Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things? On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice.

Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your memorial; for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed, you have gone up to it, you have made it wide; and you have made a covenant for yourself with them, you have loved their bed, you have looked on nakedness. (Isaiah 57:6-8)

Evangelicalism’s Prophets Climbing In Bed With Spiritual Harlots

In the section of the Be Still…And Know That I Am God DVD entitled Cloud of Witnesses: Contemplative Figures Throughout History renowned SBC “Bible teacher” Beth Moore gives us some very revealing information concerning the growing apostasy of sinful ecumenicism advanced by those supportive of a form of meditation in an altered state of consciousness known as Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP). This so-called prayer is the crown jewel of  Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), which is actually a romaticized version of neo-Gnostic Roman Catholic mysticism.

This CSM is then promulgated under the guise of so-called Spiritual Formation e.g. that taught by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, with his spiritual twin and Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard along to give this asceticism-lite neo-Pietism a thin veneer of scholastic respectability. In fact, as you’ll see below, they’re both involved in the aforementioned DVD released in 2006 by 20th Century Fox featuring:

contemplatives as Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Calvin Miller and Priscilla Shirer, along with some names that may surprise you? Max Lucado, Beth Moore. An acknowledgement list at the end includes Brennan Manning and Dr. Charles Stanley. (Online source)

In their article When Godly People Teach Ungodly Theology: The Subtle Error of Beth Moore M. Kurt Goedelman and G. Richard Fisher of the fine discernment ministry Personal Freedom Outreach point out that because of Beth Moore’s “bent toward mysticism” we would not find all that “surprising” some of the questionable people “she esteems.” They continue:

One of those who would fall into the [questionable] category is fellow Southern Baptist mystic Henry Blackaby. Blackaby is one of the leading exponents of subjectivism… Moore holds Blackaby in high regard. She writes she doesn’t consider herself worthy to shine his shoes…

Moore also admires Brennan Manning, author of the best-selling book, The Ragamuffin Gospel and the contemplative prayer guru whom Christianity Today labeled as “evangelicals’ favorite Catholic.” She repeatedly cites his works,… Moore tells her readers,… [Manning] has written “one of the most remarkable books I have ever read.” Manning is a prominent exponent of contemplative prayer, which calls for one to empty one’s mind, then fill it with imaginative experiences… [1]

So with the Be Still and Know DVD both Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer—who work together with Kay Arthur in the SBC’s LifeWay Event Deeper Still—are, at the very least, actively involved with promoting the transcendental meditation-lite of CCP; and it’s beyond question that this is what the DVD is promoting as we can see from a pro-contemplative prayer article “Be Still” Invites Viewers to Discover Contemplative Prayer carried by the mainstream evangelical website Crosswalk.com:

a new DVD, “Be Still,” aims to help you discover the time-honored practice of contemplative prayer… “Be Still” creator Amy Reinhold wanted to pursue the project with her husband Judge (who narrates the film) after they experienced the power of contemplative prayer in their small group Bible study…

You can engage in contemplative prayer anywhere at any time, either by yourself or with others. Essentially, “Be Still” mentions, you become a portable sanctuary as you do… The modern Christian leaders interviewed on “Be Still” also discuss some Christians throughout history – such as Francis of Assisi, C.S. Lewis, Evelyn Underhill, Madame Guyon, and Brother Lawrence – whose practice of contemplative prayer inspires them.
(Online source, bold theirs)

Lord willing, another time we’ll deal further with the mystics mentioned above, but here our focus is upon what Beth Moore tells us about the Contemplative Figures Throughout History; her misguided words reveal it really is as I have been warning here at Apprising Ministries concerning this growing apostasy absolutely rampant within The Ecumenical Church of Deceit of pretending to be Protestant evangelicalism. The growing practice of CSM, and its main vehicle of CCP, within its mainstream is quite literally reversing the Protestant Reformation right before our eyes; with the possible exception of Dr. Stanley, all of these people above accept apostate Roman Catholicism as a viable Christian expression.

In Be Still Beth Moore will tell us why, in their warped perspective, the Reformation is over—even though the anathema, which the Roman Catholic Church placed upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ, still remains:

You know, one of the things that time gives us is that it erases the lines in between people so many different sections of the people of God. Because many years later it doesn’t matter any longer that this person was of this practice in the Christian faith and this person of another. Time somehow blurs those lines and we are profoundly moved by the historical narratives of all their lives, of so great a cloud of witnesses; that we can look back on and see what kept them running the race, what kept them running toward the face of Christ at the end of that finish line. (channel 1, 00:18-00:50)

So what do you suppose it is that Beth Moore is talking about in this section, dedicated as it is to the praise of so-called “Christian” mystics who were members of the apostate Church of Rome, when she says that time “erases the lines.” She’s referring to the Reformation during which many of Christ’s beloved children were brutally murdered on the orders of Popes of the Roman Catholic Church. O, but to these compromisers “time” has somehow erased all of this. No, it hasn’t; consider the following from Dr. R.C. Sproul:

The Roman Catholic Church condemns “sola fide! (L.)” Now if, please understand this, if “sola fide (L.)” is the gospel, then the Roman Catholic Church has condemned the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, nobody who went to the Council of Trent, as a delegate, went there with the intention of condemning the gospel. The theologians of Rome really believed that they were defending the gospel and that the Protestants had in fact committed apostasy. And I admire the Church, the Roman communion of the 16th century for at least understanding what apparently people don’t understand today, and that is what is at stake here. That they understood that somebody is under the anathema of God!

And we can be as nice, and as pleasant, and as gentle, and as loving, and as charitable, and tolerant as we can possibly be, but it’s not going to change that folks. Somebody is preaching a different gospel! And when Rome condemned the Protestant declaration of “Justification by faith alone” I believe, Rome, when placing the anathema on “sola fide (L.),” placed the anathema of God upon themselves. I agree with his [John MacArthur] assessment, that the institution [Roman Catholic Church] is apostate! (Online source)

As you’ll see in Has The Roman Catholic Church Really Changed? the answer is crystal clear: Absolutely not; rather, this despicable reversal of the Reformation currently going on within squishy evanjellyfish is the work of spineless professing Christians who are themselves now covered in the blood of the martyrs murdered because they believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ i.e. salvation is by God’s grace alone; through faith alone, in the finished work on the Cross of Christ alone. Shame on such as these like Beth Moore; and if the Lord chooses to sustain me, be sure I will have more to say about this travesty in the days to come.

Because it is one thing to lament the lack of those of us who make a bold stand for Christ in this tepid time; but it’s quite another to pay the price in standing with us as the enemy then quickly steps in to vilify us.

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Endnotes:

[1] M. Kurt Goedelman with G. Richard Fisher, “When Godly People Teach Ungodly Theology: The Subtle Error of Beth Moore,” The Quarterly Journal, Personal Freedom Outreach, Vol. 27, No. 3, July-September 2007, 20, 21.

See also:

A BETH MOORE EXPOSE

BETH MOORE AND LIFEWAY (SBC) HEAD DEEPER STILL INTO DECEPTION

SOUTHERN BAPTIST SOUL SHAPING RETURN TO RELIGIOUS BONDAGE

DR. JOHN PIPER AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

DONALD WHITNEY AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

SADDLEBACK CHURCH, RICK WARREN, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

DOES PSALM 46:10 TEACH CONTEMPLATIVE/CENTERING PRAYER?