Spread The Word Online Christian Bookstore
Spreading more than just the 'Word'
To the Reader: It has been almost two years since Christian Research Service first established contact with Spread The Word representatives and, eventually, its President, Steve Darrow. Since then, CRS has provided them with information and documentation pertaining to the non-Christian authors, books, and materials being advertised and promoted within Spread The Word's online Christian bookstore (correspondence on file).
To their credit, Spread The Word has removed non-Christian books from its inventory in the past, and should be commended. Certainly, providing Christian books and materials to the body of Christ on a massive scale is an important task, and can be overwhelming at times. However, once the materials are removed, implementing safeguards to prevent their filtering back into the body of Christ is equally important.
Accordingly, because of the constant flow of non-Christian authors, books and materials into the Christian church, it is extremely important that website managers continuously monitor their websites and databases to ensure that only solid, Bible-based materials are being presented to the body of Christ.
As with any online Christian bookstore, Spread The Word has the ability and capability to monitor, delete and block non-Christian authors and books from their own inventory and databases. And, when necessary, Spread The Word has the prerogative and authority to contact their distributors and publishers, and place a block on non-Christian books and materials.
As long as any bookstore claims to be Christian, it should be Christian from front to rear, and everything in between. But where lackadaisical attitudes prevail, the innocent and gullible suffer. Therefore, the spiritual welfare of Christians, as well as those searching for the real Jesus Christ and His salvation, should be foremost in the minds of everyone involved with and connected to the Christian bookstore industry.
A note of caution: This information contains quotes from New Agers and links to New Age sources. The New Age Movement is subtle, seductive and extremely dangerous to the spiritual welfare of the believer. Reader discretion is advised.
Read and test before you agree or sign
Before Christians agree to or sign anything on the dotted line, it is imperative to put what they are about to get involved in to the Biblical test (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1). Then, if what is being tested contradicts the Bible, or is found to be disingenuous, deceptive or hypocritical, then it must be rejected.
As with many online Christian bookstores, Spread The Word offers an affiliate Registered Member plan. Should an individual, church or organization choose to open their own online Christian bookstore, Spread The Word can assist their membership affiliates in blocking unwanted books and materials from their online bookstores.
But if the prospective member fails to do their homework and review the inventory beforehand, and pays the "$580" fee, the member will unknowingly promote Hinduism, Yoga, and other forms of the New Age Movement--as verified by the documentation below.
Bottom-line or Scriptural commands?
Contrary to popular belief, the most important task facing the entire Christian bookstore industry is not the financial "bottom line," marketing techniques, Best-Seller lists, multi-million dollar retail trade shows, expensive advertising, trinkets of the trade, or what color paint should be used on the walls of a new bookstore. The most important task facing the Christian bookstore industry is to obey the solemn charge of God's holy word and, preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Why? For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Sad to say, we are already there. Instead of compromising--by allowing non-Christian books and materials into their store inventory and website databases--Spread The Word should make it crystal clear to their vendors, distributors, publishers, and retailers that they are in the business of upholding God's holy word and following the commands of Scripture, and that anything deemed New Age will not be accepted.
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but expose them (Ephesians 5:11). No means no. God's word says what it means and means what it says. To do the opposite is compromise.
Is it any wonder that an estimated "1,000 Christian bookstores have closed their doors in recent years"? (see "The Fashion of the Christ," Business Week Online, May 23, 2005). While competition from secular bookstores plays a role in the demise of Christian bookstores, compromise within the Christian bookstore industry invites judgement from God.
And, should a few books happen to slip in, then send the books back to the distributor (along with a memo that says, This author is New Age. In the future, please refrain from sending books written by this author, or I will find another distributor) or, send out invitations, follow the example of Acts 19:19-20, and have a book bar-b-que:
And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.
Again, the spiritual welfare of Christians, and those searching for the real Jesus Christ, should be foremost in the minds of everyone involved within the Christian book industry.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Spreading the word and the New Age at the same time
"Our mission at Spread The Word is to expand the Kingdom of God by offering spiritual and economic resources to help Christians fulfill God's calling in their lives. Our goal is to help Christian churches, ministries and families realize their goals. This bookstore is the way we do just that"
In its "Purpose/Mission/Vision" statement, Spread The Word claims to have "a love of Christ," a desire to "build up the body of Christ," and a desire "to put life changing Christian products into the hands of people." Yet, at the same time, they continue to compromise the faith, and place the spiritual welfare of Christians at risk.
What follows are examples of New Age books and materials found within Spread The Word's online Christian bookstore, along with excerpts from their descriptions. But first, a brief definition of the New Age Movement, its practices and techniques, from a New Ager:
What is the New Age Movement?
"The New Age Movement (NAM) is a revival of spiritual and divine values and can be called as a Divine Regeneration Movement. New Age Philosophy has conquered the West intellectually and Western culture is currently experiencing a phenomenal shift - sociological, spiritual & ideological. It's a secular, multi-cultural, multi-religious synthesis, of the Oriental mystical philosophies, mainly Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism & Western Occultism, emphasising Holism, the doctrine that Reality is organically One" (G Kumar, "The New Age Movement").
How has the New Age influenced our culture?
"Significant influence has been gained by NAM affecting almost every area of Occidental culture--Sociology, Psychology, Medicine, the Government, Ecology, Science, Arts, Education, the Business Community, the media, entertainment, sports, and even the Church. Organised spiritual forms such as Christian Science, Unity and even forms of Witchcraft (from the German 'Wicca' meaning the Wise; Witchcraft means the Craft of the Wise) are all its expressions. Various Human Potential Seminars, Transcendental Meditation, Zen Meditation and some Alternative Holistic Medicine practices are also its manifold manifestations" (Ibid, emp. added).
New Age practices and techniques
Kumar provides a list of New Age practices, such as: "Astrology, Reiki, Bioenergy, Chi energy, Chakras, Nirvana, Christ-Consciousness, Spiritualism, Native American Spirituality, Prajna, Out-of-body/near-death experiences, Reincarnation, Yoga, Meditation and the occult disciplines, as well as psychotherapeutic techniques and scientific applications of the healing powers of crystals and pyramids," as well as "...Transcendental Meditation, Parapsychology, Inner healing; Biofeedback; Yoga; I Ching; Reflexology; Therapeutic Touch; Transpersonal Psychology; Witchcraft; Magick; Tai Chi; Shamanism; Hypnotherapy; Acupuncture/Acupressure; Martial arts; Zen; Relaxation; Silva Method (formerly Silva Mind Control); Visualization; etc." (Ibid)
New Age terminology
"Some commonly used New Age terms are: Quantum Healing, Transmutation, Transfiguration, Guided Imagery, Reincarnation; Positive Thinking; Human Potential; Holistic; Holographic; Synergistic; Unity; Oneness; Transformation; Awakening; Networking; Communal Sharing; One-world/globalism/new world order (i.e., One language, One Government, One currency, One religion); Cosmic Consciousness; Zodiac, etc." (Ibid)
New Age music
"Soothing
audio
environments
are
created
by
New
Age
musicians
and
they
believe
rightly
that
Music
has
psycho-therapeutic
properties.
(This
concept
is
derived
from
the
Vedic
Philosophy
that
All
music
is
Samaveda,
the
4th
Veda
of
the
Indians).
Born
of
an
interest
in
spirituality
and
healing
in
the
late
1970s,
it
is
often
used
as
an
aid
in
meditation"
(Ibid).
Although G Kumar is deeply entrenched in the New Age Movement, he has provided a service to Christian researchers worldwide, by clearly defining New Age terms, and explaining that the New Age Movement has infiltrated every strata of our culture--both secular and Christian. No doubt he is sincere in his beliefs, but he is sincerely wrong on Who God is.
The New Age Movement is a primeval forest, where exists a pandemic-smorgasbord of practices, ceremonies, techniques, programs, beliefs, celebrations, spiritualities, revelations and, an overdose of gods, for every whim and fancy--all of which are designed by Satan and mankind to draw the unwary into deception and away from the One Who said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6).
While the Bible addresses