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Contemplative Prayer (Part 2)
The Nation that Forgets God
Evidence of Apostasy
According to the Bible, the one concrete evidence that the time of the last days has arrived is the apostasy of the church. Let’s take a moment and look at what apostasy means. Look at this passage from 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
The phrase ‘falling away’ comes from the Greek word ‘apostasia’ from which we get apostasy. The word apostasia or apostasy means to fall away from something or to defect. In this passage the focus is the church. There may be many theories that people use to explain away this passage; however, this can only be related to the church. The world cannot defect because they never belonged to Christ. I have heard many argue that these people were not truly Christians. Someone who is ‘not truly a Christian’ cannot defect from faith in Christ because they never belonged to Christ.
The apostasy, or falling away from the faith, can only mean one thing: the church and the believers in the church have defected from Christ and fallen away from their faith. They have determined that the world or other religions have more appeal to them than Jesus Christ and obedience to the scriptures. They may even create their own version of Jesus and claim to be Christians. The bottom line is that they have turned from the truth of scripture and defected to another way. Keep this important passage in mind from Matthew 7:21-23
21 " Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
In the time of apostasy, many will claim the name of Jesus but the kingdom of God is not merely in word, but in obedience. Anyone can claim the name of Christ but unless they do the will of God, they do not belong to Christ. During the apostasy, the defecting church will claim to be a move of God and many will even use the name Jesus; however, they will reject the commandments of God and follow their own doctrines based on worldly wisdom and not scripture.
There are literally thousands of quotes that can be added to support the warning that the leaders of the Christian church have began or have already made the shift from obedience to the scriptures and into apostasy as they have departed from the faith. I have really struggled with the idea of what to include and how much to include in this study. A few years ago the conservative and evangelical denominations and churches would not have tolerated the very teachings that they now endorse, promote and teach from the pulpit. I stand amazed at how quickly the shift has taken place and how far our leaders have descended. The surprising problem we face today is that most of the teachers that seemed so doctrinally sound yesterday are now teaching New Age philosophy reworded in Christian terms today. In fact, many leaders now preach the very doctrines that they once condemned.
The problem I struggle with is, how much is too much. My studies tend to be very detailed and become a series of studies tied together in order to thoroughly explore a topic. That is how my mind works. I want to explain things in detail and lay as much information out in a way that hopefully makes it clear and easy to understand. This makes a study like this very difficult because if I followed even one evangelical leader’s doctrinal shift, it would add a dozen pages to this study. The reason being is because to fully lay out the evidence, I would have to quote the church leader and then quote the New Age teachers he is quoting. I would then have to explain each of their doctrines and compare it to the light of scripture. It would also be necessary to examine the New Age doctrine since many people do not understand its threat to Christianity.
Since this would require me to write a small book on each preacher that has made the shift, the information would be overwhelming to the average reader. For this reason, I am going to provide a few key quotes that make it clear that there is a problem and then you, the reader will need to decide whether further research is needed on your part. The point to keep in mind is that we are known by the company we keep. If I quote someone favorably, I am endorsing that person as a teacher. If I endorse a Buddhist, I am endorsing Buddhism. The Bible clearly warns that we are not to tolerate any other gospel and should recognize that the peddler of another gospel is accursed by God (Galatians 1:8). We are also to take to heart the warning that if we allow a teacher to instruct us that does not adhere to the message of scripture, we will be judged along with them because we have become partakers of their deeds (2 John 1:10-11). It is a very serious matter to depart from the faith and it is equally serious to sit by apathetically while someone teaches people to turn to another gospel or a perverted form of the truth (which is no longer truth).
This is the cause of the apostasy and it is your responsibility and my responsibility to raise the alarm as watchmen on the wall. Anyone who endorses a false teacher is a false teacher. God warns that we will be known by our company and also issues a strong warning in Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
Two cannot walk together unless they agree (Amos 3). If you become a companion of a fool, you will be destroyed. Anyone who departs from the faith is a fool. Anyone who adds to or takes away from the word is a liar and a fool (Proverbs 30:6). I have noticed that when a leader compromises the truth and allows error to be taught, he soon is following the same error. It is impossible to allow a lie into your midst and keep it under control. Sin always seeks to rule over you. This is why we are commanded to not even give place to the devil.
Evidence of the Falling Away
The most visible evidence that the church has departed from the faith is so-called ‘Contemplative Prayer’. It goes by many names including Contemplative Prayer, Centering Prayer, Meditative Prayer, Quiet Prayer, Breath Prayers and I am sure there are other names intended to mask its true identity. Regardless of the name, the philosophy is the same. The prayer teaches you to put your mind in neutral. It is based on the Buddhist philosophy of meditation. In fact, one of the founders of the Contemplative Prayer movement was Thomas Merton, a Catholic priest who stated clearly, “I want to become the best Buddhist I can”.
What is Contemplative Prayer?
In this portion of the study I will be looking at the teachings and quotes from specific teachers. In this age of tolerance, one thing that is not tolerated is questioning the doctrine of teachers. In the past, I have received emails criticizing me for quoting teachers by name; however, this is not an unbiblical practice. Four times in Paul’s writings he criticized false teachers and publicly called them out by name. If a teacher is not ashamed to endorse a pagan doctrine, they should not be ashamed to be quoted. Even so, it is necessary to be specific in this type of message because we are sounding the alarm to warn others. If you are ignorant of who is teaching these doctrines, you cannot avoid them and cannot effectively warn others.
Contemplative prayer is a ‘Christianized’ form of Eastern meditation. It has been practiced in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other New Age circles for centuries but has never been accepted into Bible believing Christian churches until the last few years. The endorsement of big named evangelical teachers has given new life to this old pagan practice in our Western culture. I will show its coalition with Eastern practices shortly. This New Age practice has been introduced and widely accepted in conservative Christian circles through a newly released DVD called ‘Be Still’. This DVD has been cast and produced by popular Christian and non-Christian ‘religious experts’ such as Peter Kreeft, Beth Moore, Dallas Willard, Max Lucado, Christian singer Ginny Owens and many others. According to the DVD advertisement, “It features interviews with Dr. Henry Cloud, Calvin Miller, Max Lucado, Priscilla Shirer, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Beth Moore, and many more.” Contemplative prayer has also been heavily endorsed by other popular preachers such as Rick Warren and David Jeremiah. David Jeremiah was once one of my favorite teachers, but he now quotes many New Age authors in his recent books and has integrated New Age beliefs into his doctrine.
All one has to do is look at the beliefs of some of the producers in order to get an idea of the purpose of this DVD. I will cover this shortly. First, let’s look at the explanation of contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer goes by many names including ‘breath prayers, breathed prayers, centering prayer, etc. The belief is that you cannot experience God without quiet meditation and bringing your mind to idleness. Richard Foster helped produce this DVD. Richard Foster is a member of the board of the ‘Living Spiritual Teacher’s Project’ which includes the Dalai Lama and other New Age gurus. These hand picked ‘masters’ can be found on the Spirituality Practices website at http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/teachers/index.php?pg=2. According to Richard Foster’s book Devotional Classics, he quotes Madame Guyon as a teacher of the contemplative meditation practice he endorses. In Foster’s book, this method is taught:
[M]ake use of scripture to quiet your mind. First read a passage of scripture. Once you sense the Lord’s presence, the content of what you read is no longer important. The scripture has served its purpose; it has quieted your mind; it has brought you to him. …You should always remember that you are not there to gain an understanding of what you have read; rather you are reading to turn your mind from the outward things to the deep parts of your being. You are not there to learn or to read, but you are there to experience the presence of your Lord!
This same practice is taught by John Main:
"Sit down.... Breathe calmly and regularly. Silently, interiorly, begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer-phrase “MA-RA-NA-THA”. Recite it as four syllables of equal length. Listen to it as you say it, gently but continuously. Do not think or image anything spiritual or otherwise. If thoughts and images come, these are distractions at the time of meditation, so keep returning to simply saying the word. Meditate each morning and evening for between twenty and thirty minutes." from the teachings of John Main (a Benedictine monk).
Rick Warren teaches this same concept in chapter 10 of the ‘Purpose Driven Life’. Richard Foster, Rick Warren, John Main and the entire cast of the ‘Be Still’ DVD all agree that contemplative prayer is beneficial to the Christian and some such as Beth Moore state that it is impossible to know God without it. To show the New Age connection, I will show that the exact same method is taught on New Age sites. The Arasini Foundation teaches meditation in the following way:
Mantra
· Whether spoken or not, words and sounds have vibrations which can be conducive to meditation.
· Close your eyes and breathe deeply and regularly. Focus on a word or phrase which has meaning to you. It could be a mantra, a name, or a concept which has special power or significance.
· Repeat the word in your mind with each exhalation. When your mind wanders, gently return it to the word as it repeats with your breath.
Notice that the method is exactly the same as contemplative prayer but without the Christian terminology. Another New Age group called ‘Summum: Excerpt to the Open Mind’ teaches meditation the same way:
· If it becomes difficult to find the silence or rest with it, try repeating the word "om" (as in dome) in a natural repetition. Say the word silently within your mind. Feel the vibration of the word as you repeat it and immerse yourself in it. If you find yourself distracted with thoughts, slowly bring your attention back to the repetition of the word.
· Don't worry if you find yourself thinking a lot. This is normal. Over time, you will gain the ability to quiet yourself more and more. Like anything else, it just takes practice.
Brannon Manning’s work is found in almost every Christian bookstore and is quoted heavily by mainstream Christian teachers. Manning teaches contemplative prayer in his book, ‘Signature of Jesus’ this way:
- …the first step in faith is to
stop thinking about God at the time of prayer.
- The second step, ”without moving your lips, repeat the sacred word [or
phrase] inwardly, slowly, and often.”
- The third step concerns what to do when inevitable distractions come. The
answer is to simply return to listening to your sacred word. Gently return
your mind to your sacred word.
As you can hopefully see, the so-called Christian method of knowing God through contemplative prayer is absolutely identical to New Age transcendental meditation techniques. Now let’s look at the Bible’s teaching of prayer and see the difference. Look at Matthew 6:7-13
7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Contemplative prayer teachers instruct you not to think about God during your prayer time, but Jesus instructs us to make God the entire focus of our prayer life. The mainstream Christian teachers today are teaching people that in order to know God you must use ‘breath prayers’ or repetitious phrases in order to enter into the presence of the Lord; however, Jesus Himself stated that this is a practice of the heathen and SHOULD NOT be done by the Christian. The most influential Christian teachers today are teaching followers ‘don’t think about God’ in order to ‘come into the Lord’s presence’. They are teaching followers that they ‘do not need to gain understanding or think about the meaning of a scripture’ in order to ‘find a deeper faith’. How is this compatible with Christianity?
The meditative practices of the New Age and Eastern religions were common even in Jesus’ day. Jesus pointed to these practices and instructed His followers “do not be like them”. If Jesus said, “do not be like them”, why are all of our Christian leaders instructing the church to be like them? This is a direct challenge to the authority and commandments of Jesus Christ. You can practice contemplative prayer if you choose, but be aware that the presence you will experience will not be the Lord. In fact, look at the warnings the contemplative prayer experts give as proof. Richard Foster admits to this danger in his book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home.
I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as a supernatural guidance…. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on that, there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! … But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection.
Foster also states:
“At the outset I need to give a word of warning, a little like the warning labels on medicine bottles. Contemplative prayer is not for the novice. I do not say this about any other form of prayer…”
The first thing you should take notice of is Foster’s admission that the Bible does not speak on Contemplative Prayer. If this is not taught in the Bible, why is it being taught as if it is biblical? Second, what kind of prayer subjects us to both demons and God? That is impossible. If this practice opens us up to “spiritual beings [that] are definitely not in cooperation with God (demons)”, it cannot be of God.
Consider this word of warning from Carl Jung:
"One often hears and reads about the dangers of Yoga, particularly of the ill-reputed Kundalini Yoga. The deliberately induced psychotic state, which in certain unstable individuals might easily lead to a real psychosis, is a danger that needs to be taken very seriously indeed. These things really are dangerous and ought not to be meddled with in our typically Western way. It is a meddling with Fate, which strikes at the very roots of human existence and can let loose a flood of sufferings of which no sane person ever dreamed. These sufferings correspond to the hellish torments of the chönyid state..." C. G. Jung, The Tibetan book of the Dead *
You should also find it disturbing that many Christian authors and teachers quote Carl Jung even though he is open about his occultic practices. While Jung warned about one style of Yoga, the Eastern Religions warn that all forms of Eastern meditations run the risk of ‘Kundalini Arousal’. This is a psychotic disorder that develops suddenly in those who practice these meditations that can have the following symptoms:
· Burning heat or ice-cold currents moving up the spine, and in most cases, reaching the head.
· Sometimes a feeling of air bubbles or snake movement up through the body up to the head.
· Pains in varying locations throughout the body.
· Tension or stiffness in the neck, and headaches.
· Vibrations, unease, or cramps in legs and other parts of the body.
· Fast pulse and increased metabolism.
· Sensitivity to sound, light, smell, and the proximity of other people.
· Mystical/religious experiences, revelations, and/or cosmic glimpses.
· Parapsychological abilities. Light phenomena in or outside the body.
· Problems with finding the balance between strong sexual urges, and a wish to live in sublime purity.
· Persistent anxiety or anxiety attacks, due to lack of understanding of what is going on.
· Insomnia, manic high spirits or deep depression. Energy loss.
· Impaired concentration and memory.
Does this sound like a benefit for the Christian to ‘experience God’? Anyone can do a search on the internet for Kundalini arousal and find hundreds of sites warning about this phenomenon. I even found one sight where a team of psychologists researched this phenomenon and confirmed this was a real threat but could not explain why it happens. (More information can be found by searching ‘Kundalini Syndrom’ at The School of Humanistic Psychology, Transpersonal Psychology and Near Death Studies.) It was even confirmed that there have been a few cases where new apprentices have gone into complete insanity. Any discerning Christian should be able to conclude this is a demonic practice and possession is a real threat. This is why the Bible forewarns that in the last days, the church will turn from the faith and give heed to doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). By the admission of the producers of the ‘Be Still DVD’, demons are a threat to those who practice Contemplative Prayer yet it is never mentioned in the DVD they endorse and promote. In spite of this, well respected teachers like Beth Moore, Rick Warren, David Jeremiah and Chuck Swindoll continue to endorse this demonic practice.
We should all heed the stern warning of scripture found in 2 Peter 2:1-3
But there were also false prophets
among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will
secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them,
and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will
follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be
blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive
words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction
does not slumber.
…
15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray,
following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of
unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb
donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is
reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18 For when they speak
great swelling words of emptiness, they allure
through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually
escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise
them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person
is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if,
after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome,
the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For
it would have been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered to them.
In 2 Peter we are clearly warned to be on guard for this exact scenario the church is experiencing. The Bible foretells that teachers would forsake the right way and go astray. After forsaking the right way, they will then lure away those who ‘have actually escaped’ the world and lure them back into bondage. The great warning is that the latter bondage is worse than having never have known the truth. The one who turns aside and goes after the doctrines of demons has an end that is worse than if they had never known the truth.
Contemplative prayer is demon worship. It is the height of idolatry. You are taking the name of Christ and applying it to a practice that does not even resemble biblical Christianity. The very people who taught this practice to the church leaders also proclaim themselves to be the God Almighty. Their goal is to use meditation to link the entire world together in a divine connection that they believe will bring peace and enlightenment. Their stated goal is to go from being a creation back to becoming the creator. In New Age beliefs, we are all divine within and we must be enlightened through meditation and New Age practices in order to bring out our own divinity. The Word of Faith movement has been teaching its followers that they are little gods and on par with the Messiah for years. Now we see our mainstream Christian teachers taking the church as a whole into New Age mysticism from which the ‘man is god’ doctrine originates. The church has become so biblically dumbed down that very few people even see this as a threat.
The entire flawed concept of this DVD originates from one verse twisted into an unbiblical definition. This passage is Psalm 46:10
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Twisting or perverting the truth is exactly what Paul was talking about in Acts 20:30-31
30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Why were the apostles so concerned that they wept over the church as they issued the warnings to the flock? The Bible foretells that these wolves that will destroy the flock will rise up from among the church. Are you watching? Are you warning everyone with tears? It should grieve our hearts to see people going astray into destructive heresies. Like most flawed doctrines, only a phrase in a verse is used to form the doctrine. The entire purpose of this passage in Psalms is to recognize that God will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. The contemplative advocate will argue that this passage means to sit quietly and bring your mind to a sacred word so that you can be opened to experience God without the interference of the mind. If we look at this passage, the meaning should be self evident. Perhaps we would be better served if we look at the entire chapter in its context. Psalm 46:1-7
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
The Bible does indeed teach that we are to meditate; however, when we meditate it is always to think upon and gain understanding from the word of God or think upon the things God has done. Based on the highlighted phrases, what is the context of our command to be still? Is this chapter talking about meditation? Contemplative prayer? Clearing your mind of thoughts? It is quite the opposite. In fact, the word ‘selah’ means to stop and think upon what has been said. Twice in this short passage, the Psalmist states a fact and then instructs the reader to pause and think about the important comment that has just been made. The nations rage, trouble is present and the enemies are coming down like troubled waters. Yet what are we to do when we are about to be swallowed up by trouble? Be still. Know that He is God. If God is our refuge, what is there to fear? Let the nations rage and let them stream down like roaring streams of troubled water. I will rest safely knowing that God has the power to deliver me. Instead of panicking, I am commanded to stop, be still and think upon these things knowing that He alone is God and has command over all things.
The demonic religious practices of Contemplative Prayer have taken a passage that tells us to engage our minds and think upon the truth of scripture and they have flatly instructed us not to think about the meaning of scripture and not even attempt to learn anything from the Word (per Foster’s book I quoted from above). The Bible always instructs us to engage our minds. Meditation in scripture always instructs us to meditate on the word of God and consider His ways. Meditation in the New Age always instructs us to empty our minds and not to think but create an opportunity for a force outside of our mind to ‘enlighten’ the mind and give us mystical experiences. The scriptures always tell us to meditate (or think upon) these things, consider what has been said, consider His ways, and to be sober minded. Here is the Biblical model for meditation as taught in Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.
God never tells us to disengage our minds, but to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Obedience to Christ is always obedience to the word and obedience to the word is always through knowledge and understanding of the word (Proverbs 9:10). If you truly want to ‘be still and know He is God’, spend time in the word and then apply it to your life. When a problem arises, don’t lean to your own understanding but trust the Lord and stand firm in obedience. Then you truly will experience God and see His power (Proverbs 3:5).
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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