Stay tuned to meet a woman who sees the devil 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.70 trying to come through the back door of the church 00:00:02.73\00:00:05.13 and she's going to put a lock on it. 00:00:05.17\00:00:07.20 My name is Yvonne Lewis, and you're watching Urban Report. 00:00:07.24\00:00:10.71 Hello and welcome to Urban Report. 00:00:33.06\00:00:35.40 Many of you know my former affiliation with 00:00:35.43\00:00:38.37 New Age Medicine and when I hear of anything that remotely 00:00:38.40\00:00:41.64 has a hint of that, I'm really on guard. 00:00:41.67\00:00:44.61 So you can imagine how pleased I was when my friend and colleague 00:00:44.64\00:00:48.31 Brenda Walsh told me about our guest today. 00:00:48.34\00:00:50.68 I told Brenda, I have to interview her on Urban Report. 00:00:50.71\00:00:55.15 My guest is Stephanie Griffin, author of Silence No More. 00:00:55.18\00:00:59.55 Welcome to Urban Report Stephanie. 00:00:59.59\00:01:01.76 Thank you Yvonne. 00:01:01.79\00:01:03.12 Thank you for having me. 00:01:03.16\00:01:04.49 Absolutely, it's a blessing to have you. 00:01:04.53\00:01:06.09 So, you have a whole journey with spiritual formation 00:01:06.13\00:01:13.37 and many of our viewers don't know what that is. 00:01:13.40\00:01:16.50 Don't know the dangers of it. 00:01:16.54\00:01:18.74 Let's talk about Spiritual Formation first and then we'll 00:01:18.77\00:01:22.18 come back to your journey. 00:01:22.21\00:01:23.55 Ok. What is Spiritual Formation? 00:01:23.58\00:01:25.75 Spiritual Formation really is just a generic term 00:01:25.78\00:01:30.45 and meaning what informs or forms your spirituality. 00:01:30.49\00:01:35.29 Hmm. What the Emergent Church has done with it, 00:01:35.32\00:01:39.09 is something different. 00:01:39.13\00:01:40.46 What is the Emergent Church? 00:01:40.50\00:01:42.63 Um, it's basically what's come out of new theology 00:01:42.66\00:01:50.61 and a new way of approaching Biblical studies and God's word. 00:01:50.64\00:01:56.68 Interesting, because I know that it is...there are different 00:01:56.71\00:02:02.35 organizations, different projects, different groups 00:02:02.38\00:02:08.79 that are promoting Spiritual Formation and what's the danger 00:02:08.82\00:02:16.83 of it. Why can't I have new deeper, richer 00:02:16.87\00:02:22.14 kind of experience through it? What's wrong with it? 00:02:22.17\00:02:26.07 It's based on the Spiritual Formation exercises 00:02:26.11\00:02:31.78 of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and he was the first Jesuit, 00:02:31.81\00:02:39.75 he started the Jesuit order in the 1500's. 00:02:39.79\00:02:44.46 And so out of these exercises... it was of Catholic origin 00:02:44.49\00:02:49.83 and it has become repackaged and then adopted by the 00:02:49.86\00:02:57.27 mainstream Protestantism churches and then into 00:02:57.31\00:03:01.41 the Adventist movement. 00:03:01.44\00:03:02.78 And so for mainstream Protestantism, 00:03:02.81\00:03:07.22 it's really not a big deal, although there are some uprising 00:03:07.25\00:03:11.15 against it. Among them for us, a people with a message 00:03:11.19\00:03:17.63 for this day and time. It's extremely dangerous. 00:03:17.66\00:03:20.40 It's dangerous because it basically displaces 00:03:20.43\00:03:24.27 the teachings of the Three Angels Messages. 00:03:24.30\00:03:29.84 And so it brings in all about Jesus, the focus is Jesus, 00:03:29.87\00:03:35.48 which really is a good thing, everything is, even Revelation 00:03:35.51\00:03:38.88 is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:03:38.91\00:03:41.08 But we can't omit prophecy, especially today and 00:03:41.12\00:03:48.69 where we are because it's either scary or not popular. 00:03:48.72\00:03:56.36 So in Spiritual Formation, the beliefs that accompany that 00:03:56.40\00:04:04.31 are that prophecy is not necessary, 00:04:04.34\00:04:07.64 it's just totally Jesus focused and leave everything else out? 00:04:07.68\00:04:12.01 All about Jesus and love and unity. 00:04:12.05\00:04:17.62 So this is really a movement that the end result brings 00:04:17.65\00:04:22.52 unity among its ecumenism. 00:04:22.56\00:04:26.46 Right. So it's... Bring all the churches together 00:04:26.49\00:04:31.47 for a deeper, richer experience and it really ends up being 00:04:31.50\00:04:36.67 mysticism. Yes. And the mysticism is based on 00:04:36.71\00:04:42.51 Eastern Religions that are incompatible with what we 00:04:42.54\00:04:46.61 believe in. Is that it? It's very true. Am I on it? 00:04:46.65\00:04:49.35 It's very true, you have nailed it and it's not something that I 00:04:49.38\00:04:51.39 and it's not something I really understood in the beginning. 00:04:51.42\00:04:54.52 and the mysticism component is contemplative prayer. 00:04:54.56\00:04:59.69 Which really is the basis of all of the spiritual exercises. 00:04:59.73\00:05:05.23 How does that work, contemplative prayer? 00:05:05.27\00:05:07.20 Well, I was taught to pick a word or words to focus on 00:05:07.24\00:05:17.21 and kind of go into Jesus' presence, and so I would usually 00:05:17.25\00:05:26.19 pick a Bible verse to focus on to meditate on. 00:05:26.22\00:05:28.82 You are supposed to meditate on the scriptures...Right. 00:05:28.86\00:05:31.13 "Be still and know that I am God." 00:05:31.16\00:05:32.49 Right. So it sounded very Biblical to me in the beginning 00:05:32.53\00:05:36.46 and I did choose a word, it was Jesus. 00:05:36.50\00:05:39.70 You know, interesting that I felt I needed a "safe" word 00:05:39.73\00:05:44.61 to begin my meditation, as I look back on that. 00:05:44.64\00:05:48.24 That was a big red flag. But I was basing it on the Bible 00:05:48.28\00:05:52.51 because it was introduced to me as Biblical prayer. 00:05:52.55\00:05:56.02 So it's creating that place where Jesus can speak to you 00:05:56.05\00:06:02.39 and there is no other noise, it's just very silent, 00:06:02.42\00:06:06.53 and it's also called The Silence, or Listening Prayer. 00:06:06.56\00:06:09.73 It's meant to be present with Jesus so that 00:06:09.76\00:06:13.64 He can speak to you. 00:06:13.67\00:06:15.47 You know, it's so amazing Stephanie because it all sounds 00:06:15.50\00:06:20.04 so wonderful like, let's just focus on Jesus, 00:06:20.08\00:06:26.68 let's just empty our minds so that we can have that 00:06:26.72\00:06:32.25 one on one with Jesus. 00:06:32.29\00:06:34.92 I mean that sounds absolutely beautiful because that's what 00:06:34.96\00:06:40.13 as Christian's, and as Seventh- day Adventist Christians, 00:06:40.16\00:06:42.76 we want a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:06:42.80\00:06:46.07 so yeah, that sounds really good. 00:06:46.10\00:06:48.77 But, it's so like Satan to take something beautiful 00:06:48.80\00:06:54.54 and just take just a little bit of distortion and throw it all 00:06:54.58\00:06:58.81 away, it's all the way something different. 00:06:58.85\00:07:00.82 It does. For every truth God has, Satan has the counterfeit. 00:07:00.85\00:07:05.15 Right. And there's counterfeit prayer. 00:07:05.19\00:07:08.22 Let's...We'll come back to the exercises. 00:07:08.26\00:07:12.69 Let's talk about how this happened to you. 00:07:12.73\00:07:14.96 How did you get into this whole area of Spiritual Formation? 00:07:15.00\00:07:21.67 Interesting question, good question, 00:07:21.70\00:07:24.27 and one I really had to dig deep and pray about it 00:07:24.31\00:07:27.34 and ask God to really reveal. 00:07:27.38\00:07:28.84 Because beforehand I was very knowledgeable about the 00:07:28.88\00:07:36.69 prophecy, um, I was well read, I was reading things like from 00:07:36.72\00:07:40.96 Hollbrook and the pillars of our faith. 00:07:40.99\00:07:45.33 And when it came to me, I was at a place in my life 00:07:45.36\00:07:51.33 where things were happening, there was some appeal 00:07:51.37\00:07:57.24 and then in my past, I think Satan took advantage 00:07:57.27\00:08:05.25 of some places in my life. 00:08:05.28\00:08:07.32 One being when my grandfather passed, I was with him 00:08:07.35\00:08:12.85 at the hospital and it was just at the very eleventh hour 00:08:12.89\00:08:18.59 before he passed away and he would have not made it 00:08:18.63\00:08:22.93 to the next hour for visitation. 00:08:22.96\00:08:25.97 So, he asked me to pray for him and I couldn't. 00:08:26.00\00:08:31.84 And I was the only grandchild raised Seventh-day Adventist. 00:08:31.87\00:08:37.21 Why couldn't you? 00:08:37.25\00:08:38.58 I was very angry about some things that had come to light 00:08:38.61\00:08:42.38 a couple years prior. That being I was told that 00:08:42.42\00:08:49.12 my father, the man who I had known to be my father 00:08:49.16\00:08:52.19 my whole life and was raised as my father, was not my father. 00:08:52.23\00:08:55.93 Umm. That my stepfather was my biological father, 00:08:55.96\00:08:59.43 so, I was already in a place of, I was basically a Laodicean 00:08:59.47\00:09:06.91 in my relationship...I was lukewarm, you know. Um hum. 00:09:06.94\00:09:10.15 I would go to church, I would do the right things, 00:09:10.18\00:09:12.01 but, and I knew the things. 00:09:12.05\00:09:13.72 But that relationship was kind of, it was on the back borner, 00:09:13.75\00:09:17.99 back burner, warm, and so when I found this out it really... 00:09:18.02\00:09:22.92 It really threw me and it shook my faith in God, 00:09:22.96\00:09:27.83 not in what I believed, but in God, 00:09:27.86\00:09:30.13 wondering how He could allow this to happen, and um... 00:09:30.17\00:09:35.00 What kind of relationship did you have with your 00:09:35.04\00:09:37.41 biological father? My biological father and I 00:09:37.44\00:09:41.54 were very close, I was in that home five days a week 00:09:41.58\00:09:45.48 and then with my other dad on the weekends and 00:09:45.51\00:09:49.78 summer breaks and that sort of thing. 00:09:49.82\00:09:51.42 So we were very close, we had the same sense of humor, 00:09:51.45\00:09:54.96 I could talk to him about a lot of things, he was fun, 00:09:54.99\00:09:59.09 he was a lot like me in a lot of ways. 00:09:59.13\00:10:03.77 His be...Who he was, gives reason to a lot of things 00:10:03.80\00:10:07.87 about me, good and bad. So, we are all a part of 00:10:07.90\00:10:12.74 who we come from so we were very close. 00:10:12.77\00:10:18.41 He was not a Christian and did not believe in God. 00:10:18.45\00:10:21.72 So those were the things that we didn't really have in common. 00:10:21.75\00:10:27.29 Um hum. And there was always this dichotomy in the home, 00:10:27.32\00:10:30.93 but my mom did a very good job of showing me. 00:10:30.96\00:10:35.73 So you had a close relationship with your biological father 00:10:35.76\00:10:41.07 and a very close relationship with your step dad 00:10:41.10\00:10:44.24 who you really looked at as like your dad. 00:10:44.27\00:10:48.58 He's your dad. So, what... how did you respond 00:10:48.61\00:10:54.15 when you found out that your stepdad was not your 00:10:54.18\00:11:00.26 biological father? 00:11:00.29\00:11:01.62 Um, it was late at night, and so my dad, the one who I had always 00:11:01.66\00:11:11.67 known to be my dad was a traveling salesman at the time 00:11:11.70\00:11:17.11 and I called my stepmom, woke her up, and I said, 00:11:17.14\00:11:21.78 what's dad's phone number? because he always checked in 00:11:21.81\00:11:24.15 always gave his phone number, and I woke him up 00:11:24.18\00:11:26.51 in the middle of the night. So I just said dad, 00:11:26.55\00:11:30.25 I was just told you are not my dad, is that true? 00:11:30.29\00:11:33.89 And he gave the most beautiful answer, he says, 00:11:33.92\00:11:38.29 nobody knows for sure, and he says, and we have been together, 00:11:38.33\00:11:42.66 we have been through too much together as a family, 00:11:42.70\00:11:44.90 not to be a family. Umm. 00:11:44.93\00:11:46.84 It was beautiful, and he never changed. 00:11:46.87\00:11:49.90 Rock solid, and he was there for me and let me know that 00:11:49.94\00:11:56.75 I was his daughter. Um hum. 00:11:56.78\00:12:00.15 It wasn't defined by blood, right? It was defined by your 00:12:00.18\00:12:05.39 relationship, so yeah. 00:12:05.42\00:12:09.16 But you responded to that whole situation with anger 00:12:09.19\00:12:14.20 towards God? Correct, I was angry at God and I told Him, 00:12:14.23\00:12:17.63 I said, I don't want anything more to do with you. 00:12:17.67\00:12:19.57 Hmm. So, I just kind of drifted and...out of my anger. 00:12:19.60\00:12:29.74 Um hum. And then when my... I still went to church some 00:12:29.78\00:12:33.21 but I didn't really seek a relationship at all. 00:12:33.25\00:12:37.09 So, when my grandfather passed away and I wasn't able to 00:12:37.12\00:12:42.46 pray for him, that really spoke to me. 00:12:42.49\00:12:45.16 God knows how to reach us. Yes He does. 00:12:45.19\00:12:48.13 And what to bring to our lives to do that, and so I am forever 00:12:48.16\00:12:51.83 grateful. Isn't it wonderful that even though we might 00:12:51.87\00:12:55.84 have those feelings toward God, He never has those feelings 00:12:55.87\00:12:59.81 toward us, He just keeps wooing and saying, I Love You, 00:12:59.84\00:13:03.68 I Love You Anyway, and that's what He did with you. 00:13:03.71\00:13:10.05 Whenever we push Him out of our lives, we are open to Satan 00:13:10.09\00:13:14.32 and He protected me. 00:13:14.36\00:13:15.89 And if we lose our lives during that point too, 00:13:15.92\00:13:18.69 I mean, the Lord spared your life during that time 00:13:18.73\00:13:22.36 when your relationship with Him was temporarily severed, 00:13:22.40\00:13:26.84 He spared your life during that time so...He did. 00:13:26.87\00:13:30.37 We just praise God for His mercy and His grace. 00:13:30.41\00:13:34.01 All the time. 00:13:34.04\00:13:35.38 So you saw that you couldn't pray for your grandfather 00:13:35.41\00:13:39.15 and that really shook you. 00:13:39.18\00:13:40.95 It did, how could I not pray for someone I love so deeply, 00:13:40.98\00:13:44.02 give him what he needed before left us, before he passed. 00:13:44.05\00:13:47.66 It's just...I never want to be in that situation again, 00:13:47.69\00:13:50.96 that I couldn't give somebody that gift. 00:13:50.99\00:13:53.19 Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:13:53.23\00:13:54.96 So, was that what spurred you into coming back to the Lord or? 00:13:55.00\00:14:02.14 It was, it was, and that's when I stumbled upon the doctrine 00:14:02.17\00:14:07.01 of the sanctuary. Ok. And all the doctrine contained 00:14:07.04\00:14:10.41 within the sanctuary. 00:14:10.45\00:14:11.78 Beautiful! Re-converted me to my belief system 00:14:11.81\00:14:15.62 but, with a doctrine that I really didn't know before. 00:14:15.65\00:14:19.39 Umm. I believe in the Sabbath, there were a lot of things I 00:14:19.42\00:14:23.22 believed in, but I didn't know about all the doctrine that 00:14:23.26\00:14:27.56 the sanctuary contains. It has all of our beliefs in it. 00:14:27.60\00:14:30.77 They're Biblical. So it re-converted me solidly. 00:14:30.80\00:14:38.67 So did you study it, or did you go to classes about it? 00:14:38.71\00:14:44.01 I was reading books, I was reading books like Sarah Peck, 00:14:44.05\00:14:50.39 I was on a mission trip. 00:14:50.42\00:14:51.92 Shortly there after I went on a mission trip. 00:14:51.95\00:14:53.79 I went back to church and I was rebaptized and 00:14:53.82\00:14:56.86 I was teaching the youth and I ended up on a mission trip 00:14:56.89\00:15:00.56 with my previous... Shenandoah Valley Academy. 00:15:00.60\00:15:03.67 My previous academy. And so I was invited on that 00:15:03.70\00:15:06.84 and I went and um, I was reading my book on the sanctuary 00:15:06.87\00:15:12.74 by Sara and one of the... there was a seminary student 00:15:12.77\00:15:17.75 who was also on it. He was like, why are you reading 00:15:17.78\00:15:19.98 seminary material? 00:15:20.02\00:15:21.35 I'm like, what? I'm just reading a book. 00:15:21.38\00:15:24.45 He says, that's a text book. I'm like, I don't know, 00:15:24.49\00:15:27.32 it's just good. 00:15:27.36\00:15:28.69 Those are the things that God was giving me, 00:15:28.72\00:15:31.19 probably to make up for lost time. 00:15:31.23\00:15:33.90 Umm. God gives you what you need and He redeems the time. 00:15:33.93\00:15:36.77 Yes. Yes He does. 00:15:36.80\00:15:38.40 So, you started reading more, you started praying more, how 00:15:38.43\00:15:43.54 did... what happened after that that led you into a whole other 00:15:43.57\00:15:50.35 path? Good question. Well, I moved to Loma Linda a year later 00:15:50.38\00:15:56.48 and I was working for Loma Linda in the Emergency Department 00:15:56.52\00:16:00.72 and I was moonlighting at Redlands Community. 00:16:00.76\00:16:03.19 And you're a nurse? I'm a nurse. Right. 00:16:03.22\00:16:05.39 Yes. And I met a wonderful hospital chaplain, 00:16:05.43\00:16:10.13 and so I was working agency through there for about 00:16:10.17\00:16:13.54 seven years. And it was during that time that he would 00:16:13.57\00:16:17.67 approach me from time to time. How are you? 00:16:17.71\00:16:19.51 He was very personal, very caring, loves the Lord. 00:16:19.54\00:16:23.65 And was always good about establishing and maintaining 00:16:23.68\00:16:27.38 any relationships with people. 00:16:27.42\00:16:30.25 So one day he came by and he says "How are you?" 00:16:30.29\00:16:34.56 You are disturbing my prayer life. Then he went on to tell me 00:16:34.59\00:16:37.69 things that I was experiencing. 00:16:37.73\00:16:39.69 And I was...That you hadn't told him about. 00:16:39.73\00:16:44.40 I had not shared that, that was very personal. 00:16:44.43\00:16:46.77 You know, that was between me and God. 00:16:46.80\00:16:48.47 And so, they weren't specifics, they were generalities 00:16:48.50\00:16:55.94 like I sense a struggle, I sense this, I sense that 00:16:55.98\00:17:00.48 and he nailed everything one by one. 00:17:00.52\00:17:04.09 And so, he said would you be willing to meet now for 00:17:04.12\00:17:08.19 some spiritual direction and I'm like, sure, 00:17:08.22\00:17:12.73 I never heard of it and I said sure. 00:17:12.76\00:17:14.43 I felt like I needed and desired some spiritual support. 00:17:14.46\00:17:19.33 And then it came in the package of a fatherly kind of gentleman, 00:17:19.37\00:17:25.47 very caring, very safe place. 00:17:25.51\00:17:27.94 So when that area moved, here comes the fatherly 00:17:27.98\00:17:33.65 type person. Right. 00:17:33.68\00:17:35.08 Very caring...Who had that spiritual component that I could 00:17:35.12\00:17:39.82 speak with about such things. And so you did. 00:17:39.85\00:17:43.79 And so I did and it was beautiful. 00:17:43.83\00:17:46.23 In the beginning, it was really beautiful, he would give me 00:17:46.26\00:17:48.63 Biblical courses and homework that incorporated the Bible 00:17:48.66\00:17:54.60 as well as something called contemplative prayer. 00:17:54.64\00:17:58.91 Um hum. What does that involve? contemplative prayer? 00:17:58.94\00:18:02.61 Well, it's basically, I mean as we understand it at New Age, 00:18:02.64\00:18:11.65 and mysticism, you empty your mind. 00:18:11.69\00:18:14.52 It was presented to me as a time of being present with God, 00:18:14.56\00:18:20.90 with Jesus that keeps out everything else. 00:18:20.93\00:18:26.07 It's just silence, and it's you and it's God 00:18:26.10\00:18:28.87 and it's very intimate and beautiful, 00:18:28.90\00:18:31.24 and it's a time for Him to be able to speak with you. 00:18:31.27\00:18:33.88 And who doesn't want to hear God's voice. 00:18:33.91\00:18:36.28 Exactly. Exactly. You know it is a passion, 00:18:36.31\00:18:38.21 it was a desire. Exactly. To hear God's voice. 00:18:38.25\00:18:40.98 And then with not being able to pray for my grandfather... 00:18:41.02\00:18:44.92 Of course that changed before I met him, but it was another 00:18:44.95\00:18:48.79 avenue of prayer that I hadn't explored and it was 00:18:48.82\00:18:51.16 intriguing to me, it's like oh, more about prayer, I can learn. 00:18:51.19\00:18:54.30 Right. So that's how it came to me 00:18:54.33\00:18:59.73 and that's how I began experiencing it. 00:18:59.77\00:19:02.90 Um hum. And when you first started it, as you said, 00:19:02.94\00:19:07.44 it was such a beautiful experience and it did take you 00:19:07.48\00:19:11.55 deeper into another realm, didn't it? It did. 00:19:11.58\00:19:15.45 Um, one of the things that people use to bait other people 00:19:15.48\00:19:25.99 into coming into this is the whole idea of, it's kind of like 00:19:26.03\00:19:31.53 standing by the tree, it's kind of standing by the 00:19:31.57\00:19:35.00 Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, like this fruit 00:19:35.04\00:19:38.21 will make you wise, this fruit is good to eat. 00:19:38.24\00:19:43.11 It's kind of the same kind of thing, this will bring you 00:19:43.14\00:19:47.48 closer to the Lord, and we want that, and so.. 00:19:47.52\00:19:51.39 And you also, we also know that there are verses that say 00:19:51.42\00:19:55.92 you know, "My sheep know my voice" and all that, 00:19:55.96\00:19:58.96 so you are thinking, "well I want to know His voice" 00:19:58.99\00:20:03.67 so let me get silent to hear and to go deeply within 00:20:03.70\00:20:10.44 into that silent space, right. 00:20:10.47\00:20:13.84 And then, what happens? It's all part of that 00:20:13.88\00:20:18.11 eastern mysticism. It is. 00:20:18.15\00:20:20.62 It's all part of that... Repackaged for Christians. 00:20:20.65\00:20:25.19 Repackaged very beautifully. 00:20:25.22\00:20:27.49 Um hum. So what happened to you? What are some of the 00:20:27.52\00:20:30.93 exercises that they have you do? 00:20:30.96\00:20:33.53 Give us a few of them, just to explain...I just kind of want 00:20:33.56\00:20:38.20 our viewers to understand that it's a wolf in sheep's clothing. 00:20:38.23\00:20:44.57 It is. So what kind of exercises did you have to do? 00:20:44.61\00:20:50.71 Well, one of them is contemplative prayer 00:20:50.75\00:20:52.08 and how we know the difference between Biblical prayer 00:20:52.11\00:20:55.05 verses contemplative prayer is Biblical prayer 00:20:55.08\00:20:59.45 is an external silence, "Be still and know that I am God." 00:20:59.49\00:21:03.96 David was meditating, right, but he meditated on the Psalms, 00:21:03.99\00:21:08.13 on the law. We are to meditate on the law, not empty our mind. 00:21:08.16\00:21:12.57 Right. We have a quite environment so that we can 00:21:12.60\00:21:16.57 contemplate the law and hear what the Holy Spirit might 00:21:16.60\00:21:20.58 have to say to us about what we are reading. 00:21:20.61\00:21:22.78 Um hum. Um, the contemplative prayer with mysticism and 00:21:22.81\00:21:28.25 spiritual formation is an internal silence that takes 00:21:28.28\00:21:32.12 your mind offline. The frontal lobe just gets disengaged 00:21:32.15\00:21:35.32 because it decreases the blood flow, so... Come on now, 00:21:35.36\00:21:39.96 you're giving us the whole physiological thing, I love it, 00:21:40.00\00:21:42.60 I love it. Give us the whole physiological component. 00:21:42.63\00:21:45.77 So the frontal lobe is involved, and that is where we make 00:21:45.80\00:21:49.77 judgement. That's our judgement center, exactly. 00:21:49.80\00:21:52.84 So, that's interesting. So that becomes disengaged 00:21:52.87\00:21:56.38 during this process. It does, and ironically 00:21:56.41\00:22:00.32 spiritual formation practices have something called 00:22:00.35\00:22:05.15 exercises for discernment. And so if I am wanting to know 00:22:05.19\00:22:11.26 if I should take a different job, or if something, 00:22:11.29\00:22:14.83 you know, I'm supposed to do for God in particular 00:22:14.86\00:22:17.80 and you take it into this discernment process 00:22:17.83\00:22:22.40 and then you end with contemplative prayer 00:22:22.44\00:22:25.14 which takes you off line and how are you going to hear 00:22:25.17\00:22:28.88 God's voice. Right. You know. So the discernment, 00:22:28.91\00:22:32.38 let's go back to that because that... now it's starting to 00:22:32.41\00:22:36.72 sound like a Ouija board kind of. Like do I do this, 00:22:36.75\00:22:42.06 or do I do that? Or do I... Not that, see again, 00:22:42.09\00:22:47.03 that fine line, because we do pray and ask God 00:22:47.06\00:22:50.63 do I do this, should I do that, should I, what should I do Lord? 00:22:50.67\00:22:54.40 What is your will for me? 00:22:54.44\00:22:55.94 But how does He speak to us? with His will. 00:22:55.97\00:23:00.04 Is it in a silent place. He has many ways. Right! 00:23:00.08\00:23:05.88 And it's usually not so silent. Right, right, right. 00:23:05.91\00:23:10.02 So these prayers for discernment, this exercise 00:23:10.05\00:23:16.02 for discernment, would you have to go into that 00:23:16.06\00:23:21.43 silence place first? How did that work? 00:23:21.46\00:23:24.13 No, you would do whatever the exercise is and I never 00:23:24.17\00:23:26.63 used that. So, there was some use of it. 00:23:26.67\00:23:29.67 So there was something that felt like you shouldn't? 00:23:29.70\00:23:31.04 Yeah, I would receive some of these and some of these I 00:23:31.07\00:23:33.24 just didn't feel good about. Interesting that I didn't hear 00:23:33.27\00:23:36.51 the voice of the Holy Spirit in all of it but I did it. 00:23:36.54\00:23:40.22 So that's not something that I really used, 00:23:40.25\00:23:42.08 there were several of the others that I didn't use. 00:23:42.12\00:23:43.92 But whatever the exercise, it's always ending with 00:23:43.95\00:23:49.29 entering the silence. 00:23:49.32\00:23:52.43 Hmm. And into that contemplative prayer to hear what God has to 00:23:52.46\00:23:56.16 say about whatever you did in your exercise. 00:23:56.20\00:24:01.84 Whatever came out of that space they would say. 00:24:01.87\00:24:06.17 It's interesting to me that in mysticism, like transcendental 00:24:06.21\00:24:12.18 meditation, the whole idea is empty your mind 00:24:12.21\00:24:16.28 so that it can be filled. 00:24:16.32\00:24:19.95 Um hum. And the question is, what's filling it? 00:24:19.99\00:24:24.13 With what. Because that was one of the things with Yoga. 00:24:24.16\00:24:29.96 You know Yoga is attached to Hinduism and you can't really 00:24:30.00\00:24:35.94 separate it and people say oh Yoga is fine, 00:24:35.97\00:24:38.37 and Yoga is just stretching and breathing, and no it's related.. 00:24:38.41\00:24:42.78 You cannot detach Yoga from Hinduism, and that's mysticism. 00:24:42.81\00:24:48.58 And some would say, well what's wrong with taking from this 00:24:48.62\00:24:55.42 belief system...what's wrong with that? 00:24:55.46\00:24:58.56 If it brings me closed to God... Their god might be a million 00:24:58.59\00:25:02.43 gods like in the Hindu deal, but with us it's one God. 00:25:02.46\00:25:07.44 So what's wrong with taking some of what they do 00:25:07.47\00:25:11.37 and applying it to our situation. 00:25:11.41\00:25:13.88 What do you say to that? 00:25:13.91\00:25:15.24 Look at me as an example. "Don't do it." 00:25:15.28\00:25:17.81 Don't do it. You know God is light, He is truth 00:25:17.85\00:25:23.15 and there is no error or darkness in Him. 00:25:23.18\00:25:25.72 So who are we to then, take from the darkness 00:25:25.75\00:25:29.46 and add it into you, the light? 00:25:29.49\00:25:31.43 Come on. It takes away the light you know. Gray areas, 00:25:31.46\00:25:34.86 God is not gray in His truths. 00:25:34.90\00:25:37.17 That, that's so good. Satan is. 00:25:37.20\00:25:40.47 That's right, that's right. 00:25:40.50\00:25:41.90 When Satan gets a hold of something and at first it 00:25:41.94\00:25:44.17 seems ok and then it just takes you further and further away 00:25:44.21\00:25:47.38 from the truth and sometimes it's too late. 00:25:47.41\00:25:50.55 That is so true. God is light, in Him there is no darkness. 00:25:50.58\00:25:57.62 No darkness. Satan is just darkness, 00:25:57.65\00:26:00.39 he tries to have a little light in there just to mix you up... 00:26:00.42\00:26:04.03 He was the Light Bearer. That's right. So he knows. 00:26:04.06\00:26:06.39 That's right. He knows how to portray light, 00:26:06.43\00:26:08.43 but it is false light. It's false light. 00:26:08.46\00:26:10.53 Exactly. So with that, with taking a little bit from here 00:26:10.57\00:26:15.50 and there and all that, it's called syncretism right? 00:26:15.90\00:26:18.01 You take a little bit of this, a little bit of that 00:26:18.04\00:26:20.61 and you try to put it together and form it into something 00:26:20.64\00:26:26.51 that is Christian and it's not. 00:26:26.55\00:26:31.05 I read...there's a book called A Time of Departing 00:26:31.09\00:26:33.82 by Ray Younging, and he says that taking the... 00:26:33.86\00:26:42.63 trying to apply the principles of mysticism gives you 00:26:42.66\00:26:49.54 a different understanding of God, it gives you 00:26:49.57\00:26:53.71 their understanding of God. 00:26:53.74\00:26:56.34 I am so...that's well said and it's a great summary 00:26:56.38\00:26:59.61 because this whole movement is an attack on 00:26:59.65\00:27:02.08 the character of God, of Jesus. 00:27:02.12\00:27:05.32 How so? Let's talk about that okay. 00:27:05.35\00:27:08.49 How is this an attack on God? It all sounds so beautiful... 00:27:08.52\00:27:13.50 It seems like it's all about Jesus. Right. 00:27:13.53\00:27:16.36 But we can't... Jesus is a God of mercy and justice, 00:27:16.40\00:27:21.34 so He's just and He's mercy. He has a law and He is all love. 00:27:21.37\00:27:25.27 Right. And He has His law and that law is based 00:27:25.31\00:27:28.48 on His character. I mean it is a transcription 00:27:28.51\00:27:30.71 of His character and it's pure love. 00:27:30.75\00:27:33.15 Right. So it's how we love God and how we love one another. 00:27:33.18\00:27:36.52 So what spiritual formation does is, it's all about God, 00:27:36.55\00:27:42.36 it basically omits a lot of the prophecy, 00:27:42.39\00:27:46.90 it omits eventually parts of the law because that 00:27:46.93\00:27:52.77 gets in the way of just loving Jesus and so that destroys 00:27:52.80\00:28:00.21 His character, now you have half of the truth about God. 00:28:00.24\00:28:04.71 He's not just love, He is all love, 00:28:04.75\00:28:06.82 but He has other things too, so it omits part of 00:28:06.85\00:28:11.95 His character. So it kind of distorts who He is. Um hum. 00:28:11.99\00:28:16.89 Because if you leave out the justice part and it's just the 00:28:16.93\00:28:22.96 mercy part, that's not, I mean it's all, as you said, 00:28:23.00\00:28:28.30 it's all mixed with love but we need to have 00:28:28.34\00:28:32.97 the full picture of His character, not just... We do... 00:28:33.01\00:28:36.78 not just a part of His character. 00:28:36.81\00:28:38.61 Anything less is a lie. 00:28:38.65\00:28:39.98 And so now we have a whole movement that's based on a lie 00:28:40.02\00:28:43.55 and what are we presenting? What are we bringing people to? 00:28:43.59\00:28:47.39 Yes. How long were you involved in the whole... 00:28:47.42\00:28:51.79 Almost nine years. 00:28:51.83\00:28:53.16 Movement, because it is kind of a movement isn't it? 00:28:53.19\00:28:55.63 It's a movement. 00:28:55.66\00:28:57.00 How prevalent is it? 00:28:57.03\00:28:58.37 It's very prevalent, especially where I am, 00:28:58.40\00:29:01.67 it's very prevalent, but it's made a lot of inroads. 00:29:01.70\00:29:07.54 Yes, yes. We have different and we have to call it out 00:29:07.58\00:29:12.45 because that is what we have to do. 00:29:12.48\00:29:15.32 The Emergent Church, the one project, these are all 00:29:15.35\00:29:18.79 spiritual formation movements and we are not saying that 00:29:18.82\00:29:25.56 the people involved in these movements don't love the Lord. 00:29:25.59\00:29:29.06 Oh, no, they do. They are very sincere about what... 00:29:29.10\00:29:31.80 It's not about that, it's about error though. 00:29:31.83\00:29:34.07 Yes. Stephanie unpack a little bit more for us how 00:29:34.10\00:29:37.57 it's missing the mark, like the one project and 00:29:37.61\00:29:41.58 things like that, how is it just kind of missing the mark? 00:29:41.61\00:29:45.35 Well, whenever we uplift Jesus and Jesus only without 00:29:45.38\00:29:52.52 that complete picture of His character of love and mercy, 00:29:52.55\00:29:57.79 justice, we are misrepresenting His character, 00:29:57.83\00:30:01.10 which is no different than what Lucifer did in heaven. 00:30:01.13\00:30:06.27 Hmmm. Lucifer attacked God's character in heaven. 00:30:06.30\00:30:09.64 And so, this is just another attack on His character 00:30:09.67\00:30:14.21 leaving only love and then removing the doctrine of the 00:30:14.24\00:30:22.92 sanctuary, the 2300 years, the sanctification part. 00:30:22.95\00:30:30.09 It's just love and especially the investigative judgement, 00:30:30.13\00:30:35.36 there is where we lose the justice. 00:30:35.40\00:30:37.53 And yet there are people who don't know this and have no 00:30:37.57\00:30:44.17 impetus for change or allowing God to work 00:30:44.21\00:30:47.18 in their lives, the Holy Spirit to speak to them 00:30:47.21\00:30:49.88 and cleanse their lives. 00:30:49.91\00:30:51.65 We are supposed to be a people being prepared for Jesus' 00:30:51.68\00:30:57.85 second coming and He ultimately wants to reproduce His character 00:30:57.89\00:31:01.52 in us, Satan said He couldn't. Mmmm! And so this is the direct 00:31:01.56\00:31:07.03 attack on His character and what He wants to do, 00:31:07.06\00:31:11.23 if he can take more of His people with him 00:31:11.27\00:31:13.70 then that hurts Jesus even more. 00:31:13.74\00:31:16.87 So we have a choice, and the spiritual formation movement 00:31:16.91\00:31:22.41 doesn't give a complete picture so that people can make 00:31:22.44\00:31:27.12 a choice, an informed choice. 00:31:27.15\00:31:29.02 So is there a concept within that whole paradigm? 00:31:29.05\00:31:37.13 Is there a concept of sin and redemption and that 00:31:37.16\00:31:43.57 kind of thing? Is there the cross? 00:31:43.60\00:31:46.13 Are those things emphasized in spiritual formation or no? 00:31:46.17\00:31:51.47 I can't speak for everybody because everybody 00:31:51.51\00:31:54.28 practices things a little differently. 00:31:54.31\00:31:57.18 But, justification is certainly uplifted and taught, 00:31:57.21\00:32:04.22 sanctification is kind of a little more difficult 00:32:04.25\00:32:07.92 subject, people don't want to talk about that so much 00:32:07.96\00:32:10.73 because that incorporates other doctrine and so... 00:32:10.76\00:32:15.93 you're not getting... Which is the work a lifetime, 00:32:15.96\00:32:18.63 nobody wants to talk about that part. 00:32:18.67\00:32:20.40 It's true, and so we have pieces of the exercises like 00:32:20.44\00:32:25.67 Lectio Divina where you read a passage and whatever pops up 00:32:25.71\00:32:31.78 or stands out to you, then you go back and read those 00:32:31.81\00:32:34.98 words again. 00:32:35.02\00:32:36.35 And so what happens is, we are focusing on a few words 00:32:36.38\00:32:40.86 in the passage, and leaving off the rest. 00:32:40.89\00:32:43.66 We are also losing that comparative study, 00:32:43.69\00:32:46.39 line upon line, precept upon precept. 00:32:46.43\00:32:48.66 Here a little. There a little. 00:32:48.70\00:32:51.30 Which reveals and confirms truth. 00:32:51.33\00:32:53.87 So when we leave those pieces off, we are left with just 00:32:53.90\00:32:59.17 little things that really don't make a big difference 00:32:59.21\00:33:04.05 and they certainly don't reflect the true character of Christ. 00:33:04.08\00:33:08.45 That, the Lectio Divina... Lectio Divina, sacred reading. 00:33:08.48\00:33:12.89 So it's reading from the Bible and catching a phrase 00:33:12.92\00:33:18.49 or a word and then meditating on that. 00:33:18.53\00:33:23.37 Um hum. Then you take it into the silence, sit her down 00:33:23.40\00:33:26.20 and contemplate. 00:33:26.23\00:33:27.90 How did you...ok, so you were in this for nine years. 00:33:27.94\00:33:32.41 Almost. 00:33:32.44\00:33:33.78 How did you get out of it? 00:33:33.81\00:33:35.14 You know, it wasn't a big ah ha, it was just really God 00:33:35.18\00:33:40.52 intervening as life got busy, err. 00:33:40.55\00:33:44.59 Um, my father, my dad who I grew up with knowing as my dad 00:33:44.62\00:33:48.92 had a really severe stroke, he could move one hand 00:33:48.96\00:33:52.69 and that was it. 00:33:52.73\00:33:54.06 So he was placed in a nursing home by our house 00:33:54.10\00:33:56.03 and I would travel back and forth from California frequently 00:33:56.06\00:33:59.97 to spend time with him. 00:34:00.00\00:34:01.34 I was in grad school going to school, I was also working 00:34:01.37\00:34:06.21 full time, so as you can imagine, 00:34:06.24\00:34:08.44 I didn't have a lot of time to put forth maybe to the 00:34:08.48\00:34:13.31 exercises towards the end but I was still maintaining 00:34:13.35\00:34:16.42 the contemplative prayer component because that for me 00:34:16.45\00:34:20.26 was my go to, it was, I could get away from all of the 00:34:20.29\00:34:24.93 hustle and bustle. 00:34:24.96\00:34:26.29 Umm. And then I got married and I just didn't have the time 00:34:26.33\00:34:33.00 much to do it any more. 00:34:33.03\00:34:34.37 Plus I was picking up again spiritual, not spiritual but 00:34:34.40\00:34:37.07 Spirit of Prophecy and I loved those years before. 00:34:37.11\00:34:41.98 But another sneaky thing about this movement is 00:34:42.01\00:34:45.98 they don't take away directly the Spirit of Prophecy, 00:34:46.01\00:34:50.29 they give you other offerings, so that here read this, 00:34:50.32\00:34:54.42 here read this. 00:34:54.46\00:34:55.79 These are all of the spiritual formation writers 00:34:55.82\00:34:57.16 and so Spirit of Prophecy gets displaced. 00:34:57.19\00:35:01.50 Umm. And I was at a research seminar just a few weeks ago 00:35:01.53\00:35:04.87 at Loma Linda, and one of the researchers presented 00:35:04.90\00:35:11.44 some statistics and it showed that reading Ellen White 00:35:11.47\00:35:16.58 um, actually helps in memory retention and understanding 00:35:16.61\00:35:22.68 of doctrine. 00:35:22.72\00:35:24.05 So look what happens when we displace those readings, 00:35:24.09\00:35:27.56 it's easy to fall away from things. 00:35:27.59\00:35:31.39 Even though everything is in the Bible, 00:35:31.43\00:35:32.76 it's just beautiful added light, you know, so. 00:35:32.79\00:35:36.73 It's a...So as I began reading her writings again 00:35:36.77\00:35:42.87 I lost interest in the other books, 00:35:42.90\00:35:45.64 they just didn't really make sense any more, 00:35:45.67\00:35:47.74 I tried to read them, they wouldn't resonate with me. 00:35:47.78\00:35:51.18 God had a bigger plan, so He was moving me out before 00:35:51.21\00:35:54.68 I was really aware. 00:35:54.72\00:35:56.05 It wasn't until I finished school in 2012, 00:35:56.08\00:36:02.72 even though I wasn't practicing any of it anymore, 00:36:02.76\00:36:05.53 in 2012 I had a little more life. 00:36:05.56\00:36:08.16 And my sister came to visit and she had been to the 00:36:08.20\00:36:13.37 book store, the ABC store and she prayed before she went in. 00:36:13.40\00:36:16.67 She said if anybody in the family needs anything, 00:36:16.71\00:36:19.34 just lead me to it. 00:36:19.37\00:36:20.71 And as she was at the check out counter, she saw the 00:36:20.74\00:36:23.48 Omega Rebellion on display, it wasn't on sale, 00:36:23.51\00:36:27.35 she didn't know anything about it, she knew nothing 00:36:27.38\00:36:29.92 about spiritual formation and she picked up the book 00:36:29.95\00:36:32.45 and she's like I don't know what this is, but I have to 00:36:32.49\00:36:34.39 get it. Wow. I'm supposed to get it. 00:36:34.42\00:36:36.93 So when she came home that evening, I'm like, 00:36:36.96\00:36:40.60 let me see your loot, so I'm looking at all the books 00:36:40.63\00:36:43.33 and I went right to that book, and I didn't put it down 00:36:43.37\00:36:48.20 until it was finished. 00:36:48.24\00:36:49.57 What did it talk about? 00:36:49.60\00:36:50.94 Well, Rick Howard was also in mysticism, 00:36:50.97\00:36:54.61 but he wasn't in the Christian type, he was in mysticism 00:36:54.64\00:36:58.45 and it had talked about how he had come out 00:36:58.48\00:37:00.58 and he talked about contemplative prayer 00:37:00.62\00:37:02.82 in different pieces in the meditation part 00:37:02.85\00:37:05.59 and the book really spoke to me on a lot of levels 00:37:05.62\00:37:10.96 I still had to be convinced a little bit more about 00:37:10.99\00:37:13.06 contemplative prayer. Um hum. 00:37:13.09\00:37:14.60 I'm like oh no, it's his experience because he was 00:37:14.63\00:37:16.87 eastern mysticism, that's not mine, I was Christian. 00:37:16.90\00:37:20.17 Right, right, right. 00:37:20.20\00:37:21.54 I was based on the Bible. 00:37:21.57\00:37:22.90 Right. So, um, about six months or a year later, 00:37:22.94\00:37:27.44 I came across Howard Path's book, I think it's Howard Path, 00:37:27.48\00:37:33.31 on contemplative prayer, "The Dangers of Contemplative 00:37:33.35\00:37:36.69 Prayer," wow, that sealed the deal right there. 00:37:36.72\00:37:39.05 It's like ok God gives you what you need when you need it 00:37:39.09\00:37:42.69 and sometimes too much light at once can shut us down. 00:37:42.72\00:37:47.73 So our eyes have to have time to adjust sometimes to 00:37:47.76\00:37:52.80 what we are seeing in the additional lights. 00:37:52.83\00:37:56.00 So for me, it just took a little bit of time, 00:37:56.04\00:37:58.44 but boy when I was out, I was out, 00:37:58.47\00:38:00.91 and I was fine with it until it started coming closer to me 00:38:00.94\00:38:10.02 and my church, and I started seeing it. 00:38:10.05\00:38:13.19 What happened? 00:38:13.22\00:38:14.56 Well, I was at a prayer seminar at one of our churches 00:38:14.59\00:38:19.23 and the presenter who was also Adventist presented 00:38:19.26\00:38:22.60 and the first thing he did, was he played a hymn, 00:38:22.63\00:38:28.50 I don't remember which one it was, but it was a beautiful 00:38:28.54\00:38:30.21 hymn, and then he looked at the people in there and he said 00:38:30.24\00:38:34.41 now, what came up for you for that? 00:38:34.44\00:38:37.95 And that is a big spiritual formation piece. Ummm. 00:38:37.98\00:38:42.72 Playing a song, a hymn or something, 00:38:42.75\00:38:46.79 and then asking the question, now what comes up for you 00:38:46.82\00:38:49.86 with this? What did this bring out for you? 00:38:49.89\00:38:52.09 Uh, so for me, my red flag went up and I am like ok, 00:38:52.13\00:38:56.77 I am just going to wait this out a little bit, 00:38:56.80\00:38:58.13 and the next thing I know, he's describing the affects 00:38:58.17\00:39:02.20 of prayer and the very feeling words. 00:39:02.24\00:39:04.97 Warm, peacefulness, and it's great prayer can do that, 00:39:05.01\00:39:12.85 but there is more to prayer than just that. 00:39:12.88\00:39:15.75 You know, where is the spirit of conviction? 00:39:15.78\00:39:18.02 Right. Conviction doesn't feel good, it's necessary, 00:39:18.05\00:39:22.06 you know, it brings us to repentance. 00:39:22.09\00:39:23.59 So that is also left off contemplative prayer. 00:39:23.63\00:39:28.46 With this off line, the Holy Spirit can't come in 00:39:28.50\00:39:32.07 and convict and cleanse His people. Um hum. 00:39:32.10\00:39:35.60 So sanctification gets impaired, impeded. 00:39:35.64\00:39:39.44 So, ok, so then he goes on to describe things, 00:39:39.47\00:39:43.45 and then he brought up a research finding in which 00:39:43.48\00:39:48.08 he said that priests and nuns who spent more time in prayer 00:39:48.12\00:39:52.99 had more job satisfaction. 00:39:53.02\00:39:54.69 I'm like, umm. Hmmm. 00:39:54.72\00:39:58.56 I was sitting on the edge of my seat trying to keep my 00:39:58.59\00:40:01.20 shouts down? 00:40:01.23\00:40:02.56 You're antenna went up like BOING!, that's how mine is too. 00:40:02.60\00:40:05.43 For New Age stuff, it's like BOING! Yes! 00:40:05.47\00:40:07.87 Oh no! Once you've been around it or in it 00:40:07.90\00:40:11.34 you see if coming from a mile away. Yes you do. 00:40:11.37\00:40:13.58 And people are like how did you see that? 00:40:13.61\00:40:14.98 What do you see? I can't describe it, it is just there. 00:40:15.01\00:40:17.18 You just know it. You do. You do. 00:40:17.21\00:40:19.91 The Lord gives you that discernment. He does. 00:40:19.95\00:40:21.28 He gives you that gift. 00:40:21.32\00:40:22.68 So after the seminar was coming to an end and they had a 00:40:22.72\00:40:27.19 Q and A session, I asked him, I said so you're research that 00:40:27.22\00:40:30.89 you presented, was that based on Biblical prayer, 00:40:30.93\00:40:34.23 traditional Biblical prayer or contemplative prayer? 00:40:34.26\00:40:36.56 and his face got really red and he kind of stumbled 00:40:36.60\00:40:41.67 and he said contemplative prayer, and he 00:40:41.70\00:40:43.44 picks the next question. I'm like... Um hum. 00:40:43.47\00:40:46.98 So, um, it was things like that and some friends of mine who 00:40:47.01\00:40:52.48 also attended a local church, there church was just being 00:40:52.51\00:40:56.85 ravaged by it, it has torn them apart, 00:40:56.89\00:40:59.32 the membership is 50% down. 00:40:59.35\00:41:01.42 It destroyed friendships, families, it's devastating, 00:41:01.46\00:41:06.59 this movement can be devastating. 00:41:06.63\00:41:07.96 How so? How can it be... Again how can something that's 00:41:08.00\00:41:13.97 packaged so beautifully, be so devastating? 00:41:14.00\00:41:18.57 Well, going back to truth and error 00:41:18.61\00:41:23.55 Whenever there is error, even though there is truth 00:41:23.58\00:41:27.58 we don't compromise the truth and except error. 00:41:27.62\00:41:30.59 So when error is being taught, usually what happens is, 00:41:30.62\00:41:34.22 it's going to leave off the truth and more error will be 00:41:34.26\00:41:39.06 presented over time, it's a slippery slope. 00:41:39.09\00:41:43.00 So when people start seeing what's going on 00:41:43.03\00:41:45.77 and want to protect God's character, His full character, 00:41:45.80\00:41:51.07 they start coming up against this, then it can 00:41:51.11\00:41:56.64 divide families. 00:41:56.68\00:41:58.01 In the situation, one of the family members, it was a 00:41:58.05\00:42:01.05 pastor, and so you have this church and there is family 00:42:01.08\00:42:06.09 against family because that's how it happens 00:42:06.12\00:42:10.06 And look at that, Satan has just ruined God's character 00:42:10.09\00:42:12.36 and he's destroyed families and he's destroyed 00:42:12.39\00:42:15.40 spiritual families. 00:42:15.43\00:42:16.77 So, not that these things can't be healed, you know all things 00:42:16.80\00:42:22.00 can be healed when brought before the Lord, 00:42:22.04\00:42:25.17 and people who have soft hearts for God and the tapping of 00:42:25.21\00:42:30.15 the Holy Spirit in our lives but without that, it's irreparable. 00:42:30.18\00:42:37.02 Yeah, yeah. It's, if we are on that path of error, 00:42:37.05\00:42:44.79 and someone tries to warn us, if you don't have... 00:42:44.83\00:42:49.80 if you are not praying to God and asking Him to help you 00:42:49.83\00:42:54.10 to see, your whole flesh can rise up, you can get very angry 00:42:54.14\00:42:59.64 about it, it can cause these rifts and that's what the devil 00:42:59.67\00:43:03.35 wants anyway. He does. To divide. 00:43:03.38\00:43:06.01 He doesn't care if it's truth or error, if he can just cause 00:43:06.05\00:43:08.75 problems, he's happy with that. That's right. That's right. 00:43:08.78\00:43:12.12 So you went to this seminar, you asked the presenter 00:43:12.15\00:43:17.86 and he did say contemplative prayer, so you knew, Bingo 00:43:17.89\00:43:22.20 this is, he's trying to bring this into my church. 00:43:22.23\00:43:25.53 Um hum. Is that what... what had you right? 00:43:25.57\00:43:29.47 What had you right this far? That was a big step. 00:43:29.50\00:43:31.67 Ok, alright. I went to... I think we have a picture 00:43:31.71\00:43:35.31 of your book too. Oh, you do. 00:43:35.34\00:43:36.68 Silence No More. Yeah. 00:43:36.71\00:43:38.05 I went to the pastor of the church and there was disbelief. 00:43:38.08\00:43:46.22 Whenever we don't know about something, 00:43:46.25\00:43:48.62 we don't tend to really believe things so I think it was the 00:43:48.66\00:43:53.33 deaf ears and no place to go to share my concerns 00:43:53.36\00:43:58.50 that God created this. Yes. 00:43:58.53\00:44:03.10 So He actually laid on your heart...He did... 00:44:03.14\00:44:05.97 To write this book. It was never in my thought. 00:44:06.01\00:44:08.78 How long did it take you to start? February of 2016. 00:44:08.81\00:44:11.91 Ok. So it was a year ago. 00:44:11.95\00:44:13.68 Right. Yeah. And what happened to you 00:44:13.72\00:44:16.85 while you were writing it? 00:44:16.89\00:44:18.32 Well to start it, I woke up one morning with these words 00:44:18.35\00:44:22.36 in my head, Silence No More, and I am like what is this? 00:44:22.39\00:44:26.43 So...It's a great title by the way. 00:44:26.46\00:44:29.36 It's a God given title. Thank you, I'm glad you like it. 00:44:29.40\00:44:33.44 It speaks on two levels but I ran it by my husband 00:44:33.47\00:44:37.81 and I said, what do you think that is? and he said 00:44:37.84\00:44:39.87 I think you are supposed to write a book. 00:44:39.91\00:44:42.11 And I'm like, I think so. 00:44:42.14\00:44:43.48 So, I was like I'm not prepared for this, so I prayed about it 00:44:43.51\00:44:49.25 and my fleece was, if Elder Cox said yes he would write the 00:44:49.28\00:44:54.32 forward, then I would know that I was supposed to 00:44:54.36\00:44:56.99 write a book. 00:44:57.03\00:44:58.36 So, when I got to church the next night, 00:44:58.39\00:44:59.73 I asked him, I said, so I think I'm supposed to 00:44:59.76\00:45:02.26 write a book. 00:45:02.30\00:45:03.63 I said, if I write the book, would you agree to write 00:45:03.67\00:45:05.40 the Forward, and he says, well, after you write it... 00:45:05.43\00:45:09.40 Accountability right. That's a good answer, right. 00:45:09.44\00:45:14.01 Because if I can, I will, I'm like OK. 00:45:14.04\00:45:16.98 So for me that was a yes, be- cause I figure what God starts, 00:45:17.01\00:45:21.98 He finishes and He has an idea. 00:45:22.02\00:45:24.05 So, there were many confirmations along the way, 00:45:24.09\00:45:26.96 but that was how the book became a book. 00:45:26.99\00:45:30.03 Tell us about some of the confirmations, 00:45:30.06\00:45:31.69 we have a little time. Okay. 00:45:31.73\00:45:33.06 Alright, well, my cousin David who took the picture 00:45:33.09\00:45:38.93 for the cover, posted this picture on LinkedIn, 00:45:38.97\00:45:43.94 and he doesn't really do that. 00:45:43.97\00:45:46.31 He's Vice President of an electrical company 00:45:46.34\00:45:48.24 and they do jobs. I've never seen him post one job. 00:45:48.28\00:45:51.11 He posted this picture and I was like... 00:45:51.15\00:45:54.42 I couldn't get my mind off of it. 00:45:54.45\00:45:55.78 I picked up my phone and looked at this picture during the day, 00:45:55.82\00:45:58.39 it was so beautiful, and I'm like, I have to have 00:45:58.42\00:46:00.66 that picture. 00:46:00.69\00:46:02.16 I'm like, can I have this picture? 00:46:02.19\00:46:03.56 I was going to put it in the living room or something, 00:46:03.59\00:46:05.39 and then I got the title. 00:46:05.43\00:46:07.76 And I'm like, I think that picture is for this book. 00:46:07.80\00:46:11.57 Because it totally...just the picture... 00:46:11.60\00:46:14.80 A picture is worth a thousand words, right. Right. 00:46:14.84\00:46:16.81 It's a sermon in itself. 00:46:16.84\00:46:18.17 Let's put the picture back up with the book cover. 00:46:18.21\00:46:20.54 Explain it to us. Ok. 00:46:20.58\00:46:22.14 So, as you can see the beautifully lighted columns, 00:46:22.18\00:46:25.28 it's dark around it, but then there is this beautiful light, 00:46:25.31\00:46:28.78 and for me, I was just drawn, I wanted to go sit there, 00:46:28.82\00:46:32.12 read my Bible and pray. Um hum. 00:46:32.15\00:46:34.42 But if you notice, past the center, down the corridor, 00:46:34.46\00:46:39.69 the light dissipates, it gets darker. Hmm. 00:46:39.73\00:46:43.33 Right. Just like Spiritual Formation, it draws you, 00:46:43.37\00:46:45.60 it's beautiful, it's full of light, seeming, right, 00:46:45.63\00:46:48.04 and then the further you go, the deeper you go, 00:46:48.07\00:46:50.77 the darker it gets, until there is no light left. 00:46:50.81\00:46:53.91 Wow! That's beautiful. 00:46:53.94\00:46:56.95 That is beau... I love the cover, I mean, 00:46:56.98\00:46:59.98 I just think it has that kind of drawing, compelling, 00:47:00.02\00:47:05.92 you know, capability. I just thought it was really good. 00:47:05.95\00:47:09.09 CQ did that. I know CQ, she is amazing. 00:47:09.12\00:47:13.29 We have to give CQ a shout out because she is just amazing. 00:47:13.33\00:47:17.17 She is an amazing woman. She has been terrific 00:47:17.20\00:47:18.77 through this whole thing. Yes. 00:47:18.80\00:47:20.37 So, you decided to write the book, what happened to you 00:47:20.40\00:47:24.94 when you were writing it? 00:47:24.97\00:47:26.31 When I was writing it... I know the enemy is not 00:47:26.34\00:47:27.68 going to say Ohhh, she's writing a book, yeah, 00:47:27.71\00:47:30.65 I mean, I know... He attacked me from the 00:47:30.68\00:47:33.82 He attacked my home, he attacked finances, 00:47:33.85\00:47:37.32 things started breaking down that should not have been 00:47:37.35\00:47:41.02 breaking down. Um, attacked my health, thank goodness 00:47:41.06\00:47:48.23 God persevered, I mean, you know, He overcame that. 00:47:48.26\00:47:51.80 But for quite a few months I was left wondering, 00:47:51.83\00:47:55.30 do I have cancer, do I not? 00:47:55.34\00:47:57.34 And so it was just amazing what the lengths that 00:47:57.37\00:48:05.38 Satan goes to, to discourage you, but every time something 00:48:05.41\00:48:10.39 would come up, my hands were to the plow. 00:48:10.42\00:48:12.72 I'm like Lord, this is your message and it's going to go out 00:48:12.75\00:48:15.59 if that's what You want. 00:48:15.62\00:48:16.96 So, people look at Jesus on everything else. Yes. 00:48:16.99\00:48:21.46 And I will tell you, he would show up and show out in so many 00:48:21.50\00:48:24.30 ways, but when I finished the book, I sent it to Bobby, 00:48:24.33\00:48:28.34 Bobby Davis here. Thank you Bobby. 00:48:28.37\00:48:31.01 Shout out to Bobby Davis, we love him too. 00:48:31.04\00:48:33.48 It took this book not once but twice, 00:48:33.51\00:48:35.44 after having all the painstaking editing of the first one, so, 00:48:35.48\00:48:39.05 Um, yes, amazing. 00:48:39.08\00:48:41.28 I sent it to him and immediately his computer quit working. 00:48:41.32\00:48:46.65 He had to offload all of his programs and reload everything 00:48:46.69\00:48:51.49 and then it worked mostly. 00:48:51.53\00:48:53.73 It still turned all red, with all underlined, 00:48:53.76\00:48:56.43 you couldn't get any of it out, it was crazy the things 00:48:56.46\00:48:58.57 that were happening. 00:48:58.60\00:48:59.93 But we worked with that document and then from there 00:48:59.97\00:49:02.70 I sent it to Steve Wholburg, I thought I was finished, 00:49:02.74\00:49:06.47 then I thought, maybe I can get an indorsement 00:49:06.51\00:49:08.31 from him. Um hum. And he's like, this is great, 00:49:08.34\00:49:10.85 so he says, you have shown me, you've told me that it's here 00:49:10.88\00:49:14.65 now show me where it is. 00:49:14.68\00:49:16.02 I didn't want to go down that road. (Laughter) 00:49:16.05\00:49:19.19 I am not that kind of person. 00:49:19.22\00:49:20.56 And he's like no, no, these people have this information 00:49:20.59\00:49:23.29 out there if you say it's there, then just bring it forward. 00:49:23.32\00:49:26.13 He says it's not you, this is their work, 00:49:26.16\00:49:28.76 their websites, their publications, I'm like okay, 00:49:28.80\00:49:31.43 that makes sense. 00:49:31.47\00:49:32.80 Because there is a reason that God had me write my testimony. 00:49:32.83\00:49:35.80 Right. If it weren't here, there would be no need. 00:49:35.84\00:49:38.47 Right, you know. The whole book, from the beginning, 00:49:38.51\00:49:41.74 for me was written in mind with Three Angels Message 00:49:41.78\00:49:44.75 and calling people out. God loves you, come out. 00:49:44.78\00:49:48.22 This is not the time, come out. 00:49:48.25\00:49:50.12 Leave off these practices. Yes, yes. 00:49:50.15\00:49:51.92 So I sent it to him and then I had to go back into writing, 00:49:51.95\00:49:57.19 so I went back into writing and researching 00:49:57.23\00:49:59.76 and then I sent it to CQ for the formatting and her computer 00:49:59.79\00:50:05.10 crashed, never to be revived. 00:50:05.13\00:50:07.57 She had to get another computer. Wow! Um hum. 00:50:07.60\00:50:11.97 Yes. And then when she formatted it and sent it to 00:50:12.01\00:50:16.34 Remnant Publications who published it. 00:50:16.38\00:50:20.28 Um hum. They had the biggest storm that they've had in 00:50:20.32\00:50:22.48 50 years. Trees were down and they lost their electricity. 00:50:22.52\00:50:26.65 Rudy was working with flashlights and on a backup 00:50:26.69\00:50:31.69 generator. Wow. And even when he got it, he challenged me 00:50:31.73\00:50:37.40 for more, which was, there is a reason you accepted this 00:50:37.43\00:50:40.94 invitation and he said you need to dig deeper 00:50:40.97\00:50:43.87 because there is something more there. 00:50:43.91\00:50:45.24 And I'm like, I don't think so, you are barking up the 00:50:45.27\00:50:47.31 wrong tree. So, I'm like this is the baby that just won't 00:50:47.34\00:50:51.38 be birthed, right. So, I just really prayed about it 00:50:51.41\00:50:55.92 long and hard, and so about a week later, 00:50:55.95\00:50:58.62 I was sitting in church and Boom! 00:50:58.65\00:51:01.86 There it came. There's the reason, the big reason 00:51:01.89\00:51:08.10 that we shared earlier, not being able to pray with my 00:51:08.13\00:51:11.43 grandfather. Yes. So that was a driving force. 00:51:11.47\00:51:15.00 And then my whole family background and the dismantling 00:51:15.04\00:51:17.41 and remantling and... God is good, He uses all these 00:51:17.44\00:51:20.98 things that we have to close this family now. 00:51:21.01\00:51:22.68 I love my family, we were never not close. Yeah. 00:51:22.71\00:51:24.81 But now it's based on truth. 00:51:24.85\00:51:28.55 Yes. And there is a lot of love that can be infused. 00:51:28.58\00:51:30.75 Yes. And lived in when that happens. 00:51:30.79\00:51:33.89 He is a restorer. He is. He's a restorer. 00:51:33.92\00:51:37.26 All things work together for good for those 00:51:37.29\00:51:40.13 that love the Lord. 00:51:40.16\00:51:41.50 So what do you want people to take away from the book? 00:51:41.53\00:51:45.20 What ideas and thoughts and things like that do you want 00:51:45.23\00:51:49.84 people to have after they have read this book? 00:51:49.87\00:51:52.37 To really focus on what our present truth is for today. 00:51:52.41\00:52:00.72 Because it's in knowing these truths and praying for that 00:52:00.75\00:52:04.65 discernment that is our safe guard. 00:52:04.69\00:52:07.72 We're told to the Law and the Testimony, 00:52:07.76\00:52:10.89 and if they don't agree, there is no light in them. 00:52:10.93\00:52:13.96 So, it's not one or the other, it's both. 00:52:14.00\00:52:17.37 And we really need to be grounded in our beliefs 00:52:17.40\00:52:22.70 and what the Bible teaches for these last days. 00:52:22.74\00:52:25.31 Because these are perilous times that are upon us 00:52:25.34\00:52:31.28 we're seeing a lot of things happening a lot of things 00:52:31.31\00:52:34.02 shaking and starting and this movement is very dangerous, 00:52:34.05\00:52:37.95 it is stealth, but God will give you eyes to see, 00:52:37.99\00:52:40.89 if you pray for eyes to see. Um hum. Um hum. 00:52:40.92\00:52:44.83 Where at this point...Are you going to churches and talking 00:52:44.86\00:52:51.37 about this movement? Are you promoting the book by... 00:52:51.40\00:52:54.60 going to different churches and explaining what 00:52:54.64\00:52:59.07 the movement is, because you are kind of 00:52:59.11\00:53:01.61 a lone voice out there. I am. 00:53:01.64\00:53:05.01 There are others who are not pro-contemplative prayer but 00:53:05.05\00:53:08.95 you were in it. And see, to me that makes 00:53:08.98\00:53:12.69 a huge difference, when you've been a part of it 00:53:12.72\00:53:14.72 and you've come out from it, verses someone who has never 00:53:14.76\00:53:18.79 been a part of it who can just talk about it from a distance. 00:53:18.83\00:53:22.43 Right. You've been in it...I've been in it... 00:53:22.46\00:53:24.73 so you have a voice... 00:53:24.77\00:53:26.10 God is starting to give me a voice... 00:53:26.13\00:53:28.40 ...You have a voice. I do. 00:53:28.44\00:53:30.74 And I'm just starting to learn to use it. 00:53:30.77\00:53:33.01 During the writing process, I was challenged to keep this 00:53:33.04\00:53:37.05 very close because of the content, and it was very 00:53:37.08\00:53:40.48 important to do that. 00:53:40.52\00:53:41.85 So I wasn't really talking about it except with some family 00:53:41.88\00:53:45.65 and a few friends. 00:53:45.69\00:53:47.02 Now, I mean the book was only published Monday before last, 00:53:47.06\00:53:52.03 and this is my first time to talk about it. 00:53:52.06\00:53:54.10 Oh, praise the Lord. 00:53:54.13\00:53:55.70 So I wanted to thank you, but I am learning. 00:53:55.73\00:53:58.57 It's like right now I am crawling when it comes to 00:53:58.60\00:54:01.30 walk...to talking, and I have a website... 00:54:01.34\00:54:04.37 Yes, and we need to put that up...And so... 00:54:04.41\00:54:06.51 What is it? It's: 00:54:06.54\00:54:09.08 And there is a place on there for people who, 00:54:09.11\00:54:11.78 if there churches would like for me to come, 00:54:11.81\00:54:14.35 I'm willing to come and share my testimony, 00:54:14.38\00:54:16.85 offer whatever support I can in that and they can just 00:54:16.89\00:54:21.82 contact me through there. So soon maybe some speaking. 00:54:21.86\00:54:25.49 silencenomore.net. 00:54:25.53\00:54:27.33 And where can they find the book? 00:54:27.36\00:54:28.90 The Remnant Publications has it for sale, 00:54:28.93\00:54:31.13 and it's also on my website. 00:54:31.17\00:54:33.90 But if, when you go to purchase the book it will take you 00:54:33.94\00:54:36.81 right back to Remnant for the purchasing. 00:54:36.84\00:54:38.91 I think this is going to be a very interesting journey 00:54:38.94\00:54:42.81 for you. I know when you come out from something like 00:54:42.84\00:54:46.55 you did from this, I did from the New Age Medicine thing, 00:54:46.61\00:54:50.29 you, again, you have an antenna for it, so know right away 00:54:50.32\00:54:56.16 when you hear something that remotely smacks of that 00:54:56.19\00:55:00.00 you want to say something...We do. You have to say something 00:55:00.03\00:55:05.27 about it. 00:55:05.30\00:55:06.63 So we are just thankful that you have stepped up to the plate 00:55:06.67\00:55:10.24 and you decided to do this, and the book is hot off the press, 00:55:10.27\00:55:14.34 so you really need to get this book, it's really good, 00:55:14.38\00:55:17.81 it explains what this is and you might not think now 00:55:17.85\00:55:22.82 that, you know, my church isn't, doesn't have that, 00:55:22.85\00:55:25.95 or I don't have a problem with that or whatever. 00:55:25.99\00:55:28.42 But you would be amazed at how it's coming into the churches 00:55:28.46\00:55:33.63 and seminaries. Oh yes. There are Wisdom Centers or 00:55:33.66\00:55:40.64 Learning Centers, or Spiritual Centers, or whatever... 00:55:40.67\00:55:44.27 There are some centers around that are teaching these 00:55:44.31\00:55:49.51 techniques. These are techniques that get you into 00:55:49.54\00:55:55.15 Mysticism. They take you into Mysticism and um... 00:55:55.18\00:55:59.29 What would you say in one minute to the person 00:55:59.32\00:56:03.96 who is caught up in that, who doesn't really think 00:56:03.99\00:56:08.10 that there is anything wrong with it. 00:56:08.13\00:56:09.93 Look into... Well you don't have a camera, so just give me.. 00:56:09.96\00:56:13.17 I was going to say, look into that camera, 00:56:13.20\00:56:16.37 but just look at me...but tell, pretend that I am a person who's 00:56:16.40\00:56:20.28 caught up into that, what would you say to me? 00:56:20.31\00:56:23.04 I would say, I've been where you are, I understand, 00:56:23.08\00:56:30.29 um, I don't judge, I care, I care for you, 00:56:30.32\00:56:38.76 and I care where this is taking you. 00:56:38.79\00:56:40.93 Um, pray not the Contemplative prayer, but pray and read your 00:56:40.96\00:56:47.70 Bible, go back to reading your Bible and ask God to show you, 00:56:47.74\00:56:53.64 He will show you. 00:56:53.68\00:56:55.01 Thank you! Thank you so much, what a blessing you are 00:56:55.04\00:56:58.55 Stephanie. Thank you so much... It's my pleasure... 00:56:58.58\00:57:00.02 for being with us on Urban Report.. 00:57:00.05\00:57:01.38 I Timothy 4:1 says, "Now the spirit speaketh 00:57:01.42\00:57:06.89 expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart 00:57:06.92\00:57:11.03 from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits 00:57:11.06\00:57:14.43 and doctrines of devils." 00:57:14.46\00:57:16.36 And verse 16 says, "Take heed unto thyself and unto the 00:57:16.40\00:57:21.27 doctrine. Continue in them for in doing this, thou shall 00:57:21.30\00:57:26.61 both save thy self, and them that hear thee." 00:57:26.64\00:57:30.75 Don't be deceived, ask the Holy Spirit for help, 00:57:30.78\00:57:34.78 He will guide you into all truth. 00:57:34.82\00:57:38.05 Don't be afraid if you are caught up into something, 00:57:38.09\00:57:41.76 just ask God to open your eyes. 00:57:41.79\00:57:44.33 For a long time when I was in the New Age Medicine 00:57:44.36\00:57:47.90 I was resistant to it, but the Lord loved me and 00:57:47.93\00:57:54.34 He loves Stephanie enough to take us out of that. 00:57:54.37\00:57:57.37 Thank you for joining us. 00:57:57.41\00:57:59.74 Join us next time, cause you know what? 00:57:59.77\00:58:01.31 It just wouldn't be the same without YOU. 00:58:01.34\00:58:03.55