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A "Wonderful" Deception

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The depth and scope of the deception going on in the churches today is unimaginiable, I am glad Rick Warren and his cohorts are getting exposed for the wolves in sheeps clothing they are. Thank you Warren Smith for contending earnestly for the faith---I pray souls will be saved and pray likewise that Rick Warren and all those taking part in the deception bow a knee in repentance to the ONLY way to the Father--the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and kick that New Age "Master Jesus" they are following to the curb!

I am a former Jehovah's Witness---I did NOT come out of that cult, just to get sucked into this Purpose Driven-New Age-Ecumenical-Emergent false christianity! Thank you Jesus for paying the penalty for my sin. I am a sinner and I need a Saviour and I WILL CLING TO THE OLD RUGGED CROSS and CONCERN myself with bible prophecy, even though I wasn't in the New Age like Warren Smith ----it was also BECAUSE Bible prophecy that I got saved. Yes, there really ARE people posing as "Christian" leaders that are promoting doctrines of devils. It is our biblical duty to protect and warn the Body of Christ in these perilous times!

In his book A Wonderful Deception, Warren Smith comes to the starting conclusion that the new age, instead of being a bygone movement of the past, is alive and well, and in the process of merging with a false church in a movement that threatens to destroy orthodox Christianity as we know it. (Church + New Age = Emergent Church) It is a movement that will "deceive wonderfully" (Daniel 8:24).

And that's just for starters. What this is all leading to is an ecumenical, one world religion (as prophesied many places in scripture, most notably in Revelation). This global religion will be panentheistic in nature; that is, the belief that God is "in" everything. This of course stands in distinct contrast to the Christian view, which holds that God is separate from, and transcendent to, His creation. But Smith even makes the case that the scientific community is on the verge of proclaiming that this religious worldview - panentheism - is not only true, but is scientifically verifiable. As Christians, we know that God "writes" his signature on many aspects of creation, just as a painter might sign his painting, signifying that the work is His. But the (largely atheistic) scientific community, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, does not (or will not) "see" any evidence for a sovereign, creator God who stands separate from His creation. Instead, they are on the brink of "proving" a god who is identical to the pagan and occultic worldview of what god is: god as vibration, as energy, as chi, prana or flow (depending on the worldview one holds). This belief is of course preferable to an atheist, who does not want to bend the knee in humble submission to the creator God of the universe. Vibration? Energy? Those are just natural laws - and require no response because they are, in essence, "neutral." But the sovereign creator God does require a response from His creation: either repent of sin, love Him and come to him as he requires (through the blood of Christ) or rebel against him. The Bible states that there are only two choices! Jesus himself said plainly: "He who is not for me is against me." (Luke 11:23)

As a former new ager, I have also been doing new age research for a few years, and have noticed a curious trend in the publications I review: there is increasing talk about something described as a "quantum leap," a "planetary evolution." These terms are used for the new age belief that the world as a whole will begin to move from "individual co-creation" with the world around it to a "planetary co-creation." This is new age parlance for the idea that the number of people awakening to their "inner divinity" will reach such a "critical mass" that the entire world, including those not in alignment with this belief system, will be swept along toward the next stage of planetary evolution: world peace. This of course is also in direct contrast to scripture which states that because of the Fall, we are born wicked and "dead in our sins." We have no inner divinity. But many innocent Christians today, thanks to a generation of "seeker sensitive" churches teaching "doctrine lite," do not even know the truth of scripture enough to recognize deception when they see it - and thus are buying into this belief system, which is nothing more than a spiritual wolf in sheep's clothing.

Warren Smith also makes the case well that this "one-ness" and "inner divinity" new age talk is going on in the emergent church movement. The underlying belief in both the new age and in the emergent church seems to be that only when our world awakens to its "one-ness" will there be peace. This is a false eschatology and is actually fulfillment of the prophetic statement in Jeremiah 8:11 (" 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace."). The traditional Christian view has always been that there is no peace and there will be never be peace until Christ returns and reigns over his earthly kingdom.

Warren Smith is a meticulous researcher who dots all his i's and crosses all his t's. If you have heard the terms emergent church, contemplative prayer, fractal theory, quantum leap, etc., and wondered what they meant, then this is a must-read. Satan's lies and schemes aren't new....but they are remarkably effective. Arm yourself with truth so that you may stand against the deceptions and lies of Satan. Warren Smith's book will open your eyes and help you see the deceptions flowing into today's church.

A much needed book by a former New Ager himself, Warren Smith. You will find out all about Leonard Sweet, Rick Warren and his links to the New Age Pastor Robert Schuller. There is so much information on these people that are attempting to corrupt the Christian faith you will be left in disbelief as to how they have deceived so many people. Copious amounts of information about the New Age/New Spirituality/Quantum Spirituality movement along with the Emerging Church and Postmodernism/Deconstruction movements. The apostate book "The Shack" by William P. Young is also exposed here.

This book reads like a mystery novel, but unfortunately it's all true and completely end-noted. If you truly care about the faith and want to see where it is going, this is a must read for the discerning Christian. Thank the Lord there are people like Warren Smith with the fortitude to expose these people for what they really are: Wolves in sheep's clothing.

Acts 8:37,38: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Warren Smith's new book, "A Wonderful Deception," details in depth the occult roots of the Emerging Purpose Driven Movement. I totally agree after being in the occult for many years(actually being raised in it)--and coming out, thanks be solely to the "only begotten" Son of God, Jesus Christ(not one of "many" Christs which the Emerging Purpose Driven Movement is inculcating with their theology and is nothing other than occult, New Age doctrine with "Christianized" terms--right from the "Serpent's" mouth in the Garden of Eden and which the Satanic realm continues to propagate). I recommend all of Warren Smith's books along with Ray Yungen's books, "A Time of Departing" and 2. "For Many Shall Come in My Name", Roger Oakland's(specifically "Faith Undone: The Emerging Church--A New Reformation or End-Time Deception") and both of Bob DeWaay's books, "Redefining Christianity: Understanding the Purpose Driven Life Movement" and his newest book, "The Emergent Church--Undefining Christianity"--though those two I have not yet finished. The Emerging Purpose Driven Movement teaches a "new," "another" gospel(Galatians 1:6-9); really such is not new, only constant repackaging of the same old lie(s). We would all do well to be Bereans(Acts 17:11), and pray always for wisdom and discernment in studying and examining Scripture, as well as in all things. Take heed for your eternal soul.

There are not a lot of people who clearly speak out against deceptions in the church. There are good books on this subject and not so good ones, yet each brings something of value. I found the most helpful part of this book was the section on fractals, quantum spirituality, chaos theory and The Shack and their impact.

Why is everyone so surprised that there is deception in the church? If you look back at the writings of Paul, deception in the church was rampant then! Almost every one of his letters contained a great deal addressing false teachers and false doctrine. It is nothing new. If you look at some of what the `church fathers' wrote you will see there are few who actually stayed on the ancient path of truth. And those generally weren't the ones adopted by Christianity. The religion of Christianity is full of deception and has been almost from the beginning.

How does this affect you today? Go back to THE book...read IT! Begin at the beginning and remember the God of the `Old Testament' has never been replaced by a different `god' in the `New Testament'. The New Covenant is the same as the Old Covenant, just applied differently. Read Jeremiah 31-33 and Ezekiel 37 before you try to interpret what the `New Covenant' referred to in Luke, Hebrews and Corinthians means! Jesus never preached that He was a replacement, or that He came to replace His Father's teachings with something else. Go back to the beginning of the Bible and read for yourself. Read and then obey! The only way you will ever be protected from deception is to KNOW the truth and to live in it. Don't assume any church, pastor or book can reveal it to you secondhand!

So much of religion and high profile tv ministers pervert the Gospel of the cross. Warren is very popular but what he is doing has to be exposed for what it is.

A "Wonderful Deception"
Book review

"A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" Jeremiah 5:30-31

In these days of rampant deception, Warren Smith adds his voice to those who have called out a warning to the church of Jesus Christ, which is largely asleep at the wheel at a time when discernment is most needed, particularly in the area of the "latest and greatest" ministry models that seek to appeal to a generation that wants to think of church as merely another consumer option.

As a follow-up to "Deceived on Purpose", Smith lays out the New Age influences of the likes of Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller and their profound impact on the Church Growth Movement (CGM). The effect of this mix of spirituality, humanism and the corporate model has brought us mega-churches with a seeker-sensitive focus, leading to a watered-down gospel.

In the same way those who have come out of the liberal denominations are seeing right through the Emergent church "postmodern" model, Smith, a former New Age practitioner, sees the handwriting on the wall as New Age practices infiltrate the church on an ever-growing scale. Without pointedly calling any current church celebrity/leader a "new age" change agent, he points to the subtle New Age implications of today's church trends, and the dangers those teachings pose for the church, particularly in light of the biblical warnings concerning the last days leading up to the return of Jesus. If deception weren't subtle, it would not be deceptive and therein lies the problem for an undiscerning and untaught generation that has ceased to make the Word of God their primary model for all things pertaining to life and godliness.

While "Deceived on Purpose" should have sounded a warning bell regarding the roots and motives of CGM, with the continued acceptance of Schuller's positive confession heresy, emergent mystics such as Henri Nouwen and Brian McLaren, and pre-digested bible versions ala 'The Message", Warren's concern has continued to grow, thus the need for this follow-up book.

Smith bravely takes on the disdain of the Purpose Driven model for bible prophecy, Robert Schuller's "God's Dream", Norman Vincent Peale, Ken Blanchard, the Purpose Driven PEACE plan, Leonard Sweet, and the Shack's subtle nod to Quantum Spirituality.

Warren Smith's book is a highly recommended read for those who want to ramp up their discernment a notch. If you are simply a pew-dweller who takes everything at face value in today's culture of churchianity, it will surely cause you to think long and hard about what is being passed off as "just another way to do church" today.

Excellent, well-researched and insightful book. Warren Smith is a 'watchman on the wall' who is warning the 21st century church of the dangers of the "Emergent", 'post-modern' church and its apostate "God is in all things" heresy, and the dangers of the 'soft gospel', 'feel good' mega churches that are springing up in America.

This is an excellent documentation of how New Age doctrines are corrupting Christianity and causing heresy and apostasy. All sincere Christians should read it.Warren Smith has done a great service to authentic Christianity with this work.
-Signs Of The Times-

This is one of the most informative books I've read in some time. The information is so on par for out times and we need to know all the tricks and tactics of the devil who will try to destroy all Christians any way he can. It is a must read.