BEWARE OF CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM

September 16, 2000 - About Christian "mysticism" and an experience that my wife just had at a Christian women's conference today. Among the featured speakers, Kay Arthur, Ann Graham Lotts, and Fernando Ortega, was the wife of famed evangelical Stuart Briscoe, Jill Briscoe, teaching Christian women how to draw near to God in prayer. I warned Judy when I saw Briscoe in the lineup to be extra careful with that one, as her husband is a known mystic who is leading evangelicals into a one-world religion. Usually birds of a feather flock together. [ http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/briscoe/general.htm ]

Jill Briscoe taught on prayer, and led the attendees in an extensive round of guided imagery and vizualization, which she
referred to as "meditation." That was probably the only true thing she said. Her entire effort was intended to create psychic connections (pathways in the heart), through mental images of Golgotha, the garden of the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, and even looking into the eyes of Christ Himself, to have a personal experience with Jesus. What it amounted to was an excercise in creating an alternate reality through mental images and the Christ encountered was one of your own making. This technique is a classic mind game used by mystics and occlutist to create pathways to their "higher power," or inner light. I believe that these arenas provide easy access for evil spirits to captivate and deceive foolish people.

Ruth Carter Stapleton referred to it as "Inner Healing" and used it to initiate evangelicals and people of all sorts of religions into the new age movement. [ http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/inheal.htm ]

[ http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud/fbns/imaginationand.htm]

COMMENTARIES:

Commentary 1:

One of Briscoe's first excercises with the audience was to ask attendees with physical infirmities to raise their hands so that the rest of the audience could pick one for a target and ask the Holy Spirit to put into their minds whatever it is they are afflicted with. That sounded too bizaare for Judy and she immediately went to red alert. Well she should, as it was nothing more than "omnisicience" training from the occult. This was just the opener to psychic development, not repentance from sin and simple prayer to our living Savior.

As the vizualization activities proceeded, Judy said out loud, "Wow, she's doing guided imagery!" and stood up and left the room, to the confusion of her fellow attendees. As she recalls, there didn't appear to be many others joined her for the exit. Why should they? This was an event sanctioned by an evangelical establishment, starred by some of the big luminaries of evangelicalism. Kay Arthur and Ann Graham Lotz both denounced the new age. Too bad they weren't in the audience to provide some spiritual leadership during this demonic activity. Even a public denunciation after the fact would have been called for. As it stands, Judy was it, she was hardly noticed by the audience at large and most of the women there are now conditioned to enjoin the general drift into higher levels new age initiation. You could easily consider this excercise a first or second-degree initiation into the new age, for any neophytes present.

http://www.ior.com/~gregd/commentary.htm

Once again, mysticism squeezes its way into the boat and real Christian integrity is simply tossed overboard.

Little wonder that Briscoe, in addition to her occult mind-training techniques, turned out to be a universalist, embracing everybody into a grand spiritual brotherhood where the person and work of Christ is not as important as how we feel. I guess it just goes with the territory.Again, beware of Christian mysticism. [Comments: W. ]

Commentary 2:

On Fri, 15 Sep 2000 - W. , Three others have spoken of good fruit regarding Rees Howell and you by linking him with Norman Grubb offer the opposite view. I have learned to look for a balanced Biblical interpretation and continue dialogue with an open mind and heart.

To summarize, Christian mysticism, in its passion for inner light, apparently found too much of its illumination from counterfeits, the father of whom makes himself out to be an angel of light. I don't bring this up to be contentious, but to warn Christ's sheep to be very cautious with Christian mystics in general and Norman Grubb in particular.

Beware of men who offer inner light."....

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