How I wish

It's been a long time sinc e I posted here...so much has gone on since then.

The pastor of our church lost his ranch and moved from the area, and we were without a fellowship. This wouldn't be as much of a problem in a larger area, but being from the very small town of Fort Jones, California(600+ residents) there are not a lot of choices in churches.

So few Choices...

There's the Methodist church, pastored by an extremely liberal woman from the New Age Mecca of the Mountains, Mount Shasta.

There's the Catholic Church, which tells men and women that salvation is through the Roman Catholic Faith alone, and that anyone who would say you can be saved by grace alone is anathema, that is accursed and cut off from God.


There's the local well known and lesser known cults of the Jehovah's witnesses and the 7th Day Adventists.

Within the surrounding valley, I do not know of one single church that teaches the Bible word for word. Sure, some will walk through passages loosely following the text and gist, but none that teach the whole counsel of God.

Even those that claim the name of Christ

One church here has fallen into the latest heresy trap of contemplative and formative prayer. I was taught to pray that way by a hippie teacher at summer school in Laguna Beach when I was a child. They didn't rename it, they called it meditation or relaxation exercises. It was demonic then and it is still demonic.

My complaints against contemplative prayer are several. They have renamed the mantra "centering prayer" and ignore Scriptures warning to " And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." Matthew 6:7 but rather instruct people to grab a word from their thoughts or a Bible verse and repeat it over and over to "center" themselves and clear their mind.

What's wrong with contemplative prayer?

God never tells us to empty our minds, rather He gives us a list of things to think on.
Phillipians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

But, they answer back, what about the verse that says "Be still, and know that I am God"? It is from Psalm 46, and rather than being in reference to prayer, it is a reference to the facts that whether the Earth is in the midst of change, or there are earthquakes, or the sea and waves rage, or the nations war , or the heathen rage, or there be battles and tumults, He is still God, and He will be exalted through it all. Read it for yourself.
"Psalm 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah."

Show me just one verse, one place in Scripture where "the presence of Jesus is brought into the trauma of someones life" through contemplative prayer. It can't be done.

Also, this idea of bringing Jesus to a person, well it's backwards I think. The idea that we bring Jesus to others by getting them to practice eastern meditation is a Babylonian mix of Sufi, Zen, Buddhist and Roman Catholic notions that somehow we can use Jesus like our genie in a bottle to grant wishes.

The Jesus that comes to you in contemplative eastern meditation is not likely to be the Jesus Christ of the Bible, Maker of Heaven and Earth, God made flesh, our substitutionary sacrifice, but rather the Jesus that comes to talk to you in your altered state of consciousness at best is likely to be a figment of your imagination, and is likely to be a demonic manifestation to deceive you with smooth words. You will be communing with a false Christ.

"Deuteronomy 18:9-12 When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee."

The practice of contemplative and formative prayer is come out from the Buddhist, the Zen, and the Sufi, and was adopted by the Roman Catholics, and you think a tree with bad fruit can bear good fruit because you changed its name? Listen to what God said. "thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations" and again,there shall not be found among you anyone that is " a consulter with a familiar spirit". What in the name of the Lord do you think you are doing when you practice the ways of the world and go into eastern mysticism and meditation. Can't you see that the warnings of the early 1980's have gone unheeded and the New Age Movement has seized the churches of America?

Let us be Bereans, not foolish Galatians. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.