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Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible Teaches Necessity of Human Mediated Forms

“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.”

1 Timothy 2:5.

“Let us be convinced that all is well and right when the superior commends it, ‘wrote Loyola… Ignatius himself wrote in his letter to the Portuguese Jesuits: ‘We must see black as white, if the church says so.” –Ignatius Loyola, quoted in Paris, Secret History of the Jesuits, p. 26.

Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible Teaches that there is a Human Mediation; Indeed It Sees This Human Aspect as The Mediation

Listen to this from the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “A second thing we learn is why there must be a human, or mediated, side to God’s relationship to us.” (RSFB, p. 4). The fundamental tenet of Protestantism is that there is One Mediator between God and man, and no human mediator, such as a priest or Spiritual Director. This Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible seeks to establish human tradition.

RSFP Bible Teaches Necessity of Mediated Outward Forms

Listen to the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “Earthy institutions are needed to enable God to be present among us even when, from the merely human point of view, he appears absent. God’s presence on earth in mediated, outward forms is necessary because of the human condition.” (Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, p. 4) (emphasis ours). This is the fundamental Roman Catholicism, pure and simple. This is why Rome has confessionals, great cathedrals, and images and processions, and celebrations. The Waldenses refused to worship in buildings made by human hands in protest against this feature of Roman Catholicism.

The teaching of the necessity of human-mediated outward forms is most emphatically not Quakerism it is Romanism. This test can easily and quickly be applied to see what religion is driving the Renovare movement.

Through a global, organized system of Spiritual Directors-confessors, operated by the Sisters of Mercy out of Burlingame, California, Rome is now receiving intelligence from throughout Protestantism.

The Transformation of Quakerism

Quakerism Began as a Reaction Against All Outward Forms in Religion

Quakerism began as a reaction against outward forms of religion, and an emphasis on the inner life of experience with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Rejecting all outward forms, it relied on the “Inner Light.” Its members even dispensed with a formal service. Rather, they sat silent in the pews waiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit. When one felt moved upon by the Spirit he would speak openly and freely. “They worshipped without a set liturgy or prearrangement of any kind, and without any appointed minister, believing that God would use any one of the worshippers, man or woman, as minister.” (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, art. “Friends, Religions Society of.”)

Trembling At the Word

Quakers were called Quakers, because George Fox, its founder, bade Justice Bennet in 1650 to tremble at the word of the Lord. (Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church art. “Quakers”). Quakers also used the term because of the spiritual trembling they sometimes experienced in the meetings. They were also called Shakers.

The Inner Light and Early America

Quakers in early America were often wealthy businessmen, who would buy African slaves at the slave market for the purpose of setting them free. They often served as a mediating force in warfare, because of their opposition to military service. “Their central doctrine is the “Inner Light;’ it presence of the Divine and direct working of Christ in the soul, by which men is freed from sin, united with Christ and enabled to perform good works; its visible effects are mostly of a moral character, simplicity, purity, and truthfulness. From the paramount importance given, the Inner Light derives the rejection of the Sacraments, the ministry and all set forms of worship. Quakers do, however, firmly believe in a spiritual baptism and a spiritual communion.” (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, art. “Friends.”)

Penn and Freedom of Conscience

To the Quaker William Penn, we owe the roots of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution regarding freedom of conscience: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Penn’s famous trial, where he conducted his own defense and appealed to Sir Edward Coke, Britain’s greatest jurist, in Coke’s commentary on Magna Carta, established the right of freedom of Conscience, later adopted into the US Constitution.

Splits in Quakerism

Various splits occurred in Quakerism; among which was a major one in 1827-1828 as a result of the teaching of Elias Hicks “whose emphasis on ‘Christ within’ seemed to set aside the authority of Scripture and the historic Christ.” (Oxford, “Friends.”) More splits kept coming. By the nineteenth century, Quakers began adopting a pre-arranged form of service with hymns and a sermon.

Quakerism Succumbs to New Age

Quakerism in recent times has become heavily infected with New Age teaching.

Today’s Quakerism Has Become a Mighty, Fine-Edged Tool of the Jesuit Order, Turned Inside Out

Today, Quakerism under the leadership of Richard Foster, head of the Renovare, has become the fine-edged tool of the Jesuit Order to introduce Jesuit Spiritual Formation into all of Protestantism. Today’s Quakerism is now teaching the necessity of the outward forms-the Disciplines-the very opposite of what it stood for when it begun.

William Penn Would Have Been Horrified, for He Opposed “the Romish Whore”

William Penn would have been horrified if he were to have seen what would become of Quakerism. Penn’s Quakerism was vitally concerned about victory over the sin in his tract Protestants in general-“The Sun is gone down over you, and Your Day is turned into thick Darkness.” Penn opposed Papists in his tract. “Truth Exalted” describing the “Romish whore who sits upon the scarlet colored beast full of Names of Blasphemy, drunk with the blood of saints.”

Walking By Faith As In the Visible Presence of God

“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”

We Walk By Faith as In the Visible Presence of God

The truth is that we walk by faith and not by sight. We walk as if in the visible presence of God by faith. God said to Abraham, “I am the Almighty God, walk before Me and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1. This is Abraham, in the Patriarchal age.

“The pure in heart live as in the visible presence of God during the time He apportions them in the world.” Mar 88.

“The Christian pilgrim is not left to walk in darkness. Jesus leads the way. Those who follow Him walk in the sunshine of His presence. The path the pilgrim treads is clear and well defined. Christ’s righteousness goes before him-the righteousness that makes possible the good works characterizing the life of every true Christian. God is his rearward. He walks in the light as Christ is in the light.” RC 235.

The Soul Rejoices As In the Visible Presence of Christ

“Faith must center in the word of God, which is spirit and life. Every page of the sacred word is illumined with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness. The word of God is to be the support of the afflicted, the comfort of the persecuted. God Himself speaks to the believing, trusting soul; for God’s Spirit is in the word, and a special blessing will be received by those who accept the words of God when illuminated to their mind by the Holy Spirit. It is thus that the believer eats of Christ, the Bread of Life. Truth is seen in a new light, and the soul rejoices as in the visible presence of Christ.” ST 10-3-95.

Church services are to be conducted as if in the visible presence of God:

“All the services should be conducted with solemnity and awe, as if in the visible presence of the Master of assemblies.” 5T 492.

“When the benediction is pronounced, all should still be quiet, as if fearful of losing the peace of Christ. Let all pass out without jostling or loud talking, feeling that they are in the presence of God, that His eye is resting upon them, and that they must act as in His visible presence.” 5T 493-494.

The Holy Spirit is An Equivalent for Christ’s Visible Presence

“Jesus had assured them that he would send the Comforter, as an equivalent for his visible presence.”  3 SP 256.

Renovare Teaches Reliance On Earthly Institutions

Renovare ignores this great truth, and teaches reliance upon sight, upon earthly institutions.

Renovare continues: “The human condition is such that earthly institutions serve as constant necessary points of reference to God without his being directly present to us.” (p. 5). (Emphasis mine)

Renovare Declared Immediate Presence of the Infinite God Not Enough

Jesus declared, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:30. Not so, declares Renovare: “We also learn from the Biblical record that our finitude and limitation cannot be successfully overcome by the immediate presence of the infinite God.” (Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, p. 5.)

Unbroken Communication

What does the pen of Inspiration tell us? “Christ has provided means whereby our whole life may be an unbroken communion with Himself; but the sense of Christ’s abiding presence can come only through living faith….” HP 56.

“Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of the children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them.” FLB 62.

“Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.” SC 97.

“Those whose hearts and open to receive the support and blessing of God, will walk in a holier atmosphere that that of earth, and will have constant communion with God.” ST 12-16-89.

The whole effort of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible is to seek to convince the reader that he cannot have an unbroken communion with Christ and the Father, but must depend upon human institutions, props, and disciplines, such as spiritual exercises.

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