Archive for the ‘Rick Warren’ Category

LTRP Note: Earlier this week, we were sent a link to a recent video of Rick Warren talking to his congregation about the Daniel Plan. In that video, Rick Warren told the audience:

I’m very excited. We’re talking with a number of national grocery chains who are getting behind this [Daniel] plan, and I can’t announce it to you right now but let me just tell you some very exciting things. You’ll probably be reading about it in the newspapers . . . some exciting things have happened because of the Daniel plan [see the video below - start at the 13:23 minute mark].

In view of both Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan that is using New Age teachers and this information about the national grocery chains involvement, please read the following article just posted by Herescope.

Incidentally, Lighthouse Trails will be presenting a special report on this Saddleback video by Rick Warren regarding another highly important aspect of it by the end of the weekend.

Three Legged Health Care

by Herescope

When Rick Warren launched his Daniel Plan prescription for health several weeks ago as a massive campaign to alter the health of evangelicals in American, many discerning saints expressed shock and dismay at his open association with New Age doctors. While this fact is upsetting, there are equally disturbing issues about Warren’s Daniel Plan that cannot be ignored.

With Rick Warren at the helm, the CHURCH is now in the BUSINESS of health care REFORM. This is the 3-legged stool. It is the integration of church/state/corporate that business guru Peter Drucker (Rick Warren’s mentor) proposed as the method for restructuring Society.[2] In this model the Church assumes a powerful new role as Change Agent Provocateur, a cheerleader for change and transformation in Society (as illustrated in the diagram at the top of this post*).

The Blueprint for Health Care Reform

The pivotal book that officially launched the New Age movement was Marilyn Ferguson’s The Aquarian Conspiracy, published in 1980. This book was “an important New Age manifesto [that] attempt[ed] to announce and popularize what the New Agers chose to publicly display in their Movement.”[3] The book set forth futuristic thinking that has become so commonplace in our culture that an entire generation has grown up believing its basic assumptions. One of the key topics in this book was Ferguson’s assertion that the radical overhaul of society could be based upon health care “reform” — a “transformation” explained in the chapter “Healing Ourselves.” Click here to continue reading.

This video clip has been posted here because of embedded code that was offered for public use from the Saddleback site.

Related Resource:

Christian Research Network has posted a video clip where Rick Warren’s Dr. OZ is announcing that on Monday he and a fellow doctor are going to ”hypnotize America.” Click here to watch this video.

If you haven’t kept up on what is currently happening at Saddleback Church with Rick Warren, please read the following articles where it documents that Rick Warren is using New Age promoting doctors to get his congregation healthy. Meditation is one of the techniques that these doctors advocate.

If you think that this is just about Saddleback Church and has nothing to do with you or your church or your grown children’s churches, please think twice about that. The repercussions of what is happening right now at Saddleback could be astronomical, and yet … once again, there is absolute silence (no pun intended) from Christian leaders.

Related Resource:

Important Related:

Hypnosis and Altered States of Consciousness

A Visit to Rick Warren’s Health Seminar – The Unfolding of a Global New Age Plan

Emanuel Swedenborg’s Occultic Beliefs Influence Rick Warren’s Health Advisor and Now the Christian Church

Special Report:Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many

On January 27th, Ingrid Schlueter of VCY America interviewed Jennifer Pekich on the CrossTalk radio program in what is probably one of the most important shows that VCY has ever done, in our opinion. Jennifer had recently attended the  health seminar at Saddleback Church, in which Rick Warren brought in three leading “health” specialists to train Saddleback’s congregants how to be healthy. CrossTalk explains:

Why should these men cause “red flags” to come up for Christians? Jennifer attended the Daniel Plan kick-off gathering on January 15. From her notes she shares how from Kundalini Yoga to Transcendental Meditation, these men are steeped in Eastern mysticism and the occult. In addition, through it all, numerous U.N. buzz-phrases could be heard; phrases such as “sustainable living,” smart growth,” “public-private partnerships,” and more.

Are Rick Warren and his associates attempting to restructure the church and society by warming Christians up to a fanciful sounding global plan? Decide for yourself when you review this edition of Crosstalk.

Click here to listen to this interview. We hope every Lighthouse Trails reader will be able to listen to this one.

VIEW WITH CAUTION - FOR WARNING AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

In the video below, Dr. Oz, the new weight-loss mentor for thousands of Christians through Rick Warren’s new Daniel Plan, talks to New Ager Deepak Chopra about meditating to lose weight. What they don’t tell you in this video is that eastern-style meditation can put participants into contact with demonic spirits. The Bible warns against such harmful practices. Yet, Dr. Oz, also a Reiki advocate, is taking his spiritual “insights” to Rick Warren’s followers. Note: After you have watched this video, please consider spending a few minutes reading the Word of God and praying for those who are attending Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan.

Related Information:

Rick Warren to Share Platform with Deepak Chopra (2005)

Rick Warren’s Speaking at Muslim Convention (with Deepak Chopra)

Deepak Chopra Comments on Evangelical Manifesto

A Visit to Rick Warren’s Health Seminar – The Unfolding of a Global New Age Plan

Emanuel Swedenborg’s Occultic Beliefs Influence Rick Warren’s Health Advisor and Now the Christian Church

Special Report:Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many

“Saturday Jan. 15th, 2011 will go down in the history books as the day Saddleback Church was sold a bill of goods. The masses had come out in droves for answers to their weight loss difficulties & health problems, but unbeknownst to them, they were being given a prescription for restructuring society & population control . . . ‘Saddleback community’ would be an example of “sustainable living” and would set the course to “change this world” … and the crowd went wild!”

by Jennifer Pekich
Used with permission
Ponderings from Patmos

I first arrived to Saddleback’s campus only to be told that “all parking lots were full.” I drove across the street to see if there were any spots available in the business lots, and they were full too. I ended up parking in a housing tract and walked a mile or two back to Saddleback’s campus. As I arrived, I overheard a parking lot attendant say they estimated about 6,000 people had come to the seminar.

I was a little late, so I was grateful to my nephew who went online and began to relay what was being said in the opening comments, as I didn’t want to miss what was to be the foundation of the talks that day. I was a little taken aback when my nephew told me the first speaker, Dr. Amen, made reference to the Egyptian pyramids and how they were built upon an “idea,” and if man could build something like that all those thousands of years ago, what could he do today if he put his mind to it? I found that to be somewhat disturbing, as the pyramids, no matter how impressive they were, represent the ancient pagan religions which got their start in Babylon when Nimrod gathered men (the community) together to commit idolatry by building a tower to honor themselves as gods (Gen. Ch. 11). [1] And yet here it was, the analogy that was chosen to illustrate this new “idea” Saddleback would launch their 52 week program with. No matter what Dr. Amen’s intent was, I believe the analogy was appropriate, and the subtle message is telling…”MAN CAN DO ANYTHING HE PUTS HIS MIND TO.” Sound familiar? (Read Gen. 3:4-5). [2]

As I began to head up the hill toward the main sanctuary, a Saddleback tram pulled up and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. I said I preferred to walk, but thanks. The driver yelled, “Let’s all give her a hand folks, she’s started the Daniel Plan already!” And the people on the tram cheered. Nevermind the fact that I have been walking my entire life because I enjoy doing so, not because of some health and fitness campaign. I sensed I was entering a nightmare.

The main sanctuary was full, & it was standing room only. They told me the overflow areas were full too. So I found a spot on the patio outside the main sanctuary looking in. I had a good view and could see the stage perfectly. Their outdoor sound system made it so I could roam around, observe the audience, continue to listen to the guest speakers, and take notes.

To begin, I’d like to state that Saturday Jan. 15th, 2011 will go down in the history books as the day Saddleback Church was sold a bill of goods. The masses had come out in droves for answers to their weight loss difficulties & health problems, but unbeknownst to them, they were being given a prescription for restructuring society & population control.

The prescription goes by the name Agenda 21, a.k.a. “Sustainable Development” or “Smart Growth.” Agenda 21 is a published document put out by the United Nations with the intent to put limits on population and to restructure nation-states into a global society. [3] Rick Warren’s “new friends” had dubbed it, “The Daniel Plan – God’s Prescription For Your Health.” A more appropriate title would’ve been, “Sustainable Living – Destroying Inalienable Rights, One Community at a Time.”

By the time I settled into listening more intently, the second speaker, Mark Hyman, began. It didn’t take too long to figure out what the basis of his message was: We “need to heal with community” (he termed this “accompaniment”), “we’re here for the sake of each other,” this plan “is our way out,” this plan “saved me,” and in fact will “change the world.”

Saddleback was being told they were a “test community” to show the world how to live “healthy and sustainably.” When I heard these words, my heart sank. It was as I’d feared. I knew which buzzwords to listen for, and he was hitting them all. The audience was told they would be champions in health to show the world what “living sustainably” was all about, but Dr. Hyman is a leftist who is more than a champion in health, he’s a change agent for the global elite, as is Dr. Oz & Dr. Amen. Dr. Hyman is the founder and medical director of the Ultra Wellness Center, he advises Dr. Oz’s healthcore group, and he’s a nominee to President Obama’s advisory group on prevention, health promotion, and integrative and public health. [4] Hmmmmmm. I smell an agenda.

Dr. Hyman practices what’s known as “functional medicine,” which means he uses a “whole systems” approach to medicine; in other words, he practices medicine “wholistically,” This is also known as “Mind Body” medicine. At Saddleback’s seminar, “mind body” or “functional” medicine was presented as if it’s completely scientific. Any scientist worth his salt will tell you that yes, the body can be measured scientifically, but the mind falls into an entirely different category which can never be measured by science. As stated by Dave Hunt in his book Occult Invasion – The Subtle Seduction of the World and Church, “Physical science, by very definition, can make no judgments concerning a nonphysical realm” as is the mind & the soul. [5] In other words, the mind and the soul are scientifically immeasurable.

It’s the same with the religions of “Mind Science.” Calling a religion “Mind Science” or “Scientology,” when there’s nothing scientific about it, is the same as calling a cereal “Grapenuts” when it contains no grapes or nuts. But we live in an era when the masses have been sufficiently dumbed down, and all it takes to impress is clever packaging and branding. If “they” say it’s science, then dog-gone-it, it’s science! After all, “these doctors are on television.”

As I sat through all 3 presentations by Dr.’s Hyman, Amen, & Oz, what came to mind were the traveling salesmen of the 1800s. They talk fast, so fast that the message that’s really being given, goes right over people’s heads. They used tactics to tug at the heart strings such as videos of sick little girls who suddenly got well from being on “the program” and have been “set free” from relying on medications. Then they flooded the audience with “facts” and “statistics” to scare any grandmother, such as “a tsunami of disease is hitting us,” “life expectancy is going down,” “1 out of 2 people are diabetic or pre-diabetic,” “70% of all agricultural land is taken up by growing animals to feed all the people,” “the bigger your body gets, the more your brain shrinks,” etc.

I about fell off my chair when Dr. Hyman stated, “The key to the success of the “Daniel Plan” is “group living” … “individuals” will not succeed, our only hope lies in “community.” [LT Note:This is exactly what the emerging church is teaching.]  And with that, it was announced that the “Saddleback community” would be an example of “sustainable living” and would set the course to “change this world” … and the crowd went wild!  [LT Note: Remember, when we reported how Rick Warren talked glowingly about a critical mass needed to change our world?]

Dr. Hyman said that he is a Jew, Dr. Amen said he is a Christian, and Dr. Oz said he is a Muslim. And doesn’t that represent the demographic of “most of the population of the world”? But then he said, “we’re all the same underneath.” True to his salesman fashion, Dr. Hyman didn’t define his terms. What in the world does he mean “we’re all the same underneath”? That can mean a number of things. Since he was speaking to a religious crowd, I’d venture to say some of the folks present took that to mean we’re all children of God (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.), which is patently false according to the Bible. The Bible says there are only two groups, children of wrath and children of God. You’re either one or the other, a believer in Christ Jesus, or a non-believer. We aren’t “all the same underneath.” (Ephesians Ch. 2). [6]

The only way in which we’re “all the same underneath” is we’re all sinners in need of a Savior; and the Savior isn’t “sustainable living.” [LT Note: Remember, the New Age says the era of the single savior is OVER!] The Savior is Jesus Christ, and He is the only way unto salvation (John 14:6). [7] And to become a child of God, Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John Ch. 3). [8] The tragic thing about this day at Saddleback is, Jesus was never mentioned … and I mean NEVER. There were a few passing references to God; Daniel Amen mentioned that our bodies were “a temple of the Holy Spirit and the brain is the inner sanctum” [Amen means that all humans are the temple of the Holy Spirit], but Jesus never made the cut –  ”sustainable lifestyles” and “group living” did.

Following Dr. Hyman’s talk, my best friend arrived to observe the day with me, only to hear Dr. Amen mention in his presentation that he did a brain scan on one of his clients who had a habit of cheating on his wife. The brain scan showed that there were “holes in the pre-frontal cortex of his brain” which controls the impulses. In other words, this man wasn’t sinful, he was “mentally ill.” All he needed was to get on the “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body” program, and his personal struggles with sin were remedied. Once again, Jesus was removed from the equation. My friend and I were dumbfounded when we listened to the Saddleback crowd cheer. My best friend couldn’t contain it any longer and let out a, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” My thoughts exactly!

Dr. Hyman recommended Yoga and meditation to the crowd. Dr. Amen gave a diplomatic denunciation of Yoga (which is contradictory since he has recommended it himself), but about 5 sentences later mentioned a study done by a friend of his named Andy Newberg who did brain scans on Tibetan nuns and Franciscan priests while in “prayer and contemplation” and the study showed that “spiritual connection” is healthy. Dr. Amen has been an advocate of “Sa Ta Na Ma” meditation. [9]

If by chance any attendees of the Saddleback “Health and Fitness Seminar” read this blog post, I encourage you to educate yourself about what globalism truly is. You also need to research Agenda 21. As stated earlier, the purpose of Agenda 21 is to restructure society. Sounds conspiratorial, I know. But it isn’t a conspiracy; it’s a published document of the United Nations that’s in full swing. Anywhere you hear the terms, “Sustainable Development,”  ”sustainable living,” “smart growth,”  ”going green,”  etc., rest assured you’ve just been exposed to the U.N.’s Agenda 21. [10]

It shouldn’t surprise us that Rick Warren would allow a seminar of this nature at Saddleback; after all, he himself has “GONE GREEN.” [11] He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [12] This illustrates the natural progression of one being unequally yoked with non-believers & buying into heresies such as “Kingdom Now,” “Dominionism,” or “Restoration Theology.” Where these heresies reign, as they do at Saddleback, you will find that the focus subtly shifts from salvation in Christ alone, through faith alone, to misguided efforts to restore mankind & the earth through “community” works, sustainable living, and social justice. How convenient that these just happen to be the vehicles which the United Nations is using to further it’s own agenda to restructure society & unite the world under its governing body of global elites.

TRUE TRUTH:
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

(I found it to be slightly humorous that, on page 9 of the booklet which Saddleback passed out to attendees, the symptom of “itchy ears” was listed in the “Medical Symptom/Toxicity Questionnaire”…oh, the irony!) (source: Ponderings from Patmos)

Jennifer Pekich is included in Warren B. Smith’s book, A “Wonderful” Deception in chapter 12, ” Fractals, Chaos Theory, Quantum Spirituality, and The Shack.” It was Jennifer who alerted Warren to the Fractal Theory in the best-selling book, The Shack. If you haven’t read Warren’s cutting edge, one of a kind book, we highly recommend you do, especially if you have know anyone that thinks Purpose Driven or The Shack are ok.

---

Lighthouse Trails Comment: We encourage Christian leaders and pastors, such as Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel who in front of thousands of people allowed Rick Warren to give the opening prayer of Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusade and called him his ”good friend,” to publicly speak up in this matter. Thus far, Christian leaders are remaining utterly silent about Rick Warren’s New Age health fair done in the name of Christianity. The silence of Christian leaders is deafening.

Related Articles:

Special Report:Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many

Emanuel Swedenborg’s Occultic Beliefs Influence Rick Warren’s Health Advisor and Now the Christian Church

Feedback About Reiki – Many Christians Have Already Been Influenced!

SPECIAL REPORT: Rick Warren’s “Apologetics” Weekend Should Apologize for Representing “Another Gospel”

Endnotes:
1. Genesis 11:4 – “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’”

2. Genesis 3:4-5 – “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

3. Agenda 21 – http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21 

4. Mark Hyman’s presentation at “Authors @ Google” titled, The UltraMind Solution: Healthy Body, Powerful Mind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAZVpsd2Nao

5. Occult Invasion – The Subtle Seduction of the World and the Church, Dave Hunt, Harvest House Publishers 1998, pg. 61

6. Ephesians Ch. 2:1-5 – And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

7. John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

8. John 3:3 – Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

9. Dr. Amen recommends “Sa Ta Na Ma” meditation a form of Kirtin Kriya yoga.
http://richardeward.com/kirtin-kriya-sa-ta-na-ma-meditation/

10. Agenda 21 – The U.N. Plan for Your Sustainable Community
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/la21_198.html

11. A Greener Spirit: Evangelicals Embrace “Creation Care”
http://environment.change.org/blog/view/a_greener_spirit_evangelicals_embrace_creation_care

12. Council on Foreign Relations Membership Roster
http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=W

For more information on Reiki and the New Age plan, read For Many Shall Come in My Name.

This is a  follow up article to our article,  Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many.

Exclusive Lighthouse Trails Commentary

by John Lanagan
Free-Lance Writer
My Word Like Fire Ministries

“You can become a Reiki master in three weekends.” –Lisa Oz, wife of Dr. Mehmet Oz

Perhaps it is not surprising Dr. Mehmet Oz, a key teacher in Rick Warren’s 52 week health-and-wellness Daniel Plan, has been influenced by occultist Emanuel Swedenborg. Although Swedenborg rejected the biblical Christ, and communed with familiar spirits, some of Swedenborg’s admirers have been culturally significant figures. At this point in his career, Dr. Mehmet Oz certainly qualifies as such.

Those who have either appreciated or followed Swedenborg’s theology have included Helen Keller, Johnny Appleseed, Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Carl Jung, Henry James Sr., the poet Robert Frost, and Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Swedenborg, who died in the 1700s, has been called the father of modern day spiritualism. It is likely Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson’s bondage to the spirit world began with his introduction to Swedenborg’s teachings. Despite erroneous claims he was a Christian, Wilson’s spirituality was one of seances, familiar spirits, and the Ouija board. [1] 

Just like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bill Wilson was introduced to the teachings of Swedenborg through his own wife. Early in their romantic relationship, Bill Wilson “learned that [his future wife's family] were all Swedenborgians, and the mystic aspect of the faith so fascinated them they vowed to explore it more deeply one day.”[2]

In Pass It On (AA co-founder’s official biography), Bill Wilson states, “The Ouija board began moving in earnest. What followed was the fairly usual experience-it was a strange melange of Aristotle, St. Francis, diverse archangels with odd names, deceased friends–some in purgatory and others doing nicely, thank you! . . . Then, the seemingly virtuous entities would elbow them out with messages of comfort, information, advice—and sometimes just sheer nonsense.”[3] (Bold added.)

Swedenborg had power. This cannot be denied. It was stunning to learn Swedenborg had written of a spiritual “twelve steps” more than a century before Alcoholics Anonymous was birthed.[4] Did Wilson copy this term from Emanuel Swedenborg? I do not believe so. I believe that Wilson, having opened himself up to communication with unclean spirits, received his 12 Steps from the same source as had Swedenborg.

Emanuel Swedenborg experienced mystic dreams, trances, and meditation. He believed that he was visited by Christ, who informed him he was the human appointed to write the real meaning of the Bible. He believed he communicated with Moses, Luther, Mary, Aristotle, the apostle Paul, and many others.

Author Wilson Van Dusen notes, “Swedenborg used a fairly intense form [of meditation] in which he would focus on an idea of the exclusion of all else and his breathing would slow down. There have been whole books on the breathing aspect alone.”[5] Swedenborg, writes Van Dusen, “thought highly” of meditation.[6]

We are in a time when spiritual terms have been given confusing meanings; when words such as “Salvation,” are not necessarily presented as biblically intended. This is particularly true of the term, “meditation.” Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan, his association with Oz, Hyman, and Amen, may make comprehension of this even more murky.

The meditation used by Swedenborg and numerous New Age devotees, Buddhists, and Hindus, is not biblical meditation, which is essentially reading Scripture and “chewing” (reflecting and pondering) upon it. With biblical meditation, the brain is always active, and thinking.

But thinking is the enemy of the mystical meditator. As one mystic proponent put it:

Do not reflect on the meaning of the word; thinking and reflecting must cease, as all mystical writers insist. Simply “sound” the word silently, letting go of all feelings and thoughts. (Zen master, Willigis Jager, Contemplation, p. 31, cited in ATOD)

This is the Eastern meditation advocated by Rick Warren’s Daniel Planteam members Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Dr. Daniel Amen. This meditation, used by Swedenborg and others, involves stilling the mind, sometimes by focusing on a word or phrase to “the exclusion of all else,” as Van Dusen puts it. By repeating the word or phrase over and over, a state of altered consciousness is reached. This is known as the silence. Historically, around the world, much has been experienced in this meditative silence. Spirit guides. Oneness. False “christs.” “Kundalini effect” . . . and so forth.

 Deception.

This is also often portrayed in scientific terms, and portrayed as beneficial, but is an invitation to the spirit realm. As others have pointed out, when the mind is stilled and void, something else may well fill that void.

There is a battle going on—between those who hold to the Word of God and those who promote the mysticism inherent in these meditative techniques. Already the Body of Christ is infected with the “contemplative spirituality” of Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Gary Thomas, Keri Wyatt Kent and so many others. Contemplative prayer is simply saying a “Christian-ized” word or phrase to still the mind and enter the silence. It is virtually the same as Eastern or New Age meditation, yet it has gained acceptance due to its “Christianese” disguise. 

Occultist Alice Bailey, who was informed by her spirit guides, said that the New Age “illumination” would indeed come to the world through the Christian church, and she instructed her followers to leave the outer shell of Christianity intact for the time being and change it from the inside. Is this not what is happening today!  (Bailey, The Externalization of the Hierarchy, p. 510)

 But now, it seems, we are “advancing” past the stage of disguising. Now, it seems, outright Eastern/New Age meditation is poised to enter the church. The realm of these spirits is the realm of deception that the Bible talks about. The Bible says that in the days before Christ’s return, the mystery of iniquity will prevail and deceive vast numbers. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:7 and Revelation 12:9.)

If all this is new to you, please take the time to research.

His people perish from lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

With Dr. Oz having been granted potential influence into the lives of thousands (potentially eventually millions) of Christians through Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan, it is important to consider Lisa Oz as well—because people who seek out Dr. Oz’s books will likely be exposed to his wife’s work also. The couple have worked together on projects and public appearances. Lisa Oz serves as the reader for many of Dr. Oz’s audio books.[7] And Dr. Oz does not hide his high estimation for his wife.

In her book, Lisa Oz acknowledges, “After my parents, the most influential [teacher] by far was and is Emanuel Swedenborg, an eighteenth century scientist and theologian who saw the Bible as a divinely inspired metaphor. … His writings on the nature of God, humanity, and marriage not only shaped my views but ultimately shaped who I am. For this reason you will find his doctrine, widely and wildly interpreted, as the foundation for just about every chapter in this book.”[8]

Lisa Oz is a Reiki master. This is an ancient system of occult energy, one that brings with it the risk of  familiar spirits. [9] Lisa Oz states, “You can become a Reiki master in three weekends.”[10] Many people were exposed to Reiki for the first time when Dr. Oz featured it on his popular television show. In an interview, Mrs. Oz shared that she has used Reiki on her own children.[11] The point here is not that Swedenborg used Reiki—he did not—but, rather, that Swedenborgian doctrine is often a precursor  that leads into New Age practices such as meditation and Reiki.

Of course, this makes sense, because Swedenborgianism itself can be defined as a New Age belief system. The New Age, after all, is really the Old Age, and familiar spirits for thousands of years have taken the openings offered through meditation. So it is with the increasingly popular Reiki.

In fact, consider this collective Reiki/meditative experience facilitated by Lisa Oz, which took place at a workshop she conducted along with her husband: “She followed with a couple of similar exercises, then finished with what for me was the day’s highlight: the hatsurei-ho meditation,[12] this time for hundreds. The energy in that cavernous room at the Javits Convention Center  shifted palpably as Mrs. Oz led the crowd through progressive relaxation, envisioning a golden light all around, drawing the light inside and then breathing it back out into the space around us, adding our own energy with each exhalation. There was no need to explain what Reiki was—everyone felt it, even without touch.”[13] (Bold added)

Lisa Oz then told the crowd, “Go in wellness, knowing you have brought light into the world.”[14]

What is going on with Rick Warren? Does he believe he can bring in Oz, Hyman, and Amen, and simply share only their medical teachings? Stick to the brain, Daniel Amen. Just talk about the heart, Mehmet Oz. Is that what Pastor Warren intends? Because even if these doctors don’t say anything about meditation, or Reiki, their resources are still available to all who have seen and heard them at Saddleback. Exposure to these practices therefore seems certain, all from authors highly praised by Rick Warren.

This decision to use these meditation gurus is no fluke. The list of Rick Warren’s ill-advised spiritual decisions is too long to believe that. It goes hand in hand with he and his wife’s public admiration for mystic advocate Henri Nouwen, his promotion of Gary Thomas who tells readers to repeat a word for 20 minutes in Sacred Pathways (p. 185) and who points readers to tantric sex advocate Mary Ann McPherson Oliver in Sacred Marriage, and who carries Adele Alberg Calhoun’s book, Handbook on Spiritual Disciplines in his Resource Center even though the book is riddled with New Age/panentheist references. It goes hand in hand with his own book, The Purpose Driven Life, where he tells over 30 million readers they can become “world-class Christian[s]” if they practice “breath prayers” (Day 38). It goes hand in hand with Rick Warren’s first book, The Purpose Driven Church, where he tells readers that Richard Foster’s spiritual formation movement is a “valid message” and a ”wake up call” to “the body of Christ” (pp. 126-127). And it goes hand in hand with Rick Warren’s connections with New Age sympathizers Leonard Sweet and Ken Blanchard. (paragraph notes)

No, Rick Warren’s decision to use Oz, Amen, and Hyman is no fluke. But it sure is a spiritual trap for the Christian church.

Endnotes:
1. Seances, Spirits, and 12 Steps http://mywordlikefire.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/seances-spirits-and-12-steps/

2. Robert Thomsen, Bill W., pg. 85

3. PASS IT ON, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., pg. 278

4. The first version of the 12 Steps http://mywordlikefire.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/the-first-version-of-the-12-steps/

 5. Wilson Van Dusen, commentary, Swedenborg’s Journal of Dreams, pg.189

6. Ibid., pg. 191

7. http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lisa-Oz/47284370/books

8. US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships That Matter Most http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/us-transforming-relationships-matter-lisa-oz/story?id=10288653&page=3

9. Reiki warning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4N2URu4avY

10. http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2007/07/fit_mad_about_you.php

11. http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2007/07/fit_mad_about_you.php

12. http://www.aetw.org/d_hatsurei_ho.html

13. http://reikidigest.blogspot.com/2007/08/its-all-about-you-and-some-of-it-is.html

14. http://reikidigest.blogspot.com/2007/08/its-all-about-you-and-some-of-it-is.html

LTRP Note:In view of the recent violent tragedy in Tuscon, Arizona, Lighthouse Trails wants to reiterate: The purpose of our critiques is in no wise intended to be vitriolic or hateful or to inspire hateful acts against those we write about. We deplore violent, cruel, and unjust acts against any person or groups of persons. Our purpose is to challenge those who are considered to be the leaders of the Christian church in the area of doctrine as it relates to the defense of the Christian faith and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Bible puts forth.

Update 1/13/11: After we released this article, we received word from a number of Lighthouse Trails readers regarding Dr. Mehmet Oz’s strong adherence to the late Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) who entertained spirit guides and was deeply involved with mysticism. In one New Age magazine, Dr. Oz is featured in an article titled “Mehmet Oz Finds His Teacher” (Swedenborg). One of our writers is working on a special report this week, but in the mean time here is a press release from Christian Investigator, Steve McConkey.

Update 1/15/11: In a PBS interview, Dr. Oz discusses his Muslim faith and his particular resonance with Sufism (Islamic mysticism) and the influence of Swedenborg: Click here to watch.

” Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many”

Just ten days after Lighthouse Trails posted its last and most important article of 2010, Rick Warren’s “Apologetics” Weekend Should Apologize for Representing “Another Gospel,” we must issue this Special Report regarding a year-long event that will be kicking off at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church on January 15th.

Near the end of 2010, Rick Warren announced that Saddleback Church would be entering “a Decade of Destiny.” He told his congregation that they would be focusing on several key areas, one of them being “health and wellness.” The “Daniel Challenge” or the “Daniel Plan” is Saddleback’s new health “initiative.”  On Saddleback’s website, it states: 

 Gods’ Prescription For Your Health

 Be a part of this transformational debut to be a healthier you!

The kick-off event is next weekend, January 15. We’ll hear from world-renowned doctors on a plan to get healthy and stay that way in the new decade.

Who are the “world-renowned doctors” that will be helping to kick off Saddleback’s Decade of Destiny? Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman. The video on the website states that this program has been “Exclusively Designed for Saddleback Church by Three of the Leading Health Specialists in America.”

Let us get right to the point: The three doctors who have put together a 52-week health program for Saddleback congregants are absolute advocates and proponents of not just eastern-style meditation but actual eastern meditation and much much more as this article will reveal. Right off, let us say that if you are thinking perhaps that these doctors will only advise Saddleback on legitimate health advice (exercise, healthy eating, etc.) take a look at this video (taken place at Saddleback) between Rick Warren and Dr. Daniel Amen. Amen intends to help Saddleback participants to have good “brain health,” which he firmly believes comes from meditation. In this video, he openly discusses meditation with Rick Warren.

What are the spiritual underpinnings of the meditation these three doctors are propagating? This report will lay it out for you.

Dr. Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, is the author of over 25 books. He teaches techniques that will improve “brain health,” claiming that poor brain health is associated with a host of problems from overeating to depression. As Dr. Amen describes in the video you just saw, he includes meditation (and in fact this is his primary tool) as a way to have a healthy brain.

It is the nature of this meditation that sets Dr. Amen apart from any other individual that Lighthouse Trails has ever written about concerning Rick Warren. In a 6-CD set called Create a More Passionate Night,  Dr. Amen has teamed up with advanced certified Tantra educator, T. J. Bartel. It is important that you visit Bartel’s website to better understand the nature of what he stands for. By the way, when you hear Bartel say “Namaste,” this means the god in me bows down to the god in  you. We have discussed tantric sex in a number of  Lighthouse Trails articles in the past, such as one called “What’s Sex Got to Do with It?” Please refer to this article if you are unfamiliar with this spiritual practice. In essence, Tantra or tantric sex is the use of Hinduistic-type mysticism during sexual intercourse. Please listen to what Ray Yungen has to say about Tantra and the serious implications of it:

Tantra is the name of the ancient Hindu sacred texts that contain certain rituals and secrets. Some deal with taking the energies brought forth in meditation through the chakras and combining them with love-making to enhance sexual experiences.

Once completely off-limits to the masses of humanity, Tantra, like all other New Age methodologies, is now starting to gain increasing popularity. . . . The potential to impact a very great number of people, especially men, was brought out in an article by a sex worker who incorporates “Tantric Bodywork” into her services. . . .  she has turned to Tantric Union to give her clients what she feels is not just sex but “union with the divine.” . . .  Now the “multitudes of men” who come to her get much more than they bargained for. In the past, wives and girlfriends needed only to worry about sexually transmitted diseases from cheating husbands and boyfriends, but now their men may instead bring home spiritual entities! (For Many Shall Come in My Name, Yungen, pp. 115-116)

We are sorry to be so frank – but we must – we are dealing with Rick Warren,  “America’s Pastor” and one of the most, perhaps the most, influential evangelical leaders today. And in just a few days, he will be starting a 52-week health program that has been designed by Dr. Amen, a tantric sex activist! Dr. Amen expresses his strong feelings about tantric in his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body:

In my book, The Brain in Love, I wrote about Tantric sexual practices, and was fascinated by the concept . . .  I wanted to experience it for myself and thought it would be a wonderful way to enhance my relationship with my wife, Tana. . . .  T.J. Bartel . . . became our teacher . . . I felt as if I had to share his knowledge with everyone I knew.” (p. 283)

Everyone he knows? Will that include Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, and even overflow to thousands of Purpose Driven churches? That could potentially be millions of people. On the video interview with Rick Warren and Dr. Amen, Warren states that Dr. Amen’s resources would be available for those attending the seminar this coming weekend. In almost all of the ”resources” by  Dr. Amen, he  advocates eastern meditation. In some of the books, he devotes many many pages to meditation practices. On page 238 of Amen’s Making a Good Brain Great, he states: “I recommend an active form of yoga meditation called Kriya Kirtan. It is based on the five primal sounds saa, taa, naa, maa, aa.” He tells readers to repeat these sounds for 12 minutes straight.

Many of you have heard of New Age leader Eckhart Tolle, whose 2008 book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose was highly popularized by Oprah. Tolle stated that the book’s purpose was to bring about a “shift in consciousness” (pp. 6-7). In his earlier book, The Power of Now, he speaks of  this ”consciousness,” what he considers a christ-consciousness:  

Christ is your God-essence or the Self, as it is sometimes called in the East. The only difference between Christ and presence is that Christ refers to your indwelling divinity regardless of whether you are conscious of it or not, whereas presence means your awakened divinity or God-essence. (p. 104)

For more on Eckhart Tolle and the great awakening that New Agers seek after for the planet, read Warren B. Smith’s 4-part article, “The Great Heretical Idea: Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift.” Dr. Daniel Amen talks about Tolle’s The Power of Now in his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, calling Tolle’s book ”extraordinary.”

Dr. Amen’s meditation technique of choice is Kriya Kirtan, as we stated above. This is a form of kundalini yoga (see his book,The Brain in Love, p. 146). Those who have studied with discernment the New Age, know that kundalini (or serpent power) is the spiritual “energy” behind meditation. Ray Yungen explains the relationship between kundalini and the chakras:

The chakras act as conduits or conductors for what is called kundalini or serpent energy. They say this force lies coiled but dormant at the base of the spine like a snake. When awakened during meditation, it is supposed to travel up the spine activating each chakra as it surges upward. When the kundalini force hits the crown chakra, the person experiences enlightenment or Self-realization. This mystical current results in the person knowing himself to be God. That is why kundalini is sometimes referred to as the divine energy. According to New Age proponents, all meditative methods involve energy and power, and the greater the power, the greater the experience. (FMSC, pp. 76-77)

Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the three doctors who ”designed” the “Daniel Challenge” for Saddleback , is another strong advocate for mystical meditation. In his book, The Ultramind Solution, Hyman emphasizes meditation, saying that it doesn’t matter what religion one has to benefit from it (p. 322). Dr. Hyman suggests that “Mindful meditation is a powerful well-researched tool, developed by Buddhists” (p. 384). On the front cover of The Ultramind Solution, sits an endorsement by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the third doctor who will be training Saddleback on health.

Anyone who watches daytime television, in particular Oprah, will know the name Dr. Oz, a highly renowned cardiovascular surgeon.  It was Oprah who featured him on her show for five years, making him a household name, which eventually led to his own television show, one of the most popular shows on television. 

Last February, Lighthouse Trails posted a piece titled “Dr. Oz Tells Millions of Americans: ‘Try Reiki!’” In January 2010, Dr. Oz brought a Reiki master onto his show to demonstrate Reiki and then ended the show saying,  “try Reiki” as the #1 “Oz’s Order.” It would make sense that Dr. Oz would tell his viewers to try Reiki – his wife is a Reiki practitioner. One press release related:

Reiki Masters across America and the world had cause for celebration on January 6 when Dr. Mehmet Oz revealed his Ultimate Alternative Medicine Secrets for 2010 during his nationally broadcast afternoon talk show. He ranked Reiki #1. Dr. Oz said, “Reiki is one of my favorites, we’ve been using it for years in the Oz family, and we swear by it.”

As Lighthouse Trails has documented for years, Reiki is a type of “energy healing” that is based on the New Age chakra system and puts those practicing it into contact with the realm of familiar spirits. If this sounds far fetched, listen to what one Reiki master wrote in the Everything Reiki Book:

During the Reiki attunement process, the avenue that is opened within the body to allow Reiki to flow through also opens up the psychic communication centers.  This is why many Reiki practitioners report having verbalized channeled communications with the spirit world. (cited in A Time of Departing, p. 97)

Recently, we posted a YouTube video that describes the spiritual consequences of practicing Reiki. The person doing the video told the story of one woman, who after practicing Reiki came into contact with 35 spirit guides, and she was unable to rid herself of them. They told her they would be with her forever. If you have not yet viewed this 10 minute video, it is imperative that you do. Reiki is a catalyst  or channel, as stated earlier, into the spirit world. This is not a silly, nonsensical ritual with no meaning. This is serious stuff!

How serious? Consider this: A book titled The Instructionwritten by Ainslie MacLeod, is described by the publisher as the following: 

Have you ever sensed that your life has a deeper, more meaningful purpose–but don’t know what it is? If so, you’re not alone. To help you and the millions like you, psychic Ainslie MacLeod’s spirit guides have given him a systematic approach to uncovering who you really are–and the life your soul has planned for you. They call it The Instruction. Now, for the first time, this unique teaching is offered as a step-by-step program for realizing personal fulfillment. The Instruction will take you through ten “doorways” to unveil the life plan your soul created before you were even born.

In the  foreword written by MacLeod, he says the “purpose of the book is to understand the coming shift in consciousness that is poised to sweep the planet. This transformation will affect everyone of us in some way.” This book, which is given by spirit guides and lays out the basic foundation for the New Age impressed Dr. Oz so much that he wrote an endorsement for the front cover. He stated:   “I recommend this book to those who seek greater spiritual well-being and a better understanding of their life’s purpose.” Dr. Oz’s endorsement is also on the front cover of MacLeod’s 2010 book, The Transformation: Healing Your Past Lives to Realize Your Soul’s Potential,where he exclaimed: “Ainslie MacLeod is at the frontier of exploration into the soul and its profound influence on our physical selves.”

Make no mistake about it – Reiki, meditation, tantric sex – these are very powerful mystical experiences that have the capability to delude and deceive those who are involved with it. While many of the health ideas these three doctors share in their books and DVDs are legitimate (exercise, vitamins, and good diet, etc.), these doctors firmly believe in meditation and want to make it widely accepted and embraced and have interwoven this belief into their programs. As Dr. Amen admitted himself, he wants to tell everyone he knows about meditation. Rick Warren and Saddleback are in danger as could be the millions who Rick Warren influences.

We urge all discerning believers to contact their own pastors  and any other pastors or leaders they know to warn them about what is taking place in the name of wellness and fitness in the church. We urge you also to contact ministries who have, in one way or another, either through consent or silence, supported the “new” spirituality that is trying to enter the church and tell them where it leads.  The wellness and fitness aspect of this is just another face of this whole movement that is impacting our entire culture.

 In this plea, consider what Roger Oakland stated at the end of Faith Undone:

There are still pastors and churches dedicated to proclaiming the truth. Find out where they are and support them. If you are in a location where this does not seem to be possible, seek out materials that are available from solid Bible-based Christian ministries and hold Bible studies in your homes.

When Jesus returns, He will not find a utopian world filled with peace but one in shambles, unrest, violence, and war for having forsaken the Word of God, the true Gospel, and the One true God. Rather than being a time when He will praise the world for discovering its christ-consciousness, He will come as a Judge and powerful King (p. 230).

Let us hold fast to the truth, and in considering the fact that compromising our spiritual health and wellness is never the right avenue to physical wellness, remember the words Paul spoke to the Romans. He did not tell them to entertain spirit guides, practice mantra meditation, yoga, or Reiki. This was his instruction to believers: 

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12: 1-2 

As important as physical health may be, we must remember that our bodies are only temporal. Yes, we should take care of them, but in the process we should not do as Esau did and sell out our spiritual heritage for a bowl of pottage.

Related Resource:

“Take Heed” Ministries
Cecil Andrews, PO BOX 13, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AL, Northern Ireland.

RICK WARREN – ‘not fit for purpose’
Back in May 2006, when John Reid was the British Home Secretary, he made the now very famous statement that, as the whereabouts of hundreds of foreign prisoners liable for deportation was not actually known by his department, that the department was ‘not fit for purpose’ ( you can read more on http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/may/24/prisonsandprobation.ukcrime)

Basically Mr Reid was saying that his department were not up to doing the very job they had been employed to do. Since making that statement the phrase ‘not fit for purpose’ has been used by a whole host of people to describe other diverse situations where they feel people are ‘falling down on the job’.*

Rick Warren, misguidedly viewed by many as a leading evangelical preacher and defender of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, has in the past 15 years built that reputation upon his authorship of, in particular, 2 books called ‘The Purpose Driven Church’ [1995] and ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ [2002]. It will not be my purpose in this article to analyse the contents of those books as many other gifted apologists have written reports highlighting some of the many shortcomings contained in Mr. Warren’s books (see reports for example on http://www.biblebb.com/files/PDLreview-SB.htm and http://www.biblebb.com/files/PDCreview-SB.htm ).

What I want to focus upon is a recent supposed ‘Apologetics’ conference [11-12 December 2010] hosted by Mr Warren at his Saddleback Church. A very helpful report highlighting some of those who spoke at this conference will be included in this article but perhaps I can make a few comments of my own before going to that report. To continue reading and for links and footnotes, click here.

*Editors Note: In this article, punctuation is according to  UK grammatical standards. In the US, a comma and period always go inside a quotation mark.