Christian Mysticism Goes Mainstream
By Brannon S. Howse
Many pro-family and Christian leaders of today are waging war on the secular world for its values and lifestyles, much of which stem from paganism. Ironically, many of these same leaders are either embracing pagan spirituality or embracing those who promote it.
As we discussed earlier, an abundance of today’s Christian and pro-family leaders have openly embraced the New Apostolic Reformation or Word of Faith movement which openly promote pagan spirituality, Gnosticism, or mysticism. My friend T.A. McMahon of the Berean Call asks and answers a very important question:
[quote] What can be done to stem the tide? Nothing that the Bible seems to indicate. On the other hand, God has given believers orders that appear to be designed more for a rescue operation than for a reversal of widespread apostasy. [end quote]
The falling away from biblically held truths is the apostasy of today predicted in the Word of God thousands of years ago. Our responsibility is to preach the Gospel to the lost, warn the Church of wolves inside the flock, and to rebuke ignorant sheep who feed on the spiritual poison served up by hirelings masquerading as shepherds.
Some of these evangelical and pro-family leaders about whom we must give warning are false converts. Others are simpletons that blindly go along with their unsaved colleagues. Together, these people are enemies of the cross. They make way for ecumenicalism, mysticism, moralizing, and, perhaps worst of all, the mainstreaming of these beliefs among otherwise well-meaning believers.
Taste and See What’s Wrong
Mystical practices that have gone mainstream in evangelical circles include:
● “Christian” yoga,
● Contemplative prayer,
● Soaking prayers or breath prayers (which are nothing less than transcendental meditation).
Many within “evangelical” churches embrace the idea of being a mystic Christian, which fosters the merger with pagan spirituality. Yoga, transcendental meditation, and walking an occultic labyrinth are becoming increasingly popular practices in both emergent and mainline churches. So much so that even secular media are taking notice. The September 14, 2008 issue of Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper featured an article entitled “Meditation Goes Mainstream,” which reported:
[quote] Joe Scott, 61, got hooked on meditation in yoga classes about 16 years ago. At the time, he was an opinionated workaholic who had a need to always be right. “I used to be a very angry, intense person,” says Scott, who works in the quality assurance department at HCA. Thirty minutes of meditation first thing in the morning completely changed his life, says Scott, who also meditates with members of Self Realization Fellowship in Berry Hill, which incorporates readings from the Bible and the Hindu holy book in their Sunday services. For Carolyn Goddard of Nashville, she was drawn to centering prayer, a form of contemplative prayer, to deepen her connection with God. A Colorado monk revived this ancient ritual of “resting in God” in the 1970s as an alternative for Christians lured to transcendental meditation. [end quote]
Notice that this writer observes, as I have said, that transcendental meditation has simply been re-named.
Copyright 2012 ©Brannon Howse. This content is for Situation Room members and is not to be duplicated in any form or uploaded to other websites without the express written permission of Brannon Howse or his legally authorized representative.
