The other day in Tim Keller On Greatest Names In Praying And Spirituality at Apprising Ministries I shared my plan. That’s to continue to give you reason to be concerned about the corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) ala the Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster and his spiritual twin, Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard, slithering around—even within the Young, Restless, and Reformed camp.

You may remember a little over a year ago in Evangelicalism Now Reaping What It Has Sown I reminded you that none other than fellow Living Spiritual Teacher and Emergent Church guru Brian McLaren told you they were “key mentors” of the Emerging Church. ^[1]

So what did you think they were mentoring these Emergent leaders in? This foolish divination crawls along the floor of your evangelical churches—particularly spread by ill-trained worship ministers—as so-called Spiritual Formation and then serves to create an effete form of pseudo-Christianity.

Take a serious look at those who continue in it and you’ll notice a proliferation of spiritual sissies afraid of their own shadow. One current example of how spiritually spineless people who dabble in this occultic divination of CSM become would be the Elephant Room 2 and the heretical T.D. Jakes.

Now you will better grasp what Carl Trueman has to say today in Fixing the Indemnity:

To be blunt: why so much noise about Jakes when Furtick and Noble have already apparently been established in this Elephant Room circle for some time? Frankly, they hardly seem any closer to Paul’s description of what an elder or overseer should be than the Bishop. Why all the hoohah and handwringing now about TD? Is it just because he is more notorious and thus harder to hide from public view?

Are Furtick and Noble less well known and thus easier to ignore? Surely it is the same horse, just a different jockey, as one former colleague of mine used to say? Are people really surprised that someone comfortable with Furtick has no problem with Jakes? If they are, they should give me a call: I could do them a really good deal on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Further, a number of non-US correspondents have been checking these two individuals out on Youtube and elsewhere and have asked how on earth these people are so popular over here. They look odd and their stage antics are crass. They seem to reek of the phony and the contrived. Why do people fall for them?

The answer was provided by a Canadian correspondent: these performers have adopted the style of the American stand up comic. The swaggering up and down; the conversational banter; the faux outrage; the mocking cynicism about anybody who might value decency and order as traditionally conceived; the studiedly slovenly dress style; the portentous pauses while waiting for a laugh; the ugly profanity; and, in some well-known cases, a preoccupation with talking about sex. (Online source)

Here, I’ll say absolutely, and share the impression the Lord gave me—and if you’re a charismatic CSM practitioner, how do you know He didn’t. That is Gospel Coalition Council Members James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll are being deceived. And as Steve Camp tweeted today:

(Online source)

Tru dat. In fact, Camp also tweeted a couple of other salient points, which I feel led to bring to your attention. First of all, a bit of his own personal testimony:

(Online source)

It’s sure my pleasure to do what I can to help make sure that gets on the record. Hey, look at that; it seems Camp spoke with Jakes personally. Then comes a critical question:

(Online source)

What I told Steve Camp is something I first heard Chris Rosebrough of Pirate Christian Radio discuss. Multi-site churches, with all of their Internet and video screen bells and whistles have massive technology bills to pay. Now consider the economy along with their “numbers are king” philosophy.

Yes, that’s right; it isn’t a theology. Rather, it’s their own philosophy dreamed up by the Church Growth Movement, from which this current cult of church-planters hatched. They have no choice but to continue trying to expand; because unless they do, 1) they’re considered failures, and 2) they’ll go out of business.

Now maybe the thinking skills-numbing effects of CSM, combined with the subjectivity of charismatic practices, within the Reformed camp becomes a little clearer for you. MacDonald and Driscoll are basically in the same boat as Prophet-Pastor Steven Furtick:  They have a real need of: M-O-N-E-Y.

Suddenly the revelation comes: Jesus would be pleased if we try and bring unity within the Body of Christ through dialogue in ER2 with T.D. Jakes. Well, even though I did have pizza while watching the NFL yesterday; that didn’t come from God. However, it really does make perfect business sense.

T.D. Jakes is among the very best in the business at begging for bucks; as I see it, he’s a real Tom Brady of manipulating the masses. What’s opened the door for such compromise? The embrace of this spurious spiritual formation; the stupid CSM of Richard Foster now bridging evangelicalism with WF.

Research it yourself if you don’t want to take my word for it. CSM has been in the charismatic camp, e.g. John Wimber and the Vineyard, for years. The modern phenomenon of speaking in tongues—as opposed to the Biblical—like Contemplative/Centering Prayer is prayer in an altered state of consciousness.

What you’re actually dealing with, is your brain on mysticism. Behold below its eventual effects…

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End notes:

Back to note 1 — http://tiny.cc/dpm2s, accessed 10/3/11.

See also:

JAMES MACDONALD AND HIS PAGAN CRITICS

JAMES MACDONALD, T.D. JAKES, AND POSTMODERN OBFUSCATION

T.D. JAKES AND THE TRINITY