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| KEN BLANCHARD |
Getting back to the Let Us Reason web site article we
see that Blanchard also endorses another highly recognizable New Ager that too
many Christians regard as a fellow believer!
“Blanchard endorses New Age Teacher Jack
Canfield's book, The Success
Principles;Canfield in his book encourages the use of practices such as visualization and meditation, with quotes of New Age authors and gurus.
“Blanchard says of The Success Principles, “Canfield and Switzer have put their methods to success in an illuminating and easy-to-read book. Jack's teaching is highly effective and this new book will be the gift to give this year.”
“Canfield is no friend to Christianity, in an article written by Canfield, he says,
“In [the]
“By endorsing Canfield, Blanchard is endorsing the New Age belief system that basically embraces all religions and belief systems. In fact one can honestly say at the end of the day, with all his endorsements Ken Blanchard has become one of the main promoters of the New Age in business, society and the church ...”
“Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, Inc. and Laurie Beth Jones. Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, Co-founder and Head of Office of the Future Ken Blanchard Companies tells one to practice stress management techniques of “deep relaxation, meditation, yoga” (“Life Balance For Individual Well Being And Organizational Retention,” ASTD 2003 (pdf), The Ken Blanchard Companies, p. 11).
“In A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul” Ken Blanchard is found among 38 New Age or Mormon contributors. They include M. Scott Peck, Steve Andreas, Sai Baba*, Martin Buber, Gandhi, William James, Joseph Campbell, Leo Buscaglia, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Benjamin Hoff, Canfield, Hansen, and T.M. promoter Harold Bloomfield.” Canfield is the President of Self esteem Seminars and the Foundation of Self Esteem.
*One of the most renowned Hindu gurus of all time.
We are told:
2 COR. 6:14-16
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the
“Ken Blanchard has endorsed Z.B.A.: Zen of Business Administration - How Zen Practice Can Transform Your Work And Your Life (by Marc Lesser)
“On the Back Cover ‘There is an urgent need for all of us to walk our faith in the marketplace. Z.B.A. Zen of Business Administration by Marc Lesser will surely help. Read, rejoice, and start practicing’ (Ken Blanchard).
What faith is this that would practice Zen?”
Still more associations, endorsements and co-authored works Blanchard has had with known New Agers, Self-Awareness and Success Gurus and Globalists can be found here.
Here is a chronology of Blanchard’s involvement with various groups that promote syncretistic spirituality and social justice globalism and seemingly everything else that is unbiblical; take a look at this listing from the Christian Research Service.
“What are we to make of all this?
Someone who has visible, influential ministry that is clearly involved in
interfaith [movements], Blanchard not only promotes other religious practices
but has participated in New Age methods to help transform his spiritual life.
This is detrimental to himself and to others. This is not pointing to the Word
of God as the truth Jesus left us to practice. Is this the Christianity
that the church wants to practice- a mixture of other religions? But . . .
what Blanchard presents [is] inclusivism. [No one] . . . can live
a Christian life without a true knowledge of Christ; without a born again
spiritual encounter via the gospel. In a true conversion, we are drawn by the Holy Spirit and to
the Son, not anyone else. One cannot come to the Son and stay in their religion
or [merely] adopt Christian principles for living. Jesus spoke to the people:
MATTHEW 11:28-30
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
~ quoted from LET US REASON.
I found a video on youtube with
Ken Blanchard, and when I began watching I was disarmed by this grandfatherly
man of a kind and gentle demeanor; and while he gives tidbits of wisdom and
keen insight, there are serious issues with his Lead Like Jesus presentation.
In this video at Biola, within nine
minutes Ken Blanchard favorably mentions Robert Schuller, Norman Vincent Peale,
Bob Buford and Bill Hybels. Later, he mentions John Ortberg and talks about Buford’s
and Hybel’s explanation of the Gospel, which in my mind is terribly deficient
and inaccurate. At the end of the presentation, during a Q & A he mentions Erwin McManus , a known Emergent leader
as are many other associates of Blanchard...
Four points he brings up in his Lead Like Jesus training are:
1)
Having a Heart of
Leadership, that is to serve others rather than oneself. He also brings up the
idea of ‘self-worth’ which is certainly at odds with what Scripture states,
that is, that we are sinners under judgment (this idea was objectionable to
Blanchard when he addressed Buford and Hybels). There are some good points he
makes during this segment of his address regarding servanthood and having a
higher regard of how God sees us and pleasing Him rather than others.
2)
Having a Head of
Leadership, that is, what are your beliefs regarding leading people; your
leadership point of view. Blanchard states that we need a vision in our head,
an established goal or purpose that drives our motivation. The picture of the
future is another aspect of the vision in our head. What’s going to guide your
values of the vision in the head is the last.
3)
Having Hands of
Leadership, putting into practice with hands-on effort what’s already in your
heart and head as your vision and motivation. Being instant in readiness to
serve others by demonstrable deeds is all about the hands. It’s at this time
that he quotes Henri Nouwen, and talks about ‘solitude and prayer’; the late
Henri Nouwen was a practitioner of contemplative prayer, a mystical practice. He
encouraged reading and study of Scripture as well.
4)
Having Habits of
Leadership is simply establishing consistency in practices and by doing this, these
will reinforces lessons on how to lead, for others.
While these four points have
pragmatic, practical and even successful elements to them, there is much in
this one hour presentation that Ken Blanchard throws in the midst of this
address that is quite wrong from a biblical standpoint.
Even for all of those good points he makes in this presentation as well as the book that it’s based on (as well as the ministry), this does not square with all of the beliefs he holds and associations he’s made that are entirely contradictory to biblical Christianity.
Even for all of those good points he makes in this presentation as well as the book that it’s based on (as well as the ministry), this does not square with all of the beliefs he holds and associations he’s made that are entirely contradictory to biblical Christianity.
Blanchard repeatedly mentions
throughout his presentation the idea of love, loving others, being a loving
person, and rightly ascribes love as the I.D. as well as the M.O. of Christ’s
disciples (JN. 13:34-35) and one can hardly argue this point, except for the
question of, What is this love based upon? If a person truly loves others as
Christ loves us, then they will want others to know the truth. Jesus is the
Truth as well as Love (JN. 14:6; 1 JN. 4:7-8).
For all of his claims for being a
Christian, when we look at his statements, his beliefs, his endorsements as
well as his contributions as a co-author of many New Age/New Thought books,
such claims are unfounded.
ISAIAH 5:20-21
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
JAMES 3:10-12
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
We typically think of “blessing” and “cursing” as speaking good and noble things as opposed to speaking vile and hurtful things on a personal level. Certainly that is an application, but I think the verses here can also include good and proper teaching through the Word, which is portrayed as “water” (EPH.5:26 ). Sweet
water is a blessing and bitter (salt) water is a curse to someone who is
thirsty for truth and life in the spiritual sense.
ISAIAH 5:20-21
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
JAMES 3:10-12
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
We typically think of “blessing” and “cursing” as speaking good and noble things as opposed to speaking vile and hurtful things on a personal level. Certainly that is an application, but I think the verses here can also include good and proper teaching through the Word, which is portrayed as “water” (EPH.
Can one expect to find biblical truth and the very spirit of Jesus the Word Incarnate from someone who espouses and allies with New Age and occult teachers, Hindu and Buddhist gurus and masters?
The church desperately needs to awaken from its spiritual apathy and ignorance of God’s Word and start holding pastors, teachers and any one else who purports to be an instructor of any sort of the Bible and, or a follower of Jesus accountable to the Scriptures.
Today more than ever it seems,
that wolves don’t even need to go through the effort of disguising themselves
as sheep, but with doctrinal teeth and claws and fur exposed need only make the
claim of being a sheep to be received!
If Ken Blanchard were to truly
“lead like Jesus” then he would point people exclusively to the Word of God for
truth and instructions on how to live (doctrine is not for intellectual
gymnastics for theologians and seminary professors to haggle over, but rather
the teaching of God’s Word on how to live as a Christian, a born again saint of
the Living God). Doctrine is important and we must measure anyone’s teaching,
instruction, coaching where life and spiritual practice is concerned with the
Scriptures and if they don’t line up, such teaching and instruction as well as the teachers and instructors need to be rejected, not received!
ISAIAH 8:19-20
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
MATTHEW 7:15-27
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
This ends this series on WOLVE’S In WOLFS CLOTHING
ISAIAH 8:19-20
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
MATTHEW 7:15-27
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
This ends this series on WOLVE’S In WOLFS CLOTHING
