A VERY False Gospel - My Plea for Discernment among the True Church

Rarely do I feel the need to concern myself with current events, but an email passed by my desk this morning that was simply too disturbing to ignore. Apparently, Oprah Winfrey is endorsing a year-long study through a workbook called "A Course in Miracles." This book depicts a New Age "version" (if you could say such a thing) of Jesus. It is so heretical that I would love to know if the author meant to write a fiction novel and it simply found its way to the wrong shelf. It is probably the biggest heresy since the gnostic gospels (known as the "books that didn't make it into the Bible") were originally written 1700 years ago. Here are just a few points that the workbook makes:

- "There is no sin." - What about John 15:22? "If I [Jesus] had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin." (Also Matt 12:31; John 8:7, 11 and more) These are Jesus' words that specifically confirm that sin exists. Speaking of John, in his letter, he wrote: "If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us." (I John 1:10)

- "A slain Christ has no meaning," "the journey to the cross should be the last useless journey," and "do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross.'" - On the contrary, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Heb 9:22) Also, "but He [Jesus], having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God." (Heb 10:12) Without the sacrifice of Christ, the entire WORLD is in a downward spiral of despair and utter hopelessness! That cross, that sacrifice, so despised by the unregenerate world, is THE ONLY way for the world to be saved! Without the cross of Christ, there is nothing for us but the fires of hell.

- "The Name of Jesus Christ....is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray." - What about I Timothy 2:5: "For there is ONE GOD, and ONE MEDIATOR also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"? One of my mentors put it this way: "Someone who believes that there are many ways to heaven, really doesn't believe in Jesus Christ, or the Bible. They may say they do, but they can't [believe in Him]. Because the Bible clearly states (Christ Himself speaking), that He is the ONLY way (John 14:6)! 'I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through ME!' The definite article in the Greek is very important. The Way, The Truth, The Life. That is pretty clear to me." Amen brother!

- "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself." - News flash...I'm not God, you're not God, Oprah's not God, Marianne Williamson (the writer of this heresy) is not God.

Granted, there are plenty of heretical books out there (The Da Vinci Code, for example), but this one is being promoted by probably the most influential person in the world. What's worse is that Robert Schuller (the mentor of Rick Warren, who is spear-heading the "purpose driven church" movement that has invaded the church in recent years) endorses the book, and has a book based off of "A Course on Miracles" in the bookstore of the Crystal Cathedral!

People, please hear me! If this garbage was put out to slander Islam, what do you think the muslim nation would do? Paul's words have been prophetic in the past few months: "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding a form of godliness, although they have denied its power;" [and I say with Paul] "AVOID SUCH MEN [AND WOMEN] AS THESE." (II Tim 3:1-5)

Amazing Grace

Watson said this so well that I'm going to leave it in his capable hands. This is humbling, encouraging, and (missions) stimulating all at the same time!


THE LOT OF FREE GRACE!
By Thomas Watson from "A New Creature"

"Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

The new creature is a work of free grace. There is nothing in us, to cause God to make us anew. By nature we are full of pollution and enmity—yet now God forms the new creature. Behold the banner of love displayed! The new creature may say, "By the grace of God I am what I am!" In the creation, we may see the strength of God's arm; in the new creature, we may see the working of God's heart! That God should consecrate any heart, and anoint it with grace—is an act of pure love! That He should pluck one out of the state of nature, and not another—must be resolved into sovereign grace! This will increase the saint's triumphs in heaven, that the lot of free grace should fall upon them—and not on others.

The new creature is a work of rare excellency. A natural man is a lump of dirt and sin mixed together. God loathes him! But upon the new creature is a spiritual glory—as if a piece of clay, was turned into a sparkling diamond!

Those are not new creatures, who continue in their sins and are resolved so to do. These are in the gall of bitterness, and are the most miserable creatures that ever God made—except for the devils. These stand in the place where all God's arrows fly! These are the center where all God's curses meet!

An unregenerate person is like one in debt—who is in fear of being arrested by death, and carried prisoner to hell! Can that traitor be happy—who is fed by his prince in prison—only to be kept alive for his execution? God feeds the wicked like prisoners. They are reserved for the day of wrath!