Not all who call themselves pastor are qualified to serve, because not all have been called by God.  The literal translation of the word for pastor in the New Testament means “shepherd.”  Our Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as a shepherd.  Thus the pastor of a church is an under shepherd of The Great Shepherd, with a desire to serve being one of the first qualifications.  A pastor is responsible for feeding the flock.  It is a spiritual gift to be called by God to be a pastor.

Other qualifications of a pastor is that he must be vigilant; be sober, just, holy, and temperate; be of good behavior; must not be given to much wine; be patient with others; must not be greedy or covetous; not be a novice; be blameless (although none are without faults); given to hospitality; have a good testimony among those who are outside; be the husband of one wife; must rule his house and be the spiritual leader of his family, having his children in submission and with all reverence.

And finally, pastors must also be apt to teach; they must hold fast the faithful word; and they must teach sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers.
(See: 1 Tim 3:2-13; Tit. 1:7-9)

Those who know Pastor JR recognize that he has these qualifications.  These qualifications are not optional, so a faithful pastor will meet and follow all these items.  In my two plus years as a member of International Church, I have observed a consistency in these areas.  I particularly have been observant of the last three items I mentioned.

In these days of increasing apostasy, the retirement of a senior pastor can be one of the most critical moments for a local church. In the last few years I have been at International Church, what I have heard is a pastor preaching the whole council of God: the good news as well as the bad news.  I have seen a consistent underlying theme that is at the foundation of Pastor JR’s teaching: that the Bible is God’s inerrant word, that is it our final authority in our faith and practice, and that we must never deviate from its clear teachings.  His father taught the same principle for many years.   This is one of the legacies that Pastor JR is leaving to the church, and I have no doubt it is a teaching that will be reinforced by Pastor Ramiro.

Pastor JR has taught the word of God without compromise.  He has not bowed down to the shifting “winds of doctrine” to catch on to the latest fad, even if doing so would gain favor, or gain more members.  He has recognized that a healthy church is not measured in attendance numbers, in membership, in finances, or how many times the church has fellowship gatherings.  The measure of the success of a church is by its fruits, resulting from obedience to the Lord and to His word.  In faithfully preaching the message of uncompromising obedience to God’s word, he has laid a foundation that is strong and can be built upon.  Being a pastor or teacher in the church is a serious responsibility which is taught in Scripture:

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” James 3:1.

 Some of you know that three years ago was one of the most difficult times for me and my family.  I recall the night I attended an evening service in April 2009, and before service started, I asked Pastor JR if perhaps in the near future, we could get together and discuss my concerns about a movement called the emergent church.  Not only did he say yes, but he practically pulled me into his office after the service, along with Almeda, Clay, and Jim, and by the time we finished talking, I was scheduled to speak at the church a few months later about those concerns.  He did not care about anything else but to open more eyes to the dangers around them.

 I owe a lot more to Pastor JR than can be said here.  He has been a source of encouragement and sound advice, and I know there are many others who would echo the same words.  He did not choose the expedient things.  He chose to do the right thing, and the right thing is to be on the side of God and His word, not on the side of men and popularity.  Remember Luke 6:26: “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”  I have seen a man who has stood firm.  He has maintained a standard and set an example that other pastors should emulate.

 I have no doubt Pastor JR and Almeda will continue to serve the Lord in a new capacity.  It would be a shame if that foundation of biblical certitude were to disappear from this church.  I have no doubt it will remain with Pastor Ramiro.  But as the church takes steps in the coming months to find a senior pastor, I have a humble word of advice to my fellow members.

 It could be that this local church, a church which has stood strong in this community for years, may be at its most critical decision point in its history.  The Christian church is under attack more than ever before, and the most dangerous threat is from within.  One of the greatest acknowledgements we can give to Pastor JR, is to welcome a new senior pastor who reflects the same level of commitment to God’s word as he has demonstrated.  We must select a pastor who is not swayed by the shifting winds of doctrine, but who will make all his teachings and decisions based on the word of God, who will uphold the gospel even at the expense of paying a great price, even at the expense of losing members.  We must have a senior pastor whose focus is to faithfully preach the word of God, in season and out of season; who does not take from nor adds to the word; and who tirelessly defends the faith once delivered to the saints.  Nothing less will do.

 Thank you, Pastor JR, Almeda, Mrs. Chavier, and your children, for your faithful service to the Lord.  May God continue to use your gifts to build up the believers, and to bring the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are lost.  God bless you.

Manny Silva

The following are descriptions of two upcoming retreats that emphasize “silence” (emptying the mind), which will probably become the norm throughout the Nazarene denomination.  Since our General Superintendents have never publicly spoken out against these types of retreats, we must conclude by default that they support it (and I have asked them about these issues).  We are becoming a mini- Roman Catholic Church within what claims to be a holiness church.  This is no longer the church of my father, who God rescued from the bondage of apostate Roman Catholic religion and became a missionary to the Catholics, NOT a partner with them.  Our leaders continue with their silence on these matters; it will be interesting to see for how long.  We are now only 17 months away from the next General Assembly.  It is clear to me that the denomination is splitting internally between the Bible believers, and those who are pushing or accepting the radical agendas of the emergent/missional/ecumenical movement.

Richard Bennett, former RCC priest, says about these types of activities:

“Communion with God is a participation in eternal life by grace through faith. Such communion is not achieved by imagination, visualizations, solitude, or mystical formulas. Christ Jesus the Lord warned that, “many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” The present day Emerging Church movement is full of deceitful, contemplative practices. Only by taking heed to the counsel of the Lord can His followers escape ruin. The danger of the Emerging Church’s type of spirituality is that it replaces the certainty of the written Word with subjective experiences. True coming to God is by trusting on the perfect life and sacrifice of Christ that includes repentance and forsaking of sin.” (Emergent Church Indoctrinates With Catholic Style Eastern Mysticism, Richard Bennett)

Retreat #1: St. Gertrude’s Monastery

Northwest Nazarene University is sponsoring a women’s retreat at St. Gertrude’s: http://www.stgertrudes.org/
Title: A Place to Satisfy Your Hunger For God: A Monastic Immersion Experience
The contact for this retreat is NNU professor, Julene Tegerstrand, at jtegerstrand@nnu.edu

What is the vision of St. Gertrude’s?  “We are monastic women who follow the ancient Rule of Benedict.”

What is the Rule of Benedict?  This Rule teaches salvation and sanctification through asceticism.  This system, created by St. Benedict, directed every aspect of a monk’s life: his clothing, relationships, travel, duties, schedule, meals, worship, reading, habitat, sleep. (1)  This is legalism, in other words.  This is works based salvation, which now many of our Nazarene leaders are promoting and our General Superintendents are apparently doing nothing about, thus giving it their stamp of approval by default.

What is a monastic immersion experience?   It includes experiencing monastic prayer (i.e. contemplative spirituality, centering prayer, silence).  It’s open to women of all faith backgrounds as well.  Interspirituality in other words, or interfaith, which is another growing trend.  Right at the start of their YouTube video, they urge us to “come and listen with us”, the typical wording that describes practicing the silence, a contemplative mystical experience whose goal is to empty the mind.

So those who attend this retreat sponsored by NNU will learn new (unscriptural)  things which we as Bible believing Christians have rejected for years.  Now it appears to be acceptable, and not only that, appears to be what these people want the church to look like!  The wolves have entered the sheep pen already, don’t you think?  And the shepherds are still sleeping.  You must ask yourself: why are Nazarenes and other evangelical denominations encouraging others to incorporate Roman Catholic practices into their lives, when these practices are false, legalistic, works-based?  In other words, this is teaching another gospel, another Jesus, and negates what Christ has done on the Cross once and for all.

Retreat #2: Spiritual Formation

Trevecca Nazarene University is sponsoring a spiritual formation retreat at the Loretto MotherHouse in KY
Title: Silence And Listening For The Voice of God
The contact for this retreat is Brent Tallman (btallman@trevecca.edu)

I have previously written about this retreat (Trevecca Leaders Continue Indoctrination of Heresy).  Here are some quotes from the website (bold emphasis is mine):

Upon looking at their agenda, the attendees will be doing the following:
1. Arriving at the site on Friday in immediate silence.
2. Then, going to dinner in total silence.
3. Having breakfast and lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday every day in total silence.
4. Practicing silence throughout the day.
5. Going through an (optional) tour of the Motherhouse- and Meet at the Church following Mass!
6. On Sunday night, they will finally have a service with testimonies and reflections on a “Wesley Covenant renewal”.  I have no idea what that has to do with anything else here.
7. And… they are encouraged to join the sisters daily in their “hours of prayers”, Roman Catholic style.

I have warned President Dan Boone of this many times, to which his responses have not reflected what the title of one of his books implies, “a charitable discourse.”  He is promoting false practices to young people, and he is responsible, thus I fear for his soul.  God’s word say that  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  Heb. 10:31  This  is why I cannot recommend Trevecca for any Bible believer to send their children.  Neither can I recommend NNU anymore as well.  They are both schools which are promoting contemplative mysticism, which is unbiblical.

Conclusion: The lines are being blurred, and yet the worst delusions are yet to come, and soon, it will all look the same, it will all look good, and discernment will be gone from even more Christians.  By that time, many will have fallen for this blending of good with bad, and their hearts will be hardened even more.  It will then be to late for them.

Beware, life as a Christian will most likely get more difficult, and the persecution and ostracizing will be far more serious from within, not without.  Your choice is either for the easy road, or the hard road.  I remind you that the hard road is the way of the genuine Christian believer, and it will be narrow as well.  At least our Lord said so, and who is to argue with Him?

Manny Silva

Footnotes:
(1) Contemplative Mysticism: A Powerful Ecumenical Bond, David Cloud, p. 328

For additional research:

http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/trevecca-nazarene-university-promoting-mysticism-and-pagan-practices/

http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/false-teaching-in-a-christian-university-a-shocking-example/

http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/is-lectio-divina-and-mysticism-the-future-of-nazarene-theolog/

The Church of the Nazarene is caught in a serious crisis, even though those in leadership may not think so.  The foundations are slowly being destroyed, and many leaders are ignoring the warnings; some are part of the problem; and only a few are sounding the alarm.  I often see reports and updates that tell us that the church is healthy.  Surely in some places things are going well, but there is a cancer slowly running through the church and eating away at its spiritual health, and that is being ignored too much.  How foolish if a sick patient ignores the warning signs of a deadly disease!  The following items of apostasy have been welcomed into our universities (in varying degrees of severity depending on the school) and many of our churches and districts:

Emergent church ideology (now more often dressed up as “missional”); contemplative spirituality or mysticism; spiritual formation; ecumenicalism and interfaith collaborations; Roman Catholic practices; environmental movement; social justice “gospel”; open theism; process theology; theistic evolution; and finally, what has led to all these things, which is the rejection of the inerrancy and authority of God’s word.

I believe that the Church of the Nazarene is moving in a direction that will at some point, perhaps in the not too distant future, put it on the same level as apostate mainline denominations such as the ELCA, the Episcopal Church, and the PCUSA.  Those denominations have shared, amongst other meltdowns, an affinity for watering down the biblical message against homosexual sin, and accepting the LGBT lifestyle as a normal part of Christian living.  We already are seeing signs of this viewpoint coming into some of our universities such as Point Loma and Southern Nazarene University, and even some weakness in official denomination papers (Pastoral Perspective on Homosexuality). 

For those who are new to much of this, in December of 2008 I made my first contact with Tim Wirth.  Tim and his friends Sue and Don Butler were instrumental in putting together the Emergent Church DVD, which was passed out to over 6,000 people at General Assembly 2009 in Orlando.  Sometime during the early months of 2009, I had met other Nazarenes or former Nazarenes who were concerned about the direction the denomination was going due to the influence of the emerging church movement and unbiblical teachings in our universities.  We organized ourselves and “invaded” the General Assembly to warn our fellow Nazarenes.  It has been a real battle as we have been joined by many other Nazarenes, and even non-Nazarene friends, in sounding the warning and educating others to the dangers we all are facing throughout all denominations.

I believe that now after almost three years there has come a new turning point, from what I have seen, and what I am planning as far as my ministry goes.  I may not necessarily be speaking for all concerned Nazarenes, and will not be presumptuous to think so.  Most of what I will say here is shared by many others, although I do not claim to be “the voice” of the Concerned Nazarenes.  And I also am taking the risk of losing more friends with what needs to be said today.  I accept that risk, as long as I am being truthful in my assessment.  From all I have seen, the Church of the Nazarene is near or at the forefront of all other traditionally orthodox denominations in bringing emergent ideology and other unbiblical practices and teachings to its people.

Response From Our National Leadership Has Failed

This to me has been the biggest red flag and the most troublesome indicator that the Nazarene denomination is headed for even more difficult times.  And when I speak of difficult times, I only speak of one thing: that of spiritual matters.  It has nothing to do with membership, or finances, or status in the world.  Therefore, I have come to two main conclusions at this time regarding the Board of General Superintendents:

1. General Superintendent Dr. Jesse Middendorf is an active perhaps the most influential supporter of the emergent church agenda within the denomination.  His son Jon Middendorf has also been a big influence, with his embrace of emergent ideology and ecumenical fellowship with the Roman Catholic church.  From his support of Jon’s presentation at the 2009 General Assembly, to his collaboration with emergent church leaders such as New Age sympathesizer Leonard Sweet, it is clear that Dr. Middendorf has been one of the major catalysts in fostering the growth of emergent ideology, contemplative spirituality, and acceptance of Roman Catholic practices within the denomination.  Some university leaders I have communicated with are also helping to usher in Roman Catholic practices, mysticism, and emergent ideology.  Their oftentimes ambiguous or evasive answers, and their staunch defense of false teachers such as Tony Campolo and Mike King, reveals that they have little discernment and have been deceived, and even worse are now spreading that deception to others.

2. The Other General Superintendents.  I do not have hard evidence of any of the other Generals being directly involved in promoting the emergent agenda, because they do not reveal much in their answers to me and others.  However, there is another indicator, which is the apparent lack of leadership from them, and lack of meaningful, clear answers to specific questions.  There are two possibilities, neither of which are good: the current leadership is either complicit with the emergent movement as Dr. Middendorf is, or at best they are aware of the problems and have made a conscious decision to ignore these serious threats to our church for the sake of, perhaps… staying united in one voice?  If so, that does not match up with biblical principles, because staying united as leaders at the expense of ignoring biblical truth, and at the expense of shirking their responsibility to lead the church and give guidance and direction, is unacceptable.

Throughout the past two years, the Generals have written several official statements, including The Emergent Church.  I have personally received responses from them.  Others have received individual responses.  All the words in these statements at best translate to a very generic, “we are against false teachings” position, but lacking substantive comments on anything or anyone specifically.  The current editor of Holiness Today also has shown signs of being sympathetic to the emergent movement, and is known for having attacked Concerned Nazarenes more than once, but like the others, never being specific in his accusations (Ill Informed Critics? Part 1, and Part 2.  So in effect, both the “silent” treatment tactic, and the attempts to attack our motives instead of biblically correcting us, seems to be the primary strategy of not only the leadership, but of those at the universities, as well as many at the District level.  I have had personal disappointments with some of the top leaders in my district, who have not even so much as responded to my emails seeking to have a meeting to discuss my concerns.  In my opinion, they too have shirked their responsibilities as leaders.  There were promises to meet with me, but never followed up.  Yet this “ignore them and they’ll go away” strategy simply exacerbates the situation, not just for me, but for others who at best have received polite form letters that are empty in substance.

The Universities Are Falling Apart

Some university presidents are either fully involved in spreading emergent heresy, or like some of the Generals, are not willing or are powerless to take serious action or speak out.  Universities that have been severely compromised include:

Northwest Nazarene University , led by the open theism of Dr. Tom Oord (see also Open Theism and Christian Evolution at ENC), as well as its welcoming of heretical speakers such as Brian McLaren and Jay McDaniel, and the embracing of The Shack author William Paul Young recently.

Point Loma Nazarene University , with its promotion of contemplative spirituality and Richard Foster’s Renovaré seminars, compromising the biblical view of homosexuality (Homosexuality At Point Loma); inviting an Eastern Orthodox speaker to teach praying to icons, and welcoming false teachers such as Rob Bell to speak on campus and to pastors;

Trevecca Nazarene University , which has been promoting prayer labyrinths and contemplative mysticism for years, as well as retreats to a Roman Catholic monastery to teach contemplative mysticism to students.  Their president, Dan Boone, changed the name of prayer labyrinth to prayer walk when this was exposed, but it does not matter.  It is still an unbiblical practice.  (See Are There Fundamentalist Nazarenes, And Are They Jihadists?, and Conversation With University President).

Nazarene Theological Seminary openly promotes contemplative mysticism; has a required course for pastors called Celtic Spirituality, an occultic version of “Christianity”; apparently is unapologetically involved in the interfaith movement; has a professor, Mike King, who spoke at the blasphemous Wildgoose Festival (Mike King and Friends Leading Youth To Spiritual Death).  New president David Busic quoted heretical emergence Christianity proponent, Phylis Tickle, extensively in his inauguration message.  There is more, as I have documented, but this is the school responsible for preparing our future pastors!  This is shameful.

The other Nazarene schools have been compromised also in one way or another.  Nazarene Bible College is teaching lectio divina, which is apparently standard fare now with books on that practice at the Nazarene Publishing House, which is sorely lacking in discernment with its promotion of the Catholic ritual of ashes to the forehead.  At the very least they must be seriously scrutinized before sending your children there.  The ones that I have mentioned, I would strongly recommend to stay away from at the moment, and do not send money to them until they repent of what they are doing.

District Leaders

There have been district superintendents who have shown the same display of politically correct responses to letters from concerned Nazarenes, and pastors who simply want to talk about “love” and maintaining “unity.”   Yet, some of them could do something, they could speak out, and yet they choose to remain silent, some of it due to the fact that they have bought into the false teachings.  Yet I thank God for those few pastors (including my own) and district leaders who have boldly taken a stand and rejected these false movements, and have declared it publicly and to their congregations.  There are still pastors who are defending their flock at great cost at times and rejecting the emergent agenda of their districts.  Some have been persecuted and lost their job, because of speaking out against emergent heresy.

People Are Leaving- Because of The Emergent Church

The leaders at some point will have to decide to be on one side or the other- and not walk the fence.  Nazarenes are leaving the denomination because of its liberal attitude and welcoming embrace of emergent thinking and rejection of the Bible’s full authority.  Of course, many are being attracted to the church because of its new emergent, post-modern thought- but at what cost?  How many of those who have come into the church are truly born again?  You will not have types of Nazarenes for too long.  Make up your mind, state your position clearly, and let Nazarenes decided whether they will put up with the emergent (missional) church or not.  But stop leading people on and making them wonder where you stand.  The fact is, if you don’t speak against it, you ARE for it.  If you want us to look like the Roman Catholic Church, you’ll see more of this, which was posted today:

“I can’t do it anymore, I am going to have to leave my church, when the associate pastor and others condone the teachings of the Catholic church it is time to leave!!!  I just can’t take the associate pastor and others supporting the doctrine of the catholic church. How do I witness to a Catholic and then turn around and accept their false teaching?  Pray for us.”

No More Letters

At this point, I will no longer be sending letters to the General Superintendents pleading with them for an answer to serious questions.  Their “answers” from the past two years have been inadequate and cryptic at best, and now I see them as part of the problem unless proven otherwise, not part of any solution to the problems in the church.  If the Lord moves them to action, and the Holy Spirit convicts them, they will finally start showing the leadership that seems to be lacking now, and provide badly needed spiritual guidance to several million Nazarenes.   They have the potential to send a loud and clear message to the apostates that have taken over our churches, our universities, and that are deceiving so many young people today.  But the days of asking them questions are over, and from now on I will be exposing them for their silence until they give us a straight answer.  If they cannot do their job, perhaps they need to resign, and find another occupation with less responsibility.  Here’s some food for thought expressed recently by a Nazarene pastor:

“I wonder how much of the emergent church stuff in our leaders and local congregations comes from the fact that we have failed to “guard the doctrine” (study the Scriptures) and are living in a “fly by the seat of our pants” theology. How much of it is because we have innocently tried to be “all things to all people” and there is really a heart to win the lost for Christ, but we no longer know how to or feel comfortable with the mission because we’re not IN THE LIVING WORD. So all sorts of other avenues are presented to be an attraction to people. How many of our leaders have just been running a giant organization too long to even be aware of what is happening or willing to put a face on it and call it for what it is? Maybe they’re still reeling from the fact that satan has shoved his foot in the door right under their noses and they don’t want to scare people away by pointing him out.”

Some may say, you are not being fair, Manny.  Who are you to question leaders of such stature?  Perhaps they are working diligently “behind the scenes” to fix the problems.  But that’s not how strong leadership works.  Strong leadership will instill confidence and trust from the people.  The fruits of their actions, or perhaps “non-actions”, have borne nothing but more uncertainty for Bible believers, while allowing the apostates to continue solidifying their foothold on our institutions and many of our churches and districts around the world.  If the great apostle Paul demanded accountability and commended the Bereans for verifying his teachings, why should we not hold our General Superintendents, college presidents, district superintendents, and pastors to the same high biblical standards?

Follow Our Example

One of my biggest disappointments has been seeing so many longtime Christians, many of them close family and friends, ignore what is going on, as if it will go away.  It is time now for pastors and laypeople alike who are sitting on the sidelines and do not agree with the false teachings, to stand up and be counted.  I do not claim to come close to emulating the apostle Paul, yet I am compelled to ask many of you to now do something.  I ask that you do as I do, just as Paul asked many years ago, simply because what we are doing here is biblically justified and even mandated- no exceptions.  Admitting that we are imperfect, I ask those who have been on the sidelines to follow my example and that of many Nazarenes who have put themselves on the line, risking reputation and even years of friendships, all for the sake of Jesus Christ and the truth of His word.  Perhaps you can do some research and educate others.  Perhaps you can write or call your district superintendents and ask where they stand, and then continue to pressure them for answers.  Perhaps you will need to confront your own pastor, or a friend in your church.  Perhaps you as a pastor must teach your congregation to be better Bereans.  It will not be easy.  That’s what I had to do.  It cost us plenty, but honoring Christ is the only honest option for us.

Manny Silva

For those who are feeling the threat of false teachings coming into your church, you are not alone.  Need advice and support, a free DVD, or other resources?  Please contact me or join us at our Concerned Nazarene FaceBook page.)

Addendum: Things To Prayerfully Consider

1. Consider specifically assigning your tithe ONLY to certain local church expenses, so that there is less chance it will be sent to the General Church budget.

2. If you are in a church that is promoting emergent ideology, withhold your tithe in some type of escrow until leadership is removed or repentance comes about.

3. Write to one or more of the General Superintendents and express your concerns about the direction of the denomination.

4. Write or call your District Superintendent, and ask him as to where he stands on the emergent church movement.

5. Talk to your pastor and find out exactly what he believes, especially if you suspect he may be trying to bring in “strange” practices, or if his sermons sound different and “odd” lately.  You may want to start by asking if he believes in the full inerrancy of scripture, not “only in matters of salvation.”

6. If your pastor is firmly against the emergent church, give him your unwavering support; pray for him and his spouse; encourage the congregation to stand with him 100%.

7. Write to one or more of the universities or seminaries, especially if you are an alumnus, and express your concerns and ask for the leadership to explain where they stand.  Do not settle for generalities, but press for specific responses to specific issues.

8. If you donate regularly to one of our universities, consider stopping the sending of any money to them, and write and let them know they will no longer get any funds until they get their act together and clean house.

9. Pray daily, especially for the safety and protection of our students at the schools, who are being exposed to dangerous heretical teachings, or who are being ridiculed by theology professors for standing for biblical truth

10.  Consider the possibility that you may have to be divorced from your church.  But is there any price that cannot be paid for standing for God’s truth, and being faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ?

11.  Flee.  If all else fails, and you and your family are threatened by unbiblical teachings, you must protect them.  Leave, and find a good solid Bible believing Nazarene church, and if that fails, find a good Bible believing church.  Your allegiance is to Jesus Christ, not any denomination.

12.  Ultimately, you may have to leave the denomination.  That is your call, in your time, based on your circumstances, and only through prayerful consideration.

Manny Silva

(How Do We Discern?- Michael Youssef)

Christ’s Birth, And Foundational Truths

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”  Matthew 1:20-25

As we celebrate this Christmas season, these are eternal things that will never change in the above verses:

-Mary was a virgin, with the baby Jesus that was conceived by the Holy Ghost.

-Biblical prophesy is always fulfilled!
Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

-Jesus Christ is the only One who can save people from their sins!
No religion of man has the ability to do this.  We cannot mix man’s religion with God’s Word, Light has nothing to do with darkness, and salt water cannot be mixed with Fresh.

-Until Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had no marital relations. (“knew her not”)

-Mary is not a “perpetual virgin” or a “Co-Redeemer” as stated by the RCC.
After Jesus was born she and Joseph went on to have children.
Matthew 13:55-56  Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?  And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

-Mary being obedient to the O/T law in Leviticus chapter 12, went on to offer an atonement sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves.
Luke 2:19-24 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

There are many pastors and teachers today that do not believe in these foundational Truths of God.  Run from them.
Support the few who do still believe that the Word of God is wholly true.  If one is not available in your area, have church at home.
Pray and read the Word of God with your family.  There are “house churches” in the Bible.

1Co 16:19  The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
Phm 1:2  And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

As many denominations intermingle with the world and it’s ways, may we who are in the Body of Christ come together as one in these final days.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Jesus Christ came into this world as a baby.  He is coming back as a Lion.
Those not found entered in “The Book of Life” through Jesus Christ are “cast into the lake of fire” for all of eternity…
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Our Christian stand should be “Either all of the Bible is True, or none of it is.”

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Duke

To The General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene,

You recently put out a statement regarding the Nazarene Theological Seminary and Nazarene Bible College, following a meeting you had with the presidents of the two schools.  I noted this statement:

 “The Board of General Superintendents is deeply and unwaveringly committed to NTS and NBC. They are worthy of the confidence of the entire denomination.”  (Online source)

Does your unwavering commitment to these two schools include unwavering endorsement of the following?

1.     The teaching of Celtic Spirituality at NTS.  Celtic spirituality involves to some extent communication with departed spirits, and the attainment of what is called the “thin place.”  It is shamanism and occultism frankly.  The Celtic way is one of mysticism and pagan practices.  Is this course within the bounds of “Wesleyan” theology, and more importantly, does this course fit within the bounds of Scripture?

2.      The promotion of contemplative spirituality to adults and even to pre-teens.  Specifically, NTS promoted the use of prayer ropes and “silence” to pre-teens, and sponsored a spiritual formation retreat at a Roman Catholic site that emphasized contemplative prayer practices.  Nazarene Bible College uses an instruction book by a Roman Catholic Benedictine monk to teach lectio divina.  How does this type of instruction align with Biblical instruction on prayer?  Where is silence as a form of prayer taught in Holy Scripture?

3.     Collaboration and association with interfaith and ecumenical groups.  I refer to the apparent association of NTS with an interfaith group in Kansas City, called CRES.  This group promotes interfaith dialog and cooperation with all sorts of false religions, and it was appalling and shameful to see NTS listed as a recommended organization.  So far I have received no answer from the president of NTS as to whether he is aware of this or not.
But that’s not all.  Professor Doug Hardy of NTS is a member of a highly ecumenical and interfaith group called Spiritual Directors International which promotes prayer labyrinths among other unbiblical ideas.  Dr. Dean Blevins of NTS is vice-president (and past-president) of the Religious Education Association, which is a member of the North American Interfaith Association!  If you look at all the groups associated with NAIN, it’s just as bad as the CRES group.  I’m beginning to see that it may not be an accident that NTS is listed on the CRES site, because Dr. Blevins, as vice-president of the REA and also an adjunct professor at NBC, also has no problem consorting with a group that includes all sorts of unbiblical religions.  And the REA clearly states that it promote ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.  Go to these sites, you’ll see it right there.  This is not made up information, this is not rumor or innuendo, this is not a witchhunt, this is fact; and all I would like to know is if you approve of this or not.    Nowhere on these sites will you find any kind of statements about evangelizing the lost and those who practice these false religions.  You won’t find that there because that is not their purpose!  No, instead they promote the idea that each and every false religion represented is an equal and valid expression of faith!  Are we not commanded in Scripture (2 Cor. 6:14-17)  to stay away from unbelievers, other than to evangelize them?

A Bad Dream?  I Wish It Were

Are we Nazarenes living in some kind of terrible nightmare that we will wake up to some day in a cold sweat and say, “wow, what a bad dream?”  No, this is happening for real; it’s happening right under your watch; and I’d like to know (as many, many other Nazarenes) what do you intend to do or say about this?
It is outrageous to have these things going on in any Christian university, and in our case, a holiness based school.  You have been entrusted with being the watchmen for this denomination, and if you are silent and let this continue, I would ask you to read the words of Ezekiel 33.  I believe his words apply today as seriously as they applied in his time.

I know hundreds of Nazarenes who will emphatically say that these schools DO NOT have their full confidence.   For every one of these people, I am sure they represent many other Nazarenes who believe that these schools are NOT worthy of our confidence.  Why?  We are called as a people of God to be separated from the corrupting influences of the world, and the world includes the false religions that comprise these interfaith groups.

I recall again what the church manual says regarding your responsibilities:

317.1.1  “To provide supervision of the international Church of the Nazarene. The Board of General Superintendents shall provide appropriate attention to leadership, guidance, motivation…”

318. “The Board of General Superintendents shall be the authority for the interpretation of the law and doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene…”

More importantly is the fact that you and I, and all other Christians, are under obligation before God for speaking the truth as Scripture teaches us.

• What is the point of these directives in the manual if we don’t seem to be getting leadership, guidance, and motivation regarding these unanswered questions?

• If somehow, you cannot or will not interpret the law and doctrine of the Church and give specific, definitive answers that we can understand, and take appropriate action to protect the flock, who will?  Is it being left up to us to determine what is acceptable based on what each of us likes?

• Why are those who are questioning the emergent (aka missional) church movement being portrayed by some of our “leaders” as divisive for daring to ask for answers, when the emergent church proponents rarely seem to be viewed as being divisive?  Of course, my contention is that depending on what is doing the “dividing”, that according to Scripture is a good thing.

There is clearly division, disruption in the church, but it is being caused by those who are attempting to bring false teachings in, and those who are cooperating with and having fellowship with the enemies of Christ.  And make no mistake about it, the members of these interfaith groups are the enemies of Christ.

I highly recommend that before an unwavering commitment to any of our schools, that first comes an unwavering commitment to biblical truth.

Manny Silva

Would you or your church be comfortable with working closely with these religions as part of an interfaith group whose goal is unity with all religions?  Well, the center for Religious Experience And Study (CRES) is based in Kansas City, KS, states the following on their website:

When you read through much of the website, you will see it is a love fest in ecumenicalism and interreligious and pluralistic cooperation, with the idea that only working together with other religions can we bring healing to the world’s problems.  One would think any Bible believing Christian school or denomination would stay far away from associating with this kind of thinking and philosophy.  We are commanded in Scripture:

We are not told anywhere in Scripture to come together and hold hands and “dialogue” with other religions, and rightly so, because all other religions are lies, and thus their origin is from Satan, the father of lies.  Yet here on this list of recommended groups and universities is Nazarene Theological Seminary.  I also noted that the site goes out of its way to make sure we know that Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is to be avoided… “as its approach to non-Christian faiths is unreliable and hostile.“  As I suspected, after looking at what MBTS stands for, it seems that it might be the only Christian school worthy of recommending to Bible believers in that area.  I was particularly impressed by their clear, unambiguous statement that the school will reflect AND teach the core biblical principles of their sponsoring denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, including teaching biblical inerrancy.  Would that our schools could only be so bold to do the same!

The question now we ask is, why?  Why is Nazarene Theological Seminary listed as part of a group of approved organizations that CRES has on their website?  That is a question I asked Dr. David Busic last month, in an email to him dated Nov 18.  He is the newly installed President of the seminary, and I thought surely he will correct this error and ask CRES to remove NTS from the approved list.  Furthermore, I would hope that not only would he ask for NTS to be removed from the list, but also that he would clearly distance the seminary from any kind of association and promotion of interfaith or ecumenical gatherings, in accordance with God’s standards as written in Holy Scripture.  I have yet to hear from Dr. Busic, and because of the history of NTS in recent years, I am concerned, and perhaps you should be too.  Perhaps the email got lost, or perhaps he is working on this now.  Perhaps you can send him an alert regarding what could be a misunderstanding.  That is why I am re-sending this to him, in hopes of getting an answer.

I am also concerned about NTS because of what it has promoted in the past.  The previous NTS president, Dr. Ron Benefiel, is directly connected with a group that promotes ecumenical “dialogue.”  The Christian Research/Voice Institute states: “While representing a particular theological tradition (Wesleyan), the goal of CRI/Voice is ecumenical and global.”  The Executive Director is Professor Dennis Bratcher, formerly from Point Loma Nazarene University and a proponent of Open Theism and Process Theology.  Dr. Benefiel is now at Point Loma and head of the Theology School.  Dr. Roger Hahn, a theology professor at NTS, is also on the board of this ecumenical group.

In a recent post (Phyllis Tickle and The New Seminary President), I pointed out how Dr. Busic referred to extensive material from Phyllis Tickle of emergence Christianity fame, in part of his inauguration message.  It is very troubling when you read about her ideology, and when you listen to her in this dialogue with false teacher Tony Jones at Fuller Theological Seminary.  (She starts at around the 27:00 minute mark).
Then there is the seminary’s promotion of contemplative spirituality and ecumenism, not only to adults (pre-General Assembly retreat) but also to young children of middle school age.  Then there is the occultic course being taught by Doug Hardy (Celtic Spirituality), and Dr. Hardy also is heavily involved with another interfaith group, Spiritual Directors International, where he is listed as a “spiritual director”, and is on the editorial board of the Presence Journal.  His bio says that “Doug’s fundamental calling is to come alongside others to help facilitate their alignment with God.”  Not to preach the gospel, but alignment with God, whatever that means. (Note also that the first person on the list is Lauren Artress, who was instrumental in popularizing prayer labyrinths in the United States.)  Oh, but who really cares about all this?

I could go on, but there seems to be a troubling trend at our top Nazarene seminary of promoting interfaith dialogue, ecumenism, emergent church ideology, and contemplative mysticism.  Is this the new face of the main seminary which is training perhaps your future pastor?  How will that bode for you and your congregation?  And what do our General Superintendents (our denomination’s spiritual leaders and interpreters of our doctrine) say about these issues?  Well, in a recent meeting on Dec. 8 with the leaders of NTS and Nazarene Bible College, I quote the article: “in the meeting, the general superintendents expressed their confidence in [Presidents] Busic and Graves and assured them of their unwavering support for the schools.”  The Generals also made the following statement:

“The Board of General Superintendents is deeply and unwaveringly committed to NTS and NBC. They are worthy of the confidence of the entire denomination.”

Unwavering?  Worthy of confidence?  Was this statement made with the knowledge of all these things going on at NTS?  Do the Generals support interfaith dialogue, and contemplative mysticism, and the teaching of occultism?  They have clearly have been informed of these troubling trends at both seminaries and are silent at this point.  One can make a strong case that the Board of General Superintendents may be supporting the very things I mentioned which run contrary to God’s word.  I pray that they will prove me (and others) wrong, but at this point, neither of these seminaries are worthy of the confidence of the entire denomination, that’s for sure.

Manny Silva

——–

Addendum:  EMAIL TO DR. DAVID BUSIC, PRESIDENT OF NAZARENE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY:

Below is my email to Dr. Busic.  It seems he has a lot on his hands.  Does Dr. Busic accept or tolerate these things?  Either view would be wrong.  I will FOLLOWUP as these trends develop, and let you know if NTS continues to be listed on the CRES website.  So far, it is not encouraging to see the road that this Nazarene seminary is going down, and I do not at this time recommend future pastors going to the seminary, nor do I recommend any church to consider for pastor anyone graduating from NTS unless they are thoroughly scrutinized and questioned as to their ideology.


11/18/2011

Dear Dr. Busic,

Congratulations on your appointment as President of NTS.  It is my prayer that God will guide you in leading NTS in upholding biblical truth at the school.  I and other Nazarenes have had concerns in the past regarding some things sponsored by, promoted by, or taught at the seminary.

I was concerned about something I ran into the other day, and wondering if you were aware of it.
At the CRES website, the Seminary is listed favorably as a recommended institution friendly to the CRES organization.  My concern is that it is an interfaith group that works closely with practically any kind of religion in the world.

Here is the link to the site where it mentions NTS favorably:  http://www.cres.org/pubs/KCInterfaithOps.htm

Just an observation, I thought that it was really strange that they said this about another school: “We cannot recommend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as its approach to non-Christian faiths is unreliable and hostile.”  Funny, I went to their website and so far have not seen anything about this Baptist school which would be over the top, unless they have a very consistent biblical approach that CRES cannot accept.  I am not Baptist, but certainly do agree with the core values as stated by that school, so I wonder why CRES would not recommend them.  I’ll have to ask CRES of course, not you.

On their vision statement page, they say this: “CRES values the contribution of each distinctive faith in healing the crises of our age — and finds it important to honor and preserve their distinctions. “  These faiths include: Buddhists, Muslims, Native American religions, Hindu, Sufi, Unitarian Universalists, Taoism, Confucianism, Wiccans, and Zoroastrians!

They also say: “CRES envisions the greater Kansas City area as a model community honoring interfaith relationships
•  where interfaith relationships are honored as a way of deepening one’s own tradition and spirituality, and
•  where the wisdom of the many religions successfully addresses the • environmental, • personal, and • social crises of our often fragmented, desacralized world.“

Does NTS have any kind of real connection with CRES?  If so, on what basis?  And if not, would it not be prudent to ask this group to remove any reference to NTS as a good resource?  If this is not the type of group NTS wants to associate with, that would certainly remove any appearance of an endorsement of this organization.  If this is the kind of group that NTS wants to associate with, then I humbly will say that it would be a serious problem that all Nazarenes should be aware of.

Looking forward to your response.  I have CC’d this to a few close friends so they are aware of the same issue regarding CRES and the reference to NTS.

Sincerely in Christ,

Manny Silva

Part 1: From the Marcus Borg discussion:

Dennis Bratcher, professor of theology at Point Loma Nazarene University:

“What is really irksome about people like Marcus Borg (TIC), is that correct belief is not a condition of being Christian. Of course they ought to be more “orthodox” (generally meaning that they believe like I do). We just have a hard time getting past the idea that someone who does not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus can still be a recipient of God’s redeeming grace and live in relationship with God. It’s a good thing, too, I think, since I have heard at least two prominent Nazarene theologians say basically the same thing as Marcus Borg, as well as a couple of pastors.”

I wonder if Dr. Bratcher would care to name names?  If that is true, these theologians have no business being theologians, and they would also be heretics on a par with Marcus Borg.  And if Dr. Bratcher agrees with them, he has no business being a theology professor at a Christian school.  And those couple of pastors should also give up their credentials.  I find it amusing yet also sad that statements such as this are always given a pass, but if an ordination candidate makes the claim that he believes in scriptural inerrancy (such as at least one in my New England District) he is told he would not be ordained).  The world is turned upside down yet again.

Bratcher again:

“And before we are too quick to quote 1 Cor 15:14 as the final proof, perhaps we should also think of other passages like John 20:31, 1 John 5:1, and dozens of other passages that point to Jesus himself as the object of saving Faith, not to a set of propositions no matter how true.

Now, let me be clear. I think Marcus Borg is wrong about a lot of things. But as Wesley pointed out, most of us are just as guilty of believing faulty notions. That is why, even though we strive to grow and mature in the Faith, correctness of belief cannot be the judge of salvation no matter where we set the bar or how important the doctrines are that we define as essential. Salvation is by grace through faith, and the object of that Faith is Jesus who is the Christ. That is much different than drawing the boundaries of Christianity, as important as that is. Of course we must define Christianity theologically. But we cannot use those definitions as arbiters of people’s relationship with God. If we do, we all might have a lot about which to be concerned.”

A typical thing that these folks do is to say, “well, I don’t agree with much of what he teaches…”, but they rarely give examples.   Dennis Bratcher knows that Marcus Borg does not believe in the physical resurrection of our Lord Jesus, but he seems to think that this is not important.  He rejects the clear statement of 1 Cor 15:14, apparently.  The next step in unbelief perhaps is to then not believe Jesus existed other than in the minds of the early Christians.  Perhaps Jesus is just a metaphor, as Marcus Borg often uses this kind of argument regarding historical accounts in scripture regarding the resurrection and the events around it.

But, “just believe in Jesus, and don’t worry about obedience to Him, don’t worry about doctrine”, is their mantra.  These false teachers make the standard argument over and over: all you have to do is say you believe in Jesus.   Don’t worry about right doctrine.  It’s not important!  That way, they can make up their own theology and their own doctrine!  Talk about freedom.

Mr. Bratcher should be reminded that even the demons believe, and yet they tremble.  (James 2:19).  He claims to believe, and then says, in effect, doctrine means nothing.

Another NazNetter, also an ordained elder, says:

“Borg is a world class scholar, and Wright – though vocal about his disagreements with him – will say over and over again that he has the utmost respect for Borg as a scholar. Same with Dom Crossan… Personally, I absolutely love Borg. I also think that his work with the Resurrection as myth is better than any other…”

Who is Dom Crossan?  John Dominick Crossan is a member of the infamous Jesus Seminar, as is Borg, and he believes that our Lord Jesus Christ was probably eaten by wild dogs and buried in a shallow grave.  For an ordained Nazarene elder to admire a heretic like Marcus Borg who was part of a disgraceful bunch of unbelievers as the Jesus Seminar, instead of warning about him and exhorting others to stay away from him, is also shameful.

For more on Marcus Borg and The Jesus Seminar:
Marcus Borg Attacks the Inerrancy, Historicity and Inspiration of the Bible

Marcus Borg: A Critique

Who Does The Jesus Seminar Really Speak For?

Part 2: From the Roman Catholicism Discussion:

In this discussion, the initial commentator mentions problems he sees with some of the Roman Catholic Church beliefs, and he asks: “How do we see their theology, can there be any sort of coming together doctrinally?”

Some responses from other NazNetters follow, keep in mind again many of them are ordained elders in the COTN.  Some who are very familiar with the Roman Catholic Church and its history, have also pointed out to me how these NazNetters do not even have an accurate understanding of RCC history, and it makes me wonder if they are deliberately lying about the factual statements that some made in contradicting their claims that the RCC can be considered a Christian group.

“As long as Catholics affirm the historic creeds of the church, I think we would have a hard time saying they aren’t Christian.”

“Penance is one of the seven sacraments, a means of grace, preparing for receiving the Eucharist.”

 “Scripture is tradition. Therefore, I would say the RCC is right – tradition and scripture are equal. Also, Scripture is contradictory. Why should that be a problem in the tradition?”

“Christ gives to the Church the power to forgive, and the authority to withhold forgiveness.”

“All Priests, RCC, EOC, Protestant, whatever… as representatives of Christ to the people of God have the authority and power to forgive, and likewise the authority to withhold forgiveness – to a certain degree – per John 20:23.”

“Thus when we pray our prayers of confession in each of our regular services, we as Ministers “acting in a priestly role” can offer a general absolution to the people based upon the assurance of Christ’s atonement and God’s subsequent forgiveness of the truly penitent.”

“The RCC is absolutely a blessing to the Body of Christ, as one of the largest parts of that Body. Genuine Christians should consider it a blessing to be a part of the RCC, just as they should in many other streams of our faith.”

The discussion on this topic has now been closed by the admin.  Perhaps there was just much too much opposition to Rome within their own group.

Naznet continues to be a breeding ground for emergent heresy and promotion of fellowship with an apostate church (the RCC). Sadly, leaders in our universities and pulpits are pushing for the same kinds of changes this group is generally advocating. And some folks wonder why many of us worry about all the Roman Catholic rituals and traditions continuing to come into the Church of the Nazarene now.  It’s no coincidence.

=========================================

Addendum:  Following is a list of beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church which are clearly against Scriptural teaching.  Perhaps any of the NazNetters will publicly profess that there are no problems with these lies.  It is from Jackie Alnor’s Apostasy Alert blog.

95 Specious Lies of Rome

1. The Roman Catholic Church was founded by Jesus.

2. Mary is the mother of God.

3. There is a place sinners go after death called Purgatory.

4. The RCC has the Melchizedek priesthood.

5. Catholic priests are Christ as they offer mass.

6. The pope’s authority is from apostolic succession.

7. Bones, hair and fingernails of dead saints are worthy of veneration.

8. The pope is the Vicar of Christ and the head of Christ’s church.

9. The pope is infallible in matters of faith and morals.

10 Priests turn bread and wine into the body, blood, soul & divinity of Christ.

11 The communion elements are to be worshipped as God.

12 The RCC has the authority to determine what dead people are saints.

13 Saints are to be prayed to & sought after for miracles.

14 Access to Jesus is thru Mary.

15 Sins must be confessed to a priest for absolution.

16 Penance, not repentance, is required for forgiveness.

17 Indulgences to get dead ones a reduced sentence in Purgatory is still taught.

18 No person can know for sure they are saved; that’s the sin of presumption.

19 The higher the clerical position, the closer to God.

20 Making the sign of the cross has spiritual benefits.

21 Clerical vestments are holy.

22 Kissing the pope’s feet shows honor to Christ.

23 Priests should be addressed as Father.

24 The pope is the Holy Father.

25 The Commandment not to make any graven image is not in the RCC’s list.

26 Holy water is beneficial in sanctifying people and objects.

27 Statues of saints can be bowed to.

28 Self-flagellation is accepted by God for penance.

30 The host is to be adored as it passes in a bejeweled monstrance.

31 Priests must take a vow of celibacy and not to marry.

32 Some sins send you to hell, some to Purgatory – mortal & venial.

33 Catholics must refrain from eating meats during Fridays in Lent.

34 Mass cards can be bought to help spring loved ones from Purgatory.

35 Some hosts have miraculously turned into actual human flesh.

36 Some chalices of wine have miraculously turned into human blood.

37 Chanting the Rosary is a form of legitimate prayer.

38 Reciting the Hail Mary gives one grace with Mary.

39 Mary can hear all prayers just as God can.

40 Meditation by making a mind blank brings one closer to God.

41 Keeping the RCC sacraments is necessary to get to heaven.

42 All other Christian denominations are inferior and the separated brethren.

43 Ex-Catholics are lost until they come back to Rome

44 The scapular gives spiritual protection to the one who wears it.

45 The miraculous medal of Mary will spring the dead person out of purgatory.

46 Mary never died, but was transported to heaven alive in the Assumption.

47 Mary’s apparition has appeared and is appearing with miraculous signs.

48 Seminarians must obey those above them even if they ask them to sin.

49 Mary stayed perpetually a virgin and had no other children.

50 Joseph never consummated his marriage to Mary.

51 Mary was born without original sin and never sinned.

52 Dead saints, like pagan gods, rule over a particular life’s need or position.

53 The Roman Catholic Church is Christian.

54 The Reformers are heretics, worthy of the executions the RCC put on them.

55 The unity of all religions under Rome is a Catholic goal, i.e. Assisi.

56 The RCC has replaced Israel.

57 Rome has replaced Jerusalem as God’s holy city.

58 The RCC is the Mother Church.

59 God recognizes all annulled marriages as if they were never joined.

60 The RCC can change truth with the authority to bind on earth as it is in heaven.

61 The RCC has the right to cover up the sins of their pedophile priests.

62 Baptizing babies makes them part of Christ’s Church.

63 Drinking blood during the mass is A-OK.

64 The faithful received Christ into their stomachs, not their hearts.

65 Rats can eat God.

66 Unbaptized babies do not enter into heaven.

67 Church tradition is equal to the Bible in faith and practice.

68 Peter, a married man, was the first pope.

69 Levitation is a miracle that many saints have engaged in.

70 Grace is not unearned favor, but a special blessing one can earn thru works.

71 The archangel Michael is a saint.

72 To be a saint, miracles have to be attributed to the person after death.

73 Dead loved ones can be present among their families.

74 Exorcisms are performed with the use of the crucifix and holy water.

75 Eucharist adoration keeps Jesus company while he’s stranded in the tabernacle.

76 Jews have no biblical right to the Holy Land.

77 Communion cup forbidden to laity.

78 Jesus’ sacrifice needs to be reoffered daily in a bloodless manner.

79 Vows of silence earns grace with God.

80 The Magisterium holds the mysteries of Christ.

81 The Catholic Church gave us the Bible.

82 Mary is a co-mediatrix between God and man.

83 Jesus died so we can all become gods.

84 Incense and candles create a holy atmosphere.

85 Icons and religious art can be venerated.

86 Mary statues that cry or bleed are holy signs.

87 The stigmata wounds cause saints to suffer like Christ for the sins of others.

88 The infant Jesus is an entity that can be addressed in prayer.

89 Stoicism and deprivation of the needs of the body are acts of holiness.

90 Jesus cannot turn down requests from his mother.

91 OK to pray to body parts such as the sacred heart or immaculate heart.

92 The RCC is the guardian of salvation – they hold the keys to the kingdom.

93 Doctrine and truth evolve.

94 Christ’s payment for sin is insufficient; we must suffer for our own sins.

95 The Roman Catholic Church is the one true Church.

(Originally posted at http://rrrapostasyalert.blogspot.com/2011/11/95-specious-lies-of-rome.html)

In chapter one of the book, she likens this supposed great new change to a rummage sale, where old things are cleaned out and discarded, and replaced with new fresh ideas and approaches to Christianity.  This is exactly what the emergent church is all about.  It’s really the same concept that false teacher Brian McLaren promotes, that of a “New Kind Of Christianity”, and as he states in the title of one of his books, “everything must change.”  And he really means it, and I’m sure Phyllis Tickle also agrees with him.

In his post Who Is Phyllis Tickle?, Pastor Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries points out that she receives high praise for her emergence concepts from false teacher and emergent church leader Doug Pagitt, who promotes “Christian yoga”, denies the concept of original sin, and seems to support a kind of “Christian universalism.”   Pastor Silva also brings out another association:

…at her website we read the following endorsement from an apostate Episcopal “Bishop and Primate”:

“Phyllis Tickle offers a creative and provocative overview of multiple social and cultural changes in our era, their relation to previous major paradigm shifts, and their particular impact on North American Christianity. This is an immensely important contribution to the current conversation about new and emerging forms of Christianity in a post-modern environment—and a delight to read!”
—The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori,
Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church

Bishop Schori is clearly an apostate.  She has stated in a message to the Episcopal General Conference that individual salvation is the greatest heresy in the church today, and that there is only a collective salvation.

From Tickle’s website, her About section says that she:

is currently a Senior Fellow of Cathedral College of the Washington National Cathedral… A lay eucharistic minister and lector in the Episcopal Church.

 At the WNC website:

Washington National Cathedral is a church for national purposes called to embody God’s love and to welcome people of all faiths and perspectives. A unique blend of the spiritual and the civic, this Episcopal Cathedral is a voice for generous-spirited Christianity and a catalyst for reconciliation and interfaith dialogue to promote respect and understanding. We invite all people to share in our commitment to create a more hopeful and just world.

Ken then points out that she is on the board of advisors of the Mary Baker Eddy Library.  Eddy was the founder of the Christian Science cultic religion.

As you dig deeper, the Cathedral promotes contemplative prayer, including centering prayer and practicing the silence.  I suggest you read the full post by Pastor Silva in order to get an even better look at the very dubious associations that Tickle has with apostate groups and false religions.

You’ll hear her in this conversation with emergent proponent Peter Rollins as he “tickles her ears” while discussing emergence Christianity.  Tickle is also a proponent of mysticism, as is her friend Rob Bell.  From the Museum of Idolatry website, you can hear a clip of her speaking at Rob Bell’s church, where she was invited to speak about the ‘feminine attributes’ of the Holy Spirit.  At the 8:11 mark, she claims that when we take communion we are “FEEDING THE “GOD” WITHIN US”.

Finally, a dialogue at Fuller Theological Seminary with Tony Jones and Lauren Winner (who was a guest speaker at Eastern Nazarene College as well as Point Loma) will astound you.  I was amazed at the contempt for the Bible coming from Tickle and her two colleagues that day, and how they were so enthralled with each other.  Here is the video: Emerging Spiritualities In The American Church.  She is also proud of her affinity for large amounts of hard liquor.

Here is one quote from that dialogue at Fuller:

“Any good emergence Christian worth his or her salt will tell you that there is an incredible arrogance in thinking that we can reduce God Almighty to a set of words that we understand.  Yes the scripture is given to us, yes it is in words, but the scripture is written in a way that we can have it, but we cannot entirely understand it.  It is beyond us in every way.”
34:58-35:30

She goes on to talk about “where we exist as lovers of Jesus in the fullest and most erotic sense.”  There is quite a bit more nonsense in this three way dialogue, but I’ll let you be the judge, don’t take my word for it.

Her presentation starts at the 27 minute mark, if you wish to skip Lauren Winner.  But it is well worth listening to all three of these speakers truly tickle each other’s ears, to get a real good idea of the warped and twisted self loving humanism that comes from such folks as these in the emergent/emerging/emergence movement.

What’s The Connection With NTS?

What does this have to do with the new Seminary president?  Dr. David Busic recently gave his inaugural message as the newest president of Nazarene Theological Seminary.  Here is the transcript of the message: Inaugural Address President David Busic October 28 2011-1

Here is the video link: http://vimeo.com/32479319

In attendance was at least one General Superintendent.  I believe there are questions of discernment or perhaps at best a lack of understanding as to what Phyllis Tickle represents.

At the start of his references to Tickle, Dr. Busic says the following:  “While some have questioned the veracity of her reading of history, and certainly not all would agree with her assessment, few would argue that we are living in a time of rapid and disruptive change. And so for the sake of argument let’s hear what she has to say.”

He then continues to go into detail about her idea of every 500 years of a great change occurring in Christendom.   He later also wonders whether Tickle’s reading of history is correct, but I can’t help but believe that Dr. Busic likes what she has to say.  He clearly has nothing unfavorable to say about her, nor any warning whatsoever of her emergent ideology.   It is also interesting that he quotes the president of Fuller Theological Seminary, one of the top seminaries in the country, but which has gone down the road of apostasy with its promotion of contemplative spirituality, ecumenism, and downright rejection of God’s infallible word.

I am now even more worried about the future of  Nazarene Theological Seminary.  Why would Dr. Busic use material attributed to a promoter of contemplative spirituality, and someone who promotes the emergent church movement and all its heresies?  That is a question others besides me will have to ask Dr. Busic over the coming months.  I have other concerns that have been addressed to Dr. Busic in an email I sent a few weeks ago, and I hope to get an answer to those questions.  Yet at this point I am troubled, because under the previous president, Dr. Ron Benefiel, there was a whole lot of error being promoted and allowed to be taught at what is the flagship seminary of a denomination that proclaims and preaches holiness.  Will there be significant and promising changes under Dr. Busic, or will it be the same old thing continuing on?

For me, these are just some of the  lingering questions:
- Will Doug Hardy stop teaching an occultic Celtic Spirituality course?  Will he renounce his involvement with the highly ecumenical and interfaith group at Spiritual Directors International?
- Will NTS stop promoting contemplative spirituality, to both its students and even to middle school age children?
- Will NTS stop promoting Roman Catholic practices?
- Will NTS cancel any plans for another Spiritual Formation Retreat at the next General Assembly?
- Will Mike King stop promoting contemplative spirituality to youth, and stop being involved with heretical youth festivals such as Wildgoose?
- What will Dr. David Busic do as leader of NTS to stop some of the ungodly trends at the major seminary of the Nazarene denomnation.

I believe we will have a good idea of the future direction of this seminary very soon, one way or the other.

 Addendum:

Here are a few previous posts about Nazarene Theological Seminary and its errors

Promotion of a retreat at Roman Catholic center and teaching of contemplative spirituality:
http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/nazarene-church-welcoming-contemplative-spirituality/

Promotion of a spiritual formation retreat with Alden Sproul and Doug Hardy: http://www.lillenas.com/nphweb/html/ht/printerFriendly.jsp?id=2719&sid=10000013

Promotion of contemplative spirituality and ecumenism:  http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/nazarene-schools-drifting-away-from-biblical-soundness/

Teaching of occultic Celtic spirituality by Dr. Doug Hardy: http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/occult-coming-to-nazarene-theological-seminary/

Mike King, a professor at NTS, and  national Nazarene youth leader speaks at heretical festival:

http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/mike-king-and-friends-leading-youth-to-spiritual-death/

 Doug Hardy’s book recommendations for Windsor Hills Camp in New Hampshire.  Most of the books were written by or about Roman Catholic mystics or promoters of contemplative mysticism:

http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/windsor-hills-camp-promotes-error-filled-books-to-nazarenes/