Monday, May 28, 2018
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Awana Embraces Contemplative Spirituality!
"Awana Clubs has
been a respected and trusted Christian organization for many years. Countless
children have been Cubbies and Sparkies and have memorized Scripture through
the program. With so much of the church heading into the contemplative/emergent camp, also known as the spiritual formation movement, what a tragedy
it would be to see Awana being sucked into this also." "Awana: Are They Heading Toward
Contemplative/Emergent?"
In
February of 2006, Lighthouse Trails issued a report titled "Awana: Are They Heading Toward
Contemplative/Emergent?" The concerns were over the organization's connection with
Willow Creek, with Awana's interest in Spiritual Formation, and with a recommended ministry list that
included a number of contemplative/emergent organizations, including Youth Specialties.1
...On July 13th, we spoke with Lyndon Azcuna, Awana Cross Cultural Ministries director, who told us he was a Lead Like Jesus facilitator. Azcuna works in the main headquarters office of Awana. He said that the project was using Ken Blanchard's materials. When we explained to him that Blanchard promoted the New Age and mystical meditation, he said that the program did not have these elements.
However, the "Lead Like Jesus Encounter" is largely based on Blanchard's book, Lead Like Jesus, and that book does include contemplative elements. For instance, in the chapter called "The Habits of a Servant Leader" a palms-up, palms-down exercise is described (something Richard Foster has encouraged) (p. 158). Of the "habit" of solitude (the silence), the book states: "Solitude is being refreshed and restored by the natural rhythms of life that are not impacted by your strivings" (p. 155). ...
...On July 13th, we spoke with Lyndon Azcuna, Awana Cross Cultural Ministries director, who told us he was a Lead Like Jesus facilitator. Azcuna works in the main headquarters office of Awana. He said that the project was using Ken Blanchard's materials. When we explained to him that Blanchard promoted the New Age and mystical meditation, he said that the program did not have these elements.
However, the "Lead Like Jesus Encounter" is largely based on Blanchard's book, Lead Like Jesus, and that book does include contemplative elements. For instance, in the chapter called "The Habits of a Servant Leader" a palms-up, palms-down exercise is described (something Richard Foster has encouraged) (p. 158). Of the "habit" of solitude (the silence), the book states: "Solitude is being refreshed and restored by the natural rhythms of life that are not impacted by your strivings" (p. 155). ...
For
Awana to include Ken Blanchard's teachings into its organization, shows that
the situation is quite serious at Awanas. Blanchard has been promoting eastern-style
meditators for over twenty years, and to this day is still doing so. In
addition, he is a board member for the very New Age
Hoffman [Quadrinity] Institute. Blanchard participated in
the Hoffman Process and said it made his
spirituality come alive. We believe this experience he had through Hoffman is
similar to what Blanchard refers to in his Lead Like Jesus book,
when he says people who "quiet their mind[s]" during the Lead
"Like Jesus Encounter" have "powerful experience[s]." This
means that now children and families in Awana could possibly have that same
experience.
Blanchard, who has been a professing Christian since the 1980s, wrote the foreword for a 2001 book titled What Would Buddha Do at Work? In the book, Blanchard said:
Blanchard, who has been a professing Christian since the 1980s, wrote the foreword for a 2001 book titled What Would Buddha Do at Work? In the book, Blanchard said:
"Buddha points to
the path and invites us to begin our journey to enlightenment. I ... invite you
to begin your journey to enlightened work."
Blanchard
has made numerous other similar statements about other books. After a 2005
report exposed his connection with Rick Warren (see below), Blanchard placed a
statement on a page of his website for a short time that said some of his
previous endorsements had been wrong. However, since that time, the
endorsements have continued, including his connection with Hoffman Institute.
One example of his continued endorsement of New Age material is his back-cover
statement on Jon Gordon's 2006 book, 10-Minute Energy Solution, in which Gordon makes
several favorable references to eastern-style meditators and
the practice itself (see ATOD, pp. 164-165). Another
example is Blanchard's June 2006 endorsement of Thom Crum's
book, Three Deep Breaths. Amazingly, in the book that
inspired the Lead Like Jesus Encounter that Awana is using, Blanchard
acknowledges Norman Vincent Peale's role in his spiritual
walk. According to Ray Yungen (For Many Shall Come in My Name - p.
47), Peale had strong New
Thought connections.
This could partly explain Blanchard's leanings toward the New Age.
While Awana's decision to include Ken Blanchard's materials into their program is enough evidence to show that the organization is quickly changing, we must now report that there is something even more devastating with regard to Awana and their slide into apostasy. On the same email letter that talked about the prison project with Lead Like Jesus, a notice was given about a book that is now carried by the Awana store. The book is titled, Perspectives on Children's Spiritual Formation. A description of the book is as follows:
While Awana's decision to include Ken Blanchard's materials into their program is enough evidence to show that the organization is quickly changing, we must now report that there is something even more devastating with regard to Awana and their slide into apostasy. On the same email letter that talked about the prison project with Lead Like Jesus, a notice was given about a book that is now carried by the Awana store. The book is titled, Perspectives on Children's Spiritual Formation. A description of the book is as follows:
"In children's
ministry, models, methods, and materials abound. How do you decide what
direction you want your ministry to children to take? Perspectives
on Children's Spiritual Formation allows you to examine the four
prominent points-of-view in the church today...." [See more quotes here]
The book offers four different views on how to
transform children. One author, Scottie May, a professor at Wheaton, writes
the section titled, "Contemplative-Reflective Model." May gives a
hearty promotion of centering prayer, the Jesus prayer, Christ candles, the
Catholic Eucharist and an strong endorsement for contemplative spirituality ala Thomas
Merton, whom he favorably quotes in the book. Two Awana staff
writers respond in the book to May's contemplative approach and give it a
thumbs up with only minor cautions. But overall they believe that contemplative
is a valid approach for all Christians, including children. Perspectives
on Children's Spiritual Formation is giving a green light to Awana
leaders around the world to practice contemplative prayer.
Some people may not understand why we write this report about Awana. After all, they have done some wonderful things for children. But that is the very reason we do issue this report - we do not want to see Awana sell out to the fast growing apostasy of contemplative spirituality and the New Age; and because we care about children, we speak up. With more and more public schools teaching kids to meditate and do yoga, and with more and more Christian schools bringing in emerging leaders like Rob Bell (through his Noomas and his book Velvet Elvis), millions of children are now placed in harm's way by learning meditative techniques that will possibly take them into altered states and demonic realms. We hope Awana leadership will reconsider their position on contemplative/spiritual formation for the sake of children and their parents.
Some people may not understand why we write this report about Awana. After all, they have done some wonderful things for children. But that is the very reason we do issue this report - we do not want to see Awana sell out to the fast growing apostasy of contemplative spirituality and the New Age; and because we care about children, we speak up. With more and more public schools teaching kids to meditate and do yoga, and with more and more Christian schools bringing in emerging leaders like Rob Bell (through his Noomas and his book Velvet Elvis), millions of children are now placed in harm's way by learning meditative techniques that will possibly take them into altered states and demonic realms. We hope Awana leadership will reconsider their position on contemplative/spiritual formation for the sake of children and their parents.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Chinese Translation of James Dobson’s Gospel of Self-Esteem & Psychology
by Martin & Deidre Bobgan
We are grateful to announce that the Evangelical Mission and
Seminary International (EMSI), under the leadership of Dr. Moses Yang, has
completed the translation and publication of our book James Dobson’s Gospel of
Self-Esteem & Psychology in Chinese. Because of the way the Western
psychological mindset has been influencing Chinese speaking people, Dr. Yang
and EMSI were concerned about how psychological theories and therapies
undermine the Gospel through the contamination of integration and through the
promotion of psychological and humanistic substitutes for the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Therefore, Dr. Yang invited us to speak to his seminary students some
years back and requested permission to translate and publish The End of
“Christian Psychology.” We did this with much thankfulness to the Lord,
recognizing that Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the
world and desiring to reach as many people with the truth about the ungodly
influence of psychological theories and therapies having to do with why people
are the way they are, why they do what they do, and how they change.
When we first learned about EMSI we were encouraged to know
about this strong ministry that relentlessly serves our Lord Jesus Christ
around the globe in the two most widely spoken languages: Chinese and English.
Over the years we have been further encouraged to see how Dr. Yang and EMSI
have stayed true to the Word in its authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency. We
stress the word sufficiency here, because so many local churches,
denominations, Bible colleges, seminaries, mission agencies, and other
ministries have succumbed to the world when it comes to ministering to those
who are suffering personal, emotional, and relational trials of life. Rather
than using the wisdom of men, those at EMSI have sought to minister to the soul
through God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit within the fellowship of the
saints as they serve in numerous cities and countries with passion, vision, and
uncompromising faithfulness to God and His Word.
Dr. Yang has stood firm in his resolve for the sufficiency
of God’s Word and Spirit in preaching a clear Gospel, guiding believers into
maturity, and encouraging believers to turn problems of living into
opportunities for spiritual growth, instead of turning to the world for the
latest psychological theories and therapies. His stand for the sufficiency of
God’s Word and Spirit is further evident in his resolve to come against what we
call psychoheresy, which is adding the psychological wisdom of men to the Word
of God to minister to the soul. He is committed to communicate the truth about
psychoheresy to Chinese language speakers, as he thoroughly understands why
Christians should not mix psychological counseling theories and therapies with
the Bible. Such worldly theories and therapies are neither necessary nor
spiritually profitable.
Dr. Yang has been especially concerned about the tremendous
influence Dr. James Dobson has had among the Chinese, who affectionately refer
to him as “Dr. D.” The Chinese government has approved Dobson’s programs about
the family because the Focus on the Family (FOTF) programs aired in China only
give humanistic, psychological advice with no mention of sin, salvation, or
Jesus Christ. Thus the Gospel is totally missing even though FOTF’s stated
mission on the IRS Form 990 is “FOCUS ON THE FAMILY SHARES THE GOSPEL OF JESUS
CHRIST WHILE PROMOTING BIBLICAL FAMILY VALUES” (upper case in original). What
Dobson has been feeding the Chinese over the years has been the chaff of human
opinion rather than the Bread of Life. Dobson has made disciples of self-esteem
and psychology rather than disciples of Jesus Christ and the true Gospel that
saves and sanctifies. Perhaps that is why FOTF is praised in China, while many
true Christians throughout China are being policed and persecuted.
Dr. Yang has not only been concerned about Dobson’s
popularity and influence, but he and EMSI are doing something about it by
translating and printing James Dobson’s Gospel of Self-Esteem & Psychology
in Chinese. In so doing, EMSI is taking a bold stand FOR THE GOSPEL and AGAINST
PSYCHOHERESY, which is rampant throughout much of Christendom.
(PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter, July - August 2013, Vol. 21,
No. 4)
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Friday, May 11, 2018
1/5皇后與翠景聯合家庭日運動會
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