The practice of formal religion is taking a hit, but our human nature still calls us to seek some universal force outside of ourselves. More of us now dabble in yoga/meditation, creative visualization, dangle crystals around the home, burn incense while rubbing the head of a Buddha figurine as we check our Stars for the day. Such practices appear trivially innocent although they are often based in some Eastern Religion, or in the Christian Science of Mary Baker Eddy, or in the Creative Visualization of Shakti Gawain, or in the Silva Mind Control Method, all to tap into some cosmic energy as propounded by the Human Potential Movement that promises inner peace, growth and success. BUT, is it dangerous?
Part 2.
DANGER........
What we perceive in the imagination may be a wolf in sheep's clothing [Mt 7:15]. The devil himself grants visions; he even tempted Jesus with his visions in the desert [[Mt 4: 8-11]. The messenger from God can well be a Jezebel [Rev 2:20], and even Satan can appear as an Angel of Light [2Cor 11:14].
It was not specifically the danger from the evil powers which lay behind the prohibitions of OT occult practices [Dt 18, Lev 19:31, 20:27], but in any case those instructions, for the most part, remain in force. We must not ignore either the literal sense [the author's meaning] or the underlying principle of Scripture where there is the possibility of a link between illicit spiritism and current prayer practices.
Certainly, at least the warning exists. We may ask what was the essential difference between the powers of Pharaoh's magicians and Aaron [Ex 7:11-12]? Saul died because he consulted spirits of the dead rather than consult the Lord [1Chron 10:13-14], but this is hardly what might happen in Christian prayer. Although, sophisticated and subtle remnants of Manasseh's idolatry [2K 21:5-6] are common today in the practices of Christians who tinker with star signs, charms and superstition. [Coming myself from a long line of Irish ancestors, I know about the many quaint superstitions]. Scriptural references which might be considered are: Ex 22:13, Is 2:6-9, Jer 27:9-10, Zach 10:2, Mal 3:5, Is 8:19-22, Is 47:9-11, Act 8:9-10,, 19:18-20, 2Tim 3:8, 1Cor 10:20, Rev 21:8, 22:15.
One yardstick we must glean from all this comes from Paul's insight as he outlined to the Galatians: human nature is an enemy of the Spirit and, it seems, that even the naturally human desires for spiritual fulfillment will lead the seeker astray. The search for fulfillment of the body/soul/spirit integrated life [holiness] must be directed by the Spirit, which does not necessarily accord with what seems right to us, for we cannot fathom the mind of God [Cf Gal 5:16-21].
Our search for God in prayer then becomes eventually a matter of casting aside the techniques and leanings of the self [the faculties of the soul], and through this emptying we remove the barriers which retard communion with the Spirit. This ideal leads to contemplation and to the exercising of the Gifts of the Spirit.
FAITH.......
It is not a natural inclination to empty oneself like this. It is human nature to seek the spiritual entities - be they God or some other. Pagans seek a god not a devil. The path of the spiritual journey of the chosen people was illumined by the God without, through the prophets. Today the journey is illumined by the God within and the Church without, and we see through the eyes of Faith. Man's efforts to make this journey into God will come unstuck, for man's nature has been blemished [Rom 7:19-25, 5:12ff, Gal 3:22, 1Jn 1:8-10] and he must blind the eyes of his soul, the reason of his mind, the interests of the self, and travel with faith - the lamp shining in the dark [2Pet 1:19-21, 2Cor 3:6, Heb 11:6].
We do not need visions of the soul in our journey in faith, for God makes His Being plain to the visible eye. Those who are not satisfied with this are the very ones who fall into idolatry [Rom 1: 18-25]. The denial of self is not an ideal which is exclusive to contemplatives for every Christian must offer himself as a living sacrifice dedicated to God's service - this is true worship. We will know God not by our own methods but by the transformation which He makes from within in the environment of Faith, repentance and humility [Rom 12:1-3]. Faith in God as described in the epistles and gospels [Mk 11:22] is a far cry from a belief in the power of the mind which activates metaphysical laws to bring about health and wealth as promoted by CV and the NA generally. To have faith is to be certain of things we cannot see [Heb 11:1] in the eye or in the mind.
HUMILITY - or SELF-ESTEEM?..........
A philosophy of the NA movement requires an improvement of self-esteem, achieved through positive affirmations, [Note: philosophy is a science like any other which ought adhere to certain principles, so please excuse my loose use of the word]. Self-esteem is warranted and increases our effectiveness as Christians and leads to fulfillment of the human person, according to this philosophy or outlook. The Book of Numbers relates an incident [12:1-8] where Aaron and Miriam claim that their communications from God are as good as Moses'. The Lord reminds them that His appearance in visions is inferior to the more direct contact He has with Moses. Not only do we have a lesson regarding the means of the Lord's revelation, but the author is at pains to point out that Moses' reluctance and self-effacement have a lot to do with the Lord's favor.
One can assume that it is a posture of the heart, an attitude, and an uncommon one at that which leads to the 'narrow gate of life' [Mt 7:13]. We do not have to find that gate in isolation for we need only pick up the trail which Jesus leaves for us. But, as He says:"If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget self". It is this humility which is the required posture of heart. The food which keeps us going is the very food which kept Jesus going:"My food is to do the Will of the One who sent me"[Jn 3:34].
But, is not humility Truth? And is it not true that the presence of God is within, and does this fact not require us to possess self-esteem? Affirmations [which often accompany CV and NA] are then surely a means of ensuring that we maintain a true view of ourselves as 'empowered' by God; that we are a Royal Priesthood; that we have a heavenly inheritance. How does this square with the injunctions of the Word of God?
Man's pride is the self-view that he has good qualities about him, even when this is due to God [Lk 18:11]. Even in the milieu of Pentecost, where the disciples realized in practice the power of the Spirit within, and had an immediate sense of their righteousness won in Jesus, still Paul could advise: "Do not think highly of yourself and in self-reflection consider only how much faith you have [Rom 12:3].
Methods for building self-esteem even in the purest sense, seem superfluous, for nobody really undervalues himself [Eph 5:29]. The failures occasioned by guilt are not due to low self-esteem but in fact - pride [2Tim 3:6].
Our first duty, it seems, as people in the Spirit is in fact to play down our own worth and to esteem others more than ourselves. After all, we honour the Name of Jesus because He gave up any notion of His own worth even unto death [Phil 2:1ff]. "Do not call me good" He said.
Faith was more important to Moses who refused exaltation for suffering [Heb 11:24f]' God will lift up the humble in His own time but until then we should be concerned with serving one another [1Pet 5:6], for the greatest will be the least [Lk 22:26].
The affirmations of the positive thinking mentality are reminiscent of John's vision of Babylon: "For she keeps telling herself: 'I will never know grief'" [Rev 18:7], but her fate is damnation.
SIGNS......
The signs in outward forms of magic and miracle are often identical. We must not be deluded by the results, for the end does not justify the means. We must heed this in our investigation into prayer methodologies for we know false prophets will deceive; we know Satan appears as an Angel of Light, we know the Anti-Christ is a worker of miracles [Mt 24, 1Tim 4:1].
Do CV and NA methods teach us what we are itching to hear? Is this modern day itching prophesied by Paul to Timothy [2Tim 4:1-4]? After all, John The Baptist was the greatest of men, yet he worked no miracle [Lk 7:28, Jn 10:41].
BIBLICAL SUPPORT [ For New Age?]...........
New age writers, and indeed many Church leaders, will themselves use words and phrases from the Bible to support their propositions. Consider these examples ..............
"Agree with thine adversary quickly". [Florence Scovel Shinn p34]. That means: agree that the adverse situation is good, be disturbed by it, and it falls away of its own weight".
"Jesus Christ said, 'Resist not evil', for He knew in reality there is no evil, therefore nothing to resist". [ibid p30].
"A metaphysician once explained it in this manner. He said: 'The only thing which gives anything weight in nature, is the law of gravitation and if a boulder could be taken high above the planet, there would be no weight in that boulder; and that is what Jesus Christ meant when He said: 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light'. He had overcome the world vibration........." [ibid p48].
"Keeping our wish or, more to the point, our visualization of a healing, bottled up in secrecy seems a way to avoid dissipating its energy ......[we] advise students to keep their healing work to themselves. When Christ said: 'See that no man knows of it', He was not asking for a cover up. His reasons were deeper". [Silva Mind Control p104].
Quotations for a chapter entitled: Meditations And Affirmations........
"Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the Light shall shine upon thy ways". Job 22:28 [Creative Visualization p63]. The context of this passage reveals an introduction of Job's exhortation to let God be your gold and is immediately followed by the lines in the Bible:
"God brings down the proud and saves the humble". This latter omitted phrase would be anathema to Shakti Gawain's philosophy.
Abuse of the Word by such famed personages as Paul Youggi Cho, Robert Schuller, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Morton Kelsey et al, is well documented. However, the use of Scripture by mind control users is fairly well restricted to the area of healing, miracles and economic success. There is not a lot said about CV in itself by such preachers of the Prosperity Gospel and probably there is not a lot that can be said.
Of the little that can be said, perhaps Jn 14:21 has something to say: "My Father will love whoever loves me. I too will love him and reveal myself to him". There may be a connection here with the process of visualizing Jesus in prayer but there is also good reason to reject this.
Following the next section dealing with the traditions of prayer, we hope to be in a position to speculate on norms for spiritual experience which will include CV.
.................. END PART 2 .............
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