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Pervasive Occultism


TheSword

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However, the lost can't discern things spiritually. Christians should be able to have a better understanding of the dangers. Yet many Christians are being enticed into the occult without even realising it. They're getting involved in things like contemplative prayer, "Christian" yoga and suchlike. Contemplative prayer is just Hindu/Buddhist mysticism with another name. They think these things will get them "closer to God", but in reality such activities are exposing them to demonic spirits. Mysticism will likely be the main glue of ecumenism in the future, and I believe that contemplative prayer is a much greater occultic danger, for the Christian church at least, than better-known practices like fortune-telling or Ouija boards (although those should certainly be avoided like the plague!).

 

:goodpost:

 

Yes. Contemplative prayer/mysticism (so-called 'spiritual formation') is becoming huge in churches nowadays - and not just the liberal, gospel-less ones. It is pervading evangelical colleges at an alarming rate.  And no one, including in our churches, seems aware of it.  This one has me concerned, for if they don't know the danger, they can't see and guard against the danger.  If this is so far advanced in its flood into the evangelical churches, it must already be seeping into ours.

 

One website that I often go to for information on this is www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/.  I don't know what denomination the authors are (pretty sure it's a mom & pop affair) - they write a lot about problems in Calvary Chapel, so that might have been a prior association - but they're a good source of warning & information regarding occult infiltration and contemplative mysticism in churches. Sometimes I even see Way of Life articles that pull from information on Lighthouse Trails. :wink

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Occultism has been greatly popularised by Hollywood, and of course the Harry Potter books have done their part to entice people into it. A lot of people buy into the idea that it's "just harmless fun" and don't understand the real spiritual dangers involved with it.

 

However, the lost can't discern things spiritually. Christians should be able to have a better understanding of the dangers. Yet many Christians are being enticed into the occult without even realising it. They're getting involved in things like contemplative prayer, "Christian" yoga and suchlike. Contemplative prayer is just Hindu/Buddhist mysticism with another name. They think these things will get them "closer to God", but in reality such activities are exposing them to demonic spirits. Mysticism will likely be the main glue of ecumenism in the future, and I believe that contemplative prayer is a much greater occultic danger, for the Christian church at least, than better-known practices like fortune-telling or Ouija boards (although those should certainly be avoided like the plague!).

 

Contemplative prayer is actually a very good practice.  It is a practice where one removes the distractions in one's mind and focuses solely upon listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Our minds are easily distracted.  Many times when I pray, I find my mind wondering off topic and thinking about what I need to get done, and other things.  

 

Contemplative prayer does not replace active forms of prayer where we let our petitions be known to God, but supplements it.  There are times we are to pray actively, and other times when we are to sit and rest, removing distractions and listening or the voice of God.  This is not a practice of emptying the mind, as eastern meditation, but rather removing distractions and focusing upon how God is working in our lives.  Often times, our minds are captivated by other thoughts so that we do not notice how God is trying to work in our lives.  It is really an exercise in examining one's self to identify bad behaviors, habits, areas of disobedience to Christ, etc. and allow God to illuminate those areas.

 

It is posturing one's self to listen to God.  Yes, we are to actively pray, but if we do all of the talking, we will never listen.  Sometimes we need to sit quietly and listen to God.

 

I compare it to Mary and Martha.  Much of the time, our minds are like Martha, going from one thing to the next.  Those tasks are necessary and good, but sometimes we need to be like Mary.  Perhaps we pick a scripture and focus upon it, removing all other distractions from our minds, and listening what God's spirit is trying to say to us.

 

So, contemplative prayer is very useful and good.  I understand that some people misunderstand what it is, but it is a very good practice. It is being led by the still waters to allow God to restore our soul.  :-)

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Question: "What is contemplative prayer?"

Answer:
It is important to first define “contemplative prayer.” Contemplative prayer is not just “contemplating while you pray.” The Bible instructs us to pray with our minds (1 Corinthians 14:15), so, clearly, prayer does involve contemplation. However, praying with your mind is not what “contemplative prayer” has come to mean. Contemplative prayer has slowly increased in practice and popularity along with the rise of the emerging church movement—a movement which embraces many unscriptural ideas and practices. Contemplative prayer is one such practice.

Contemplative prayer begins with “centering prayer,” a meditative practice where the practitioner focuses on a word and repeats that word over and over for the duration of the exercise. The purpose is to clear one’s mind of outside concerns so that God’s voice may be more easily heard. After the centering prayer, the practitioner is to sit still, listen for direct guidance from God, and feel His presence.

Although this might sound like an innocent exercise, this type of prayer has no scriptural support whatsoever. In fact, it is just the opposite of how prayer is defined in the Bible. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:23-24). These verses and others clearly portray prayer as being comprehendible communication with God, not an esoteric, mystical meditation.

Contemplative prayer, by design, focuses on having a mystical experience with God. Mysticism, however, is purely subjective, and does not rely upon truth or fact. Yet the Word of God has been given to us for the very purpose of basing our faith, and our lives, on Truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What we know about God is based on fact; trusting in experiential knowledge over the biblical record takes a person outside of the standard that is the Bible.

Contemplative prayer is no different than the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults. Its most vocal supporters embrace an open spirituality among adherents from all religions, promoting the idea that salvation is gained by many paths, even though Christ Himself stated that salvation comes only through Him (John 14:6). Contemplative prayer, as practiced in the modern prayer movement, is in opposition to biblical Christianity and should definitely be avoided.


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/contemplative-prayer.html#ixzz2a4jqm4nR

 

 

Definition of Contemplative Spirituality: a belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is often wrapped in Christian terminology; the premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all).

 

by Ray Yungen

It was Alice Bailey (the famous occult prophetess who coined the term New Age), who made this startling assertion:

It is, of course, easy to find many passages which link the way of the Christian Knower with that of his brother in the East. They bear witness to the same efficacy of method.

What did she mean by the term “Christian Knower”? The answer is unmistakable! … [O]ccultism is awakening the mystical faculties to see God in everything. In Hinduism, this is called reaching samadhi or enlightenment. It is the final objective of yoga meditation: God in everything – a force or power flowing through all that exists. William Johnston believes such an experience exists within the context of Christianity. He explains:

What I can safely say, however, is that there is a Christian samadhi that has always occupied an honored place in the spirituality of the West. This, I believe, is the thing that is nearest to Zen. It is this that I have called Christian Zen.

The famous psychologist Carl Jung predicted this system would be the yoga of the west. Christian Zen? Christian yoga? These seem to be oxymorons, like military pacifism or alcoholic sobriety. Christians, conservative ones at least, have always viewed these concepts as heretical and anti-biblical. The word most commonly used for it is pantheism – all is God. But when one looks at the Christian Zen movement one discovers a similar term, which for all practical purposes, means the same thing. This term is called panentheism?God is in all things….

[Does] panentheism have a legitimate place in orthodox Christianity? This is a vital question because panentheism is the foundational worldview among those who engage in mystical prayer. Ken Kaisch, a Episcopal priest and a teacher of mystical prayer, made this very clear in his book, Finding God, where he noted:

Meditation is a process through which we quiet the mind and the emotions and enter directly into the experience of the Divine…. there is a deep connection between us … God is in each of us.

Here lies the core of panentheism: God is in everything and everything is in God. The only difference between pantheism and panentheism is how God is in everything. This position of the panentheist is challenging to understand: Your outer personality is not God, but God is still in you as your true identity. This explains why mystics say, all is one. At the mystical level, they experience this God-force that seems to flow through everything and everybody. All creation has God in it as a living, vital presence. It is just hidden.

The theological implications of this worldview put it at direct odds with biblical Christianity for obvious reasons. Only one true God exists, and His identity is not in everyone. The fullness of God?s identity, in bodily form, rests in Jesus Christ and Him only!

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

"Contemplative consciousness," says [Thomas] Merton, is "a trans-cultural, trans-religious, trans-formed consciousness … it can shine through this or that system, religious or irreligious"

 

No. I would say contemplative prayer is not good.  Nor is it the meditation the Bible instructs for us to do - true meditation does NOT find one's true self first.

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Contemplative prayer is actually a very good practice.  It is a practice where one removes the distractions in one's mind and focuses solely upon listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Our minds are easily distracted.  Many times when I pray, I find my mind wondering off topic and thinking about what I need to get done, and other things.  

 

Contemplative prayer does not replace active forms of prayer where we let our petitions be known to God, but supplements it.  There are times we are to pray actively, and other times when we are to sit and rest, removing distractions and listening or the voice of God.  This is not a practice of emptying the mind, as eastern meditation, but rather removing distractions and focusing upon how God is working in our lives.  Often times, our minds are captivated by other thoughts so that we do not notice how God is trying to work in our lives.  It is really an exercise in examining one's self to identify bad behaviors, habits, areas of disobedience to Christ, etc. and allow God to illuminate those areas.

 

It is posturing one's self to listen to God.  Yes, we are to actively pray, but if we do all of the talking, we will never listen.  Sometimes we need to sit quietly and listen to God.

 

I compare it to Mary and Martha.  Much of the time, our minds are like Martha, going from one thing to the next.  Those tasks are necessary and good, but sometimes we need to be like Mary.  Perhaps we pick a scripture and focus upon it, removing all other distractions from our minds, and listening what God's spirit is trying to say to us.

 

So, contemplative prayer is very useful and good.  I understand that some people misunderstand what it is, but it is a very good practice. It is being led by the still waters to allow God to restore our soul.  :-)

 

Oh, no, KoB, it is not useful and good. It is a 'christianization' of Hindu practices, and it is terribly, terribly dangerous.  You said that CP isn't emptying the mind - perhaps you have been taught a misleading definition, because that is what true CP seeks to do. Contemplative prayer as it is taught isn't thinking about Scripture - filling our minds with it, as we are instructed. It seeks to boil it down to a one-word or phrase mantra that produces the same effect as Hindu or New Age 'meditation'. When you read the descriptions of the mental and physical effects of CP as it is taught by so-called 'christian' leaders, the effects are eerily similar to that of the kundalini energy of Hinduism and the New Age.  For those that are unsaved, it will open the mind to demon oppression and possession.

 

We disagree on a lot of things, you and I, and many of them (guns, etc.) are really of no eternal merit. This is. This is scarily dangerous.  Please, take a look at what HappyChristian copied above, and take a look through the Lighthouse Trails site I queried. You won't like most of it, but please consider its warning. This is not a practice you want to be involved with.

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Oh, no, KoB, it is not useful and good. It is a 'christianization' of Hindu practices, and it is terribly, terribly dangerous.  You said that CP isn't emptying the mind - perhaps you have been taught a misleading definition, because that is what true CP seeks to do. Contemplative prayer as it is taught isn't thinking about Scripture - filling our minds with it, as we are instructed. It seeks to boil it down to a one-word or phrase mantra that produces the same effect as Hindu or New Age 'meditation'. When you read the descriptions of the mental and physical effects of CP as it is taught by so-called 'christian' leaders, the effects are eerily similar to that of the kundalini energy of Hinduism and the New Age.  For those that are unsaved, it will open the mind to demon oppression and possession.

 

We disagree on a lot of things, you and I, and many of them (guns, etc.) are really of no eternal merit. This is. This is scarily dangerous.  Please, take a look at what HappyChristian copied above, and take a look through the Lighthouse Trails site I queried. You won't like most of it, but please consider its warning. This is not a practice you want to be involved with.

 

It is something that I have found great meaning in.  Thomas Merton has written much on the topic, and I find much of it to have deep meaning.  It is really reflection on who we are, what our flaws are, and how God is speaking to us to change us.  Here is one of my favorite passages on the topic by Thomas Merton

 

"Our desire and our prayer should be summed up in St. Augustine's words: Noverin te, noverim
me. We wish to gain a true evaluation of ourselves and of the world so as to understand the
meaning of our life as children of God redeemed from sin and death. We wish to gain a true loving
knowledge of God, our Father and Redeemer. We wish to lose ourselves in his love and rest in
him. We wish to hear his word and respond to it with our whole being. We wish to know his
merciful will and submit to it in its totality. These are the aims and goals of medatatio and oratio. 
This preparation for prayer can be prolonged by the slow, "sapiential" and loving recitation of a
favorite psalm, dwelling on the deep sense of the words for us here and now.
 In the language of the monastic fathers, all prayer, reading and meditation, and all the
activities of the monastic life are aimed at purity of heart, an unconditional and totally humble
surrender to God, a total acceptance of ourselves and of our situation as willed by him. It means
the renunciation of all deluded images of ourselves, all exaggerated estimates of our own
capacities, in order to obey God's will as it comes to us in the difficult demands of life in its
exacting truth. Purity of heart is then correlative to a new spiritual identity - the “self” as
recognized in the context of realities willed by God-Purity of heart is the enlightened awareness of
the new man, as opposed to the complex and perhaps rather disreputable fantasies of the "old
man."
 
Now, I am not trying to say everyone should practice it.  I am just saying that it is not related to HIndu or Buddhist practices, though it has been misunderstood as such (understandably so).  It comes from practices in the very early Christian church.  As I practice it, I usually recite a Psalm or passage of Scripture. The practice eliminates other distracting thoughts, and then I focus solely upon the scripture at hand.  Once my mind is at rest, I then move on to examining myself and try to listen what God is saying to me about what I need to change.  Oftentimes, this uncovers things and areas of sin that I was unaware of, such as a bad attitutde, or a seed of bitterness.
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It is something that I have found great meaning in.  Thomas Merton has written much on the topic, and I find much of it to have deep meaning.  It is really reflection on who we are, what our flaws are, and how God is speaking to us to change us.  Here is one of my favorite passages on the topic by Thomas Merton

 

 

This Thomas Merton?

 

Quotes by Thomas Merton:

“I’m deeply impregnated with Sufism.” (Merton, The Springs of Contemplation, p. 266)

“And I believe that by openness to Buddhism, to Hinduism, and to these great Asian traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own traditions, because they have gone, from the natural point of view, so much deeper into this than we have.” (Quote by Merton from the book, Lost Christianity by Jacob Needleman)

“Isn’t it a pity that people are going into LSD to have spiritual experiences, when we have a tradition in the Church [contemplative prayer] which no one knows anything about?” (Interview in which Matthew Fox quoted Merton).

“It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, … now I realize what we all are …. If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are …I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other … At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth … This little point …is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody.” (Merton,Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander -1989 edition, 157-158)

“I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity … I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can.” (Merton in David Steindl-Rast’s “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” – Monastic Studies, 7:10, 1969)

"It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, ... now I realize what we all are .... If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are ...I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other ... At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth ... This little point ...is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody." 
(Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1989 edition, 157-158)

 

 

KoB, the early Christian church that you are referring to is the early Catholic church. The mystics that practiced it were heretics even by their standards! (Wow, never thought I'd be agreeing with the Catholic church on anything.) They came out of a church full of false doctrine, and in their attempt to find a satisfying spiritual truth, traveled into spiritualism.  Poor people!  I say that CP is exactly the same as Hindu & New Age practices because those are easily identifiable, false practices of today. Did the CP of yesteryear originate from those traditions? Perhaps it did, perhaps it didn't. Whether you can clearly trace its cultic 'christian' origins to eastern religious teachers or not is immaterial. In practice and conclusion it is clearly in agreement with those religions, and we can know its true origin, which it does share with those other traditions:

 

 

"...the devil...was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

 

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools... Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."  (Rom. 1:21-22, 25)

 

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Col. 2:8)

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This Thomas Merton?

 

Quotes by Thomas Merton:

“I’m deeply impregnated with Sufism.” (Merton, The Springs of Contemplation, p. 266)

“And I believe that by openness to Buddhism, to Hinduism, and to these great Asian traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own traditions, because they have gone, from the natural point of view, so much deeper into this than we have.” (Quote by Merton from the book, Lost Christianity by Jacob Needleman)

“Isn’t it a pity that people are going into LSD to have spiritual experiences, when we have a tradition in the Church [contemplative prayer] which no one knows anything about?” (Interview in which Matthew Fox quoted Merton).

“It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, … now I realize what we all are …. If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are …I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other … At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth … This little point …is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody.” (Merton,Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander -1989 edition, 157-158)

“I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity … I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can.” (Merton in David Steindl-Rast’s “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” – Monastic Studies, 7:10, 1969)

"It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, ... now I realize what we all are .... If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are ...I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other ... At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth ... This little point ...is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody." 
(Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1989 edition, 157-158)

 

 

KoB, the early Christian church that you are referring to is the early Catholic church. The mystics that practiced it were heretics even by their standards! (Wow, never thought I'd be agreeing with the Catholic church on anything.) They came out of a church full of false doctrine, and in their attempt to find a satisfying spiritual truth, traveled into spiritualism.  I say that CP is exactly the same as Hindu & New Age practices because those are easily identifiable, false practices of today. Did the CP of yesteryear originate from those traditions? Perhaps it did, perhaps it didn't. Whether you can clearly trace its cultic 'christian' origins to eastern religious teachers or not is immaterial. In practice and conclusion it is clearly in agreement with those religions, and we can know its true origin, which it does share with those other traditions:

 

 

"...the devil...was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

 

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools... Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."  (Rom. 1:21-22, 25)

 

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Col. 2:8)

Good stuff-right to the meat of the matter. Let his own words condemn him, and perhaps warn a brother away from the precipice.

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Most people see nothing wrong with reading their daily horoscope either. But little doors open bigger doors for the devil to get in! All the shows on TV now are about going to supposed "haunted houses". It's so easy for people to accept all that evil but impossible to believe in an Almighty God!

 

Most people see nothing wrong because these unscriptural things are allowed to slip in small doses at first then grow larger and larger and before one knows it they have started accepting things which are clearly unscriptural.  Many are drinking the kool-aid today without realizing it.

 

But God- He is waiting for the "whosever's" and "prodigal" sons to wake up and come to Him.  Honestly, though, I believe He must be nearing the end of His holy patience.

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Occultism has been greatly popularised by Hollywood, and of course the Harry Potter books have done their part to entice people into it. A lot of people buy into the idea that it's "just harmless fun" and don't understand the real spiritual dangers involved with it.

 

However, the lost can't discern things spiritually. Christians should be able to have a better understanding of the dangers. Yet many Christians are being enticed into the occult without even realising it. They're getting involved in things like contemplative prayer, "Christian" yoga and suchlike. Contemplative prayer is just Hindu/Buddhist mysticism with another name. They think these things will get them "closer to God", but in reality such activities are exposing them to demonic spirits. Mysticism will likely be the main glue of ecumenism in the future, and I believe that contemplative prayer is a much greater occultic danger, for the Christian church at least, than better-known practices like fortune-telling or Ouija boards (although those should certainly be avoided like the plague!).

 

My wife went to physical therapy after her recent back surgery, & while there she talked to one of our Mennonite women neighbors. She was going there to practice of all things, Yoga. We were totally shocked.

 

People who claim to be professors of Jesus Christ surely can make us wonder if they have only given lip service when they practice, dabble with, so many things that goes directly against the teachings of Jesus Christ. For as you say they should have the ability to discern right from wrong & follow Jesus closely yet they are not while running their testimony.

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It is largely thanks to Lighthouse Trails that I have learned about the dangers of contemplative prayer and spiritual formation. In particular, Ray Yungen's book A Time of Departing, which they publish, is a real eye-opener. Roger Oakland also covers contemplative prayer and mysticism in Faith Undone, although that's more about the emerging church (but mysticism is pretty prevalent in that). In addition to those books, there are also many articles published regularly about these subjects and others.

 

I am convinced beyond any doubt that no born-again child of God should have anything to do with contemplative prayer or spiritual formation. These practices should be avoided every bit as much as witchcraft, Ouija boards, astrology, necromancy and other such abominations. They do not bring you closer to God, but rather bring you into the realm of devils. The Bible commands us not to learn the way of the heathen or try to worship God in the same manner that pagans do. Many of the most prominent proponents of contemplative prayer have developed New Age worldviews over the course of time. That is the fruit of messing around with such a spiritually dangerous practice. It has become a trap for many already, and I fear that many more, even in independent Baptist circles, will be ensnared by it. Let those with ears to hear please heed the warning and stay away from this stuff! And if you're involved in it, please repent and get out of it before it traps you completely in deep spiritual bondage!

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It is largely thanks to Lighthouse Trails that I have learned about the dangers of contemplative prayer and spiritual formation. In particular, Ray Yungen's book A Time of Departing, which they publish, is a real eye-opener. Roger Oakland also covers contemplative prayer and mysticism in Faith Undone, although that's more about the emerging church (but mysticism is pretty prevalent in that). In addition to those books, there are also many articles published regularly about these subjects and others.

 

I am convinced beyond any doubt that no born-again child of God should have anything to do with contemplative prayer or spiritual formation. These practices should be avoided every bit as much as witchcraft, Ouija boards, astrology, necromancy and other such abominations. They do not bring you closer to God, but rather bring you into the realm of devils. The Bible commands us not to learn the way of the heathen or try to worship God in the same manner that pagans do. Many of the most prominent proponents of contemplative prayer have developed New Age worldviews over the course of time. That is the fruit of messing around with such a spiritually dangerous practice. It has become a trap for many already, and I fear that many more, even in independent Baptist circles, will be ensnared by it. Let those with ears to hear please heed the warning and stay away from this stuff! And if you're involved in it, please repent and get out of it before it traps you completely in deep spiritual bondage!

Have we meet before KiwiChristian on a different forum/website ?

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Immediately tossing in the trash or burning all things connected to these matters, even the "innocent" things some folks try to keep like "charms" or "crystals".

I was involved in the occult for many years, and I can assure anyone that there is no such thing is innocently dabbling with the devices of Satan, nor can you hang on to little trinkets from such a lifestyle and be at peace. Horoscopes, seances, Ouija boards, "ghost" hunting, Tarot cards, color magic (using certain colors to gain what you want, like people who think wearing green to a job interview will land them the job), superstition, herbal sachets, burning colored candles, astrology, numerology, Yoga, having Buddha statues in the home, mandalas, meditation (except on the things of God), "dream boards", chanting mantras, chakra therapy -  all of it is of the devil and none of it is safe for anyone, let alone Christians, to meddle with.

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I was involved in the occult for many years, and I can assure anyone that there is no such thing is innocently dabbling with the devices of Satan, nor can you hang on to little trinkets from such a lifestyle and be at peace. Horoscopes, seances, Ouija boards, "ghost" hunting, Tarot cards, color magic (using certain colors to gain what you want, like people who think wearing green to a job interview will land them the job), superstition, herbal sachets, burning colored candles, astrology, numerology, Yoga, having Buddha statues in the home, mandalas, meditation (except on the things of God), "dream boards", chanting mantras, chakra therapy -  all of it is of the devil and none of it is safe for anyone, let alone Christians, to meddle with.

Too many fall into the trap of trying to mix a "little" of that stuff with their Christianity, thinking they can get the best of both. They don't understand what they are messing with. They rely upon their "good luck" necklace rather than trusting God, but don't even see the problem.

 

Playing with a small rattle snake may seem safe since it's not as big as the others, but it's still dangerous and eventually that snake is going to strike. The same is true with keeping just a "little" of the occult at hand.

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