Watchman Blog

America: To Pray Or Not To Pray

What You Know Might Not Be So (Link) - David Barton

Do You Know What Happened When Religious Principles Were Separated From Public Affairs?

On June 25, 1962, the Supreme Court first struck down school prayer by prohibiting students from using this simple invocation:

“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee and beg Thy blessing upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.”

Following this case, the Court began methodically expelling other religious principles; the effects have been evident:

Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny

The Berean Call (Part 1 | Part 2) - Dave Hunt (January 2, 2010)

Despite all our failures to bring peace and good will on Earth, America can at least boast of her much-vaunted space program. Our astronauts have walked on the moon. Our astronomers have searched the far reaches of the universe with their telescopes and have uncovered much of its mystery. But wait. Let us face some realities.

Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny, my newest book, begins with a brief look at the vastness of the universe. Even if we could build space vehicles that might travel at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross The Milky Way, our relatively small galaxy, and billions of years to reach the trillions of galaxies beyond. These facts show how foolish is man’s dream of “space exploration.” Each time I board a passenger jet and glance into the cockpit at the incredibly complex instrument panel, I think of the Arctic tern. This bird breeds in the tundra of the far north, then flies for eight months across thousands of miles of trackless ocean to reach its destination near the edge of the Antarctic ice pack, only to return to its breeding grounds. It will cover more than twenty thousand miles in its lifetime. Its instrument panel is in its tiny brain and its guidance system is instinct, a capability that no evolutionary process could develop nor any man explain.

Atheism, partnering with Darwinism, is the fastest growing non-political movement in the world today. It is Satan’s master weapon in his battle with God. The world’s leading atheist, Richard Dawkins, a former Oxford University professor, is atheism’s loudest mouthpiece. His books regularly appear on the New York Times bestseller list. Becoming convinced of Darwinism at the age of fifteen turned him from a nominal Anglican into a fervent atheist. He has declared that “A belief in God is not only stupid but wicked.”

The same transformation occurred in Charles Templeton’s life. He was at one time the preaching partner of Billy Graham. Darwinism turned him into an atheist. In his book, Farewell to God, he tells of writing to Billy:

Billy, it’s simply not possible any longer to believe, for instance, the biblical account of creation. The world wasn’t created over a period of days a few thousand years ago; it has evolved over millions of years. It’s not a matter of speculation; it’s demonstrable fact.

Templeton was wrong, tragically so. Darwinism continues today to turn multitudes into atheists. Many authors have argued both sides of the creationism vs. evolutionism dispute. It is really theism vs. atheism, God vs. Satan. This ancient conflict is soon to come to its dramatic conclusion. That is what Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny is all about.

The Placebo Effect of Mystical Experience

Strategic Trends Update (Mail Newsletter) - Leisa Garcia (January 11, 2010)

The placebo effect is a medical phenomenon in which a patient’s symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment (i.e., a sugar pill). It is presumed that this is because the individual expects or believes the treatment will work. The placebo never cures the underlying disease; it only alleviates some of the symptoms temporarily.

Mankind acquired an incurable disease called a fallen sin nature from the first two human beings, Adam and Eve. This sinful nature has separated us from God. The only prescribed remedy for this condition was provided by God when He sent His only begotten Son to become sin for us and to suffer and die in our place.

Unfortunately, many reject this free remedy. Others deny they have the disease, or claim there are many remedies t apply. They essentially choose their own diagnosis and manner of treatment, opting for the placebo by turning to mystical experience to gain closeness to “God.”

As discussed in previous articles, Contemplative Prayer and all other forms of mystical meditation are the same practice. However, Contemplative Prayer is often described in spiritual or Christian sounding terms to make it more acceptable in some Christian groups.

WHY are Joel Rosenberg and Frank Peretti Appearing With New Age/New Spirituality Sympathizers?

Lighthouse Trails Blog (Link) (November 9, 2009)

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. (I Corinthians 10:21)

Why are so many Christian leaders continually appearing with personalities who claim to be Christian yet promote the heretical “new spirituality”? In January 2010, in Alberta, Canada, such a situation will take place at the Break Forth conference, bringing together a conglomeration of Christian figures, New Age sympathizers, and mystic/emerging proponents. From Joel Rosenberg (Epicenter), Frank Peretti (This Present Darkness), and Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) to William Paul Young (The Shack), Leonard Sweet (Quantum Spirituality), and contemplative proponents such as Duffy Robbins (Enjoy the Silence) and Brad Jersak, Break Forth will be like drawing gray lines in the sand–blended, indistinguishable lines.

In essence, this merging together, like so many other events now taking place within evangelical Christianity, willhelp erode the distinction between truth and falsehood and light and dark.

With well-known names like Rosenberg, Peretti, and Strobel as part of the speaking platform, many Christians who otherwise might not attend or pay much attention to this emerging event, could be drawn in just by the mere mention of these men’s names. And with Break Forth boasting that 1000 Canadian churches are represented at this event, tens of thousands of church goers could easily, directly or indirectly, be impacted in a fashion ultimately leading to spiritual deception and apostasy.

Heath Ledger's Darkest Night

Good Fight Ministries (Link)

Even in Christian circles, the idea of demonic possession is often delegated to the realms of "religious whackos." I think much of this has to do with the work of the mystery of iniquity to focus mankind on self and the physical in steps to the point we are at today where the scientific method eliminates understanding of the spiritual realm we are told about in scripture and the spiritual warfare that is going on for the souls of mankind. Pastor Joel Schimmel has done a great job presenting the history of music and tying the facts together pointing to the many occult roots of our modern entertainment industry. I know many may scoff at the ideas presented here and in the They Sold Their Souls For Rock N' Roll series, but there is a reality that no amount of disbelief can make go away. There is a war going for the souls of mankind whether one believes it or not. I've touched briefly on how this influence manifests as well in Thought: Voice of the Spirit Realm and believing the Bible as I do, believe also that there is much to what is presented here. - Phillip

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Heath Ledger, the young and rising Hollywood Star who was dead in his Manhattan apartment after costarring in the latest Batman installment "Dark Knight", has been the object of discussion by his costars as to what place his role as the sadistic and demonic Joker may have played in his untimely death. Ledger was found face down at the foot of his bed with prescription sleeping pills nearby, police said. Authorities reportedly found six different types of prescription drugs in Ledger's apartment. The New York City Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine.”

These drugs ranged in pills that were meant to deal with everything from insomnia to anxiety. I personally believe that there are a number of factors that led to Heath Ledger's premature death and that there are many lessons for all of us to learn. Ledger's career began with big parts in 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale, but the latter part of his short career took a notable downward turn with brooding roles beginning with 2001's Monster's Ball. Ledger would later play everything from a drug addict in the movie Candy, an incarnation of Bob Dylan in the film I'm Not There and a homosexual cowboy in Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain received mixed reviews because of its controversial message that many believe subverted traditional moral values. The Los Angeles Times reported that Ledger's role in Brokeback Mountain “made him an instant icon in the gay community.” Heath Ledger “will forever be remembered for his groundbreaking role as Ennis del Mar,” said Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, adding, “His powerful portrayal changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways. He will be greatly missed.” Homosexual activists believe that Ledger played a decided role in opening up the general public to accepting homosexual activity as natural. However, The Star, reported that it was during his time starring as a gay cowboy that Heath Ledger changed for the worse. “During a 2005 interview about Brokeback Mountain, Ledger was massively different, but not always for the good,” claims The Star, “much of his youthful sparkle had also vanished. There was sadness behind his eyes.”

This sadness only intensified as Ledger battled depression, insomnia, and horrible mood swings. Many have failed to report about the dark spiritual void that Ledger struggled with and his acknowledgement that fame, drugs, and money could never satisfy him. Tragically, I believe that Hollywood's irresponsible penchant for glorifying indulgent lifestyles is largely responsible for the premature death of Heath Ledger and countless other lost souls. Hollywood has long had a campaign against traditional moral values, espousing irresponsible sexual behavior, gratuitous violence, blasphemy, and the mockery of God.

Biblical Meditation vs. The “Mystical Silence”

This article came from the Lighthouse Trails Newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.

Does God Sanction Mystical Experiences? Lighthouse Trails Research by Ray Yungen June 16, 2008 - For many years during my research, I would come across the term contemplative prayer. Immediately I would dismiss any thought that it had a New Age connotation because I thought it meant to ponder while praying–which would be the logical association with that term. But in the New Age disciplines, things are not always what they seem to be to untrained ears. What contemplative prayer actually entails is described very clearly by the following writer:

When one enters the deeper layers of contemplative prayer one sooner or later experiences the void, the emptiness, the nothingness … the profound mystical silence … an absence of thought.1

To my dismay, I discovered this “mystical silence” is accomplished by the same methods used by New Agers to achieve their silence–the mantra and the breath! Contemplative prayer is the repetition of what is referred to as a prayer word or sacred word until one reaches a state where the soul, rather than the mind, contemplates God. Contemplative prayer teacher and Zen master Willigis Jager brought this out when he postulated:

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.2

…One of the most well-known writings on the subject is the classic 14th century treatise, The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous author. It is essentially a manual on contemplative prayer inviting a beginner to:

Take just a little word, of one syllable rather than of two. With this word you are to strike down every kind of thought under the cloud of forgetting.3

The premise here is that in order to really know God, mysticism must be practiced–the mind has to be shut down or turned off so that the cloud of unknowing where the presence of God awaits can be experienced…. So the question we as Christians must ask ourselves is, “Why not? Why shouldn’t we incorporate this mystical prayer practice into our lives?” The answer to this is actually found in Scripture. While certain instances in the Bible describe mystical experiences, I see no evidence anywhere of God sanctioning man-initiated mysticism. Legitimate mystical experiences were always initiated by God to certain individuals for certain revelations and was never based on a method for the altering of consciousness. In Acts 11:5, Peter fell into a trance while in prayer. But it was God, not Peter, who initiated the trance and facilitated it.

History Repeating: Mankind’s Fall of Pride

I found this while reading about Nimrod (from the writings of Josephus) on the Wikipedia post.

“Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power…Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than any one could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen, that it might not be liable to admit water. When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another. The place wherein they built the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion…”

As I read it, I kept thinking of the humanist world we live in today. It seems true today as well that mankind is elevated in the minds of prideful men beyond where it should. The method to get us here has worked over long periods of time and through many influential people, but the end result is the same and pride comes before the fall. Mankind is turning from God and will continue to do so until God’s wrath is revealed from heaven. Even then they will blaspheme and hate Him rather than repent of their wickedness. Even the way the world views Christians as weak-minded for clinging to our belief seems to parallel.

The New World Order is attempting to bring about the same kind of reliance of the people upon government while using the education system and media to remove God from the consciousness of the people. The more this happens, the further the world gets from God. Out of sight, out of mind. As Christians, we know what the Bible says regarding the end result of this global governance being formed as you read this. One man will cave to the offer of power that Yeshua resisted in His temptations in the wilderness. Lucifer offered Yeshua the world and was rebuked. He will make that offer to the man of sin and for 3 1/2 years the holy people will be given into his hands to destroy them, the great tribulation. During this time, those without faith in the promise of life everlasting by accepting Christ’s sacrifice for sins will be faced with a choice of joining the antichrist or death. Those who choose life here and now will lose it eternally.

I just thought it was interesting and wanted to share. Don’t fall for the lie of human superiority. We are a fallen race of people who require the shed blood of the Word made flesh to enter the kingdom of heaven. We fight against principalities and powers, spiritual darkness in high places. So don’t be fooled by these immensely superior spirits who have thousands of years of experience in deceiving naive people. We have at most 120 years of experience and that is unheard of today, we are no match without the Word of God on our lips. Yeshua rebuked the temptation with the Word of God, so let us study His Word more so that we are not left defenseless against our superior enemy that lies and tricks with flattery and pride.

Witchcraft By Another Name

I feel led to point out something important that most Christians do not know or realize. The understanding of this begins to reveal how the pharmaceutical companies are assisting in the fall of America and the world.

Many may not realize it, but through the attempts to adjust body chemistry through foreign drugs put into the system, we only cover up what is there to tell us something. And beyond that, it affects our minds and attitudes assisting in the lulling to complacency. The same works for vaccinations too, trust God for protection from disease and remain in Christ. Have you seen how vaccinations are produced? Do you really want to put that in your temple?