MegaFest To Mega-Controversy

If controversy was what Bishop T.D. Jakes wanted as a result of MegaFest 2013, then he got ALL that he asked for and then some...

Put T.D. Jakes, Oprah Winfrey, and Tyler Perry together in one room, and what do you have? 3 of the wealthiest Black business people in the United States and 3 of the most popular individuals associated with the modern entertainment industry and at least one of which is associated with the gospel and gospel ministry. 

Now, place the same three people at a 3 day MegaFest Conference, add to that by having Tyler Perry lay hands on Jakes,  and Jakes and Oprah share the stage to talk about fatherlessness in America, and top all of that off with Oprah saying, while she's reaching out to God, "I need you"...and what do you have? Probably one of the most controversial and talked about events of the year. 

From pillar to post this event and what happened at the event is reverberating around facebook, google, and every internet venue.  If that was the point of the conference, then on that merit alone, it was a high success.

Why We Are Shocked. 

Many people are shocked because they don't want to believe that any of these people are real. Look at the criticisms, according to them; Tyler is gay, and if he isn't gay, he is unsaved. Look at the reasons why. His
stage presentations are more and more secular and worldly and he dresses in drag to entertain the masses. (which is a shameful thing that most Black actors have been made to do at some point in their entertainment careers) 

Then Oprah, a self proclaimed "Christian free-thinker" who has taken God "out of the box", as we all know, has embraced eclecticism and universalism and what I have called the "many paths" doctrine stating that God can be accessed through many other and various faith paths and beliefs any or all of which have nothing to do with Jesus and some of which are even contrary to the teachings of Jesus. For instance, she has embraced the spiritual deception and ramblings of Eckhart Tolle as I have documented in my series "The New Enlightenment", and teaches that Jesus did not come to die upon the cross, but came to show us the "Christ consciousness" which we all can have just like Jesus did...Oprah has been criticized by some as a modern type of "Jezebel" and a false "prophetess" for all of the aforementioned reasons and more. 

Then T.D. Jakes himself is also controversial. Aside from all that he has done and continues to do to better the plight of humanity through the work of his ministry, the critic says he is not saved because he doesn't understand or teach the trinity and or he too is an "in the closet" homosexual...Well, it is a fact that he tried to suggest that Ruth and Naomi had a lesbian relationship and that David and Jonathon's relationship was suspect as well. In fact here is his exact statement from a message:

“Ruth turns to Naomi and says “I shall not leave thee.” She makes her statement to this woman…that sounds somewhat, somewhere in between poetry, intimacy, and borders on lesbianism. People don’t even know how to explain what Ruth said to Naomi. It makes them uncomfortable. They’re afraid to talk about it. They don’t want to teach on it. Same thing with David and Jonathan…where there were same-sex relationships getting too close, people don’t even know what to say.” ~ [Bishop T.D. Jakes, "Nothing Just Happens" 2001 Woman Thou Art Loosed Conference]

Now, I am yet awaiting anyone who knows whether Bishop clarified or straightened up that statement to let me know...I am awaiting ANYONE who can clarify Oprah's statements and beliefs with additional statements she has made recanting the previous ones to point me toward them also. I certainly don't want to bear false witness. If either of these have corrected their statements, because they are human and may have spoken wrongly, we can promote their corrections just as readily as what was spoken was in obvious error.

Read more!

The New Enlightenment Pt.2

Verse 1:
If you just grasp your mind,
then you ought to be able to speak it with your mouth,
it's yours, it's yours...
Verse 2:
If you can just meditate on it,
and then you've got to focus and concentrate on it.
And then you've got to wait on it,
you've got to wait...
Clark Sisters Name It Claim It ~1982

This was one of the most popular songs during the 80’s. I remember many days listening to it, playing the music and hearing it sung in many congregations. Although I understand the aim of the song, to encourage believers to pursue God and all the he has for you; little did I know that the method was unbiblical. The thoughts proliferated through this song would lay the foundation for many churches that would go on to call themselves Word Of Faith and would also inadvertently open many doors for those who taught "Get what you want and need from the Lord by any means necessary"

Now I want to stop for a minute and reaffirm that I LOVE the Clark Sisters and the body of work that they have traditionally produced and do not intend to make them the poster child(ren) for this sort of practice. I only point out how easily these techniques have infiltrated the camp of the righteous and saturated the children of God with the wrong message, inclinations and even practices.

Unfortunately, many have forgotten the spiritual mandate to seek, focus and concentrate on God and HIS Word and nothing else:

• Mt. 6:33 ~ "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
• Lk. 12:30-31 ~ "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

The new consciousness has duped many believers into the practice of focusing in on what you want in an occultic, religious fervor. I have heard preached messages saying,

• "God can’t give you what you want if you don’t define it, or have a picture of it."

Still others have preached,

• "If you want a man, not just any man will do. Tell God the height, color, skin tone…let God know what you want."

Many of you have heard similar, and have heard what you thought were scriptural admonitions to follow and pursue your hearts desires. This is the danger of the new consciousness. It is based on self, and selfish desires (no matter how noble) The new enlightenment encourages individuals to find

• "your truth" and "your God consciousness."

In the new consciousness self desires and personal pursuits replace the pursuit of God and the primacy of HIS will. God is turned to be a force, presence, or enlightenment found "inside of you". Personal achievements somehow are validations of the approval of God. Therefore, the more members, material, and recognition one can amass, the more approval that God has set on an individual, church or even community. In essence, materialism and both human and individual accomplishment becomes the standard whereby others know you’ve arrived or been successful.

Connectedness and ecumenism ultimately means acceptance of all truth and integration of what is Holy with that which is unholy. The object is to confuse, distort and subjectivize truth, and to create a "my truth/your truth" mentality. The result is a dangerous and intoxicating mixture of self-will, erroneous dogma, blind passion and illegible and indiscernible boundaries in which consciousness, feelings and emotives become god, master and director of individual purpose and place.

As stated previously the new enlightenment specifically implores religious eclecticism which tends to use methods of any or all religious systems and beliefs in order to achieve the overarching goal or goals set forth. Primarily rooted in Eastern mysticism, teachers of the new consciousness use thoughts and philosophies that are based on self cognition, identifiable religious and humanistic philosophies such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrians, and various mind cult philosophies. There is a further potpourri of resurrected metaphysical constructs and demonic world mythologies that God has long since rejected over the course of human history that drive the new consciousness.

One of the most startling elements of this cauldron of damnation, is it’s current validation through institutions of higher educational and corporate venues seeking to enhance the diversity of the educational curriculum and productivity of the workforce. Not to paint a broad brush, but one needs only look at many college curriculums called transcendental meditation, metaphysics and advanced mind science to see the blossoming and burgeoning field of mysticism and mind dynamics in operation within the system of higher education. Simultaneously, one only need look at many of the top Fortune 500 companies to see programs such as Imagine 21, Lifespring and other mind occult and metaphysical philosophies in action with sometimes full endorsement of corporate leadership.

This murky mixture of religion and secularism has nurtured the new consciousness and given rise to a resurgence of "repackaged bondage" suitable to subdue the 21st Century mind. This bondage promotes many methods to achieve the higher consciousness, but there is one method in particular that is consistent to a varying degree in many of these teachings and encouragement in both secular, new age and religious efforts. That is the concept of visualization or meditation as a method to achieve human or spiritual potential, goals or success.

As noted in the Clark Sister’s Song:

Verse 1:

If you just grasp your mind,

then you ought to be able to speak it with your mouth,

it's yours, it's yours...

"Grasp it in your mind"..."speak it with your mouth". These are elements of visualization, meditation and pronunciation, which are common metaphysical techniques and which are often used in tandem and combination to produce the desired physical and metaphysical effects.

Verse 2:

If you can just meditate on it,

and then you've got to focus and concentrate on it.

And then you've got to wait on it,

you've got to wait...

Meditation, "focus" and "concentration" or "visualization", then waiting for a manifestation are the encouragements. Once again these techniques are straight of the mysticism handbook and (hypothetically) can open doors spiritually that individuals are not instructed or ready to open.

• John 10:7-10 ~ "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Pastor Burnett, doesn’t the bible encourage us to meditate? How can you say that I’ve somehow yielded to mysticism? This is what I’ve been taught ever since I’ve been saved.

I will close this segment by saying YES the bible clearly teaches meditation in the following manner:

• Meditation was to be on good things: Phil. 4:8 ~ "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." "Think" here is a Greek word logizomai which literally means to consider, take into account or meditate on. The key here is that meditation was to be on "thing’ in relatinship to God, not man or self-desires.
• Meditation was to be on The righteousness of God in relationship to you: Mt. 6:33-34 ~ "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." "Thought" here is a Greek word "merimnao" which literally means concern to promote one’s interest.
• Meditation was to be upon the Lord himself : Ps. 63:6 ~ "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."
• Meditation was to be upon HIS Word or HIS Law: Ps. 1:2 ~ "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
  Joshua 1:8 ~ "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

As we note the bible version of "meditate on it" does not include meditation on self, self will, fleshly desires and or material things.

Many have conversely asked, how can God give you anything that you haven’t defined in your mind?

I want to suggest that defining things or knowing what you want is not the issue. The issue is a preoccupation or a spiritual manipulation of reality or natural circumstances. Once again, those are metaphysical practices. To pray, visualize and receive in your subconscious until you can physically almost touch, feel and smell it is an ungodly practice and exactly what the new enlightenment teaches.

Pastor Burnett, the bible teaches us that we should have a "vision". How can we have a vision without visualization?

The bible teaches in Prov. 29:18 – "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

But let’s take a more introspect look at this verse. First of all in context "vision" or "chazown" deals with having a divine revelation or direction towards the Will Of God. The word "perish" simply means to be made naked or exposed.

Putting this all together, we see that the "vision" we are supposed to obtain is one of and from God himself as he has provided direction by his word into HIS will and has nothing to do with "visualization" or focus on what we desire.

In Part 3, I will discuss this and the fallacies of Eckhart Tolle, one of the nations leading "new enlightenment" teachers who teaches that you (the individual) are God and the concept of sin is misunderstood and must be retaught to the world. Mr. Tolle in conjunction with (My Princess) Oprah Winfrey has managed to receive over 27 Million downloads of his teachings on the web. His books are also at the TOP of the New York Times Best Sellers lists and there is seemingly a greater fascination with his convoluted and demonic teachings than anything we’ve witnessed in modern times.

For the average reader this may be challenging, but a challenge that could revolutionize your life.

Deut. 18:9-14 – "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do."

Blessed!

Read more!