Question: “What is Lectio Divina?”

Answer: LectioDivina is Latin for “divine reading,” “spiritual reading,” or “holy reading” and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to provide special spiritual insights.

The principles of lectio divina were expressed around the year A.D. 220 and practiced by Catholic monks, especially the monastic rules of Sts. Pachomius, Augustine, Basil, and Benedict.

The practice of lectio divina is currently very popular among Catholics and gnostics, and is gaining acceptance as an integral part of the devotional practices of the Emerging Church. Pope Benedict XVI said in a 2005 speech, “I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart.” Lectio is also said to be adaptable for people of other faiths in reading their scripture—whether that be the Bhagavad Gita, the Torah, or the Koran. Non-Christians may simply make suitable modifications of the method to accommodate secular traditions. Further, the four principles of lectio divina
can also be adapted to the four Jungian psychological principles of sensing, thinking, intuiting, and feeling.

The actual practice of lectio divina begins with a time of relaxation, making oneself comfortable and clearing the mind of mundane thoughts and cares. Some lectio practitioners find it helpful to concentrate by beginning with deep, cleansing breaths and reciting a chosen phrase or word over and over to help free the mind. Then they begin with the four steps:

Lectio – Reading the Bible passage gently and slowly several times. The passage itself is not as important as the savoring of each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow speaks to the practitioner.

Meditatio – Reflecting on the text of the passage and thinking about how it applies to one’s own life. This is considered to be a very personal reading of the Scripture and very personal application.

Oratio – Responding to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but is thought to be more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio – Listening to God. This is a freeing of oneself from one’s own thoughts, both mundane and holy, and hearing God talk to us. Opening the mind, heart, and soul to the influence of God.

Naturally, the connection between Bible reading and prayer is one to be encouraged; they should always go together. However, the dangers inherent in this kind of practice, and its astonishing similarity to transcendental meditation and other dangerous rituals, should be carefully considered. It has the potential to become, and often does become, a pursuit of
mystical experience where the goal is to empty and free the mind and empower oneself. The Christian, on the other hand, uses the Scriptures to pursue the knowledge of God, wisdom, and holiness through the objective meaning of the text
with the aim of transforming the mind according to truth. God said His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea
4:6), not for lack of mystical, personal encounters with Him.

Those who take this supernatural approach to the text can disconnect it from its context and natural meaning and use it in a subjective, individualistic, experiential, even name-it-and-claim-it way for which it was never intended. Here is where lectio and gnosticism dovetail into one. Christian gnosticism is the belief that one must have a “gnosis” (from Greek Gnosko, “to know”) or mystical, inner knowledge obtained only after one has been properly initiated. Only a few can possess this mystical knowledge, limiting the number of those “in the know.” Naturally, the idea of having inside information is very appealing and makes the “knower” feel important, special and unique in that he/she has a special experience with God that no one else has. The “knower” believes that the masses are not in possession of spiritual knowledge and only the truly “enlightened” can experience God. Thus, the reintroduction of contemplative, or centering, prayer—a meditative practice where the focus is on having a mystical experience with God—into the Church. Contemplative prayer is similar to the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults and has no basis whatsoever in the Bible, although the contemplative pray-ers do use the Bible as a starting point.

Further, the dangers inherent in opening our minds and listening for voices should be obvious. The contemplative pray-ers are so eager to hear something—anything—that they can lose the objectivity needed to discern between God’s voice, their own thoughts, and the infiltration of demons into their minds. Satan and his minions are always eager for inroads into the minds of the unsuspecting, and to open our minds in such ways is to invite disaster. We must never forget that Satan is ever on the prowl, seeking to devour our souls (1 Peter 5:8) and can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), whispering his deceptive lies into our open and willing minds.

Finally, the attack on the sufficiency of Scripture is a clear distinctive of lectio divina. Where the Bible claims to be all we need to live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16), lectio’s adherents deny that. Those who practice “conversational” prayers, seeking a special revelation from God, are asking Him to bypass what He has already revealed to mankind, as though He would now renege on all His promises concerning His eternal Word. Psalm 19:7-14 contains the definitive statement about the sufficiency of Scripture. It is “perfect, reviving the soul”; it is “right, rejoicing the heart”; it is “pure, enlightening the eyes”; it is “true” and “righteous altogether”; and it is “more desirable than gold.” If God meant all that He said in this psalm, there is no need for additional revelation, and to ask Him for one is to deny what He has already revealed.

The Old and New Testaments are words from God to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning they contain and the authority from God they carry, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first; then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and communing with God rightly. As long as a person takes this view of the Bible and prayer, he/she is engaging in the same kind of meditation and prayer that Bible-believing followers of Christ have always commended.

Recommended Resource: The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception by John MacArthur.

The original appears at Got Questions as What Is Lectio Divina?

See also:

SPREAD OF CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM: LECTIO DIVINA

DAN KIMBALL OF THE EMERGING CHURCH AND LECTIO DIVINA

CORRUPT CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM GAINING GROUND IN EVANGELICALISM

The gospel’s most dangerous earthly adversaries are not raving atheists who stand outside the door shouting threats and insults.

They are church leaders who cultivate a gentle, friendly, pious demeanor but hack away at the foundations of faith under the guise of keeping in step with a changing world.

No Christian should imagine that heresy is always conspicuous or that every purveyor of theological mischief will lay out his agenda in plain and honest terms. The enemy prefers to sow tares secretly, for obvious reasons. Thus Scripture expressly warns us to be on guard against false teachers who creep into the church unnoticed (Jude 4), wolves who sneak into the flock wearing sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15), and servants of Satan who disguise themselves as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Theological liberalism is particularly dependent on the stealth offensive. A spiritually healthy church is generally not susceptible to the arrogant skepticism that underlies a liberal’s rejection of biblical authority. Liberalism must therefore take root covertly and gain strength and influence gradually. The success or failure of the whole liberal agenda hinges on a patient public-relations cam­paign.

That is precisely how neo-liberals have managed to get a foothold in the contemporary evangelical movement. Consider how evangelicalism has changed in just a few short decades.

CLASSIC EVANGELICALISM

Historic evangelicalism has two clear distinctives. One is a commitment to the inspiration and authority of Scripture. The other is a conviction that the gospel message is clear and non-negotiable.

Specifically, evangelicals understand the gospel as an announcement of what Christ has done to save sinners, redeem Adam’s fallen race, and usher believers into his eternal kingdom. The gospel is not a mandate for sinners to save themselves, redeem humanity, recover human dignity, safeguard cultural diversity, preserve the environment, eliminate poverty, establish a kingdom for themselves, or champion whatever social concept of “salvation” might be popular at the moment. In fact, the gospel expressly teaches that sinners can be justified only through faith in Christ alone, and exclusively by his gracious work—not because of any merit they earn for themselves.

The Protestant Reformation clarified and illuminated those same two principles—sola Scriptura and sola fide. Indeed, they are sometimes known as the formal and material principles of the Reformation. But they weren’t novel ideas someone dreamed up out of thin air in the sixteenth century. They are and always have been essential principles of biblical Christianity. In the long course of church history, those truths have frequently been clouded and confused, or mingled with (and sometimes overwhelmed by) bad teaching. Yet since the time of Christ and the apostles those truths have never been totally silenced. They are in fact the very backbone of New Testament doctrine.

Historic evangelicalism made much of that fact. From the dawn of the Reformation through the mid-twentieth century, few evangelicals ever thought of questioning Scripture or modifying the gospel.

CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICALISM

With the advent of the seeker-sensitive movement, however, evangelicals began to be influenced by a new species of entrepreneurial leaders who marginalized those core doctrines by neglect. Most of them didn’t overtly deny essential biblical truths; but neither did they vigorously stress or defend anything other than their own methodology.

The results were predictable: Churches are now filled with formerly unchurched people who are still untaught and perhaps even unconverted. Multitudes of children raised on a treacly diet of seeker-sensitive religion have grown up to associate the label evangelical with superficiality. Most of them cannot tell you what the term originally meant, and they reject whatever vestigial evangelical boundaries or doctrinal distinctives their parents may have held onto. But they still call themselves evangelicals when it’s convenient, and many have remained at the fringes of the visible movement, decrying how out of step the church is with their generation. That, after all, is exactly what they learned from their parents.

This is fertile soil for liberalism to burst into full flower, and that is precisely what is already happening. Evangelicals are blithely following a number of trends that advance the neo-liberal agenda. Unless a faithful remnant begins to recognize and resist the neo-liberal strategy, evangelical churches and institutions will eventually succumb to rank liberalism, just as most of the mainstream denominations did a century ago… This may sound like an oxymoron, but while treating faith as an academic matter, liberals prefer an almost anti-intellectual, agnostic approach to dealing with the specific truth-claims of Scripture. They like their doctrine hazy and indistinct.

One maneuver neo-liberals have perfected in these postmodern times is an artful dodge when they dislike a particular doctrine but cannot afford to make a plain and open denial. Instead, they will claim, “Scripture is simply too unclear on that point. We can’t really be sure. The point is disputed by top scholars, and who are we to speak with too much certainty?”

Thus without denying (or affirming) anything in particular, and without even technically dismissing the matter under discussion as an unimportant point, the ruse effectively sets the truth aside. The skeptic’s goal is thus accomplished without incurring any of the odium of skepticism.

Heavy doses of that flavor of postmodern, neo-liberal evasion have conditioned multitudes of church members to regard carefulness and precision in handling doctrine as both unimportant and potentially divisive. These days the person who shows evidence of doctrinal scruples is much more likely to be held in suspicion or disdain among evangelicals than the neo-liberals who have deliberately made the study of biblical doctrine seem so cloudy, confusing, and contentious.

In reality—and this is a lesson the church should have learned from both Scripture and church history—unity and harmony cannot exist in the church at all if there is not a common commitment to sound doctrine.

CONCLUSION

As long as these four trends and others like them continue to thrive within the evangelical movement, the threat posed by neo-liberalism looms large. Conservative evangelicals should not grow apathetic or take too much comfort in the apparent meltdown of Emergent Village and the liberal wing of postmodernized Christianity. Even if the Emergent ghetto does finally and completely give up the ghost, many of the leading figures and popular ideas from that movement will simply blend into mainstream evangelicalism, which is growing less mainstream and less evangelical all the time.

We must pay attention to the lessons of history and stand firm on the truth of Scripture—and we desperately need to be more aggressive than we have been so far in opposing these neo-liberal influences. (Online source)

Phil Johnson

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End Notes:

[1] From A New Evangelical Liberalism, January/February 2010 E-Journal of 9 Marks.

See also:

ROB BELL AND POSTMODERN NEO-LIBERALISM

LIBERALISM 2.0 THE NEW PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

NEO-LIBERALISM FOLLOWS SAME EVIL METHODOLOGY OF LIBERALISM

HT: Email Brigade

People say, ‘Do not be negative; let us be positive; let us just preach the simple gospel’. But the Bible is full of negatives, full of warnings, ever showing us these terrible possibilities. If you find in yourself a dislike of the warnings of the Scripture and of this negative teaching, it is obvious that you have been duped by the wiles of the devil. You have not realized the situation in which you are placed.

The movements to which I am referring can be best classified and considered along the following lines. We start with Heresies within the Church, which have been caused and produced by the devil and his powers. I am not concerned to go into the detail of heresies; I am simply concerned to emphasize the fact of heresies, the fact of movements within the life of the Church that have so often led to terrible trouble and produced a state of chaos.

A heresy is ‘a denial of or a doubt concerning any defined, established Christian doctrine’. There is a difference between heresy and apostasy. Apostasy means ‘a departure from the Christian truth’. It may be a total renunciation or denial of it, or it may be a misrepresentation of it to such an extent that it becomes a denial of the whole truth. But a heresy is more limited in its scope. To be guilty of heresy, and to be a heretic, means that in the main you hold to the doctrines of the Christian faith, but that you tend to go wrong on some particular doctrine or aspect of the faith. The New Testament itself shows us clearly that this tendency to heresy had already begun even in the days of the early Church.

One of the first things you are to learn in this Christian life and warfare is that, if you go wrong in your doctrine, you will go wrong in all aspects of your life. You will probably go wrong in your practice and behaviour; and you will certainly go wrong in your experience… We read about these things constantly in the newspapers. Some are rejoicing because Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are drawing nearer together. ‘What does the past matter?’ they say, ‘Let us have the right spirit, let us come together, all of us, and not be concerned about these particularities.’ I have but one comment to make about this matter, and I regret to have to make it. To me, all such talk is just a denial of the plain teaching of the New Testament, a denial of the Creeds and the Confessions and the Protestant Reformation! It is carnal thinking, in addition to being a denial of the truth.

According to the teaching of the Bible, one thing only matters, and that is the truth. The Holy Spirit will honor nothing but the truth, His own truth. But that, He will honor. To me the most marvelous thing of all is that, the moment you come to such a conclusion, you realize that in a sense nothing else matters. … Nothing matters in the spiritual realm except truth, the truth given by the Holy Spirit, the truth that can be honored by the Holy Spirit. Is there anything more glorious in the whole of the ld Testament than the way in which this great principle stands out? God often used individual men, or but two or three, against hordes and masses. Is there anything more exhilarating than the doctrine of the remnant? While the majority had gone wrong, the ones and the twos saw the truth.

Take a man like Jeremiah. All the false prophets were against him. There is a man who had to stand alone. Poor Jeremiah – how he hated it and disliked it! He did not like being unpopular, he did not like standing on his own, and being ridiculed and laughed at, and spat upon, as it were; but he had the truth of God, and so he endured it all. He decided at times to say nothing, but the word was like fire in his bones, and he had to go on speaking it. Obloquy and abuse were heaped upon him, but it did not matter; he was God’s spokesman and God’s representative. Similarly Moses had to stand alone when he came down from the Mount where he had met God. To stand in isolation from one’s fellows, but with God, is the great doctrine of the Old Testament in many ways. And it is emphasized in the New Testament also. (Online source)

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

See also:

THE NEW DOWNGRADE AND ITS APOSTLES OF UNBELIEF

ROB BELL IS DEFINITELY NOT LIKE JESUS

TOXIC THEOLOGY OF DOUG PAGITT

CORRECTING TONY JONES

JIM WALLIS SAYS YOUR SALVATION ISN’T YOURS

JAY BAKKER PREACHES ON TWITTER

BIG TENT CHRISTIANITY A GROUP HUG IN THE EMERGING CHURCH

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Myths Of The Mind Of McManus

Apprising Ministries brings your attention to Christians Challenged to Stop Ignoring Innovators, Early Adopters, which is a puff  piece Christian Post devoted to self-promoter Erwin McManus yesterday.

McManus has been “distinguished lecturer and futurist at Bethel Seminary” and the current bio at ErwinMcManis.com tells us that he “also serves as the primary communicator and cultural architect of Mosaic in Los Angeles.”[1] However, according to this CP piece, it seems:

McManus, an innovator, recently made the transition from full-time pastor at the influential Mosaic church in Southern California to starting a company that would engage the world of art and culture. (Online source)

If so, this would be a good thing for the church because McManus has always left much to be desired as a pastor. He’s known for teaching foolish things like the following concerning Soul Cravings, one of his earlier books. You’ll understand the context of McManus’ mythology of “innovators and early adopters” when you realize the the below comes from an interview McManus gave to Matt Comer of Infuse Magazine, which tells us it’s where we can learn “everything spiritual and new age, yoga, meditation, holistic health, crystal healing, reiki and chakra, spiritual healing.”

What McManus will tell us is straight out of classic mystic myth of some supposed “spark of the divine” where God i.e. the universe is thought to already indwell all human beings:

Sure… Soul Cravings isn’t a new idea. This is something I’ve been journeyin [sic] through for 30 years. I’ve been waiting for the day I could write it. Soul Cravings, to me, is very much a human story. It’s the story of finding God inside of yourself… I’m going, “No the real evidence isn’t in the objective world, but it’s in the subjective world… There’s a universe inside of us more powerful and more clarifying than the universe outside of us…

On the last flight my wife and I were on, the stewardess came by and gave me a drink and I walked up to where she was and knew God was saying to me… I’m living this life where God speaks to me about people… Soul Cravings is really an extension of saying that I’ve found if you have honest conversations with people about their search for intimacy and their search for meaning and begin to unwrap that, then people begin to pour out their soul and begin to find God already there.

We Western Christians tend to love “The kingdom of God is near” or “The kingdom of God is among you” but we’re uncomfortable when Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Online source)

Since that isn’t the main point of this post, I’ll refer you to Understanding The New Spirituality: God Indwells Mankind for a refutation of the divine spark fantasy; for our purposes here the following from Contemporary Christian Divination: The False Claims and Practices of Christian Mystics by Bob DeWaay, pastor of Twin City Fellowship and director of its Critical Issues Commentary, shall suffice:    

Mystics latch onto the idea of the kingdom within because the idea gives a compelling reason for a “journey inward.” It dovetails nicely with the thinking of people in a culture influenced by New Age ideas and post-modern thought. Go deep inside of your self through an Eastern technique, and there you will meet God, or so they think.

But does the Bible teach that the Kingdom of God is within human beings? The passage they are referencing is Luke 17:20, 21: “Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.’”

The phrase “the kingdom of God is within you” is found in the King James and the NIV. I believe that the context favors the NASB translation. Jesus was not telling His enemies, the Pharisees, that the kingdom was within them, but that it was among them in the person of Jesus Christ. If they were going to enter the kingdom, they would have to repent and turn to Christ for salvation (see Mark 1:14, 15). There is nothing in this passage that would suggest that if the Pharisees took an inward journey using meditative techniques they would find God’s kingdom! (Online source, bold his)

It’s not surprising that McManus would believe this myth because his theology has always been in line with the neo-liberal cult of the Emerging Church. Earlier in Emergent Church: A Diseased Tree I discussed the origin of what is now the Emergent Church when, according to Mark Driscoll who was part of this, Leadership Network brought together the Terra Nova Project led by Andrew Jones along with what has become the unholy Emergent trinity of heretical universalist Emerging Church pastor Doug Pagitt, his progressive “theologian in residence” Tony Jones, and Living Spiritual Teacher and EC guru Brian McLaren.

Erwin McManus was initially selected but was quickly dropped, not because his theology was out of line with the rest, but due to his ego clashes with some others there. This isn’t hard to believe when you know some further background information from Interview With Frank Loaiza On Erwin McManus And Mosaic and the links within. Sadly, we’re told that Erwin McManus has been holding court at a leadership forum addressing “seminary students and pastor’s with his usual message of the love of self. McManus mused “all the innovators and early adopters have been filtered out of church leadership.” Really; “all.” Wow, has McManus really done some kind of an exhaustive study?

Students And Pastors Hear Assertions From McManus Not Grounded In Scripture

Not likely; it’s probably just more of his hyperbole, as he continues by telling us “the church has been led by late adopters and nostalgics.” What? Erwin McManus dreams “all the innovators and early adopters” are out so the church is now being run by “late adopters and nostalgics.” Sounds to me like McManus is just making stuff up; where in Scripture do we find any of these artficial categories? Answer: Nowhere; it’s simply more business jargon that has zero to do with preaching the Gospel and the leadership of local churches. But too many of today’s evangelical leaders and teachers believe what McManus tells us next:

And though early adopters make up a small percentage of the population, McManus is convinced that churches will not be able to shape the future of any culture if they don’t reach what he sees as “the top 12 percent.” (Online source)

This is just more man-centered myth because its not the mission of churches “to shape the future of any culture,” our mission as ekklesia, the ones called out of this world to assemble and worship God in Christ, is to preach His Gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ Name. It’s then up to God to call whom He will and shape a given culture as He will; but then again, that wouldn’t make people like Erwin McManus and this glut of “missiologists” and missional church planters as important as they’d like us to think they are, now would it. Here’s an idea; want to make the world a better place boys, drop your conferences and go out into your own communities and actually preach the Gospel for a change.

McManus goes on:

Meaning, story, beauty and community are the four things he is convinced every organization, church and business needs to focus on if they are going to develop the healthiest and most vibrant people. There are many unhealthy Christians out there, he lamented, along with an incredible number of unhealthy companies that are influenced by Christians. (Online source)

Yes, just imagine a world full of McManuses as “the healthiest and most vibrant people”; nothing but creative leaders living and loving “meaning, story, beauty” in their communities. However, in the real world, the precious Christians of Jesus are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). How blessed we are as we walk in them; some of us faithful husbands who rise early each day to do jobs of manual labor providing a living for his family as God intends. And like I used to tell my football players every season, you respect your mom because hers can so often be such a thankless task.

Faithful husbands, I commend you; faithful moms, I thank you. Don’t let dreamers like Erwin McManus make you ashamed of these good works God has given you; and the truth is, you correctly shape culture much more than those like McManus and the missional bunch do right now. Who is Erwin McManus to decide which are “unhealthy Christians; from what I’ve seen, he cannot even correctly handle the word of truth himself. The CP piece then tells us:

The 51-year-old speaker said he meets a lot of people who have a relationship with Christ and yet are still searching for answers to their life. “One of the things you’ll discover … as you listen to your own soul is that you spend a great amount of your life trying to bring meaning to your own life. (Online source)

Why this man is being used to train seminary students and pastors with this drivel is beyond me. People listen to their own soul because of sin; prior to regeneration we are all bent toward pleasing ourselves, these people “trying to bring meaning” to their lives need to hear the Gospel, not be pitched some new company McManus has started. And they sure don’t need to hear the lie that “there is greatness in everyone”; some of us are made to be regular folk, and our “greatness” is in surrendering our lives that Jesus may be glorified. Here’s what a real Biblical leader named John once said — “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

McManus says, “We want to help everyone find meaning in their life and help translate the story that each person actually matters in the world.” Yes, I can hear the applause now; however, it’s better for these people McManus is teaching if he were tell them he wanted everyone to hear the Gospel and leave it for God to bring actual meaning into their lives. O, he does finally get around to mentioning it; sort of:

Christians are called not only to bring meaning to people’s lives but also to bring beauty, he emphasized. But he has found that churches have brushed off the importance of beauty… “Part of what has happened is that we have lost our conviction that beauty is actually important in carrying the Gospel to the world,” he said. (Online source)

It’s sad that people actually buy this snake oil; Christians are not called to “bring meaning to people’s lives,” I just showed you above we are to walk in the good works God has prepared for us. And then as we do so, being ambassadors for Christ (c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:20)—as God presents opportunity—we exercize the ministry of reconciliation (c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:18) and share the Gospel with people; now that is true beauty, and greatness, to be the servant of all. And, of course, emerging Erwin McManus has to try and placate the world while revealing his hate of proper doctrine:

In the church, McManus feels there is an “arrogant misconception” that Christians hold – that because they are people of the book or people of truth, they’re healthy. “The truth of the matter is, even if you’re right in your beliefs, right in your doctrine, you may be actually wrong in your execution,” he pointed out.  (Online source)

First of all, it’s a great exaggeration, not to mention an affront, to say all Christians harbor his straw man “arrogant misconception” about being healthy. Well Erwin, I have news for you; even the unheathiest Christian in the Body of Christ is healthier than those who need to hear the Gospel and are still dead in their sins. And how about this: The truth of the matter is, even if you’re right in your execution of social work, you may actually be wrong in your beliefs, wrong in your doctrine; and sadly, this accurately describes you. Please repent of your love of the self (c.f. 2 Timothy 3:2) and instead focus your attention upon lifting up Jesus Christ.

But tragically, the following is all too true with man-centered teachers like Erwin McManus: “[W]e can tell a story that will pack them in.” Indeed you can; and you do, but how about you get back to sharing that old, old story:

Tell me the old, old story, Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love;
Tell me the story simply, As to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, And helpless and defiled.

Tell me the story softly, With earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’m the sinner Whom Jesus came to save;
Tell me the story always, If you would really be,
In any time of trouble, A comforter to me.

Tell me the same old story, When you have cause to fear
That this world’s empty glory Is costing me too dear;
Yes, and when that world’s glory Is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story: “Christ Jesus makes thee whole.”

This will at least make it worth the sinner’s time to come in…

________________________________________________________________________________

End notes:

[1] http://erwinmcmanus.com/bio/, accessed 9/11/10.

See also:

ERWIN MCMANUS’ REAL POSITION ON THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

THE GLOVES MUST COME OFF

THE DRUCKERITES MUST ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THEIR “EMERGING CHURCH” PRODUCT LINE

PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION

CHARLES SPURGEON: THOSE WHO BURY THE GOSPEL WITH TRASH

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNLEASHING THE EMERGING CHURCH VIRUS EMBED CODE?

THE ETERNAL VALUE OF “THE THREE C’S”

You need to understand that this spurious CSM—the refried Roman Catholic mysticism “discovered” by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, and now perpetrated within the mainstream of evangelicalism as supposed Spiritual Formation with an able assist from his spiritual twin SBC minister Dallas Willard, was a core doctrine in the EC right from its hatching in Hell. In Good Shepherd Church Going Ape…Almost I gave you another pathetic exhibit of how just how squishy—man-pleasing—evanjellyfish is becoming as a result of practicing this mysticism.

In The Gloves Must Come Off yesterday I told you that there will be nothing gained by foolish “conversation” with unregenerate Apostles of Unbelief in the EC; and among their number you’ll find mystics like rock star Emerging Church pastor Rob Bell and his good friend, heretical quasi-universalist Emerging Church pastor Doug Pagitt who heads the Emergent Solomon’s Porch where the equally heretical Tony Jones happens to be his “theologian in residence,” who’ve long been teaching counterfeit forms of Christianity to young mainstream evangelicals.

The quicker you come to understand that such as these long ago jettisoned the proper Christian spirituality of Sola Scriptura—of course we can experience God in His Word—for myth-based mysticism the better for you; for you see, their mentors like Living Spiritual Teacher and Roman Catholic mystic Richard Rohr along with his fellow Red Letter Christian pal Living Spiritual Teacher and leading Emergent Church guru Brian McLaren, are just as off spiritually as the original Gnostics, which were being roundly rebuked by the authors of the New Testament.

A couple of years ago in Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) Of Spiritual Formation Is Reckless Faith I pointed you to Reckless Faith: When The Church Loses Its Will To Discern , oft-overlooked 1994 book by Dr. John MacArthur. In this book, one of our Lord’s most trusted generals told you—three years before their even was any Emerging Church—why in this postmodern time these neo-Gnostics, who’re neo-orthodox in their theology (at best), would run to embrace mysticism:

Neo-orthodoxy is the term used to identify an existentialist variety of Christianity. Because it denies the essential objective basis of truth—the absolute truth and authority of Scripture—neo-orthodoxy must be understood as pseudo-Christianity… Neo-orthodoxy’s attitude toward Scripture is a microcosm of the entire existentialist philosophy: the Bible itself is not objectively the Word of God, but it becomes the Word of God when it speaks to me individually.

In neo-orthodoxy, that same subjectivism is imposed on all the doctrines of historic Christianity. Familiar terms are used, but are redefined or employed in such a way that is purposely vague—not to convey objective meaning, but to communicate a subjective symbolism… Thus while neo-orthodox theologians often sound as if they affirming traditional beliefs, their actual system differs radically from the historic understanding of the Christian faith. By denying the objectivity of truth, they relegate all theology to the realm of subjective relativism.

It is a theology perfectly suited for the age in which we live. And that is precisely why it is so deadly… [Contemplative Spirituality aka] Mysticism is perfectly suited for religious existentialism; indeed, it is the inevitable consequence. The mystic disdains rational understanding and seeks truth instead through the feelings, the imagination, personal visions, inner voices, private illumination, of other purely subjective means. Objective truth becomes practically superfluous.

Mysticial experiences are therefore self-authenticating; that is, they are not subject to any form of objective verification. They are unique to the person who experiences them. Since they do not arise from or depend upon any rational process, they are invulnerable to any refutation by rational means… Mysticism is therefore antithetical to discernment. It is an extreme form of reckless faith.[1]

Now I’ll be blunt; if you can’t see what MacArthur has just told you fits these Emerging Church mystics perfectly, then in my view it’s because you just don’t want to. Charles Spurgeon dealt with their fetid forebears in the original Cult of Liberalism; do you remember what it would cost him in the Downgrade Controversy? Too bad in this New Downgrade, while so many praise him, there doesn’t appear to be any Spurgeon on the immediate horizon. If there were, here’s what he’d be saying:

Beloved, your risen Lord wants you to be happy. When He was here on earth, He said, “Let not your heart be troubled”; He says just the same to you today. He takes no delight in the distresses of His people. He loves you to believe in Him and be at rest.

Find if you can, beloved, one occasion in which Jesus inculcated doubt or bade men dwell in uncertainty. The apostles of unbelief are everywhere today, and they imagine that they are doing God service by spreading what they call “honest doubt.” This is death to all joy! Poison to all peace! The Savior did not so…

I have not much patience with a certain class of Christians nowadays who will hear anybody preach so long as they can say, “He is very clever, a fine preacher, a man of genius, a born orator.” Is cleverness to make false doctrine palatable? Why, sirs, to me the ability of a man who preaches error is my sorrow rather than my admiration.

I cannot endure false doctrine, however neatly it may be put before me. Would you have me eat poisoned meat because the dish is of the choicest ware? It makes me indignant when I hear another gospel put before the people with enticing words, by men who would fain make merchandise of souls; and I marvel at those who have soft words for such deceivers.

“That is your bigotry,” says one. Call it so if you like, but it is the bigotry of the loving John who wrote—”If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

I would to God we had all more of such decision, for the lack of it is depriving our religious life of its backbone and substituting for honest manliness a mass of the tremulous jelly of mutual flattery.

He who does not hate the false does not love the true; and he to whom it is all the same whether it be God’s word or man’s, is himself unrenewed at heart. Oh, if some of you were like fathers you would not have tolerated in this age the wagon loads of trash under which the gospel has been of late buried by ministers of your own choosing. You would have hurled out of your pulpits the men who are enemies to the fundamental doctrines of your churches, and yet are crafty enough to become your pastors and undermine the faith of a fickle and superficial generation.

These men steal the pulpits of once orthodox churches, because otherwise they would have none at all. Their powerless theology cannot of itself arouse sufficient enthusiasm to enable them to build a mousetrap at the expense of their admirers, and therefore they profane the houses which your sires have built for the preaching of the gospel, and turn aside the organisations of once orthodox communities to help their infidelity: I call it by that name in plain English, for “modern thought” is not one whit better, and of the two evils I give infidelity the palm, for it is less deceptive.

I beg the Lord to give back to the churches such a love to his truth that they may discern the spirits, and cast out those which are not of God… (Online source)

________________________________________________________________________________
Endnotes:

[1] John MacArthur, Reckless Faith: When The Church Loses Its Will To Discern [Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994], 27, 28.

See also:

DID JESUS ARGUE DOCTRINE?

THE EMERGING CHURCH SOWING ITS NEO-ORTHODOX CONFUSION ON SCRIPTURE

IS ROB BELL EVANGELICAL?

PD/SD PASTOR SCOTT HODGE AND THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MYSTICISM

SADDLEBACK CHURCH, RICK WARREN, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

MARK DRISCOLL AND NEO-REFORMED NEW CALVINIST CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

THE PERILS OF ‘WANNABE MYSTIC’ CHRISTIANITY BRETT MCCRACKEN

The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from “Under Constraint,” a sermon preached Sunday morning 28 April 1878 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London:

I have not much patience with a certain class of Christians nowadays who will hear anybody preach so long as they can say, “He is very clever, a fine preacher, a man of genius, a born orator.” Is cleverness to make false doctrine palatable? Why, sirs, to me the ability of a man who preaches error is my sorrow rather than my admiration.

I cannot endure false doctrine, however neatly it may be put before me. Would you have me eat poisoned meat because the dish is of the choicest ware? It makes me indignant when I hear another gospel put before the people with enticing words, by men who would fain make merchandise of souls; and I marvel at those who have soft words for such deceivers.

“That is your bigotry,” says one. Call it so if you like, but it is the bigotry of the loving John who wrote—”If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

I would to God we had all more of such decision, for the lack of it is depriving our religious life of its backbone and substituting for honest manliness a mass of the tremulous jelly of mutual flattery.

He who does not hate the false does not love the true; and he to whom it is all the same whether it be God’s word or man’s, is himself unrenewed at heart. Oh, if some of you were like fathers you would not have tolerated in this age the wagon loads of trash under which the gospel has been of late buried by ministers of your own choosing. You would have hurled out of your pulpits the men who are enemies to the fundamental doctrines of your churches, and yet are crafty enough to become your pastors and undermine the faith of a fickle and superficial generation.

These men steal the pulpits of once orthodox churches, because otherwise they would have none at all. Their powerless theology cannot of itself arouse sufficient enthusiasm to enable them to build a mousetrap at the expense of their admirers, and therefore they profane the houses which your sires have built for the preaching of the gospel, and turn aside the organisations of once orthodox communities to help their infidelity: I call it by that name in plain English, for “modern thought” is not one whit better, and of the two evils I give infidelity the palm, for it is less deceptive.

I beg the Lord to give back to the churches such a love to his truth that they may discern the spirits, and cast out those which are not of God… (Online source)

Charles Spurgeon

You can read the rest of this sermon excerpt and join in the discussion right here.

See also:

DOUG PAGITT, JOHN PIPER, AND KARMA KICK-BACK

N.T. WRIGHT SPEAKING AT REDEEMER NYC OF TIM KELLER

JIM WALLIS AND SOJOURNERS WHINE ABOUT CIVILITY FOR THOSE HIJACKING CHRISTIANITY

JESUS, RECONSIDERED: BRIAN MCLAREN AND AL MOHLER ON NPR

BRIAN MCLAREN AND HIS NEW EMERGING PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY

“CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE” BY RICHARD FOSTER AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THEOLOGICAL ERROR 

9 MARKS: INTERVARSITY PRESS SEEMS ADRIFT

This is the group from which LN, having carefully surveyed the Gen X market to find out what they wanted to “buy,” would select the best “agents” to sell the product they specifically manufactured for that particular market. So they then created what became the egregiously i.e. sinfully ecumenial Emerging Church aka Emergent Church—which morphed into Emergence Christianity (EC).

Sadly, the EC has now become a full-blown cult of a type of postliberalism—Liberalism 2.0—now firmly within the mainstream of evangelicalism. Which is precisely why in regard to men like McManus I’ve paraphrased an old saying: If it looks Emergent, and it does; if it acts like Emergent, and it does; and if it sounds like Emergent, and it does…then it’s as Emergent as Rob Bell.

Yesterday Phil Johnson wrote a great piece at Pyromaniacs getting to the heart of the matter concerning the product we know as Erwin McManus called Erwin McManus’s Casket. First Johnson reminds us that:

Back in August of ’08, I wrote a post about the pretentiousness of Christians who try too hard to be artsy and manage to sully both art and the gospel in the process. (In retrospect, the tone of that post might sound a tad too cantankerous, even for me. But I completely stand by the point of it.)

One of the targets of my criticism in that post was Erwin Raphael McManus, self-styled “futurist, author, speaker, activist, filmmaker and innovator who specializes in the field of developing and unleashing personal and organizational creativity, uniqueness, innovation and diversity.” Some say he is a “pastor” (though he seems to eschew that title and most other ecclesiastical terms). He’s the lead speaker at Mosaic, “a Community of faith, love, and hope” in Pasadena.

It’s a Southern Baptist congregation, but you’d be hard-pressed to discover that from the church’s own publicity. I spent many hours a few years ago watching videos and listening to sound files of McManus’s teaching, and I have read two or three of his books, plus practically everything he has posted on line. I have never seen him explain, much less affirm, the gospel. (Online source)

Well, the reason for that is likely it might get in the way of McManus preaching “the Gospel of Erwin.” Johnson, as usual, then hits the nail on the head:

In that 2008 post I said: “Clear gospel truth is almost impossible to find in the material he publishes and posts for public consumption. And in that regard, I don’t see a whole lot of difference between Erwin McManus and Joel Osteen. He’s Osteen with blue jeans and an occasional soul patch rather than a shiny suit and a perpetual grin.” (Online source)

Indeed, in fact, the only real difference between McManus and Joel Osteen would be the particular man-centered market to which they’re aiming to sell themselves er, Jesus. Johnson continues:

McManus’s current project is further removed from the proclamation of the gospel than anything you’ll ever see from Osteen—and that’s saying something. McManus is shilling for an entry in Doritos® “Crash the Superbowl” contest. It’s an utterly tasteless commercial called “Casket.” (Online source)

And with Rick Warren being LN’s propped up Purpose Driven Pope, we’re not surprised at all when Johnson also informs us concerning the video below that:

Rick Warren is ecstatic about the prestige and potential $$$ a win would bring McManus. He Tweeted: “My guy Erwin McManus (Mosiac Church) created a Doritos Superbowl Ad! Church could win $! VOTE 4 him!” (Online source)

 You can read this insightful article by Phil Johnson in its entirety right here.

Credits: 

by Erwin McManus
51 years old, pastor
Whittier, CA
Budget: $3,000 (Online source)

See also:

PYROMANIACS: STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND ERWIN MCMANUS

ERWIN MCMANUS’S FALSE TEACHINGS – PART 2: “YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL”

ERWIN MCMANUS’ MISUSES AND DISTORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE

ERWIN MCMANUS AND HIS NEO-ORTHODOX VIEW OF THE BIBLE ACTUALLY AGREES WITH THAT OF LIBERAL LIAR JOHN SHELBY SPONG

EMERGENT CHURCH: A DISEASED TREE

MAN-CENTERED GOSPEL VS. GOD-CENTERED GOSPEL

TODAY’S FALSE GOSPEL…READ IT AND WEEP…

Interestingly enough another C 21 “voice,” ELCA pastrix Nadia Bolz-Weber is among Donovan’s “co-confessors” at CQ along with Rachel from Sweet Bi and Bi. Pastor John Chisham takes a look in the piece referenced below at what Donovan confesses. As Chisham brings out:

Seth makes an interesting proposal here that I think is very consistent with emergent, post-modern people. They believe that truth is relative, and that the Bible is a book that is good for guidance, but not to be taken literally, or to dictate behavior. Seth believes the acceptance and ‘love’ of the people she sees are more important than the approval of God… (Online cource)

You can read pastor Chisham’s post in its entirety right here.

See also:

CHRISTIANITY 21 AND ALLEGED INNOVATIVE VOICES IN THE FAITH: SETH DONOVAN

CHRISTIANITY 21 AND ALLEGED INNOVATIVE VOICES IN THE FAITH: NADIA BOLZ-WEBER

NOT SO GAY WRITING ON WALL OF APOSTATIZING EVANGELICALISM

ROB BELL, PETER ROLLINS, AND QUEERMERGENT’S ADELE SAKLER

CHRISTIANITY 21 AND ALLEGED INNOVATIVE VOICES IN THE FAITH: PHYLLIS TICKLE 

CHRISTIANITY 21 AND ALLEGED INNOVATIVE VOICES IN THE FAITH: NANETTE SAWYER

MAKEESHA FISHER: SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA BE CRASS

Under under Discipleship Resources of the State Board of Missions of the Alabama Baptist Convention one finds a “resource” from the Georgia Baptist Convention which encourages Southern Baptists to learn a practice of apostate Roman Catholicism called Lectio Divina from Tony Jones, a leading theologian in the egregiously ecumenical Emerging Church aka Emergent Church—morphing into Emergence Christianity.

Sadly, this is the exact same foolish progression which would eventually lead to the Protestant Reformation in the first place. And in this case it has opened the door into mainstream evangelicalism for mystics openly hostile to Sola Scriptura such as EC icon Rob Bell to sow their love of “mystery.” In addition, as more and more people begin thinking with their “heart” [read: emotions] we will watch the inevitable progession that previously took place within the nearly dead mainline “Protestant” denominations.

Roughly, and generally, it goes like this: Beginning with the spurious spirituality of CSM, next comes ecumenicism, which brings with it acceptance that the Roman Catholic Church as simply another “Christian faith tradition”; then ordination of women pastors, questioning the doctrine of Hell, inclusiveness—particularly of GLBTQs, and then the ordination of practicing homosexuals. Men like Jones are already helping to advance the notoriety of such “gay affirming pastors” as Nadia Bolz-Weber and Jay Bakker, who tells us he’s a friend of Jones.

If you’re brave enough, poll the Young Adult and Youth Groups at your local evangelical church and you’ll see just how far the above progression has already advanced within them after years of being used as spiritual guinea pigs trying out “alternative worship practices” [read: Emerging Church]. Well not trusting the Lord to add to His Church His way, the lust for numbers, and turning away from the all-sufficiency of Holy Scripture to the Church Growth Movement with its various forms of pragmatism has come with a cost.

Against this backdrop, over at Extreme Theology, fellow CRN contributor Chris Rosebrough of Pirate Christian Radio begins this in-depth article on a critical subject:

Modern and Post-Modern Liberals (Emergents) and their higher-critic and deconstructionist co-belligerents have an almost obsessive preoccupation with undermining, impugning, and maligning God’s Word. They incessantly attack the inerrancy, historicity and sufficiency of scripture and their attacks are getting bolder by the day. These people appear driven to reduce the Bible into a mere human product that is nothing more than man-made mythological narratives.

Stories of pristine gardens, Adam and Eve, forbidden fruit, a world-wide flood, the ark, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra, and a prophet being swallowed by a big fish are too silly and childish to be believed as actual historical events by this growing Liberal resurgence. Before you fall for these so-called progressives and their post-modern re-imaginations of the scriptures you should consider Jesus’ opinion and views of the Bible.

As you will see, Jesus had much to say about the scriptures and anyone who calls themselves a Christ-follower would do well to consider Jesus’ views of God’s Word before they attack or impugn it… (Online source)

See also:

SBC PROTESTANT PASTOR RICK WARREN DOUBLE-MINDED ON THE REFORMATION AND ROMAN CATHOLICISM

THE NEW DOWNGRADE CREATES NO CONTROVERSY TODAY

JOHN MACARTHUR: SEEKER-FRIENDLY MOVEMENT IS THE NEW LIBERALISM

SOUTHERN BAPTIST PASTOR RICK WARREN AND SADDLEBACK CHURCH OPENLY RECOMMEND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

RANK HERESY BEING PREACHED AT MHBC OF ROB BELL

IF YOU TRULY LOVE “JESUS” THERE ARE NO BOUNDARIES FOR THE “CHRIST-FOLLOWERS”

THE NEW CHRISTIANS WITH CHRISTIANITY WORTH BELIEVING—NO SOLA SCRIPTURA: YES, WOMEN PASTORS AND QUEER CHRISTIANS