False Teacher Mike King Continues His Influence in the Nazarene Denomination

Mike King may not be THE “king” of modern contemplative spirituality (Richard Foster is most often viewed as the leader), but he certainly is very influential. What makes him even more dangerous is that he has a long history of working with youth, including within the Church of the Nazarene. Mr. King is still involved, and currently is an Adjunct Faculty in the NTS Christian Formation and Discipleship Degree Program at Nazarene Theological Sedminary, and leads a program that connects youth with helping the hungry.The question is, why do leaders within the denomination still give a platform to someone who promotes false teaching and is more interested in quoting mystics and Roman Catholics? He is scheduled to speak on a FaceBook live session on Spiritual Formation and Youth on September 11, 2019.

I present here as much evidence as I could find about Mike King, as a warning to anyone who will consider it, including the leadership in the Church of the Nazarene. (And to be clear however, Mike King is a symptom of the problem within the denomination, not the problem itself). I will begin with some general information about him. I then follow with a sampling of his religion-related tweets, going as far back as December, 2018. It is very interesting that a man who is still invited to Nazarene universities, seminaries, and colleges, has such a very strange liking for those he quotes. You can visit his Twitter site at: https://twitter.com/mdking

During the years from 2005 to 2011, Mike King was a heavy promoter of emerging spirituality and contemplative (New Age) prayer techniques. He also was a guest speaker at the Nazarene M7 Conference in February, 2007, where he spoke on contemplative spirituality. He was a founding board member and past Board chairman of the heretical, far left Wildgoose Festival, an annual event that features some of the most radical and apostate leaders in “Christianity.”

Mr. King also took part in a conference called Children, Youth, And A New Kind Of Christianity in 2012, in Washington D.C.  Some of the promoters of that event included the extreme and radical racist pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.  Also, emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, Tony Campolo, Samir Selmanovic, and Jim Wallis were there.  Mike King associates with these people who are unbiblical in their belief system, because he identifies with them!

 

Mike King And Wildgoose

When King organized the Wildgoose Festival in 2011, he was adjunct professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary, and also was a top youth leader in the church, organizing youth events nationwide. He is still the president of YouthFront, which seems well-intentioned, but which serves to help promote all the contemplative mysticism that he is so fond of, as well as his ecumenicalism and his connections with Roman Catholicism. It sadly serves as a major source of indoctrination of youth into all sorts of religious garbage masquerading as Christian.

The lineup over the years at Wildgoose Festival, which Mike King was clearly aware of and promoting, has been a steady parade of false teachers, heretics, and non-Christians claiming to be Christians. The Festival also openly invites people of any faith to come, but there has never been any focus on presenting the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone. Instead, Wildgoose clearly has stated its values as being fully open to anything and anyone, including homosexuals who claim to be Christian.

In a report by Jeffrey Walton on his blog in 2013, he writes on how much even worst that year’s Wildgoose would become.  The push for creating “trans” inclusive communities was on the list of topics, along with the recurring themes of homosexuality, non-Christian religions and activities, and of course the all night parties.
http://juicyecumenism.com/2013/07/12/wild-goose-festival-migrates-through-turbulent-issues-of-transgenderism-intersex/.
Here are two typical quotes from their website a few years ago: “We are a community creating a festival at the intersection of justice, spirituality and art. We take inspiration from many places, such as Greenbelt, Burning Man, the Iona Community, SXSW, and others. The festival is open to everyone; we don’t censor what can be said;”

“The Wild Goose is a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. We are followers of Jesus creating a festival of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. The festival is rooted in the Christian tradition and therefore open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation.”

This is the kind of utter foolishness that Mike King has promoted for years, and yet, he continues to work and speak at a top seminary of the Church of the Nazarene. Here is just a short list of the many heretical headliners who typically appear at Wildgoose: Brian McLaren, Jim Wallis, Jennifer Knapp, Ian Cron, Shane Claiborne, Phylis Tickle, Lauren Winner, Frank Schaeffer, Spencer Burker, Carl McColman, Pete Rollins, and many more.

“Instead of Bible studies, there were labyrinth walks. Instead of praise-and-worship music, there was hymn-singing in a beer garden and a bluegrass liturgy presided over by a tattooed female Lutheran minister. Visitors were greeted with buckets of water in which to baptise themselves, and tubs of mud to remind them that “dust thou art”. (In Britain, the mud is usually underfoot.) Lecture topics ranged from sex trafficking and social justice to authority in the church and interfaith relations. Visitors could learn from Tom Prasada-Rao, a singer, how to chant “Om” and “Hallelujah Hare Krishna”, or hear Paul Fromberg, a pastor from San Francisco, talking about his 2005 wedding to another man.
“God is changing the church through the bodies of gay men,” Mr Fromberg told a packed session on human sexuality. Also under discussion was “religious multiple belonging”—in other words, belonging to a clutch of different faiths at once.” (http://www.economist.com/node/18898389)

As you can see, Wildgoose is not committed to anything approaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and you will not find any real reference to the Gospel.  It is a festival committed to spirituality which is not Christian; it is blasphemous, disobedient to Christ, and worldly. And yet we have Mike King, an unabashed promoter of this festival, still speaking to f and influencing future Nazarene pastors, as well as influencing countless youth.

Mike King and The Enneagram

Mike King also is a fan of the Enneagram, which has occultic origins. It is a system invented years ago which uses a symbol that has nine points, and also has nine lines. It’s function is to analyze personality types and match people to a specific type. According to the Enneagram Institute, the Enneagram can help people restore balance to their “personality structure” and develop more desirable spiritual and psychological qualities. Believers in the Enneagram seek to unravel the mystery of their “true identity.” They see themselves as spiritual beings who have lost contact with their true nature. Once they discover their “true self”—by means of the Enneagram—they experience a spiritual awakening full of freedom and joy. (source: gotquestions.org).

This practice seems to be appearing more thoughout the evangelical world. I believe there is a great spiritual danger in the use of the Enneagram, especially if a Christian starts relying on it for spiritual guidance and direction. Quoting Kevin DeYoung: “[it] has been, from its inception (whenever that was), infused with spiritual significance. And therein lies the danger.”

 

Mike King Reveals His Love For Mysticism On Twitter

In this compilation ot tweets from his Twitter account, I searched for religion-related posts going as far back as December, 2018. It is quite interesting what I found, and you can see those here. Except for one quote of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and a few other names I did not recognize, all the other quotes were clearly not from people who would be considered traditional evangelicals, nor even close to being of the Wesleyan tradition. Instead, we see quotes by Henri Nouwen, Peter Enns, Julian of Norwich, Pope Francis, John Cassian, Ian Morgan Cron, Juergen Moltman, Cyprian of Carthage, Stanley Haurwaus. By far his favorite seems to be Henri Nouwen. Following this list of tweets, I will give brief summaries of each of these people that he has quoted, and what they believed and promoted.

 

 

Who Does Mike King Quote Or Promote? What Do They Believe? Here Are A Few

They say that your character or your philosophy of life is often reflected by the company you keep, or perhaps by the people you read or quote from. So who are these people that Mike King so glowingly quotes for the world to see? Is it wrong to come to any conclusions about Mike King, just based on who he quotes? Certainly not, especially since the abundance of evidence besides these tweets clearly shows where Mike King’s heart is at, at least in the world of Christianity.

 

Brian McLaren

Pastor, and godfather of the emergent movement; likens the Cross to false advertising for God, is confused as to whether homosexuality is a sin or not, promotes contemplative mysticism, rejects biblical inerrancy. McLaren performed a commitment ceremony for his son’s same sex marriage in 2012.
Quote: “The Bible is not considered an accurate, absolute, authoritative, or authoritarian source but a book to be experienced and one experience can be as valid as any other can. Experience, dialogue, feelings, and conversations are equated with Scripture while certitude, authority, and doctrine are to be eschewed!  No doctrines are to be absolute and truth or doctrine must be considered only with personal experiences, traditions, historical leaders, etc. The Bible is not an answer book.”
Source: A New Kind of Christianity, p. 52 Published: 2001.

 

Henri Nouwen

A Roman Catholic mystic who promoted contemplative prayer and also dabbled in Eastern religions. Nouwen claimed that contemplative meditation is necessary for an intimacy with God: “I do not believe anyone can ever become a deep person without stillness and silence” (quoted by Chuck Swindoll, So You Want to Be Like Christ, p. 65). He taught that the use of a mantra could take the practitioner into God’s presence. Nouwen’s involvement with mysticism led him to a form of universalism and panentheism (God is in all things).
“The God who dwells in our inner sanctuary is the same as the one who dwells in the inner sanctuary of each human being” (Here and Now, p. 22).
In his final book Nouwen described his universalist doctrine as follows: “Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God’s house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God” (Sabbatical Journey, New York: Crossroad, 1998, p. 51).
At David Cloud’s website, you can read a comprhensive article on this mystic who is very popular now in the Nazarene denomination and many others as well: https://www.wayoflife.org/database/beware_of_henri_nouwen.html

 

Jim Wallis

Liberal political activist, radical social justice proponent, uses religion to sell his agenda in the political arena.  Founder of Sojourner’s.  Former spiritual advisor to President Obama. Quote: “Being born again was not meant to be a private religious experience that is hard to communicate to others, but rather the prerequisite for joining a new and very public movement—the Jesus and kingdom of God movement. It is an invitation to a whole new form and way of living, a transformation as radical as a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It is far more than a call to a new inner life, or a rescue operation for heaven.”
Source: The Great Awakening: Seven Ways To Change The World [New York: Harper Collins, 2008] p56 Published.

 

Carl McColman

Author of “The Big Book of Christian Mysticism”, as well as books on Celtic spirituality. He spent several years as a Celtic pagan (neo-druid) before entering the Catholic church.  He is a blogger on contemplative spirituality.  He describes mysticism as Christianity’s best kept secret. He quotes the writer Abhishiktananda, a Benedictine monk who dabbled in Hindu spirituality: “The life of prayer and contemplation is simply to realize God’s presence in the depth of our being, in the depth of every being, and at the same time beyond all beings, beyond all that is within and all that is without.”

 

Peter Enns

Dr. Peter Enns promotes the idea that Adam and Eve were not real, historical people. He also believes that Moses did not write the first five books of the Old Testament. You can read more about his views on Genesis and creation her: http://servantsofgrace.org/peter-enns-jesus-genesis/

 

Jennifer Knapp

“Christian” artist who “came out” in 2010 about her homosexuality and her lesbian relationship.  Actively promotes homosexuality as being compatible with Christian living. Her bio says: “Under heavy scrutiny, Jennifer has unashamedly claimed her faith and her sexual orientation with astonishing straightforwardness and honesty.”

 

Spencer Burke

Founder of the website, The Ooze.  Universalist “Christian.” Quote: “I don’t believe any single religion owns heaven or God—even a religion that tries to include everyone. When I say I’m a universalist, what I really mean is that I don’t believe you have to convert to any particular religion to find God. As I see it, God finds us, and it has nothing to do with subscribing to any particular religious view… Universalism says that a theology of grace implies salvation for all, because if grace could be limited to some people and not to others,… it is in fact no grace at all…grace is bigger than any religion.” (A Heretic’s Guide To Eternity, pg 196, 197, 198)

 

Phylis Tickle (now deceased)

Author of The Great Emergence. Emergent leader.

Quote: “The new Christianity of the Great Emergence must discover some authority base or delivery system and/or governing agency of its own. It must formulate—and soon—something other than Luther’s Sola Scriptura which, although used so well by the Great Reformation originally, is now seen as hopelessly outmoded or insufficient …”
Book: by Phyllis Tickle entitled: The Great Emergence, pg 151 Published: 2008.

 

Ian Cron

Episcopal priest, mystic, speaker, author, wrote book on St Francis of Assisi and other books. Quotes mystic monk Thomas Merton on his Facebook page: “Just remaining quietly in the presence of God, listening to Him, being attentive to Him, requires a lot of courage and know-how.” Thomas Merton”

 

Julian of Norwich

She was a mystic, contemplative, feminist and pantheist from the 13th century. Her universalism is seen in part in some of her quotes:
“For in man is God, and God is in all. And I hope by the grace of God he that beholdeth it thus shall be truly taught and mightily comforted…” JoN  “And after this I saw God in a Point, that is to say, in mine understanding, — by which sight I saw that He is in all things” JoN

 

Shane Claiborne

Emergent leader, promotes contemplative mysticism. Quote: “The time has come for a new kind of conversation, a new kind of Christianity, a new kind of revolution.” Book: by Shane Claiborne entitled: Irresistible Revolution p. 29 Published: February 2006.

 

Cathleen Falsani

Director of New Media at Sojourner’s (Jim Wallis’s group); author of Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace.  Promotes homosexuality in Christianity, as reported here: http://apprising.org/2011/01/14/gay-awakening-for-mainstream-evangelicalism-grows-closer/

 

Pope Francis

Head of the Roman Catholic Church. Promoter of all sorts of false teachings which is characteristic of Romanism, including a works-based salvation.

 

BioLogos

Mike King also promotes this organization, which is a group whose purpose includes promoting evolution, and which also has members who promote such heresies as process theology and open theism.

 

Links for further research:

https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-06/left-leaning-christians-rally-around-wild-goose

https://wordandway.org/2011/06/27/progressive-christians-flock-to-wild-goose-festival/?fbclid=IwAR1_ZAICeeNKTrWVa44AeupdLG_HSMa6c4GS-ktGV1aW7rJ62mE7jjkrEZo

https://king.typepad.com/mike_king/wild-goose/

“Women Of Joy” And Other Christian Conferences: Perception Is Not Necessarily Reality

The Perception: A Good “Christian” Conference

For $120 per person, this is what you get:

You go to the website, and see beautiful testimonials, strong endorsements, and well known popular speakers in the evangelical community.

You read the following statement, which is part of their theme:

“A women’s conference that not only uses the word of God, but is founded in scripture.”

Or… is it founded in scripture? Many women may be planning to go to this conference, and much of it sounds and looks really good. It’s called “women of joy” (who does not like joy?), and it claims to be solid, and it has well known speakers. But what sounds and looks good, is not necessarily the reality. In this time of ever growing and great deception, it is always advisable to “test the spirits” as Scripture commands. So… let’s test the spirits, and see if the speakers at these conferences are sound in doctrine, or not. If they are not, will you still go and listen to them?

The Reality: Unbiblical Theology

1. One speaker, Margaret Feinberg, has written a book, in which she makes claims of special divine revelation. She says that a shepherd, a beekeeper, and a winemaker whom she interviewed about their work, “illuminated the Bible in a whole new light”.

Quote: I traveled to Oregon and spent time with a shepherdess to learn more about sheep and leadership.  Southern Colorado to spend time with a beekeeper and explore the world of hives and honey.  Nebraska to visit a farm and learn about harvesting, and California to learn about viticulture and fruitfulness from a grape-grower.

Along the way, I asked how each person interpreted passages of Scripture in light of their work.  Their answers illuminated the Bible in a whole new light and resulted in the book …”

This begs the question: are we truly able to get enlightenment about the word of God in a whole new light from an outside source? Or is it not the fact that Scripture stands alone, on its own, without the need for any outside testimony to reveal God to us? Margaret Feinberg will be at the Lowell, MA, Women of Joy conference.

2. Another speaker, Christine Caine, adheres to and teaches Word of Faith (prosperity gospel), a heretical belief system. She has held leadership positions at, and is closely affiliated with Hillsong, an organization which has deviated very far from sound Scriptural doctrine. She has also regularly partnered with false teachers, including T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, Bethel conferences, Robert Morris, Rick Warren, Steven Furtick, and Joyce Meyer. She will be speaking at the Lowell, MA conference.¹

3. Then there is Ann Voskamp, one of the most popular women speakers in the evangelical world today. In his review of her book One Thousand Gifts, Bob Dewaay describes her writings as “romantic panentheism.” Quoting pastor Dewaay:

“Voskamp would likely recoil from the notion that she is promoting pagan nature religion. But she puts Christians on the same footing as the pagans by taking them on a journey to find God in nature and art. She thereby promotes mysticism. Her concepts about God that are distinctively Christian are borrowed from special revelation (the Bible). But she never makes a distinction between general revelation and special revelation, and by integrating the two so seamlessly, she elevates nature to the status of saving revelation. Since God is supposedly in everything, then God can be found in everything. And that is panentheism.”

Voskamp also incorporates Romanticism in her concepts of God.

“Voskamp’s romanticism is enhanced by her skill at describing things in a most sensual manner. The sensual terminology is designed to create a mood, a feeling, a sense of romantic mystery that longs for discovery and fulfillment. Those like me who relish clear description of theological concepts meant to be understood and discerned, will be horribly frustrated by the book.” 

“This sensuality finds its apex in the last chapter of the book which begins with this sentence: “I fly to Paris and discover how to make love to God” (Voskamp: 201).”

In this article by Sola Sisters, you see more detail of how Voskamp relates to God in an erotic manner that is clearly inappropriate and unbiblical in its references.

Her book is also filled with New Age ideas, and she quotes mystic and false teacher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, “Nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.” Dewaay says that “The idea that everything is holy and nothing profane is popular, but unbiblical, and comports with the idea of panentheism. The Bible tells us to separate the holy from the profane: “Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44:23).

Another speaker on the team is Lysa TerKeurst. Her false teaching is documented here by Michelle Lesley:

https://michellelesleybooks.com/2015/07/31/leaving-lysa-why-you-shouldnt-be-following-lysa-terkeurst-or-proverbs-31-ministries/

There are others who are very flawed in their theology, flawed to the point of false teaching. Others may be more sound in their doctrine, but are they not aware of these women? Kirk Cameron is part of this organization, and is a speaker at some of the conferences. Why does he not have the discernment to stay away from false teachers such as these? Are we to not have anything to do with those who preach another gospel?

We need to do our homework before committing to ANY concert, any conference or seminar, no matter how good it looks on the surface. If you don’t know anything about who you are going to hear, why would you go? In such a time as we are in, now is the time to be even more discerning, and find out who it is who is going to teach you something! It may not be from God.

And there is no excuse, such as the idea of “spitting out the bones and keep the meat” as some false teachers like Joyce Meyer will tell you. Nonsense! We are clearly taught in Scripture about the wolves in sheep’s clothing; to beware of them; to expose them; to call them out; but certainly to not support them in any way. Yes, these women, I am sure, will have some biblically sound things to teach you. But they will be mixing their dangerous theology with it, and they will be particularly dangerous to those vulnerable new Christians who may very well go because you, the mature Christian, did not use sound judgment.

Be a Berean, my Christian sister. If they were discerning when they heard Paul preach, what then with the “teachers” of today?

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

 

 

 

 

Links For Further Reference:

 

Margaret Feinberg:

http://bereanresearch.org/margaret-feinbergs-organic-god/

 

 

¹Christine Caine:

https://michellelesleybooks.com/2016/03/04/chhave-no-regard-for-the-offerings-of-caine/

 

 

Ann Voskamp:
http://www.solasisters.com/2012/04/commentary-on-ann-voskamps-one-thousand.html

 

http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue120.htm

 

 

Lisa Harper

 

https://michellelesleybooks.com/popular-false-teachers/

 

Lisa Teurkust

 

https://michellelesleybooks.com/2015/07/31/leaving-lysa-why-you-shouldnt-be-following-lysa-terkeurst-or-proverbs-31-ministries/

Are You Testing “Heaven Is For Real” According To Scripture?

It seems that we are living in times where many Christians today are just simply taking in everything that looks inspirational, without question, as long as it makes them feel good.  I believe that it is getting worse and worse, and nothing has been better illustrative than the excitement to go see something that has come out of Hollywood, and without question, believe that it is going to be a good thing for everyone!  Nothing was more illustrative of an incredible lack of discernment and good judgment than the latest Hollywood disaster (in biblical terms) than Noah.  It was not even close to being a good rendition of the Bible account of Noah and the flood- yet undiscerning Christians flocked to it, and most likely walked away disappointed.

When will some Christians start understanding that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is NOT necessarily a duck- unless you know what is in the product!

I understand that many non-believers and even naïve young Christians (young in the faith) might be excited about such movies, and go to them, enjoy them, and come away excited and even encouraged about the afterlife.  That is quite understandable.  What bothers me is how supposedly mature, Bible-believing Christians, especially pastors and other leaders, are encouraging people to go to the movie, without checking out the claims of the young man and seeing whether they clash with Scripture in any way.  What would be more disturbing I suppose is if a Christian leader knows that this movie is very dubious, and recommends it anyway.  The emotional value of a movie it seems might be a very influential factor that perhaps clouds an otherwise mature Christian’s judgment, and makes them set aside God’s word, in exchange for the emotional benefits from the story.

I listened to a portion of Sean Hannity’s radio show a few days ago, where he interviewed Colton Burpo, who is now 14 years old, and his father Todd Burpo.  Colton is the young man who claims that at four years old, while undergoing surgery, he went to heaven and experienced some incredible things, including meeting Jesus, his grandfather who he never knew, and his sister who he never met, because she had died while in her mothers womb.  The movie is opening nationwide this Wednesday, April 16, and I am sure it will make millions of dollars this week.

Do We Have Physical Bodies in Heaven Right After We Die?

In the interview, Colton was asked about the people he saw in heaven, and whether they have physical bodies or not, or whether it was just a spiritual thing.  He answered Sean Hannity and said that definitely everyone in heaven has their own physical body, and he was able to hug some people physically.  So he had no doubt that people that he met in heaven possess physical bodies.

Now, the important question: what does Scripture say about death, and about what happens after a Christian dies?

As a believer who is saved, Scripture says that after death we are taken into the presence of Christ.  To the thief on the cross, Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).  And on two separate occasions, Paul said the following regarding death and bringing us into Christ’s presence:

“But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” (Philippians 1:23-24)

“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord–for we walk by faith, not by sight–we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

Here’s where it gets “tricky”, in relation to Colton Burpo’s testimony.  I believe that when a Christian dies, his spirit/soul goes to be with the Lord- but not his physical body.

How do I know that?  Let’s see what Scripture says about this.

Paul says, in Romans 8:23, “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

Then we have 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, “⁵⁰ I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:  “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

And then 1 Thessalonians 14: 13-17, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,4 that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

These two passages are describing believers being resurrected and given glorified bodies.

The question then follows here:

If believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, what is the purpose of this resurrection? It seems that while the souls/spirits of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave “sleeping.” At the resurrection of believers, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and then reunited with the soul/spirit. This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be the possession of believers for eternity in the new heavens and new earth. (source, www.gotquestions.org)

And according to Revelation 20:11-15, those who died as unbelievers will also be resurrected just as the believer will be, but they will be eternally condemned to hell.  They will be resurrected to be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. The Scriptures say that those judged are judged according “…to what they had done as recorded in the books” (Rev 20: 12). And v 13 says, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” This answers the question: “What about the poor heathen who never heard?” They will be in this judgment.

Frankly, I don’t think a movie called “Hell is For Real” would have much appeal to people today, although if it followed Scripture, it could present the Gospel and show unbelievers where their destiny would be without Christ.

So it seems to me that Colton Burpo got it wrong.  The only other conclusion is that Scripture has it wrong, and what is described in the Bible is a mistake.  So you must choose: either believe Colton Burpo, or believe Scripture.

If Scripture is correct, what does that say of Colton’s testimony?  We already know of the other contradictions from his account that do not line up with Scripture.  What does a Bible-believing Christian do with the fact that much of Colton’s story is in opposition to the Bible?  What does one do with the fact that his claim to have gone to heaven is contradicted by God’s word?  Jesus told Nicodemus:

“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man.” John 3:13

I don’t often reference the NLT, but I believe it translates it most clearly: “No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.”

Dear brothers and sisters, pastors, and youth leaders, you may think I am obsessed with yet another nitpicky thing.  Why should I ruin such a wonderful, inspiring and emotionally reassuring story? Why spoil people’s chances at getting a good feeling about life after death?  Why not let them have a modicum of comfort in their lives?  The answer is simple.  We must not accept anything just because it has the label of “Christian”, or because it feels good, or looks good, for the sake of temporary good feelings and comfort- if it goes against God’s Holy word.  Don’t you think that there are many more people in this world who could sit down and write an even more incredible story than Colton has written?  Would you believe them too?

Either Colton Burpo’s story must be rejected, or you must reject the veracity of Scripture.  You cannot have both.

Reference: https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/how-do-i-know-heaven-is-for-real/

Diaprax: How Most Christians Are Deceived Today And Become Blind To Truth

If, for example, you are attending a “church” that is taking or has taken polls, surveys, and feasibility studies to “grow” itself (the same method that is used in marketing to “make customers,” i.e. the same method used by Total Quality Management in the workplace, Common Core in education, etc.), it is trusting in the opinions of men, making man’s “feelings” and “thoughts” its head rather than the Lord God and His Word.  The dialectic lie, i.e. the great deception is that the “church” can “grown” itself (basing fellowship upon mans relationship with man—“and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”  1 John 3:1).  The truth is the Lord only adds to the fellowship of believers by His Word being preached and taught as is and accepted as is and obeyed as is, i.e. un-tampered by “human reasoning,” i.e. un-perverted by the opinions of men.  The minister of the Lord feeds the sheep with the Word of God.  He does not contaminate it with the opinions of men as the wolf in sheep skin does. (Dean Gotcher, from www.authorityresearch.com)

So this is about the “how” and less about the “why” as to why so many Christians are being led down the wrong path and are either accepting the false as being true, or worse, are behaving in an “I know nothing, I see nothing” state of mind.  The “why” can be difficult to know, but we do know it is happening, and that is what is frightening.  Have you heard of the term “diapraxis?”

What is diapraxis? What is the Hegelian dialectic process? As best as I can explain, it is a dangerous process which is used  over and over again by many false teachers and corrupt pastors to convince undiscerning Christians that there is nothing wrong with what they are teaching them, and that perhaps there can be two differing points of view that can live right alongside each other in harmony.  It is a way of teaching that says we can get along fine and accept each other’s seemingly contradictory belief systems.  Dean Gotcher explains that the dialectic process means that “truth must be treated as an opinion.”  For example, the battle going on now between theistic evolutionists and Biblical creationists is a good example.  Many in the Nazarene denomination and other denominations make the argument that we can hold to either belief system and still have harmony within the church.  Many of these folks have been victims of diaprax, and they don’t even know it.

In this short video excerpt from Dean Gotcher’s seminar on diapraxis, he gives a brief explanation of the term, and also his testimony of how he managed to escape the dangers of worldly thinking and reasoning, and his return to complete trust in the Bible.  I encourage you to go the links at the end and watch his full seminar on this important topic.  It is probably the primary way that today’s false teachers and corrupt pastors are bringing great harm to the church.  Instead of standing completely on the full authority of God’s word, many foolish Christians are being swayed to “get along”, to seek “unity”, and to not cause division, and these diapraxers know exactly what they are doing.

I recall from the past five years what may be a classic example of diapraxis.  I recall one of them particularly, which is a bit frightening, and it is something that probably happens all the time to many undiscerning Christians, even longtime “mature’ Christians.  You see, I believe in what God says, and that there is no other option for me.  Some however are easily swayed by the words of man, and are led to compromise their faith in God and what He says.

It was my first public presentation on the emerging church, which happened in 2009.  I was invited to speak by the pastor at my current Nazarene church, (since retired), and whom I consider to have been very bold and courageous for asking me to come.  I spoke to a crowd of about 150 people, including quite a few from various churches in the area.  After the presentation, I was approached by several people; some came to compliment me, others had some questions.

It was then that an older Christian from my former church came up to me.  He was full of encouragement, and expressed his appreciation for my taking a stand against false teaching.  I was, needless to say, happy to have his support and hear his encouraging words.  But I was shocked and dismayed, when less than six months later, to hear of what seemed to be a turnaround for this longtime respected Christian in the church.  At my former church one Sunday, my brother passed out copies of my not so well-received front page article from The Good News Today, which essentially was the same thing I talked about months earlier.  As my brother recounted to me later about his experience, he told me how that gentleman, who had acknowledged the truthfulness of what I spoke, now had changed his mind somehow.  His very words regarding my article were something like, “that belongs in the garbage.”  I believe that over those six months, he had been “diapraxed”.

What makes people change their minds like that?  This gentleman never once called me to explain why he changed his mind.  He may not even be aware that I know what he said that day.  Was he concerned for me, that I was now in error, and that what I taught that day was totally wrong?  If so, why could he not approach me and correct me as a fellow believer is encouraged to do from the word of God? Did he not care about my spiritual well being enough to try to convince me, with the word of God, where I was wrong?

This is just one small example of many.  Over the past five years, I have received testimony from many Christians about how their fellow believers seemingly have turned on them, even when they acknowledged that they spoke the truth.  Some of these who have turned against them, in spite of the truth, have probably been “diapraxed.”  They have been taught that it is better to get along rather than keep your convictions about the word of God.  It is a dangerous place to be, because many have remained to this day in that state of mind.

Have you been diapraxed?  Have you been taught to ignore the truth, in exchange for “unity” and “fellowship?”
Please keep this Scripture passage in mind: “¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.  2 Cor. 11:13-15

I encourage you to bookmark these four sessions by Dean Gotcher and spend some time going through all of them.  It is very important in order to understand the mindset of the false teachers and how most of them operate.  Dean is the founder of Authority Research (http://authorityresearch.com/

and bases his work on the foundational reliability of Scripture.

Dean Gotcher’s seminar on diaprax:

Part 1 (1:13) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMTgxDbxa2g

Part 2 (1:12) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQGV04XqTls

Part 3: (1:10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHOg4bOD9tA

Part 4 (41 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgxwaKhxs0Y

Beware of: Jakes, Osteen, and Meyer

What if a Bible teacher:  teaches that there are many paths to God; does not know whether Muslims will go to heaven or not; and does not believe in the proper biblical teaching of the Trinity,  but instead teaches that the Trinity is “God manifesting Himself in three different ways, or “modes.”​​

What if a Bible teacher:  refuses to answer whether homosexuality is sinful; refuses to say whether homosexuals will not go to heaven; and cannot say for sure who goes to heaven or not, even atheists;  and teaches that “following your dreams” is what will make your life happy.

What if a Bible teacher: teaches that Jesus was tormented in hell by demons; believes he/she believes they do not sin anymore; and that you cannot be saved unless you believe that Jesus went to hell.

Would you accept any of these teachers as legitimate Bible teachers?  Would you use their books as good resources, knowing that they teach these things?  Are these teachings or beliefs okay with you, or are they demonic?  Would you warn your friends about them?  If not, why should you not warn your Christian friends about them?  Is it wrong to call out these teachers and expose them if they are preaching false doctrines?

I have been concerned recently about some friends who have been reading books by so​me of these teachers, and quoting them, and apparently accepting the false idea that these are good Bible teachers.  They are not, and so I give you a brief summary of just some of their false teachings and why you should stay away from them.  Instead you should have no fellowship in any way with them, and you ought to be getting more into the word of God than into their “inspirational, feel good teachings”​

Here is the summary of three false teachers: Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, and Joyce Meyer.  All three also share the same kind of prosperity gospel or word-faith teachings that are heretical as well.  ​I will post additional​ updates ​with three more for you in a few weeks.

Please also go to the suggested video links for detailed shocking exposes​ of their ministries.​

For further References:

​TD Jakes and his corrupt conferences with secular artists:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KmRSqHiFfA

Joel Osteen’s Lies:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG5hmZctmZw

Joyce Meyer and her word-faith gospel and greed:​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUwfc-j0zlQ