Spiritual Warfare and Territorial Spirits (~5.5 MB) - Moriel Ministries

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CommentaryCommentary by Roger OaklandRoger OaklandNew Spiritual Disciplines FromAncient Roman Catholic SourcesC O M M E N T A R YPromoters of the emergent conversationsay we are on the vergeof an era that promises renewedspiritual awareness. “Spiritual disciplines”are being touted as theavenue to a “spiritual reformation”that will take Christianity to a newand higher level of spirituality drawingall participants closer to God.Books published by majorChristian publishers written by wellknown authors are plentiful on thistopic. For example, J.P. Morelandand Klaus Issler are both professorsat Talbot School of Theology at BiolaUniversity in southern California.Moreland is professor of philosophy.Issler is professor of Christian educationand theology. In 2006, Navpresspublished a book they co-authoredtitled The Lost Virtue of Happiness:Discovering the Disciplines of theGood Life. [1] On the back cover,the following statement is made:Authors J.P. Moreland and KlausIssler illustrate how we are happyonly when we pursue a transcendentpurpose – something larger than ourselves.This involves a deeply meaningfulrelationship with God througha selfless preoccupation with thespiritual disciplines. The Lost Virtueof Happiness takes a fresh look at thespiritual disciplines, offering concreteexamples of ways you can make thempractical and life transforming. [2]The title gives a good overviewof what the book is about. Morelandand Issler believe they have rediscoveredimportant spiritual principlesthat have been lost. If youfollow these principles and they becomepart of your everyday Christianlife, you can be transformed.One of the spiritual disciplinesthe authors have recovered is outlinedin a chapter titled “GainingHappiness by Losing Your Life.”Under the subheading “Two Friends:Solitude and Silence” the authorsmake the following statement:The disciplines of solitude andsilence are absolutely fundamentalto the Christian life, are naturally practicedin tandem. In solitude we chooseto be alone and to reflect on how we experiencethe facets of life (family, job,relationship with God, finances) andwhat they mean to us while in isolation.We unhook from companionship withothers; we take ourselves physicallyand mentally out of our social, familial,and other human relationships. [3]While it is true, getting away and alonesomewhere is often the best way to concentrateand evaluate life’s most importantdecisions, the isolation and solitude thatMoreland and Issler are promoting as aspiritual discipline in the name of Christianityhas some eastern mystical overtones.Further the authors attempt to add credibilityto this rediscovered “spiritual discipline”by quoting Roman Catholic mysticand priest, Henri Nouwen, who once said:The man or woman who has developedthis solitude of heart is no longerpulled apart by the most divergentstimuli of the surrounding world butis able to perceive and understand thisworld from a quiet inner center. [4]This “quiet inner center” Nouwenwrote about is suspect, especially in lightof spiritual disciplines practiced by thoseinvolved in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths.Further, it seems that Nouwen’s RomanCatholic mystical beliefs and teachingshave strongly influenced the authors.Continuing to develop their idea of theimportance of rediscovering the lost art offinding the “quiet inner center,” they state:Go to a retreat center that has one ofits purposes the provision of a place forindividual sojourners. Try to find a centerthat has gardens, fountains, statues, andother forms of beautiful artwork. In ourexperience, Catholic retreat centers areusually ideal for solitude retreats… Wealso recommend that you bring photos ofyour loved ones and a picture of Jesus…Or gaze at a statue of Jesus. Or let somethought, feeling, or memory run throughyour mind over and over again. [5]I have searched the scriptures. Gazingat a picture or statue of Jesus or concentratingon a thought or feeling in order to establish“a quiet inner center” just isn’t there!God’s Word or Man’s wordIt is apparent to me after readingcountless books published by mainlinepublishers on the subject of the emergingchurch movement that there aretwo underlying common denominators.First, it is apparent that the “new kindof Christian” that is being groomed byemergent teachings is being conditionedto accept, embrace and promote a “newmysticism” under the banner of spiritualformation. However, the so-called spiritualdisciplines that are promoted as partof this spiritual formation are not new.They are the same methods and techniquesthat have seduced the masses sincethe fall of man in the Garden of Eden.Second, the teachings and beliefs ofRoman Catholic mystics who embracedeastern mysticism in the past are being reintroduced,and for many, are taking precedenceover the Word of God. The onslaughtof ideas promoted by these RomanCatholic mystics is staggering. Why is thisso? Is it possible many are being seducedand don’t realize what is happening? Whycan people not see the Roman Catholicconnection? Have they been blinded?For example, in a section of TheLost Virtue of Happiness: DiscoveringThe Disciplines of The Good Life,Moreland and Issler provide tips for“developing ongoing prayer.” Hereare some of the points they made:• We recommend that you beginby saying the Jesus Prayer aboutthree hundred times a day. [6]• When you first awaken, say the JesusPrayer twenty to thirty times. Asyou do, something will begin to happento you. God will begin to slowlyoccupy the center of your attention. [7]• Repetitive use of the Jesus Prayerwhile doing more focused things allowsGod to be on the boundaries of yourmind and forms the habit of being gentlyin contact with him all day long. [8]You don’t have to be Bible scholarto understand that repetitive prayersdesigned to get one into a state of consciousnessin order to bring one clos-20 Moriel Quarterly • June 2007
er to God, is not in the Word of God.Further, Moreland and Issler attemptto justify their case for the practice of repetitiveprayer in their book, claiming thatsuch a “spiritual discipline” is biblicallyand historically valid. Encouraging theunsuspecting reader to be at ease, they say:Now, before you role your eyes indisbelief, hang in there with me. Derivedfrom Luke 18:38, the Jesus Prayer has hada powerful impact on people at varioustimes in church history. [9] And while itcomes in different forms, the wording weprefer is “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy onme!” If you take up the challenge, I thinkyou’ll see some remarkable results. [10]Then, attempting to add more convincingbiblical grounds to place a seal of approvalon such antibiblical practice to getcloser to God, Moreland and Issler stated:You may be thinking that repeating aprayer over and over again violates Jesus’warning, “And when you are praying, donot use meaningless repetition [do notkeep on babbling, NIV] as the gentilesdo, for they suppose they will be heardfor their many words” (Matthew 6:7,NASB). On the contrary, the use of repetitiveprayer as a spiritual training exercisedoes not fall under this prohibition. AsNew Testament scholar Don Carson said,Jesus is not forbidding all long prayersor all repetition. He himself prayed atlength (Luke :12), repeated himself inprayer (Matt 26:14), and told a parable toshow His disciples that “they should alwayspray and not give up” (Luke :12).His point is that His disciples shouldavoid meaningless, repetitive prayers offeredunder the misconception that merelength will make prayers efficacious. [11]This apologetic, if it was writtenby J.P. Moreland who is a well knownapologist, justifying mindless repetitiveshort word prayers verses long prayersis difficult for me to accept. This wouldmean that for centuries Christians whohave spoken out against the very thingthe authors are promoting were mindlessfools. This is just too much to accept.I have been to the country of Myanmar(formerly called Burma) twice. Onboth occasions I observed (and havevideo footage) of both Roman Catholicsand Buddhists practicing the spiritualprinciple of repetitive prayer. By theway, in both cases they were chantingthese prayers over and over again whilethey were counting beads. Yes, RomanCatholics and Buddhists both have a“rosary” technique to keep track of howmany times they have chanted a prayer.I have also taken the time to interviewRoman Catholics and Buddhists in theRoger Oakland Commentarycountry of Myanmar. I have asked themwhat they are doing and why they are doingthis. Each time that I have asked this questionI have been told the same thing. It is away to concentrate and focus their thoughtsand get in tune with the spirit world.Chanting repetitive phrases to getcloser to God is not biblical, it is Satanic.If I am wrong in what I am saying, thenplease show me from the scriptures. In lightof what the Bible warns about repetitiveprayer and the fact that Satan has a significantplan to seduce believers in the LastDays, if you are headed down this path,I implore you to stop in your tracks. Repentand turn back to Jesus and His Word![1] J.P. Moreland, Klaus Issler, The LostVirtue of Happiness: Discovering theDisciplines of the Good Life,Navpress, Colorado Springs,CO, 2006[2] Ibid. back page[3] Ibid. p. 51[4] Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out (NewYork, Doubleday, 1986), 25[5] Moreland and Issler, page 54-55[6] J.P. Moreland, Klaus Issler, The LostVirtue of Happiness: Discovering theDisciplines of the Good Life,Navpress, Colorado Springs, CO,2006, p. 90[7] Ibid. p. 92[8] Ibid. p. 93[9] See R.M. French, tans., The Way ofthe Pilgrim (San Francisco: Harperand Row, 1988), 156[10] J.P. Moreland, Issler. p. 90[11] D.A. Carson, “Matthew,” inExpositor’s Bible Commentary, ed.Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids,MI: Zondervan, 1984), 166E-mail - roakland@aol.comQuotes of the QUARTER !“Restoring the Jews totheir national home inPalestine...is a Nobeldream and one shared bymany Americans”.By: Abraham LincolnMidlandsBibleCollegeAs a lecturer at MBC,Jacob Prasch recommendsthe College as aplace of study for thosewishing a more in-depthunderstanding of God’sWord. Distance-learningBible courses rangingfrom beginner through tofully accredited degreelevelavailable in eitherelectronic study pack ortraditional cassette andprinted notes format.The Midlands BibleCollegeSt. John’s SquareWolverhamptonWV2 4AT(United Kingdom)www.midbible.ac.ukadmin@midbible.ac.ukw w w . m i d b i b l e . a c . u kJune 2007 • Moriel Quarterly 21
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Spiritual Warfare and Territorial Spirits (~5.5 MB) - Moriel Ministries

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