I would venture to say that the verses you referred to Thomas are not the ones, but this is just a guess since 2 Peter1:5-11 is about growing in grace which comes from God:

quote:

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2 Peter 1:3,4
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

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I do not know and am not familiar with the disciplines that stem from loyola, BUT check out renovare.org to get an idea.

God Bless,
Will

Thanks Will for posting that link. I didn't realize that you could customize a Google search like that. That is a very handy thing to know.

David, I don't think you looked over the many references to spiritual disciplines in the link very well. The one that you did review also has the following information as part of the course description:

quote:

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7. Students will understand theories of spiritual development.
a. classic tradition
b. Protestant spiritual renewal: Lovelace
c. faith development: Fowler and Parks
d. spiritual disciplines: Willard, Foster, Mulholland, etc.
e. logic of the Spirit: Loder

8. Students will be able to integrate theology and the social sciences for understanding spiritual growth.
a. body and spirit: Willard
b. Holy Spirit and human spirit: Loder
c. personality and piety: Mulholland
. . . . .
10. Students will be able to articulate a theoretical model of spiritual growth that has significant explanatory power.
a. Thayer model
b. student's own synthesis
11 Students will be able to design a plan to facilitate spiritual growth for a selected group. (age, culture, etc.)
a. curriculum development
b. instructional strategies
. . . .
Total class experience
15. Students will value the spiritual disciplines as "means of grace" or as the methods by which human beings place themselves before God so that he can transform them.

. . . .

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This is the only reference I've checked of the dozens of hits that Google generated at the Andrews web site.

I came across a term called reflection, so what does that term mean and where does it come from especially in the context of one's 'spirituality'?

Also I came across an Ecumenical Order of Christian Scholarsat this university , so since I am not up to date at all on the terminology used I decided to find out what Ecumenical means:

quote:

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Adj. 1. ecumenical - concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions; "ecumenical thinking"; "ecumenical activities"; "the ecumenical movement"

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Refer to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ecumenical

This is just extra information since felt that this is a form of manipulation that is occurring. Any thoughts?

God Bless,
Will

edited original definition with one from the dictionary

[ November 23, 2003, 09:10 PM: Message edited by: Will ]

These things are troubling. I hope someone will drop a line to the dean of the seminary re both issues above. It may not be what it appears, but on the surface, it doesn't look good.

Dr William Loveless, Pastor of the University Church at Lome Linda, Calif (at least he was last time I checked dont know if he still is now) went around teaching our SDA pastors Eastern Mysticism techniques such as Visualization and having actual mystical encounters with Jesus Christ, which I have heard on tape.

This same Dr. Loveless also advocated on his suggested reading list "Lessons in Contemplative Prayer" that we read the works of William Johnston. Johnston is a Jesuit Professor at Sophia University in Tokyo. Johnston is a very strong believer in Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin's ideas of the "Cosmic Christ" or all of humanity evolving into oneness and that is "the Christ" and "the Omega Point". Johnston believes that "through Christian mysticism, a fresh impulse is given to the thrust of consciousness in its movement toward the Omega".- William Johnston, S.J. (Jesuit- Spociety of Jesus), "The Cloud of Unknowing and the book of privy Counseling: and enduring classic of Christian mystical experience" pg. 15-19.

Some of the other names on William Loveless's suggested reading list for SDA pastors are, Loyola, Ignatius- The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius (who was the founder of the Jesuits), Robert Ornstein -"The Nature of human consciousness", St. Theresa -"The complete work of St. Theresa", John White, -"What is Meditation?", Arthur Deikman, "Bimodal Consciousness", and Thomas a'Kempis.

Ignatius Loyola created his "Spiritual Exercises" which basically were just a way to get people to have a full submission to the leaders without question. Also Ignatius Loyola was obsessed with forumlating exercises that would lead to conversing with dead saints and even with God Himself, physically.

Robert Ornstein is a well known New Age teacher who popularized Right and Left Brain thinking, which basically New Agers use to try to activate the Right Brain "intuitive" side so they may have a mystical experience with "The Universal All" (their pantheistic "god force" which is all of nature as one, being "God"). Dr Loveless also has held men's retreats that "add to your whole brain learning", according to a church brochure.

John White, another name on Loveless' suggested reading list for SDA pastors teaches that we will pass from "the Age of ego" to "the Age of God" and realize "the unity of all life". -John White, CHANNELING, a short tradition of long tradition". John White agrees with Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin's works that say mankind is evolving into a "new speices". Interesting because as we know, the Omega Apostasy was said by EG White to be about pantheism and she also said:


"Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen, restlessly waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are watching and waiting and working for our Lord's appearing; while the other party are rapidly falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. They look for a god in humanity, and Satan personifies the one they seek. Multitudes will be so deluded through their rejection of truth that they will accept the counterfeit. Humanity is hailed as God." EG White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, page 364

well I could go on and on with this stuff but I just thought you'd like to know this. And yes its true that the watchmen do need to wake up:

"There are among us wicked men who do not love the truth" -2RH 329, Ellen White

"Persons who pretend to believe the truth will come to us and urge upon us erroneous doctrines, which will unsettle our faith in present truth if we pay heed to them." -1RH Dec. , 1884, Ellen White

"I am charged to tell our people, that do not realize, that the devil has device after device, and he carries them out in ways that they do not expect. Satan's agencies will invent ways to make sinners out of saints. I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, GREAT CHANGES WILL TAKE PLACE... I desire to warn all against the devices of the devil. I want the people to know that I warned them fully before my death" -Manuscript 1, Feb. 24, 1915, Ellen White.

It is truly time for God's people to get their naive heads out of the sand and face up to the reality of things that are really going on...

Testimonies for the Church Containing Letters to Physicians and Ministers, page 10,
"It should now be clearly understood that we are not really helping those who are determined to do evil, when we show them respect, and keep our words of reproof for those with whom the disaffected one is at enmity. A grave mistake has been and is being made in this matter. Shall the servants of Jehovah, into whose heart He puts enmity against every evil work, be assailed as not being right when they call evil evil, and good good? Those who feel so very peaceable in regard to the works of the men who are spoiling the faith of the people of God, are guided by a delusive sentiment.

There is to be a constant conflict between good and evil. Those who are enlightened by the Holy Spirit's power are to strive with every power of their being to snatch the prey from the seductive influences of men who refuse to obey the word of God, whether they be in high places or in low. Christ's property is not to pass out of His control into the control of the children of darkness.

If this matter were rightly understood and closely guarded, God's servants would feel a continual burden of responsibility to counterwork the efforts of the men who do not know what they are about, because they are enchanted by the delusive allurements of Satan. When God's people are fully awake to the danger of the hour, and work fully on Christ's side, there will be seen a sharp contrast between their course and that of those who are saying, "Good Lord, and good devil," and we shall see much firmer and more decided work done to counterwork the schemes of satanic agencies." -EG White

I think I will say a little more. This is happening not only in our church but other denominations as well.

So-called Christian author, Richard Foster encourages us to utilize Ignatius Loyola's Spiritual Exercises...

"Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises constantly encouraged his readers to visualize the gospel stories... seek to live the experience, remembering the encouragement of Ignatius Loyola to apply all our senses to our task... Hence you can actually encounter the living Christ in the event... It can be more than an exercise of the imagination; it can be a genuine confrontation. Jesus Christ will actually come to you" . -Richard Foster, "celebration of Discipline; a path to spiritual growth" pg 26. Gail Riplinger in her book "New Age Bible versions" pg 437 tells how the church of England was started off on the teachings of Theosophy (and remember EG White said John Kellog's teachings were theosophy and pantheism). Then she says:

The new Age banner flies high over St. James Anglican Church off Piccadily Square. There 'Sufi Healing Order, Yoga Meditation Class, and Lifetime Astrology' are taught. To train the Lay Leaders for such esoteric meanderings, they begin with the occult Spiritual Exercises of Jesuit Ignatius Loyola. They follow up with a meditation ceremony celebrating the birth of Buddha." (by the way the birth of Buddha really symbolizes the birth of the "higher Self" or the God Self within... just so you know, which is what all these things are really all about.

The Great Controversy, page 554, Chapter Title: Can Our Dead Speak to Us?
"Satan beguiles men now as he beguiled Eve in Eden by flattery, by kindling a desire to obtain forbidden knowledge, by exciting ambition for self-exaltation. It was cherishing these evils that caused his fall, and through them he aims to compass the ruin of men. "Ye shall be as gods," he declares, "knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5. Spiritualism teaches "that man is the creature of progression; that it is his destiny from his birth to progress, even to eternity, toward the Godhead." And again: "Each mind will judge itself and not another." "The judgment will be right, because it is the judgment of self. . . . The throne is within you." Said a spiritualistic teacher, as the "spiritual consciousness" awoke within him: "My fellow men, all were unfallen demigods." And another declares: "Any just and perfect being is Christ."


"Before the last developments of the work of apostasy there will be a confusion of faith. There will not be clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God. One truth after another will be corrupted.

Spiritualism is about to take the world captive. Superhuman power is working in a variety of ways, and few have any idea as to what will be the manifestations of Spiritualism in the future." 3ST 188,199 EG White

Very informative Claudia, and if you don;t mind please do post some more as I feel this is very important to know these things, and in order to know the conterfeit we must all know the truth.
Here is sometihng rather interesting that I found in the paper in regards to spiritualism, and unification of churches etc etc etc..
Click Here!

We must indeed keep watch.

God Bless,
Will

Claudia

How can we find out more about Dr. Loveless? I would like to make sure about what is going on.

Thanks

email it to me if you would like.

P.S. I called LLU today and he is no longer the pastor of the Church but he is still working for LLU.

Loveless stepped down (retired) in June 2000 and is no longer senior pastor at the Campus Hill church in Loma Linda. That position now belongs to Hyveth Williams.

If you want to read a partial transcript of Loveless' talk on spiritual exercies, go here.