But I’d like to discuss some more of that message in depth because it is a danger I see more and more people, even sincere and seemingly wise believers, embracing.

I agree with Pastor Murphy’s assessment that after the Bible was undermined and God was taken off the throne and the gospel minimized “experiential” knowledge became desirable and the ancient-future movement (looking back to find the right way to do things) began to take root among Christians.

Murphy courageously addressed the introduction of such “pagan practices” into the church. He said, “The landmark book for the introduction of pagan practices into evangelicalism was Richard Foster’s book in 1979, he introduced this spiritual mysticism to a growing biblically illiterate church because of the dumbing down and minimizing of the bible called the Celebration of Discipline.”

Through that book, mysticism, asceticism and pietism came into the church. Mysticism, and he defined it: is the idea that you can “experience the divine intuitively, or by experience. You can feel God, you can hear his voice.”

This book is now so widely accepted and referred to that it is nearly ubiquitous.

“But it was in the 1970s after the modernism and the dumbing down of the church that this ancient future movement took hold in the fringes of evangelicalism. It wasn’t mainstream, it is now full-blown mainstream,” Murphy noted.

I’ve warned about Foster (and those he has influenced) before. He introduced unbiblical contemplative practices of silence (silencing the mind!) through “centering prayer” and lectio divina.

“It begins to introduce techniques of relaxation, techniques of transcendental meditation. Centering prayer isn’t praying to God and pouring out your heart [to Him]. It is finding a silence. If you hear of someone speak of silence they are speaking of a different and other form of Christianity. In this silent prayer you chant a word over and over and over…” Murphy said.

The Bible doesn’t teach us to pray like this and since Jesus instructed his followers in how to pray, don’t you think that if silencing our mind was the best way to pray to God he would have said so? Yet, he didn’t say that at all.

The Bible also doesn’t say that hearing the voice of God directly will be the normal experience of a believer. It is very important to recognize that those voices could coming from yourself or even from evil spirits — especially if you are emptying your mind in order to hear them.

I agree with Murphy on this point as well.

“If you’re hearing voices I’m concerned about you. I’m not trying to be funny. Nowhere in the Scripture does the Bible tell us to empty our minds and listen to a voice because Satan is more subtle than any beast of the field. How do you know who’s talking? You don’t know!”

The bottom line is that the meditation of Foster and other contemplatives is NOT the meditation of the Bible. Biblical meditation is think about and chew on passages of scripture, to study them and understand them better. Mystical meditation is putting yourself in a trance through repeated words or breaths in order to have an experience with the “divine.” I have no doubt whatsoever that people have real experiences in such a state, but I’ve read a lot on the subject and believe that those experiences are coming from the deceiver Satan himself who is a master of disguise.

Contemplative spirituality is not part of the narrow way we Christians are commanded to follow. As Murphy noted, The Center for Contemplative Spirituality says:  “‘We come from a variety of secular and religious backgrounds [syncretism] and we each seek to enrich our journey through spiritual practice and study of the world’s great spiritual traditions. [not the Bible!] We desire to draw closer to the loving Spirit which pervades all creation [that is pantheism and panentheism as a philosophy] and which inspires our compassion for all beings.’ Why? Because there is a divine spark in everybody,” Murphy concluded.

These practices lead to universalism and universal salvation heresies like Rob Bell’s as well as to panentheism and they are already widespread in the evangelical arena. I once spent a year in a Baptist church unaware of the many divergent false teachings that were pervading that church, including mysticism. At that time I hadn’t even heard of the word “contemplative,” but thankfully the Lord allowed me to be warned and I started researching the subject. Through that I realized the church even had a special “contemplative service” and on one Sunday I saw flyers for a weekend “contemplative retreat” that would show people a “new way to pray.” I left the church shortly thereafter, but am still grieved that so many are in danger there.

Beware brothers and sisters. Jesus told us in Matthew 7 to watch out for false prophets that will seem like sheep, but actually be “ravenous wolves.” We also have a spiritual enemy in the Devil who seeks to destroy us. Peter 5:8-9 warns us to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Related articles

• Pastor Jim Murphy Tells Congregation: ‘We’re going to root this stuff out of our ministry’ (steakandabible.com)
• Context, Context, Context (steakandabible.com)
• Contemplative Prayer Written by Gary Gilley (biblestudynotesilove.wordpress.com)

Murphy clearly traces the disintegration of Christianity and its falling away from the truth of the gospel and into more and more error through history – from the attacks on the authority of scripture in the late 1940s, through 1960s liberalism, to modern day mysticism and contemplative spirituality. But in the final ten minutes of the message it becomes crystal clear that this is not mere academics for Pastor Murphy, he is brokenhearted by the error he sees within his own church body and frustrated by the lack of discernment which is due entirely to people not knowing and studying the Bible.

Here is just part of what he told his congregation (and what nearly moved me to tears):

“Now is the time for clarity. No more messing around. No more experimentation. No more dabbling into these dangerous practices. Now is the time for clarity and that clarity comes through discernment: this ability to think Biblically. The ability to read a book and see what it is saying aside from the warm fuzzy you got from it. Discernment takes time and it takes work and shame on you for not taking the time and effort. shame on you.”

After admitting that he “killed the Beth Moore” trip because she teaches contemplative spirituality/mysticism, he continued:

How do you know it’s not God’s voice if you don’t know the Bible?

I’m here to ask your forgiveness. I expressed my concerns along the way in several areas but there were some things that I heard and saw that I was not comfortable with and I thought well, let’s just roll with this. It may be not that bad.

Today things change. I’m responsible for this ministry. I will be called a tyrant, a fundamentalist, controlling – you fill in the blanks – I don’t care anymore. We’re going to be making some changes and we’re going to root this stuff out of our ministry because it is unacceptable. It is not biblical Christianity and we’re going to get back to the Bible. I’m not going to make a lot of friends …

About books among the congregation and the need for discernment Murphy said:

There are pagan books floating around. I’ll be addressing that in writing. When it’s published I’ll give you a copy. You need to learn to be discerning and we’re not. Why? You need to get into your Bible. You don’t know because you don’t read and you don’t study. Number two: You need to connect the dots. The Bible says this. Why this? If the Bible says that you have been given everything for faith and practice in this book, what do you suppose that means? That you have been given everything for faith and practice in that book, which means this: you don’t have to hear voices, and you don’t have to go by experience. You can know the truth in this book and that truth will set you free. You get that don’t you?

What I now have no patience for — I’m kind of at the end of my rope, I’m gonna be honest with you — is the lack of effort. I’ve addressed some of these matters. “Oh it’s no big deal.” How dare you! It is a big deal. It’s a big deal to me, it’s a big deal to God and it’s a big deal to the opposition.”

Murphy also said they would be culling the church library and getting rid of the “junk,” and going through church curriculum to make sure it’s biblical. If only more churches would do this.

It sounds like there are gonna be some big changes going on at the First Baptist Church in Johnson City and I praise God for it. I pray that the Lord raises up more pastors like Jim Murphy who are willing to stand up against the selfish and undiscerning wishes of the congregation and say “We will stand for truth. We will hold to the authority of scripture. We will not accept the experientialism and mysticism.”

Please pray for Pastor Murphy and pray for the First Baptist Church and pray that others would see this example and be emboldened to return to the truth. You can listen to his entire message here.

Related articles

• A Must Hear Message: A Warning To The Flock (hearshisvoice.wordpress.com)

First, Silva pointed out the covenant for membership at the church. Pretty common these days, but I have yet to be convinced that such covenants are Biblical. James 5:12 says, “Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned.” Covenanting with a church even with pure motives puts a person under condemnation later when they fall short of their promises — as practically every person will.

I visited The Village Church website for myself to view this covenant document myself.

Silva did not get into the biblical or unbiblical nature of covenants. Rather he went on to examine what The Village Church is requiring of its members and was particularly concerned about the requirement of “spiritual disciplines” which you can see in the second bullet point below:Those words also got my attention. Silva continued: “The issue now becomes what is meant by ‘practice of spiritual disciplines.’ After-all, it could simply mean practicing what’s commonly referred to as the means of God’s grace e.g. in Acts 2:42. It wouldn’t automatically mean that Matt Chandler and his elders are telling their covenant members that they must practice spurious CSM.” (Silva uses CSM as an abbreviation for Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism)

Silva found the answer in the membership section of TVC’s website devoted to Frequently Asked Questions where Dallas Willard’s definition of spiritual disciplines was praised and his and Richard Foster’s books were recommended.

How sad to find that Chandler’s church is not only endorsing books about contemplative spirituality, but actually requiring its members practice “spiritual disciplines. Pastor Gary Gilley lays out the reasons such practices are unbiblical in this article (and exposes Foster’s many theological problems). I pray that Chandler and others in The Village Church would be awakened to the dangers of these mystical practices.

Related articles:

101 of Contemplative Prayer - from Stand Up For the Truth

Richard Foster, A Celebration of Deception – Critical Issues Commentary

Biblical Silence vs. Mystical Silence – Do Not Be Surprised

Related books:

A Time of Departing - Ray Yungen

Walk to Emmaus – A Walk to Contemplative Spirituality.

Here is another article that is very informative about Contemplative Spirituality, this explains very well what the difference between contemplative prayer and biblical prayer is, it gives you definitions of some of the other aspects of this Contemplative Spirituality such as meditation, visualization, etc..  This article also gives a list of some of the people that promote this, as well as gives advice on what to do if you have been involved in this.  They do recommend that you only use the King James version of the bible, while I believe it is a great translation I also believe there are some other translations that are fine, however I would caution people to not use the Message or the NIV.  I prefer the NKJV and I like the ESV and NASB as well.

Contemplative Prayer

Seducing Spirits and a Doctrine of Devils (click here for article)

By Christine A. Narloch