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IS YOUR CHURCH DOING SPIRITUAL FORMATION? (Important Reasons Why It Shouldn’t)
Booklet by Ray Yungen
Is your church involved in a Spiritual Formation program? If so, you might want to ask the question, what exactly is Spiritual Formation? It’s a fair question, and one that, if not asked, could end up surprising you when your church changes in ways you never imagined.
A Christianity Today article states: “Spiritual Formation is in.” The article defines Spiritual Formation in this way:
Formation, like the forming of a pot from clay, brings to mind shaping and molding, helping something potential become something actual. Spiritual formation speaks of a shaping process with reference to the spiritual dimension of a person’s life. Christian spiritual formation thus refers to the process by which believers become more fully conformed and united to Christ.1
Such a definition would hardly send up red flags. But what this definition excludes is how this “process” of conforming and uniting to Christ takes place and who is eligible to participate in such a process.
The “how” is done through spiritual disciplines, primarily through the discipline of the silence. The silence is an altered state that is reached through a mantra-like meditation, breath prayers, or some other meditative practice. The idea behind it is that if you go into this silent state, you will eliminate distractions (thoughts) and be able to hear God’s voice. He in turn will transform you to be like Christ. The “who” (who can practice these disciplines and become like Christ) is anyone (according to Spiritual Formation pioneer Richard Foster and other proponents of Spiritual Formation). A Christian, a Buddhist, a Muslim, even an atheist—anyone at all can benefit from the spiritual disciplines and become like Christ (the question is which Christ?).
Chris Lawson
Missionary, Author/Speaker, and Director of SRN
Spiritual Research Network, LLC, is an independent Christian outreach committed first and foremost to the Lord Jesus Christ and the integrity of His Word. The aim of my efforts through my Spiritual Research Network (SRN) outreach is to help equip the Church, encourage biblical discernment, and evangelize the lost.
Feel free to contact me through my Spiritual Research Network website. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. For more information about my various websites and activities, please see my About Us page at SRN, my Audio and Video pages, and also my personal Missions/Support website, LawsonChristopher.org.
All DONATIONS towards my research and work are sincerely appreciated!
The Chris Lawson SRN bookstore offers crucial research documentation addressing pressing Church issues. The resources found here will help equip you to discern between truth and error in today's confusing spiritual landscape.
The insightful documentation in our bookstore is further confirmed by three other resources we are working on: SpiritJournaling.com, DangersOfYoga.com, and my main research site, SpiritualResearchNetwork.org. These websites are designed to help educate and empower you as you address dangerous teachings and practices in the Church.
The SpiritJournaling.com website serves a vital purpose as it exposes and warns about the dangers of occult/spiritistic practices in the world and the Church. This cautionary resource is designed to keep you aware and vigilant against these dangerous spiritual threats. One of the massive dangers coming against the Christian Church today is the onslaught of unbiblical, telepathic, and sensory-oriented "messages from Jesus." Sarah Young's Jesus Calling Series is just one of these of spiritistic deceptions.
The 45 million plus readers of Sarah Young's Jesus Calling devotional series have no idea that there are 50 Occult training principles embedded throughout the Jesus Calling Series. Brenna E. Scott's eight-year book research project reveals these principles that are in Sarah Young's books. At SpiritJournaling.com, Brenna's book can be read online for FREE. Hard copies can be obtained from our store: Christian Journaling or Psychic Channeling?: A Critical Comparison of the Jesus Calling Series with Occult Training Literature.
Some of the more glaring examples of dangerous occult influences entering the Church are "Christianized" versions of psychics, telepathy, clairaudience, clairsentience, and even necromancy (communicating with the dead). The first chapter of The Titanic and Today's Church—A Tale of Two Shipwrecks gives an example of a variation of necromancy that Pastor Steve Berger and his wife Sarah have been promoting for many years. See Dead Men Talking: Necromancy In Today's Church.
The products in our bookstore are designed to inspire and motivate believers to stand firm in the Gospel's truth and uphold the Word of God. This empowerment will help you stay strong in your Christian faith, unwavering in the face of spiritual challenges.
REMEMBERING RAY YUNGEN—AN ASTOUNDING RESEARCHER, A LIKE-MINDED FRIEND!
Below here is a Remembrance Statement about our good friend Ray Yungen. Ray went to be with the Lord in 2016. Ray's Publisher (Lighthouse Trails) wrote this statement about Ray, and I wholeheartedly agree. Some of Ray's excellent materials can be found in our bookstore here if you are interested. See also our SRN managed YouTube account for Ray.
"Ray was a man who loved life, loved people, and loved God. His tenderhearted manner touched all who came to know him. In addition to his researching and writing, he enjoyed spending time over a good cup of coffee with friends, listening to music, and being in nature. Ray had a zeal for truth and was passionate in his desire to help others find and know truth as well. He loved God’s Word and used it as a measuring rod in all he did and believed. Ray’s research and writing ministry impacted tens of thousands of people throughout the world, and he will be sorely missed by many. He has left an indelible imprint on the Christian church that will be remembered for years to come. Ray’s writings and lectures will continue to be distributed through his publisher, Lighthouse Trails Publishing."