I read a lot of non-fiction: of the prophecy or eschatology persuasion. My library is chock full of books by Erwin W. Lutzer and Grant R. Jeffrey. A sidebar note: the latter went home to be with the Lord earlier this year. I will certainly miss his scholarship. He was also a thorough researcher.
Which is the reason why I don't read a lot of fiction. I've never read any Christian fiction, not even the popular Left Behind series, even though I would describe myself as a keen aficionado of biblical eschatology. However, after listening to a certain Christian talk radio programme promoting the fictional book, Noah Primeval, and being a keen novelist, though more a hobby-novelist than one that makes a career out of writing, I was inspired to read it. Ergo, I recently made a (rare) foray to Amazon to check it out.
My curiosity was instantly replaced by bewilderment and I was left with a bitter aftertaste in my mouth when I realized that Leonard Sweet was among those that had endorsed Noah Primeval. Now, why would the author of Noah Primeval want his book to be endorsed by a New Spirituality heretic, one who follows after the 'lights' of New Agers?
Then I realized I had assumed that said author was a Christian - a Bible believing Christian. Moreover, I realized that I didn't know much about this author, Brian Godawa. I had simply made some assumptions based on the fact that the novel and author had been the subjects of the aforementioned Christian talk radio interview. I instantly did a Google search to confirm or dispel my assumptions, and found an article containing a transcript of an interview with Mr. Godawa himself. In his own words, he professes to subscribe to a Christian worldview. Well, that's that, then: that should dispel all my doubts, should that not?
Yes, but that still leaves me with the problem of Leonard Sweet.
I'd rather err on the side of caution and be reserved than trust everything I read, much less trust what a person professes. It's the old adage: actions speak louder than words; well, Mr. Godawa's actions are quite telling. And, now, I wonder why that particular talk radio, which I used to respect, would interview and promote a novel that has been endorsed by a New Spirituality guru such as Leonard Sweet.
Dr. Sweet, in various places in his seminars and books, has promoted New Age/Contemplative Spirituality ideas rooted in paganism such as eastern mysticism, kundalini, panentheism, and the 'Christ Consciousness'. Calling himself a New Light teacher, Dr. Sweet holds to a postmodern apologetic; he is importing a postmodern, New Age slant to biblical Christianity and challenging the Church to dive into the dangerous New Age maelstrom with him.
Dr. Sweet is a worker of iniquity, bending to the sinister will of Satan in using the New Spirituality and Contemplative Spirituality deception to lead their adherents away from Christianity to embrace and practise paganism, Satanism, metaphysics, and New Age and eastern spiritualism, which are false religions. This is very much the goal of Satan – to lead the world away from worshipping the true and living God, the God of the Bible.
This has been a year of disappointing discoveries - which, actually, began in 2010 with the discovery of John Piper, Lee 'The Case for Christ' Strobel (who has endorsed Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Manifesto), Greg Laurie, who has also supported Rick Warren's cause, Erwin Lutzer, who has endorsed Contemplative Spirituality/Contemplative Prayer and the ecumenical movement, Brannon Howse, who supports Erwin Lutzer, as well as Zondervan, Baker Books and Navpress, all either joining the ranks of Rick Warren or being strange bedfellows of the Emergent Movement.
As we draw closer to the Glorious Appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is described in Scripture as characterized by the exponential rise in false christs, false prophets and lack of spiritual discernment (Matthew 24, Revelation 3), I expect more and more former fundies to join the false movements of New Spirituality and ecumenicalism. All of which are harbingers of the coming false One-world church of the Antichrist. This is not my first urge to post on the subject of the New Spirituality heresy, and I'm pretty sure it's not going to be my last. I just don't know if I have the fight to delve on this matter over and over again.
