Has Eastern Mysticism Entered the Church?

Still scary that Christians would look to eastern mysticism instead of to God.

At least the hippies of the 60's knew when they had found God that it was time to get rid of their evil past(s).

 

PS

America (& the world) needs a real revival and a return to worshiping GOD!

 

Contemplative Spirituality - The Latest 'christian' Craze

This is totally New Age and it is permeating the Body of Christ--even in conservative churches.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

This scripture is being fulfilled before our eyes.

​

 

I'm a bit suprised no one brought up this verse.

Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

I can understand how Contemplative prayer could lead someone into mysticism but I believe the Bible tells us to sometimes be quiet and seek God.

 

[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Definition of Contemplative Prayer: As it is expressed in a modern day movement is mystically (i.e. based on a technique or method) in which one empties the mind of thought through repetition, usually of a word or phrase or focus on the breath. In this case the silence would be an absence of thought, all thought.

[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Arial Rounded MT Bold, Arial Narrow][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The purpose of contemplative prayer is to enter an altered state of consciousness in order to find one's true self, thus finding God. This true self relates to the belief that man is basically good. Proponents of contemplative prayer teach that all human beings have a divine center and that all, not just born again believers, should practice contemplative prayer.

[/FONT][/FONT]http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/cp.htm
[FONT=Arial, Arial Rounded MT Bold, Arial Narrow][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Contemplative Prayer is NOT the same as being quiet before the Lord. This is almost like Yoga or TM or some other New Age meditation. It is NOT biblical meditation. CP (Contemplative Prayer) opens the door to demonic oppression and the occult.

Here's another site that explains the difference between Contemplative Prayer and Biblical prayer:

[/FONT][/FONT]http://www.earnestlycontend.com/cp.html

 

Prayer with Thanksgiving

THe scriptural form:
Prayer with Thanksgiving:

Col 4:2 (KJV1611 Edition):
Continue in prayer, and watch
in the same with thankesgiuing:

 

Exactly, we should be filling our minds/hearts with Him and His works and words...

NAS Psalm 119:148 My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Thy word.​

NKJ Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.​

KJV Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.​

KJV Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.​

"mystical" prayer consisting of emptying one's mind, followed by repetitive chanting is a form of auto-hypnosis which leaves one's mind open to all sorts of mischief.

HankD

 

Hank has zeroed in on the real problem. Pay heed to his words. Make no mistake, we are dealing with supernatural forces here and they are not of God.

Those who are not grounded in the Word can easily be deceived into thinking those forces are of God, and by the time these forces reveal their true nature, those who have opened themselves up to the forces are in deep trouble.

 

Before leaping the gun we should look at the 'whole' of Christian Tradition and not just what we see appears similiar 'in the west'.

See Hesychasm and Theosis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesychasm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosis

:jesus:

 

Why should we look at the 'whole' of Christian tradition and not the Scriptures? I checked out those two links and Hesychasm and Theosis according to Wikipedia has everything to do with the Eastern Orthodox Church and has NOTHING to do with what God has said in His Holy Word:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)

This stuff is pure Eastern Mysticism and it ALREADY has come west. Go to the first site that RevMitchell posted in his opening post. It is an excellent resource for what is going on in the Body of Christ. Contemplative Prayer and Contemplative Spirituality IS NOT Biblical and a born again believer should not be partaking of such.

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

 

Some how missed this one Reverend. I'm afraid I am not included in the word's Jesus spoke to His people. I am a Gentile dog just as He says, and He in no uncertain terms tells me He did not come for me in that dispensation.

There are so many people that are disappointed, and turn against God when they believe these words are spoken to we today. We are not made well by just asking Him. We are to look to whom He is speaking. All they had to do was ask and Jesus said He would do it for them, every time they asked. I've not seen or heard of any after Paul arrived in Rome able to heal the sick, be bitten by a poisonous snake with no effects, or send cloth to people and their diseases, and/or evil spirits left them. I'm not Catholic, or of other Pentecostal faiths.

Being a Gentile I go to my Apostle in such matters and I find “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”, Romans 8:26.

Heaven is silent today on such miraculous events when the Holy Spirit was available to the beck and call of those days of Pentecost. In this day of "grace" we cannot claim what is not promised us. We see how we are to ask today, in Romans 8: 27, "……….as it is according to Thy will, Lord”. We ask amiss when we believe all we have to just ask and He will hop to it. It worked in that day for His, but not so today.

 

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

You are either a mid-Acts or Acts 28 Hyper-dispensationalist. Hyper-dispensationalism is unbiblical--there is only ONE Gospel--the Gospel Paul preached is the same Gospel that Jesus, James, Peter, and John preached.

http://www.brethrenonline.org/books/ultrad.htm

 

I'm not sure what you are alluding to Linda64 in my post, for all I do is point out scripture understood, and it agrees with All Scripture in order not to contradict.

You pegged me right as a mid-Acts dispensationalist. Do we not have to be if we are in the "Body Church" on the gospel that Christ Jesus from heaven gave to Paul? When we stop at the "Kingdom Church" can that gospel of the "great commission", preached in Acts 2:38 justification possibly be what you write above in II Timothy 3:16-17. In observation I'll not call you any derogatory names, but notice you appear to be trying to build on Peter's foundation, and also Paul's.

Do you not consider all the Book of Acts and the Epistle's of Paul as Holy Scripture? I'll bet you and your church have in your doctrine some part of Paul's gospel. Have you not just reproved me with "Body Church" language of the gospel of Paul? In your righteousness I really cannot understand how you can correct me, when you say one thing, yet do not believe the gospel you quote.

All the bible from beginning to end is for us to understand, and to know what is written to us today, and what was written to others back there and up in front of us. To understand the Bible we must first find out who our Apostle is in this dispensation. James, Peter, John or any in the "Kingdom Church" never attempted to say they had a "dispensational" gospel to preach to the Gentile. His Word tells us they shook hands with Paul and Barnabas to not preach their gospel for the Jew to the Gentile.

For heavens sake, there are four (4) outstanding names here, so can't we take a few minutes and try to understand what was going on? I believe all involved were very sincere, understanding the actions of their words, and their binding action. Paul says He went up by revelation to have the Jerusalem church advise some of their overzealous members, called the "troublers , and/or Judaziers" to leave His Gentile alone, and not preach the "circumcision and keep the law" gospel. If we are going stay on Peter's foundation we need to believe the "circumcision gospel", and stay in that "Kingdom Church", or leave it and move to the "Body Church:".

In the "Kingdom Church" the believers are looking for that "kingdom to come", and that "kingdom" cannot come until after the "tribulation period". We in the "Body Church" look to the "Rapture" so the tribulation can come allowing the "Kingdom to Come".

Paul went up to Jerusalem by revelation, and James says the Holy Ghost gave them permission to make the agreement with the demands of Paul. The Holy Spirit sent Paul to Jerusalem on this matter, and the Holy Spirit had those in the Jewish Jerusalem church seal the agreement with a handshake with those from the Christian church at Antioch.