06:54 Cries that say I want to know You 07:00 Oh, I want to know You 07:03 And I would give my final breath 07:07 To know You in Your death and resurrection 07:12 Oh, I want to know You more 07:18 Oh, I want to know You 07:22 To know You more 07:30 Oh, I want to know 07:34 You more 07:57 Thanks, for joining us once again 07:58 here at "Behold the Lamb." 07:59 Have a very, very important subject as you heard 08:02 my wife mention, to talk about spiritual formation. 08:05 This is very-- this is very deadly 08:08 and so we need to approach it as such. 08:10 Remember, folks, if we are accepting air as truth 08:13 many will be lost because of that 08:15 because the devil is trying to pull us, what? 08:18 Away from the pure word of God. 08:20 There need to be watchman on the walls of Zion. 08:23 The devil is out to control the mind and he doesn't mind 08:28 using religious things, so to speak, like prayer. 08:32 Oh, I've heard a lot to talk about prayer and people having, 08:35 you know, a lot of meetings and things going on with prayer 08:37 but do they match up with the word of God 08:39 as how we'd approach the throne of God. 08:42 This is the issue. 'Cause it's not from God. 08:44 It is from the enemy regardless 08:45 of how you feel about it. 08:48 Interesting quote in "Desire of Ages," in 671. 08:53 "It is through false theories and traditions that Satan 08:58 gains his power over the mind." 09:02 Let's pray, shall we, together. 09:03 The Holy Spirit will help us as we study 09:05 this most important subject. 09:07 Pray with me, will you? 09:09 Merciful Father, in heaven, 09:11 we thank You for Your precious word. 09:12 We pray Your Holy Spirit will enlighten us to these truths. 09:15 You're warning Your people today. 09:17 Oh, Lord, help us to receive that warning with thanksgiving. 09:20 Bless now, we pray, open the ears, the hearts, 09:22 and the minds of Your children regardless 09:23 of what we've experience and stick to the word of God. 09:27 This is our chart. This is our compass. 09:30 Help us oh, Lord, we pray. 09:32 If You said it in Your word we can say, thank You Lord, 09:35 praise God for it, and be willing to be obedient. 09:38 In Jesus name we pray, and for His sake. Amen. 09:43 Given the importance of the subject 09:44 as we're talking about here-- so much material, 09:47 so what we do is just--all the material you can go through 09:50 you have to condense it down 09:52 in the little small time that we have here. 09:54 So always study to show yourself approved unto God. 09:57 All kind of information. 09:59 So there will be things that maybe left 10:00 that you think ought to be 10:02 if you have been a studier of this subject. 10:03 But just take--we're looking for red flags. 10:06 Red flags means it does not correspond with the word of God 10:09 and if it does not it is from the enemy. 10:13 Now we did our first part. 10:14 Usually we take time to go over what we cover-- 10:16 can't do that because of the preciousness of time. 10:20 But I might say this that, you know, I realize it 10:21 that names of individuals could be used 10:24 and we could drag them in. 10:25 That's not our purpose here of individuals. 10:28 Our purpose is exposing air or exposing the enemy. 10:32 And so we ask it through your prayers 10:34 as we continue this study. 10:35 Our hearts and minds will be open. 10:37 We're looking, what? 10:39 To line up with the word of God. 10:41 We need to be careful how we handle, what? 10:44 The word of God. 10:47 God's looking for men and women today 10:49 who will be watchman on the walls of Zion. 10:52 There are dangers that are coming in. 10:55 And this right and left-- it's like a flood 10:58 that's coming into the church. 11:00 And yet somehow we don't sense it. 11:02 We don't sense the time that we're living. 11:03 We're not sensing that the enemy is throwing 11:06 these arrows at us-- and naturally 11:08 what is he going-- Oh, blatant arrows. No. 11:10 He's going to make it seem like its spiritual. 11:13 It's a feeling. It's an emotion. 11:15 It's something that we need and many people are, 11:17 in the light of sin-- I have a need 11:19 of a closer walk with Jesus. That's good. 11:22 But it still must line up with the words of God. 11:25 We need people, men and women, who will call, what? 11:29 Sin, by its right name. 11:30 Will you be one of those today? 11:32 When you see air creeping in, will you stand up and say, 11:34 "That doesn't correspond with the Bible." 11:38 I read a little book said, Reflecting Christ-- 11:40 now I'll just share this with you quickly. 11:41 32, said "There is a constant need." 11:43 What kind of need? 11:45 "A constant need of earnest, 11:46 decided messages of warning. 11:50 God will have men who are true to duty." 11:53 Are you true to duty or are you a wishy-washy Christian? 11:56 Or is it, "Well, I don't want to get involved." 11:58 That had--other people are getting involved. 12:01 And, friend, do you realize now people 12:03 are getting involved is going to be what? 12:04 Eternal life or damnation. 12:06 What is it going to be? 12:08 There's no such saying as a harmonious air. 12:11 And so as we see this creeping in all among us 12:13 we need to realize this, those who trust wholly in themselves-- 12:18 listen, those who trust holy in themselves. 12:21 And this is what this kind of spiritual formation 12:23 is all about, really, is trusting self. 12:25 You know, we say we're trusting in a higher power-- 12:27 we'll see less and less of God. 12:29 Somebody listen, "Those who trust," what? 12:32 "Wholly and themselves will see less and less of God." 12:37 I know that you're not one of those today. 12:39 And so as we talk about spiritual formation 12:41 and get little bit more into this exercise always and-- 12:44 we'll have to repeat because different kind of pattern 12:47 that we talk about here 12:48 that has lot of the same things used in it. 12:50 So don't let-- 'cause we're repeating. 12:53 Remember where these sayings come from. 12:55 Is this what you've been taught from the word of God 12:57 or is this something new and strange and oh, 12:59 it gives us some kind of a feeling 13:01 and so that supersedes God's word? Never. 13:04 Air is air and the devil is the author of that. 13:08 Spiritual formation exercises affect the mind. 13:11 It is about the mind. 13:13 These experiences are similar to hypnotism. 13:17 No one wants to be involved. 13:19 You know, you've been warned for years. 13:20 Be careful about letting somebody 13:21 hypnotize you, because, what? 13:23 They take control of your mind. 13:24 It's exactly what the devil is trying to do. 13:27 Let me just name one-- maybe a red flag will go up 13:29 because you hear this mentioned 13:31 many times in the Christian world. 13:33 They're called Centering Prayer. 13:35 So what is Centering Prayer? 13:38 It's basically a form, listen, of self hypnosis. 13:42 A self--you can hypnotize yourself. 13:45 Now, how does it go? 13:46 It calls for a person to go, now notice this, 13:48 automatically--it ought to be a flag, red flag to a Christian 13:52 when it says, you need to go deep within yourself. 13:55 You get yourself in trouble that way, won't you? 13:58 Deep within yourself and then you need to concentrate here 14:03 on just one thing and nothing else. 14:06 And the mind then is free. 14:09 But as it is free it's open to suggestions. 14:14 But our counselor from the word of God, 14:16 the Spirit of Prophecy is always--listen, 14:18 the mind should never be left to do, what? 14:21 To drift on its own. You know why? 14:23 'Cause you'll get yourself in trouble. 14:24 Those of you who are mind drifted, 14:26 you know what I'm talking about. 14:27 The mind should never ever be left to wander. 14:32 There should be some direction to it. 14:34 The mind should never be left--listen, uncontrolled. 14:39 Because you know that's why you're putting 14:40 the words of God, what? 14:42 The verse that, "thy words if I hid in my heart, mind," what? 14:45 Well, I might not stand against you. 14:47 But if you let that go and you have nothing up there 14:51 what is your defense? 14:52 Your defense is knowing what is right and wrong. 14:55 I mean, this is right, the word of God. 14:58 Its very interesting-- the Centering Prayer. 15:01 Here's what people do when they talk about Centering Prayer. 15:03 I know there's a lot of people out there, the good people, 15:05 maybe they're misinformed, maybe a little bit confused. 15:09 But, man, they're leading a lot of people down a path-- 15:11 I don't think they will ever return, 15:12 only by a miracle of God. 15:15 Remember when somebody says, you know, 15:16 you feel like your relationship with God has just all crumbled 15:19 and you're cold and you're life in--you want some new life 15:22 and you want to, you do something more for God. 15:24 You want to be energized. 15:25 You want to be able to feel it? 15:28 This is what Centering Prayer is all about. 15:31 They say well here's how you can get close to God. 15:34 And really as a Christian somebody says, "Brother Kenny, 15:36 this is how you can get closer to God." 15:38 I'll say, "How?" 15:40 And so it opens a door here but then we keep our ears 15:42 and mind open and they will say 15:44 well I've experienced this and you need to experience it. 15:47 Oh, it's going to be good. You need it? 15:49 You need to listen to what I have to say. 15:51 You see how God is gonna work through you. 15:53 Close to God. And they say-- 15:55 and how you can just open your heart 15:57 and be--and be free. Wow. 16:00 Give your heart and your mind to God. 16:02 If you've never done that, what an experience. 16:04 And it's true if we're following the word of God. 16:07 But remember for every truth there's a what? 16:08 Good counterfeit. How's this done? 16:11 You say, "well, okay, I want to be-- 16:13 I'm interested in Centering Prayer. How it is done?" 16:15 All you do, you pick a prayer word. 16:17 Just pick one word out. 16:19 You repeat that word over and over and over. 16:22 I tell you--I don't think I'll get into that already, 16:24 I want to be honest with you. 16:26 You pick a word and you repeat it over and over and over 16:30 and then-- now remember they'll say, 16:32 "oh, no, no, no don't do it out loud. 16:34 Do it within yourself. Think about it. 16:38 And then don't think about what it means." 16:43 Now I'll be kind of afraid if I were you to be--pick a word 16:46 and then not worry about what it means. 16:48 As a Christian that's the one of first thing 16:50 I'm reading the word of God I want to know what it means. 16:53 There's a thought pattern and process that goes on 16:56 but then they say, on Centering Prayer, just let your mind go. 17:01 Let it become-- they use the word "blank." 17:03 Man, red flag is a blank. 17:05 Let your mind become open and empty. 17:08 Remember, anytime your mind becomes open and empty, 17:11 as it were, and there's nothing there the enemy will come in. 17:15 Don't fool yourself. 17:18 And to me it doesn't matter if you think, "well, 17:19 I'll tell you when I had this, this experience happened 17:22 I was floating around up in air." 17:23 Doesn't matter. I want you to listen. 17:26 It doesn't matter if it's not following 17:28 what God said in His word. 17:30 God never talks like this in His word. 17:33 Never one time have I read in scripture where we take a word 17:35 and just repeat over and over and over 17:36 and empty my mind. Never. 17:38 So why is it so religious? 17:40 Why is it--it's so open and people are grabbing it 17:43 by the hundreds and thousands 17:44 saying this is a wonderful experience. 17:47 How dangerous to empty your mind to silence the voice 17:51 of the Holy Spirit, to silence the voice of conscious, 17:55 to separate ourselves from God. 17:57 How dangerous that is. 18:00 And then we can find out this. 18:02 It's very, very, very closely connected-- 18:06 remember these principles I've just talked about 18:08 closely resembles that of eastern meditation 18:11 and as a Christian you say, 18:12 "well, I don't want anything to do with that." 18:14 You say, "What? Eastern meditation?" 18:16 Oh, such as what? Yoga. You hear it all the time. 18:19 Mind emptying techniques, you sit a certain way, 18:21 you don't think of things, it's mind clearing. 18:24 Hinduism and Zen transcendental meditation. 18:27 We realize this but everyone of these, listen, 18:29 what I just mentioned, everyone of these group of people say, 18:32 "oh, it's a--we're looking for a deeper spiritual meaning. 18:38 We're trying to find maybe God or we're trying to find 18:40 some special application to something. 18:44 Then we need to be careful about all of this 18:46 and we need to be careful also about meditative prayer. 18:49 Do I believe we need to meditate? 18:50 You better believe it. 18:52 Based upon the word of God 18:53 we're told exactly how we do that. 18:55 Meditative prayer, is where a person 18:58 sits quite in time of silence. 19:02 No one is around. It's a passive type thing. 19:06 In other words there's nothing to bother you-- 19:07 no matter what's going around you, 19:09 you don't let anything bother you 19:11 because what you're now centering on--listen, 19:13 instead of the God of heaven you're centering on yourself. 19:18 What kind of-- well, how religious can that be? 19:20 How godly can that be when you start centering on yourself? 19:24 That's the problem with the world today. 19:26 We're centering, what? On ourselves all the time. 19:28 Me, my and I. 19:29 That's a big problem right there. 19:31 And on centering on self we begin to use imagery 19:34 or our imaginations and we begin to visualize 19:38 and sometimes people say-- and they try to make it real 19:40 like holy and what, or visualize about Christ. 19:43 Well, have we did it in the right way, 19:45 the way scripture says? 19:47 Would it take that thoughtful hour to meditate 19:49 on the last hours of Christ. 19:51 You know, while he was here on earth. 19:52 These are, these are, these are good but they have to line up 19:55 with scripture because the devil is closely right there. 19:57 Truth and air lies close together, remember. 20:00 And so you begin to concentrate. 20:03 And then, when you get to that point you want to concentrate 20:06 on certain way that you breathe. 20:11 There's something going on here. 20:12 You realize the breathing techniques, 20:14 how close that lies with new age movement 20:18 and the eastern technique. 20:21 So what--why would we want to get involved with 20:23 that when we know where it originated 20:24 and what's going on and, ooh, 20:26 and what kind of spirits they're calling up? 20:29 You can change it, you could baptize it, 20:31 you can whitewash it if you want to. 20:33 You can call it Christian if you want to. It's not. 20:35 Because it's not based on the word of--I have never 20:38 read in the Bible where it says 20:39 I need to concentrate on my breathing. 20:43 In fact, God kind of put that in us, didn't he? 20:44 Where we kind of breathe on our own. 20:46 I don't have to think about it. 20:47 Somebody is not going to be with me on it, 20:49 but you know what I'm talking about. 20:51 So there's something going on here. 20:52 We need to be careful. 20:54 And then people will say "oh, mantra." 20:57 What is that really? 20:58 That's just taking a word or a prayer word 21:00 and just saying it over and over. 21:03 You heard these people in different country, 21:05 different ones who, you know, 21:06 I must say worship the heathen--the devil. 21:08 They say--they repeat over and over and over. 21:13 Interesting, 'cause they're calling the spirits. 21:16 You be careful what spirit we're calling up here, 21:19 over and over. 21:20 And when you do this it allows the mind 21:21 not to think of anything else. 21:23 Once again focus is on, what? Basically nothing. 21:25 You clear out the thought, you clear out the emotions, 21:27 you clear out right and wrong and then you're open. 21:32 And once again I must say that, what? 21:34 We have no defense against the enemy. 21:36 When you do this--I know it'll be in a spiritual setting. 21:39 I know it'll be people saying, "oh, this is a wonderful thing." 21:41 If it doesn't line up with the word of God it's wrong. 21:46 That's all that we have is the word of God 21:49 that helps guide us into, what? 21:50 All truth. Regardless of all of our feelings and our emotions 21:55 and what we say that we've experienced. 21:58 No defense against the enemy. 22:01 Remember, I said the word no conscience, no right and wrong. 22:06 The Bible said, the only way the Satan 22:07 can get to you is through, what? Through the mind. 22:09 And now he's using prayer or a counterfeit prayer time. 22:13 And, boy, I hear lot of people talking about 22:15 prayer time and how we need it. 22:18 But it's a right kind of prayer. 22:21 Friend, I'm under the impression, I'm afraid 22:22 we don't have enough time to get through. 22:24 I have so much material here. 22:25 But, you know, God said bring your petitions to him, 22:29 your thoughts and your feelings and your desires of your heart. 22:32 I can't just say one word over and over and over and over 22:35 until I sit so you get some kind of a feeling. 22:37 I need somebody I can talk to. 22:39 I need somebody I can relate to. 22:40 And that's the kind of God that we have in His word here. 22:43 And I'm concerned that many people are just, what, 22:45 going way away from the word of God. Why? 22:49 Because many today are desiring a new experience. 22:53 They don't like the old experience, they fall apart. 22:55 They don't know what's happen but they're die. 22:58 I heard people say, "you know, I'm looking for peace with God." 23:01 Oh, that's good. Looking for a new experience. 23:03 Oh, that's good. 23:05 Some people say, "I'm trying to reach a higher plane." 23:07 I'm starting-- my flag's--what? 23:09 Oh, we need to reach higher and higher, dear friends, 23:11 by the grace and spirit and power of God 23:14 but not through this thing 23:15 that the devil has, this counterfeit, 23:18 spiritual formation exercises. 23:21 The reality of that is it opens the mind to, who? 23:24 Good, to Satan. Why? 23:27 Because we've given our minds to him. 23:30 Never clear your mind. 23:32 Don't be going to people who say, 23:33 "Oh, we're gonna hypnotize you 23:34 and we are gonna do--" No, never do that. 23:37 Bible simply tells this in Philippians 2:4. 23:40 Is that we need to have the mind of, what? 23:43 Philippians 2:5, we need to have the mind of, what? 23:45 The mind of Christ. 23:47 Do you think He ever sat down and chat--took a word 23:50 and just begin to say that word over and over and over, breathe. 23:54 Somebody is not getting this. 23:56 Did you ever see that in the Bible? 23:58 Then why? Why are we believing it? 24:01 Why is it a movement? 24:02 Why are people become hoodwinked by it? 24:04 It's not even close to the truth. 24:08 It could have been because we're so dark spiritually. 24:10 Because we just-- we lack so much. 24:12 Something is happening in our life that we reach out 24:14 and grasp something like this? 24:17 If a person voluntarily give their mind open to the enemy 24:21 don't think he's not going to come in. 24:24 Because the enemy comes in and he--oh, listen 24:27 he wants you to think that you're living for God 24:30 when you're living for him. The devil doesn't care. 24:32 He can say, "oh, yeah, the God's been good." 24:33 But he doesn't care. We're living for the enemy. 24:40 Now let's talk about this power. 24:43 Power of the enemy comes in and takes control 24:45 and we begin to feel good about our self. 24:48 We have no need of a change. 24:49 We have no need of gaining victories. 24:50 We have no need of doing anything else 24:52 because we're right with God. 24:54 Sin doesn't feel like it used to or it used to be condemning it. 24:57 Sin was all bad and it is. 24:59 We understand, dear friend, but listen to me. 25:01 All of a sudden this just really doesn't matter anymore 25:03 because God has taken all of these things and, you know, 25:07 I can't wait for the next meeting. 25:08 We come together and it's just like 25:09 a something just feels like a spiritual high. 25:11 What are you talking about here? 25:15 Jesus went to pray the heavenly Father, you know, 25:17 and He said He shed tears. 25:20 He talked to His heavenly Father. 25:23 He didn't repeat over and do breathing exercise 25:25 and sit a certain way. 25:27 Oh, friend, we need to be praying about this. 25:30 We talked about mantra, 25:32 we talked about repeating things. 25:33 You know, just take a word and go over and over and over. 25:35 And I looked at them in the dictionary. 25:37 I thought it was very interesting because mantra 25:38 is very close to mantis. 25:40 And let me just share this with you. 25:41 In the Greek mantis means-- it means a prophet or a seer 25:44 but in English it means an insect. 25:48 By this spiritually, friends, some of you'll get it, 25:50 bless your heart, and some of you won't, 25:52 some of you won't care. 25:53 It's very interesting here, the praying mantis does, what? 25:56 It folds its legs like its praying. 25:59 But then it does what? 26:00 It feeds on other insect. 26:04 Could it be--as Christian we think we're doing 26:06 the right thing for someone else 26:07 but yet we're actually destroying them? 26:09 And maybe we don't even know the difference? 26:10 But we would if we would stay in the word of God. 26:14 Because it reveals spiritual formation is dangerous. 26:17 Two quick errors, always, 26:19 and we'll repeat them as we go on. 26:20 Number one, it's always, remember, mind emptying. 26:24 Number two, you hear lot about disciplining. 26:28 Should we disciple, "oh, yes." 26:30 But there again, for every truth there's a counterfeit. 26:32 I'm always cautious-- somebody's always 26:34 talking about disciplining somebody. 26:36 Always having control over that person 26:38 or them looking to you rather than looking to God. 26:42 Does people need help? He said, "yes." 26:44 But is it according to scripture in the right way. 26:48 So we have to be careful when we disciple someone else. 26:50 If we stepped out in this spiritual formation 26:53 and we let the--empty our mind, the enemy comes in 26:55 then we start disciplining somebody else, what? 26:57 We're gonna lead them down the wrong path too 26:59 and the enemy can get through them, through you. 27:01 You don't want that. I don't want that. 27:04 Friend, we need to be very, very careful 27:07 about contemplative prayer. 27:09 Oh, I know you heard that term. 27:12 But you realize contemplative prayer 27:14 is not really prayer at all. 27:18 Once again it is another technique of mind emptying. 27:22 It's a state where the brain 27:24 does not put up a fight against evil. 27:29 Bible is all about fighting the good fight of faith, resist. 27:34 But here you just don't fight the enemy 27:39 because this person who uses this contemplative prayer-- 27:42 let's just expose them, shall we? 27:43 They sit very quietly, empty everything 27:47 they can in their mind. 27:49 It's called a time of silence or a time of stillness. 27:54 Do you realize again this is a system used 27:56 in mystical practices, ancient mystical practices 27:59 which you don't want anything to with or I don't either. 28:02 And what happens now? 28:04 The mind becomes empty, Satan begins to work. 28:07 That's very clear in the word of God, "Evangelism," 28:09 page 681, notice this statement. 28:11 He said, "It is necessary to guard 28:13 the thought" did you get it? 28:15 "Guard the thoughts, to fence the soul 28:18 about with the injunctions of God's word. 28:21 We're to be fenced around what? 28:22 Protection, again what? 28:24 Of Gods words around us so we will understand 28:26 what evil is and what is right and wrong. 28:29 "Be careful in every thought, word and action." 28:33 Here it's not talking about thought. 28:35 It's not talking about word and action. 28:36 It's mind emptying so the devil 28:38 can come in and make you feel good. 28:42 Well, somebody say the other day, said, 28:43 "well, what did you do about election?" 28:44 So I said, I said, I just didn't feel it. 28:48 You know, how sometime we feel, we just don't feel it. 28:51 And lot of Christians today are not feeling the real Holy Spirit 28:54 and they're taking a counterfeit and counterfeit 28:57 measures to have a different experience. 28:59 Listen, I believe in real meditation. 29:02 And real meditation, dear friends, it involves 29:06 a thought process, a thought process. 29:09 It's a conscious mind. 29:12 It's weighing out the word of God, 29:14 studying the word of God as we pray, 29:17 as we live out His word in us. 29:20 We resist temptation through the what? 29:22 The word and the power of the Holy Spirit, James 4:17. 29:26 But in order to resist-- here's the point, 29:28 in order to resist the enemy we must use our minds. 29:34 And I'm going to be careful. 29:37 We have to use our minds. 29:39 They must be active and they must stay 29:42 in constant contact with God and what? 29:45 And we must stay fully committed to Him at all times. 29:51 Of course I must--I need to mention here when using 29:54 these spiritual formation exercise here, it deals with-- 29:58 we've been talking about a lot, feelings. 30:00 A feeling of a new experience. 30:04 And what? Satan can do what? 30:06 He can affect the mind. 30:09 He makes it appear as though it's a marvelous 30:12 and it's a feel good, it's a brand new. 30:14 Some say what? Born again experience. 30:17 They say we never had anything like it before. 30:19 We've been Christian for umpteen years 30:21 and now all of a suddenly we've experience this. 30:23 And what as we've experience this thing I hear, 30:26 "Oh, our lives and hearts have changed." Have they? 30:28 The truth changes your heart and mind, not an air. 30:34 You may see some of these things 30:36 going on in your church where you attend. 30:39 Now this is a fact. This is-- 30:42 Listen carefully, if this is going on in your church 30:45 and it's not being scotched-- 30:49 probably need to find another pastor, number one. 30:51 I know people hate to hear it but that's true. 30:54 But, you know, in that church you were almost dead-- 30:57 99.9% and I'll say 100% the law of God 31:01 is no longer preached from the pulpit. 31:03 And when the law of God is no longer preached 31:05 from the pulpit the people will lose 31:08 their spiritual discernment and they are gonna sink 31:11 lower and lower into worldly activities 31:14 when the Bible said 1 John 2:15, "Love not the world, 31:18 neither the things that are in the world." 31:21 There's one simple key here, 31:23 wherever the law of God is not preached from the pulpit. 31:27 In other words, no real definite rights or wrongs 31:29 the people begin to sink lower and lower. 31:32 I've heard people say, "Oh, this is new light." 31:36 Well, praise God, if its new light 31:37 I'm sure it's gonna harmonize with scripture, isn't it? 31:40 If it's new light then what? 31:41 It's old light that's always been here, 31:43 maybe just discovered so you thought 31:44 it's the foundation you can find out. 31:48 Come on and join in, I'll tell you 31:49 here's a something's going on, it's a new experience. 31:53 Friend, let me tell you, 31:54 if you want a true revival you want more life, 31:56 you want an experience, you want to be, 31:57 well, ready for the coming of Jesus right here 32:00 we need to go back to the word of God. 32:02 Did you get it? 32:03 We need to go back to the word of God. 32:05 We need to get down on our knees 32:07 and we need to stay there until we know 32:09 that we've been born again. 32:10 We need to be pleading for the power of the Holy Spirit 32:14 instead of looking for something new 32:16 and something that is exciting 32:17 rather than worry about the pillars 32:19 that have always been there 32:20 that will not move, will not change. 32:22 Say something-- and they'll say, 32:24 "there's something missing in my life." 32:27 Do you realize the enemy hears you say that-- 32:29 every time as a Christian you say something's missing? 32:33 When you say something's missing-- 32:36 what do you think that the enemy is gonna do? 32:41 I almost said the enemy is not a dummy 32:43 but I'm not going to say that. 32:47 He, hears what you say and he lays a snare. 32:52 Do you realize this is been going-- 32:54 this is been going on since the beginning 32:55 of time with Adam and Eve. 32:57 Let me share something with you. 32:59 Beginning of time-- 33:01 Adam and Eve, when they first sinned, 33:03 check this out, when the first sinned-- 33:05 "Patriarchs and Prophets," page 56 says this. 33:08 Talking about Adam and Eve and their first sin. 33:10 Notice this. "They had entered," 33:13 here's what Adam and Eve said. 33:15 "We have entered into a higher experience-- 33:18 state of existence. 33:20 In a state of strange unnatural excitement, 33:25 exhilarating influence, 33:28 thrilling every faculty with new life." 33:32 Adam and Eve had just sinned, put the world in a mess. 33:35 And they said, "We-- it feels good, exhilarating." 33:41 It's unnatural-- we haven't experienced 33:43 anything like this, this excitement. 33:44 You think that the devil gave it to them, didn't you? 33:47 Get it? 33:51 Do you realize what Satan used here? Symbolist. 33:55 He used hypnotism. A form of hypnotism. 33:59 We're using it today in our, we call prayer life. 34:06 And we realize the world was lost. 34:08 What led to Adam and Eve's fall? 34:11 They believed a lie and they doubted God 34:14 and they looked for something more 34:15 and something new and something different. 34:18 You're looking for something different, 34:19 the devil will give it to you. 34:21 Make sure it matches up with the word of God. 34:24 Meaning remember, repeating a word over and over 34:27 and emptying the mind is just wrong. 34:30 Your mind is your only defense against the enemy. 34:36 Did you-- you know this. 34:38 Even sound affects the mind. 34:42 Sound affects the body's chemistry. 34:45 Let me just read something to you 34:47 found in "Focal Point" at yoga.com tells us this. 34:52 It says, "Sound is able to affect the chemistry 34:56 of the body and the mind." 34:58 Someone will say, "Well, it doesn't affect me." 35:00 I don't know, every once in a while 35:02 I hear some nice good Christian music 35:03 sometime my feet wants to tap a little bit. 35:05 Something is affecting me. I hope you get it now. 35:09 "And it also affects-- alters the thought pattern." 35:13 And then they go on to say, 35:15 "Mantra meditation is a very powerful technique." 35:21 You see the sources that we're looking here 35:22 saying this is a good thing. 35:25 It's not a good thing in the word of God. 35:27 "Message to Young People," says this, page 42, 35:30 "To those who let the mind drift." 35:33 Are you letting it drift? 35:34 "Where it will drift if not guarded, 35:37 Satan makes suggestions which they fill the mind 35:41 that they are trained in the army 35:43 to decoy other souls." 35:47 So if you let the mind drift, the enemy will come in, 35:49 get your mind, and then he'll use you to, what? 35:52 Decoy somebody else. And that's what people do. 35:55 They come and they find-- 35:57 instead of going along with the word of God-- 35:58 but it's an experience, it's a feeling, 36:00 and we go out and try to get somebody else involved, 36:02 and we do it with such enthusiasm, such excitement, 36:04 and all of these people have been dead 36:06 for so long, their eyes closed. 36:08 And they say, "Well, I might as well try that." 36:11 Friend, make it match up with the word of God. 36:15 The object of spiritual formation, 36:17 dear friends, it's dangerous. 36:20 Because in that a person is trying to realize, 36:23 listen carefully, their oneness with God. 36:26 Do we need that? Yes, 36:28 based upon the Bible not eastern techniques. 36:32 Oneness with God or some say if you continue 36:36 to go through it you'll become fully one with God. 36:39 Wow, pagan practices, heathen practices. 36:42 Yes, where it come from? 36:45 So if you plan on emptying the mind of thought it becomes-- 36:50 listen, 'cause you'll say, 36:52 "well, I never put myself on play." 36:53 You empty your mind it is much easier 36:56 to begin to think that what? 36:58 I can become God or a God. One with God. 37:02 Do you realize what this is? 37:04 This is spiritualism rampant here 37:07 in the last days before the coming of Jesus. 37:10 Remember, Satan told Adam and Eve in the garden 37:15 and he tells us today, "Don't worry about sin. 37:20 You can have your own standard." 37:22 Listen, since we are our own God-- 37:25 I think you can get it there as you just read 37:27 Genesis chapter 3 especially in 15 or 5, 3:5. 37:31 You can kind of become your own God. 37:33 You could know more, you know, you don't have to follow 37:35 what Gods plan-- don't worry about sin. 37:38 Realize that churches are not teaching 37:40 the commandments of God, you're saying the same thing. 37:42 "Pastor you're saying the same thing." 37:43 You say, you don't have to keep the law of God 37:45 by Gods grace and Gods strength. 37:47 You're telling that I can be own God don't worry about sin? 37:50 That's what the devil said. 37:51 Now you don't want to be the devil. 37:54 Mentioned before we talk about Hindu 37:56 and Buddhist and Zen practices, 37:58 spiritual formation will take you to the point-- 38:03 If you get involved, it will take you 38:05 to the point that you are fully God. 38:09 Zen, for instance here, detaches-- 38:12 they teach us that you must detach from oneself. 38:18 And you detach from the process of thinking. 38:23 Wow, do we really want to detach from our mind 38:27 and our thinking and let some other kind of-- 38:29 remember one spirit or the other 38:30 is gonna fill the mind and heart. 38:33 So I really believe that we have to kind of conclude 38:35 as we're looking at the techniques 38:37 used here in Christian-- they call Christian meditation. 38:41 They are the same techniques used in what? 38:44 The new age and eastern mystic meditation. 38:48 If it is we don't want anything to do with it but listen if-- 38:51 if it has the same techniques used in it 38:53 how can we turn around and say okay, 38:55 it's Christian when we know 38:57 where it came from a pagan origin. 39:00 It came from there and everything 39:02 that you do is from paganism. 39:03 How can you say that is Christian? 39:05 Because it feels good. 39:08 Well, how can we-- how can we be so blinded? 39:11 How can we be so dull of spiritual things? 39:14 God help us. 39:16 We live in that hour where our minds-- 39:18 well, we need our minds more than ever before 39:20 we don't want to give it up. 39:25 He's saying if we use-- just think about it, 39:28 if we use these same techniques 39:30 that the eastern religions and pagans 39:33 and heathens they all used, 39:35 wouldn't it-- what did they used them for? 39:39 They wanted to call up, 39:40 somebody help me here, evil spirits. 39:43 In fact the Bible says, and I'm talking about Isaiah 8:19, 39:46 it says they called up the, ooh, the wizards that peep. 39:50 The wizards that peep and mutter. 39:54 So you all, they are calling up 39:56 if you're using these techniques 39:57 you're calling up the wrong sprit 39:59 and you don't even know it. 40:00 You should know it because it's not based on Gods word. 40:05 And something to think about, 40:07 if we focus on it we've talked 40:08 a little bit about it, breathing. 40:11 Say one or two words over and over. 40:14 Try not to work our brains. 40:17 Try not to think. Empty the mind. 40:20 Close things off. Right? 40:23 Don't really think about what's going on. 40:25 Stare at one object for a while. 40:28 If a person-- I'm a bit careful with this 40:30 but if a person empties their mind you become mindless. 40:34 It's just that simple. 40:37 If we put ourselves in that state 40:39 it is a form of self hypnosis. 40:42 It might shock many, but this is taking place 40:45 as in many churches today and there's not even a squeal-- 40:48 there's not a sound of a trumpet. 40:50 People don't know what to think about it. 40:51 If you knew the word of God you will. 40:54 Spiritual formation, discipleship programs 40:59 have long roots in Catholicism, 41:02 Buddhism, and Hinduism, and Paganism. 41:05 There's no doubt about it. 41:07 Is there a right way? Yes. 41:09 But you know what, we're not taking the right way. 41:11 What they're trying to take a shortcut. 41:12 And there is no shortcut. 41:15 Well, I may say the object of this study is not to make-- 41:20 this is to make people aware of things 41:23 that's going on all around us and that it does matter. 41:27 If you love your brothers and your sister 41:28 you will not remain silent and you will be cautious 41:31 when you're approached with some of these things. 41:34 You know why? 41:36 Because there are meetings 41:37 that are being held all over the world. 41:41 Meetings maybe in homes where you think 41:44 oh, this is all got to be good 41:45 because there's mom and dad and these different people 41:47 and, man, they seem like real spiritual. 41:50 Public meetings, private meetings, 41:52 invitations are given, 41:54 and books of a new order are being distributed. 42:00 And we are asked to read books of people, 42:03 even heathen and Pagan books. 42:06 People don't know the truth to learn these techniques. 42:09 Why would you walk to read the word of God, 42:11 my bother and sister? 42:17 These books are in some well known stores. 42:18 God help us. 42:20 They promote spiritualism and it does in different way 42:26 for some because it's difficult-- 42:27 what I can't really see this, I really can't understand this. 42:31 Let me just kind of give you just one example here, 42:33 maybe this will help you. 42:35 And again we're not calling names out here 42:36 but I think we can use things, 42:38 you know, out of the book that they quote 42:39 about themselves, don't you think? 42:42 One such Christian, that you would know the name, 42:44 well, many of you, if I would mention it. 42:49 Satan writes about his own experience 42:52 and he says if anybody lacks something. 42:56 If you're lacking something and if you're open 43:00 and that you want something to happen in your life 43:03 and you wanting something to be renewed 43:05 and you're wanting to live me little different concept 43:07 and you want to go in a different direction-- 43:10 very important because the information 43:13 on the little book that he wrote. 43:14 I'm gonna quote something from it so you can get this. 43:17 Says from book, it was promoted, 43:20 it was given to many leaders and ministers 43:23 so that they can help deliver this message. 43:25 Here's what it said in the back of that book. 43:28 Goes on it says, "Well, there is a hunger within us." 43:31 Well, praise God, there should be 43:32 a hunger with us but the right hunger. 43:34 Listen, you're hungering for the word of God. 43:36 You're hungering for a closer grip 43:38 on Jesus Christ following the Bible. 43:40 Notice, "There's a hungry within us. 43:42 A longing for something more. 43:45 Something we can't quite describe. 43:48 Something has been missing, this is it." 43:52 Now the author goes on and leads us to believe 43:54 that we are taking a little journey with him 43:57 and he's talking about certain-- 43:59 and again and we find the journey that we're taking, 44:01 he's taking parts of the eastern mysticism here or meditation. 44:05 He's taking these practices and trying to make-- 44:07 whitewashed him and say they are Christian now. 44:11 He says you can bring in that these things in to Christianity. 44:14 Can you? Oh, they're dangerous. 44:19 And he said we can bring these things in 44:21 and it will enrich our spiritual life. Really? 44:23 Again, listen, the author goes on. 44:26 Here's what he says to do. 44:29 He says, tells us to repeat a simple line of scripture. 44:35 If there's too many words just shorten it. 44:41 It's okay to read scripture 44:42 and to repeat it and put it to memory. 44:44 We should be doing that. 44:45 Friend, but listen, listen, don't give up. Do what? 44:48 Take a simple line scripture and repeat it 44:52 but there's too many words just eliminate some words. 44:54 I guess we can eliminate whatever 44:56 we want to eliminate, huh? No. 44:59 Add whatever we want to add? No. 45:00 Just shorten it, doesn't matter. 45:03 And notice what he says, and we use breathing 45:10 as a means of bringing in the Holy Spirit. 45:14 Have you ever read that in the book? 45:18 Breathing brings in the Holy Spirit? 45:21 I thought we had to beg and plead 45:22 and ask God to come in and give us the Holy Spirit. 45:27 This is what this author is saying, 45:29 means of brining in the Holy Spirit. 45:32 Let me give you somewhere he says use these words. 45:33 Here's an example that he uses. 45:35 The author says the way I use the prayer for myself 45:41 is to pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 45:45 See when you say that a lot of people say, 45:46 "Well, I can't argue with that." No, pray. 45:48 We need to pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 45:50 Oh, God, give me more of Your spirit. 45:52 But here's what he says. 45:53 I simply say as I inhale, 45:59 "Spirit of the living God," 46:02 And as I exhale, "Fall afresh on me." 46:08 Why? 46:10 Friend, don't we know any better than this? 46:14 I want to call them shenanigan. 46:16 I'm going to do it anyway. 46:22 Is that supposed to do something or is it maybe 46:24 they are inferring something inside of you? 46:27 And then it goes on. 46:28 He says, "I finish the combination of words 46:33 with my breathing, or my breath, and it's very powerful." 46:40 Really? I need the Holy Spirit to be breathing on me. 46:43 I don't know about you. I don't need my own breath. 46:46 Somebody help me out of here. 46:48 Then he goes on to say, "Oh, well, we can pray 46:53 a shorter prayer if we want to." 46:55 I was like, "That's too long?" 46:57 Like, as you say this, as you, again, breathing, 47:04 as you inhale again you can say, "Lord Jesus Christ" 47:11 and as you exhale, "Have mercy on me." 47:22 Can't you see where this is headed? 47:26 Doesn't this make void the reason 47:28 that why we are here as Gods last day people. 47:31 God wants to raises up a people. 47:35 He's wanting a people right with a conscious of affect, 47:38 consciously to be able by His greater strength 47:40 to put away sin in our lives. 47:45 He's raising up a people giving the end time message. 47:49 We need communication with God. 47:50 We need to talk things over with Him. 47:54 We need the power of the Holy Spirit to resist 47:55 and say we had nothing inside of us without him. 48:00 He's called the people here in His last days 48:03 to gain complete victory over sin. 48:10 Obedience, law, grace, 48:14 the need to study the word of God. 48:18 Instead here we find some of the leadership 48:21 encouraging us to slow the body down 48:27 using motions and thoughts and focus on breathing 48:31 and staying still and staying quite to sit-- 48:37 Listen, some even say sit with your legs crossed 48:41 in a straight back chair with the feet flat on the ground. 48:46 Meditation, visualization, silence, 48:51 reading of certain books. 48:56 Isn't that all the opposite 48:58 of what scripture tells us about prayer? 49:03 Once again, when the disciple said to Jesus, 49:05 "Lord, teach us to pray." 49:08 You know what Jesus said, you know-- 49:09 that's what Jesus-- he didn't say pick a word 49:12 and repeat it over and over and breathe 49:14 and sit and cross your legs or don't... 49:20 Red flags, dear friends. 49:22 When you think about spiritual discipleship, 49:26 spiritual exercises, spiritual formation 49:32 or copying or modeling yourself after a man or a, 49:36 you know, a church member or becoming a spiritual father. 49:44 I'll say, well, I'm a spiritual father. 49:46 Do we not realize what's going on here? 49:50 When you say I'm a spiritual father 49:51 this is a Jesuit practice from ancient times. 49:59 And I think you ought to be careful 50:01 of few things, my brother and sister. 50:03 Be careful of those-- and I know this is good. 50:05 We need to be careful of those who always want to nurture. 50:09 Now I know there is good, back there, all jump up 50:11 and start screaming the heart. 50:13 It must be according to scripture 50:15 how you nurturing someone what? 50:17 You always point them to Jesus not certain exercises 50:19 you can gain some merit with Jesus. 50:21 He wants you to give your life to him. 50:26 Any deviation from scripture is dangerous. 50:31 Lord, teach us to pray. Are we really praying that? 50:36 Are we really seeking Lord teach me how? 50:38 How deep is this spiritual formation among us? 50:42 How many does it have today 50:44 because no one sounded the warning? 50:46 And how much deeper it's getting day by day? 50:50 Let me give you little more food for thought. 50:53 May have not thought about it, maybe you have. 50:56 But, you know, many theology students and pastors 51:01 are encouraged to get involved in some-- 51:04 ohh, involved in some kind 51:06 of spiritual discernment or guidance programs. 51:12 They are encouraged to sit underneath a spiritual guide, 51:15 a spiritual friend and they are encouraged 51:20 to go to other Protestant or Catholic or Mystics 51:24 to find spiritual direction, 51:29 which everything we've talked about it 51:31 almost all of it originated 51:33 in the Jesuit training centers of Europe. 51:37 And yet we still think it's okay to use it 51:39 because they'll give us a better experience with Jesus Christ. 51:41 No. Pagan's Pagan, wrong is wrong. 51:46 Let no man, I mean what, 51:47 let no man act as you conscious. 51:48 This is dangerous. 51:50 I never thought at least many or about three quarters 51:54 of all who take this course, listen-- 51:57 oh, boy I wished I didn't have to say it, 51:59 are involved in some kind of ministry 52:02 to where they are out there 52:03 and they can what, spread it like wild fire. 52:09 And those who are involved-- 52:10 don't fool yourself, they seem to be born again leaders. 52:13 Seem to have a sweet spirit 52:15 and you seem to be drawn to them. 52:16 You like to be around them, they look with the glow. 52:18 Maybe they seem to be sincere, 52:20 honest and caring but that's not-- 52:23 that's how a Christian really should be 52:25 but this is not what's going, but 52:26 the real test, the real test-- 52:29 not how they look and how it seems to you. 52:30 The real test, do they really follow the Bible 52:33 teaching on prayer and on spiritual growth. 52:39 Or do they refer you to read other books of a new order 52:46 and to use all kind of new terminology. 52:52 The kind of blow the mind we're not sure what--one liners. 52:56 We got some people who really good at one liners. 52:59 People say, clearing the mind and silence 53:01 and sit a certain way and have a spiritual guide. 53:04 Listen, spiritual guidance-- 53:06 it's nice to have somebody there that you can count on, 53:07 you can pray with, it's all good and good and well. 53:09 But when we talk here it comes to the point 53:12 that where you have the spiritual guide 53:14 and you're working with him 53:15 and you begin to feel so close to this person that you listen, 53:18 you begin to confess your sins to them. 53:23 Documented stuff. You feel confident. 53:26 There's only one mediator 53:28 between God and man and who is that? 53:29 That's Jesus Christ. 53:30 You don't confess your sins to some priest 53:33 or pastor or evangelist, spiritual guide. 53:40 Be careful, my brothers and sisters, 53:41 of anything like hypnosis. 53:43 Careful of anything, even some professional counselors-- 53:46 our time is running out here. 53:48 Those inside colleges and psychiatrists--you know why? 53:51 They all have to take courses in hypnotism. 53:54 Most every one of them does so they could hypnotize. 53:57 Friend, these are things we need to be praying about here. 54:00 Spiritual formation has entered in among us for years. 54:03 It's deadly, stay away from it. 54:06 And you know what happens? 54:08 That comes in because we've laid aside the Bible 54:10 and the spirit of prophecy. 54:11 We've nulled it out, threw it out, 54:13 put in a trash can and we're looking for something new. 54:15 You can't find a thing-- 54:16 we need to get back to the word of God. 54:17 Wouldn't you say that? 54:19 Do not deviate from Gods words. 54:20 Spiritual formation is just plain 54:22 wrong based upon scripture. 54:24 Let's pray about it, shall we? As we close here. 54:26 May God help us to see regardless of what you felt, 54:28 maybe you've experienced, 54:30 it must line up with the word of God. 54:31 Let's pray, shall we? 54:33 Loving Father in heaven, 54:35 we thank You for Your precious word. 54:36 A lot of material has been covered. 54:37 Your Holy Spirit is only one 54:39 that can take it and make it clear. 54:40 We're giving you the mess that I always make with it 54:42 but I'm confident, I'm sure you said 54:44 the word that not return void. 54:45 And I thank You for that. 54:46 Open the ears, the hearts, and minds of your children 54:48 and may it be a warning to each one of us today 54:50 in Jesus' name, amen. 54:54 We sure thank you for joining in with us 54:56 every time that we're on. 54:58 And we want you continue pray for us 55:00 and realize that we are here and we continue to bring these 55:03 most of timely important messages to you 55:05 and as by your free well offerings you make it possible. 55:07 We love you. We love spending time with you 55:10 and we will see you next time. 55:14 Hello again and welcome back. 55:17 Friends, as never before we must discipline ourselves 55:22 to be students of the word. 55:24 So many people desire a living relationship 55:27 with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 55:29 Yet, like most everything else in their lives 55:32 they don't want to spend the necessary time 55:35 it takes to learn what truth is 55:38 and in turn get to know Christ and to love and to serve Him. 55:42 It's like striving for better health. 55:44 We all want to be healthy but not to the point 55:47 that we actually have to exercise 55:49 or actually have to eat right. 55:51 That takes too much effort, takes too much time. 55:55 Many want good health but only if it comes in pure form. 55:59 However that's just not the way it works 56:03 and that is somewhat how I see 56:05 the spiritual formation movement. 56:07 In fact I see it as spiritualism finding another entrance 56:11 into our churches and into our lives. 56:14 Many people have the idea that this process 56:17 of spiritual formation is our quick answer 56:19 to becoming of spiritual being and becoming like God. 56:23 Indeed it is a spiritual experience. 56:26 One I believe in many ways 56:28 is just like the one Eve had in the Garden of Eden. 56:32 Just after accepting and eating 56:34 that forbidden fruit the deceptions 56:37 of the enemy really haven't changed all that much. 56:41 But rather evolved and clothed themselves 56:44 in today's Christianity so as to fool the unprepared. 56:50 So I'm sure you're going to want 56:51 this set of messages to view 56:53 and to study this topic over and over again. 56:57 And it is our sincere prayer here 56:59 at "Behold the Lamb Ministries" 57:01 that these messages will be used by you, 57:04 Gods people, to help yourself to help others 57:07 from falling into yet another snare of the enemy. 57:11 Therefore we have made this two part series entitled 57:14 "Spiritual Formation, of Blessing or a Curse" 57:17 parts one and two available to you for suggestion 57:21 love gift of just $15 or more. 57:24 All you need to do is call us here in the United States 57:28 at 618-942-5044 central standard time 57:33 or write to Behold the Lamb Ministries, 57:36 PO Box 2030, Herrin, IL 62948. 57:41 As always you may email us 57:43 at beholdthelambministries @yahoo.com 57:46 and you may also order on our website 57:49 at www.beholdthelambministries. com. 57:54 Untill next time, friends, may our precious Lord 57:58 continue to richly bless you and yours. |
Revised 2014-12-17