Are These Mystic Practices OK?

[dugger]

I LOVE to give people bibles. I want to be guilty of giving many people the WORD of GOD. I give bibles to whoever will accept them. I like to keep some extra on hand at all times for that very purpose. If it only helped one enter the kingdom...all the effort expended would be worthwhile. I do seek the soul winners crown. Hope I am worthy.

We would love to donate our blessings to you that this forum sets up, but don't know how yet.

There is a group that takes the Bible and condences it and gives these scripture booklets to those who will distribute them. Their goal is between 6 and 9 million copies per month at no charge to street evangelists and missionaries. Go to www.wmpress.org to find out more-Praise GOD for all the saints that preach (publish) The Gospel...!

 

[nChrist]

Amen! God used a Gideon's NT Bible to save me. Nothing else. That's why I became a Gideon.

May God richly bless you and your ministry, and I know in my heart that He Will. I've known Gideons most of my life and love what they do. I also love to hear about the success stories of how mightily God uses His Word. I have a special place in my heart and prayers for the Gideons.

 

[VCViking]

You cannot separate Yoga from Hinduism. In fact Yoga IS Hinduism, and Hinduism IS Yoga. I can't post links yet, but do some research at Lighthouse Trails Research, Christian Answers for the New Age, and consider reading the following books: Out of India by [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Caryl Matrisciana, Yoga and the Body of Christ by Dave Hunt, and [/SIZE][/FONT]A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen. You might also want to check out the video, Yoga Uncoiled - from East to West. All of these can be purchased at Lighthouse Trails Research.

A Christian practicing Yoga is like a Hindu taking Communion. They are diametrically apposed.

Amen!

 

[VCViking]

May God richly bless you and your ministry, and I know in my heart that He Will. I've known Gideons most of my life and love what they do. I also love to hear about the success stories of how mightily God uses His Word. I have a special place in my heart and prayers for the Gideons.

Thank you brother.

 

[Test All Things2]

I just started reading Yoga and the Body of Christ by Dave Hunt. Eye opening right from the start. It is too bad so many christians are failing at spiritual discernment these days. I guess this is a shortcoming in the teachings coming from churches?

Whether your church teaches it or not are we not still responsible as individual christians to discern things like this anyway?

Yoga is a major Hindu evangelization project according to this book I am reading (Yoga and the Body of Christ) and almost everbody has no knowledge of that at all. Masses of people being slowly endoctrinated into Hinduism without any realization of it whatsoever (even within Christian churches).

What an revealing expose on the incredibly growing practice of Yoga by americans. I highly recommend all discerning Christians to read this book. Makes you aware of how real the "great apostasy" is in our world right now.

The Love of many has grown cold as it was prophesied thousands of years ago.

So many being unknowingly manipulated into the "antichrist system."

 

[gratefulgrace]

You cannot separate Yoga from Hinduism. In fact Yoga IS Hinduism, and Hinduism IS Yoga. I can't post links yet, but do some research at Lighthouse Trails Research, Christian Answers for the New Age, and consider reading the following books: Out of India by [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Caryl Matrisciana, Yoga and the Body of Christ by Dave Hunt, and [/SIZE][/FONT]A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen. You might also want to check out the video, Yoga Uncoiled - from East to West. All of these can be purchased at Lighthouse Trails Research.

A Christian practicing Yoga is like a Hindu taking Communion. They are diametrically apposed.

Keep posting thanks for the great information I will check this out. gg

 

[gratefulgrace]

Death of A Guru by Rabi Maharaj written in 1977 is an eye opener too. It is listed as source material for Dave Hunts book Yoga and the Body of Christ and was an awesome testimony. A worthy read for a Christian hoping to untangle all the pro Yoga rhetoric we hear now. gg

 

[Test All Things2]

gratefulgrace,

I read Death of a Guru almost four years ago, and I can still remember almost all of the book. A striking part was how he started becoming violent, and it seemed he wasn't a violent person by nature. Something that just developed through his practice of Yoga.

You are so right that if the naysayers woul take the time to read this book...they would almost certainly come away with a different oppinion about Yoga being spiritually benign. Hardly

There is another book I read concerning a man named Randall Baer. Called "Inside the New Age Nightmare" and is by a man who was a new age "guru" that practiced various forms of occultism. He was spiritually reformed much like the character in "Death of a Guru."

He actually ended up dead a couple of years after being converted in a mysterious and freak car accident. He really spilled the beans on the "New Age" movement though. His testimony is almost the same as Rabi Maharaj in the way they describe the subtle manner in which these practices start, but how they draw people deeper and deeper into ever spiritually perverse practices.

At some point the both end up total immersed in completely demonic rituals, and the demons make no bones about revealing themselves and their purposes once you are deeply committed to these practices.

These two men were saved only by turning to God and repenting completely from Yoga and like practices. Listen to what these men say.

Yoga is occultic period, and very dangerous!

 

[airō]

Keep posting thanks for the great information I will check this out. gg

You're quite welcome : ) Hopefully I will be able to post links soon and I will provide the resources for convenience.

 

[airō]

He really spilled the beans on the "New Age" movement though. His testimony is almost the same as Rabi Maharaj in the way they describe the subtle manner in which these practices start, but how they draw people deeper and deeper into ever spiritually perverse practices.

This is the crux of the matter. What we have here is a bridging of all religions and pagan practices through contemplative spirituality and mysticism. This "New Age" will be the culmination of the one world religion and Emergence Christianity is one of catalysts by which the one world religion will form. Important phrases to understand are:

• Soaking Prayer
• Noomas
• Celebration of Discipline
• Sacred Space
• Interspirituality
• Spiritual Direction
• Spiritual Formation
• Spiritual Disciplines
• Deconstruction
• Journey
• Missional
• Relevance
• Prayer Stations
• Contemplative Prayer (Centering Prayer)
• Lectio Divina
• Labyrinths
• Taize
• Stations of the Cross
• Ancient Wisdom
• Universalism
• Creative Visualization
• Ecstasy
• The Message
• Mantra
• Meditation
• Self-realization
• Pantheism
• Panentheism
• False Self
• Divination
• Cosmic Christ
• Christ Consciousness
• Guru
• Higher Self
• The Jesus Prayer
• Sacred Way
• Drumming
• Yoga
• Reiki
• Chakras
• Inner Light
• God within
• Experience God
• Breath Prayers
• The Silence
• Eucharist

Names and Leaders Associated with Emergence Christianity and Contemplative Spirituality and Mysticism:

• Richard Foster
• Youth Specialities
• Eugene Peterson
• Willow Creek Association
• Leonard Sweet
• Rob Bell
• Oprah Winfrey
• Tony Jones
• Shane Claiborne
• Tony Campola
• Rick Warren
• Henri Nowen
• Donald Miller
• Bill Hybels
• Teresa of Avila
• Dallas Willard
• Erwin McManus
• Brian McLaren
• Thomas Keating
• Marcus Borg
• Doug Pagitt
• Ken Blanchard
• Deepak Chopra
• Dan Kimball
• Leadership Network
• Brennan Manning
• Thomas Merton
• Desert Fathers
• Alice Bailey
• The Cloud of Unknowing

 

[dies-l]

This is the crux of the matter. What we have here is a bridging of all religions and pagan practices through contemplative spirituality and mysticism. This "New Age" will be the culmination of the one world religion and Emergence Christianity is one of catalysts by which the one world religion will form. Important phrases to understand are:

• Soaking Prayer
• Noomas
• Celebration of Discipline
• Sacred Space
• Interspirituality
• Spiritual Direction
• Spiritual Formation
• Spiritual Disciplines
• Deconstruction
• Journey
• Missional
• Relevance
• Prayer Stations
• Contemplative Prayer (Centering Prayer)
• Lectio Divina
• Labyrinths
• Taize
• Stations of the Cross
• Ancient Wisdom
• Universalism
• Creative Visualization
• Ecstasy
• The Message
• Mantra
• Meditation
• Self-realization
• Pantheism
• Panentheism
• False Self
• Divination
• Cosmic Christ
• Christ Consciousness
• Guru
• Higher Self
• The Jesus Prayer
• Sacred Way
• Drumming
• Yoga
• Reiki
• Chakras
• Inner Light
• God within
• Experience God
• Breath Prayers
• The Silence
• Eucharist

Names and Leaders Associated with Emergence Christianity and Contemplative Spirituality and Mysticism:

So basically any spiritual discipline other than reading the King James Version of the Bible and officially approved prayers?

• Richard Foster
• Youth Specialities
• Eugene Peterson
• Willow Creek Association
• Leonard Sweet
• Rob Bell
• Oprah Winfrey
• Tony Jones
• Shane Claiborne
• Tony Campola
• Rick Warren
• Henri Nowen
• Donald Miller
• Bill Hybels
• Teresa of Avila
• Dallas Willard
• Erwin McManus
• Brian McLaren
• Thomas Keating
• Marcus Borg
• Doug Pagitt
• Ken Blanchard
• Deepak Chopra
• Dan Kimball
• Leadership Network
• Brennan Manning
• Thomas Merton
• Desert Fathers
• Alice Bailey
• The Cloud of Unknowing

[/quote]

Who isn't on your list? Some of these names I agree with you on. Others, I don't agree, but I at least understand where you are coming from. But, seriously, Youth Specialties, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels?

 

[VCViking]

This is the crux of the matter. What we have here is a bridging of all religions and pagan practices through contemplative spirituality and mysticism. This "New Age" will be the culmination of the one world religion and Emergence Christianity is one of catalysts by which the one world religion will form. Important phrases to understand are:

• Soaking Prayer
• Noomas
• Celebration of Discipline
• Sacred Space
• Interspirituality
• Spiritual Direction
• Spiritual Formation
• Spiritual Disciplines
• Deconstruction
• Journey
• Missional
• Relevance
• Prayer Stations
• Contemplative Prayer (Centering Prayer)
• Lectio Divina
• Labyrinths
• Taize
• Stations of the Cross
• Ancient Wisdom
• Universalism
• Creative Visualization
• Ecstasy
• The Message
• Mantra
• Meditation
• Self-realization
• Pantheism
• Panentheism
• False Self
• Divination
• Cosmic Christ
• Christ Consciousness
• Guru
• Higher Self
• The Jesus Prayer
• Sacred Way
• Drumming
• Yoga
• Reiki
• Chakras
• Inner Light
• God within
• Experience God
• Breath Prayers
• The Silence
• Eucharist

Names and Leaders Associated with Emergence Christianity and Contemplative Spirituality and Mysticism:

• Richard Foster
• Youth Specialities
• Eugene Peterson
• Willow Creek Association
• Leonard Sweet
• Rob Bell
• Oprah Winfrey
• Tony Jones
• Shane Claiborne
• Tony Campola
• Rick Warren
• Henri Nowen
• Donald Miller
• Bill Hybels
• Teresa of Avila
• Dallas Willard
• Erwin McManus
• Brian McLaren
• Thomas Keating
• Marcus Borg
• Doug Pagitt
• Ken Blanchard
• Deepak Chopra
• Dan Kimball
• Leadership Network
• Brennan Manning
• Thomas Merton
• Desert Fathers
• Alice Bailey
• The Cloud of Unknowing

Great list. All are false teachers.

 

[airō]

So basically any spiritual discipline other than reading the King James Version of the Bible and officially approved prayers?

Not at all. I use 5 or 6 translations. And officially approved prayers are just as dead as these dead mystical prayers in my opinion. Which ones specifically are you objecting to in the list?

Who isn't on your list? Some of these names I agree with you on. Others, I don't agree, but I at least understand where you are coming from. But, seriously, Youth Specialties, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels?

As I cannot post links yet, I'd encourage you to go to Lighthouse Trails Research, Apprising Ministries, Understandingthetimes DOT org, and Fighting for the Faith to learn more about how PDL, WCA, and the Leadership Network are all responsible for the Emergent church, and more than that, how they are involved in promoting mystical contemplative practices that steer people away from the cross. These men teach a man-centered Gospel and they are in grave error. The information is out there, just do some objective research - those links are a great start. You might also want to check out the books Faith Undone by Roger Oakland and A Wonderful Deception by Warren Smith. Both are available at Lighthouse Trails.

 

[desmalia]

I've found Lighthouse Trails to be a tremendous help in understanding the emergent movement. I will say that perhaps they're a little over the top occasionally. But none the less the resources they provide are invaluable. Tim Challies in particular provides fantastic even-handed reviews on a variety of issues and books.

 

[VCViking]

These men teach a man-centered Gospel and they are in grave error.

Amen!

 

[Christos Anesti]

If new age or "emergent Church" people want to appropriate the Desert Fathers , the Eucharist, and lectio divina for themselves thats really their business but I think it would be dead wrong to label the Desert Fathers and those practices themselves as"new age". They also try to appropriate Christ for their purposes should we therefore label Christ "new age" ?

 

[dies-l]

Not at all. I use 5 or 6 translations.

Just for curiosity's sake, what translations do you generally use?

And officially approved prayers are just as dead as these dead mystical prayers in my opinion.

So, would you add "the Lords Prayer" to the list?

Which ones specifically are you objecting to in the list?

Sacred Space
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Formation
Spiritual Disciplines
Deconstruction
Journey
Missional
Prayer Stations
Labyrinths
Stations of the Cross
The Message
Meditation
The Jesus Prayer
Experience God
Eucharist

Honestly, some of the things on the list, I haven heard of. But, these are all things that I am reasonably familiar with and find nothing unbiblical about them (perhaps, I would agree with you on "the Eucharist", depending on your interpretation of the term). Many of these things are important elements of historical and orthodox (small o) Christianity. A couple of them even have associations with Fundamentalism for me ("Spiritual Formation" is taught at my wife's seminary, which is probably one of the most conservative accredited seminaries in the country would would probably be regarded by most Christians as "fundamentalist" -- really, in our area, her choices were very liberal or very conservative with no in between). Some of these concepts are taken straight from the pages of Scripture.

FTR, I am not trying to be argumentative here. I just want to understand where you are coming from. It is not often that I have opportunities to ask these types of questions to people whose views are so divergent from my own.

As I cannot post links yet, I'd encourage you to go to Lighthouse Trails Research, Apprising Ministries, Understandingthetimes DOT org, and Fighting for the Faith to learn more about how PDL, WCA, and the Leadership Network are all responsible for the Emergent church, and more than that, how they are involved in promoting mystical contemplative practices that steer people away from the cross. These men teach a man-centered Gospel and they are in grave error. The information is out there, just do some objective research - those links are a great start. You might also want to check out the books Faith Undone by Roger Oakland and A Wonderful Deception by Warren Smith. Both are available at Lighthouse Trails.

Most of these ministries, I am unfamiliar with, but I have read quite a bit from Apprising Ministries and found that I have radical disagreements with them. But, really, I am not interested in what these ministries have to say. I am curious about your opinion. I will grant to you that I can understand why some very conservative fundamentalists (would this be a fair description of your viewpoint?) might object to most of the people on the list, even some that I might happen to like. But, I find that people like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels are very much on the conservative end of Protestant orthodoxy and are viewed by many as fundamentalist. So, I am just curious, what specific teachings of theirs do you so strongly disagree with?

 

[gratefulgrace]

Yeah I think it is wrong to throw everything that is new in Chrisitan Expression into the new age basket. I actually found Celebration of Discipline to be a very encouraging and spiritually strengthening book although it has been years since I read it. It certainly did NOT lead me into the NEW AGE. I am sure the Reformation churches experienced the same kind of suspicion at their inception. I try not to lump people into camps so to speak but learn as i am lead by the Holy spirit and allow him to guide me into what is true to his word and work and to show me what is false and to be avoided. I agree with Deepak and Oprah on the list though and when I read Rob Bell I had some serious questions... gg

 

[VCViking]

But, I find that people like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels are very much on the conservative end of Protestant orthodoxy and are viewed by many as fundamentalist.

Not even close.

 

[dies-l]

Not even close.

What do they teach that is irreconcilable with fundamentalism?