Contemplative Spirituality: The Lie
Did all the significant Christians in the past 2000 years get it wrong? Were they all ignorant of the true path to God? Did the Apostle Paul (who wrote over two thirds of the New Testament) get it wrong? Has God revealed His true Gospel to only individuals in this generation? Are pagans, Muslims, and all other religions right while biblical Christianity is wrong? If you answered “no” to these questions then you are probably not associated with the Emergent Church and its Contemplative Spirituality. You have probably realized that sudden radical departures from historical (biblical) Christianity in the last days is not of God. If you are sober, vigilant, and otherwise alert, you are very cautious of new revelations, and especially of individuals that are cavalier and even contemptuous about time-honored biblical truth. Count it a blessing that you no longer fit in and appear to be associated with a shrinking minority.
The fact is that Christianity has been invaded by heretics that are intent on morphing it into hybrid paganism. To accomplish this goal, they are perverting the Gospel of Christ Jesus and substituting a deadly false gospel in its place. The Apostle Paul warned us about this error (Galatians 1:6-9). Sadly, in the case of Contemplative Spirituality, participants are willfully opening themselves to extremely dangerous deception. It appears to be the final battle for truth. Everything in what was once considered a sound and biblical Christian belief system is being challenged by proponents of Contemplative Spirituality. I am amazed at the number of people that are eagerly drinking the poisoned elixir with apparently no consideration for the word of God or the radical departure from scriptural norms.
God’s word declares that individuals falling into the final deception may not be delivered.
“And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2Thessalonians 2”11-12 NKJV)
Additionally, in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, God calls the great and final deception “the lie”. It would be impossible for “the lie” to gain traction in Christianity unless people reject love for truth. “The lie” is old one spanning back to the creation of man. Satan became lifted up with pride and declared that he would be like God and exalt himself above God.
”For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
4 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13-14 NKJV)
Contemplative Spirituality leads one to believe that he or she partakes of the “Christ consciousness”, and thus becomes a christ. This is the same as believing that one is a god, or more insidious, that one is God Almighty. Instead of humbling themselves before God, Contemplative individuals exalt themselves. They do not come to God for salvation or truth; they claim to source it from within themselves. Contrary to every biblical pattern, the insist that one can “meditate” his or her way into intimacy with God. We expect this heresy from New Age, paganism, Mormonism, and other false religions, but not from professing Christians.
Contemplative Spirituality includes a form of so-called prayer that leads the participant into an altered state of consciousness. It is not contemplative since the mind must be vacated of all thoughts during the process. One has to think to contemplate. It is not simply a matter of being quiet before the Lord. Contemplative mystics are quick to quote the scripture, “Be still and know that I am God.” However, the Psalmist does not say to create a vacuum in one’s mind, but to “know that I am God”. Knowledge requires thought. Prayer also requires thought. Contemplative Prayer is nothing more than a form of mantra meditation called Transcendental Meditation. It is closely related to the Hindu practice of Yoga, which purpose has been defined as “the cessation of the perturbations of consciousness”.
While researching the New Age similarities to the Christianized form of Contemplative Spirituality, I discovered a number of references to the same practice in the New Age movement. One book, “Becoming God”, written by a man who calls himself Ford, is advertised as “A scientific guide to transcending consciousness and spiritual enlightenment.” The book is typical of other books that I have perused on the subject. Transcending consciousness is the end result of Contemplative Prayer. Contemplative spiritual directors (gurus) insist that a mystical world waits just beyond the realm of consciousness. However, if Satan successfully takes control of an individual, he must first compromise their discernment and will. All the efforts of Satan, including his vast and multitudinous plans, are to gain access to the control room, which is the mind. Contemplative Prayer empties the mind. God’s word describes how easily it is for Satan to occupy the control room of a former subject when he finds it vacant (empty).
Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. (Matthew 12:44 NKJV)
Another book entitled “Becoming God: The Path of the Christian Mystic”, by Elizabeth Prophet, includes the following description.
“Mystics are those who seek a direct experience of the Presence of God. Mysticism is not exclusive to Christianity. It is the vital, animating element at the heart of every religion. The spiritual marriage, the mystics tell us, is not merely a conforming to the ways and will of God but a total transforming of the soul into God. And this is the heart of the teaching that you only whisper: The soul that is transformed into God is God.”
The “transforming of the soul into God” is at the heart of Contemplative Spirituality. Ruth Haley Barton, spiritual director and head of the Transformation Center, is involved in transforming individuals through Contemplative Prayer. Professing Christians who are involved are not being taught to develop Christ-likeness by God’s word and the Holy Spirit. Instead, they are taught that they need Contemplative Prayer to become victorious Christians. Whether she actually verbalizes it or not, participants will eventually learn that they can become a christ and consequently, God. In numerous venues across our nation professing Christians are gradually being merged with the New Age Movement and all other false religions. When Satan captures a professing Christian whose mind has willfully become vacant, he or she becomes much worse than before becoming a Christian.
Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:45 NKJV)
One can see the flow of government, culture, and religion toward a convergence point. Satan has already captured the souls of people in the world system. The most vicious of these three sectors will be composed of former professing Christians that have become demon possessed. When the point of convergence is reached, the world will be ripe for the Antichrist and False Prophet to manifest and take control of their kingdom. There is no doubt that what facilitates this great evil is the decision by professing Christians to reject love for truth. Some of them are enamored by heretical but charismatic individuals, drunk on the world spirit, or allure of (and obsession with) fun, pleasure, and entertainment. Other ones are distracted and incrementally deceived because they have failed to gain knowledge and remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Now they are caught in the great vortex of the final apostasy. Satan used “the lie” to lure a third of the innumerable angels to follow him into a rebellion against God. Once again “the lie” is luring multitudes of people who ought to know better into another massive rebellion.
Guard your hearts and minds! This is a time of great darkness! Multitudes have gone the wrong way, followed a strange path, and are headed to eternal doom. Don’t become a casualty. There is still victory in Jesus Christ, the only and true Savior.
When my old church emerged…I headed for the exit. You cannot show truth to those who don’t want to see. Calmly and quietly leave.no amount of arguing will turn them around. Sadly they think they have something new, something more, a new reformation, a new way of doing church. There is nothing new under the sun. I think it was spurgeon who once said things that are new are seldom true and things that are true are seldom new.