Tweet
Compile and written in part By S. E. Ray - 11/15/06
It only takes a little leaven to make the dough rise as Christ taught… meaning it only takes a little error to cancel out all the positive effects of truth. The Desert Fathers were Early Coptic who lived in the Egyptian Nitrate desert and had some deep insights, but they were immersed in some Eastern methodologies that troubles a great many past and current scholars.
In the early Middle Ages during the 4th through 6th centuries, there lived a group of hermits in the wilderness areas of the Middle East. They were known to history as the Desert Fathers. They dwelt in small isolated communities for the purpose of devoting their lives completely to God without distraction. The contemplative movement traces its roots back to these monks. They were the ones who first promoted the mantra as a prayer tool. "The meditation practices and rules for living of these earliest Christian monks bear strong similarity to those of their Hindu and Buddhist enunciate brethren several kingdoms to the East... the meditative techniques they adopted for finding their God suggest either a borrowing from the East or a spontaneous rediscovery.'" From A Time of Departing, p. 42, 2nd ed. (Ray Yungen)
You might want to read the whole article to get the full gist. I have a rule of thumb about being a purist by not accepting any group or teaching that departs from the foundational teachings of Christ. Inasmuch as we are the bride of Christ, we as the bride should desire to keep ourselves pure from the world and teachings that edge away from the counsel of Christ as set forth in scripture. Or as James the Lesser wrote in his letter in James 1:27, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
Adam and Eve entertained only one convincing error combine with truth, and all of mankind was gravely effected. A lesson about the dangers of accepting error mixed with truth. Plus, we simply can’t take a teachers, churches or any institutions word as the ultimate truth. So many in authority today are duped by erroneous teaching, because they haven’t taken the time to investigate the origin and spirit behind the teaching. Sadly, some have estimated more than half those who are teaching today are under the spirit of error. As a avid watchman on the wall for close to a decade, I would say those estimates are conservative and growing.
The Desert Fathers (tagged as Christian) were hermits, ascetics, and monks who lived mainly in the same Egyptian Nitrate desert as Anthony, an Egyptian from Alexandria, Egypt, who has been called the “Father of Monasticism.” They believed the isolation of the desert life would teach them to not be concerned about the things of this world and the solitude would make it easier to follow God. Hungry souls from all over went to this region to join monasteries in the 3rd to 7th centuries.
As time went on, these ascetics monks developed a reputation for supposed holiness and wisdom and the desert life changed from that of the hermit with his own individual spiritual program, to community living with common prayer and meals which developed into what is called “Christian” monasticism. But where was the redeeming power of Jesus in all this?
The colossal error of the monastic lifestyle is denial and separation is not how one tames the heart. The heart is a beast that cannot be tamed by man’s creative tactics. It is only by submission unto Christ as the sovereign Lord or our life can one hope to realize proper victory over the flesh.
What is most troubling is that many of New Age groups embrace and love their teachings because it appeals to their system. It is always a bad sign when the world system speaks well of a religious group or leader, because they indeed love their own. The influence of these desert monks have come to influence the Church in terms of what is called the Emergent Church. A grave departure from the teachings of Christ, instead holding to Eastern thought and denial of absolute tenants of what Christ and the Scriptures taught.
"The Desert Fathers believed as long as the desire for God was sincere--anything could be utilized to reach God. If a method worked for the Hindus to reach their gods, then Christian mantras could be used to reach Jesus ." ATOD, p. 43, 2nd ed.
"In many ways the desert fathers were like Cain--eager to please but not willing to listen to the instruction of the Lord and do what is right. One cannot fault them for their devotion, but one certainly can for their lack of discernment." ATOD, p. 44, 2nd ed.
"O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD. For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made. People bow down, And each man humbles himself." Isaiah 2: 5-6
It only takes a little leaven to make the dough rise as Christ taught… meaning it only takes a little error to cancel out all the positive effects of truth. The Desert Fathers were Early Coptic who lived in the Egyptian Nitrate desert and had some deep insights, but they were immersed in some Eastern methodologies that troubles a great many past and current scholars.
In the early Middle Ages during the 4th through 6th centuries, there lived a group of hermits in the wilderness areas of the Middle East. They were known to history as the Desert Fathers. They dwelt in small isolated communities for the purpose of devoting their lives completely to God without distraction. The contemplative movement traces its roots back to these monks. They were the ones who first promoted the mantra as a prayer tool. "The meditation practices and rules for living of these earliest Christian monks bear strong similarity to those of their Hindu and Buddhist enunciate brethren several kingdoms to the East... the meditative techniques they adopted for finding their God suggest either a borrowing from the East or a spontaneous rediscovery.'" From A Time of Departing, p. 42, 2nd ed. (Ray Yungen)
You might want to read the whole article to get the full gist. I have a rule of thumb about being a purist by not accepting any group or teaching that departs from the foundational teachings of Christ. Inasmuch as we are the bride of Christ, we as the bride should desire to keep ourselves pure from the world and teachings that edge away from the counsel of Christ as set forth in scripture. Or as James the Lesser wrote in his letter in James 1:27, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
Adam and Eve entertained only one convincing error combine with truth, and all of mankind was gravely effected. A lesson about the dangers of accepting error mixed with truth. Plus, we simply can’t take a teachers, churches or any institutions word as the ultimate truth. So many in authority today are duped by erroneous teaching, because they haven’t taken the time to investigate the origin and spirit behind the teaching. Sadly, some have estimated more than half those who are teaching today are under the spirit of error. As a avid watchman on the wall for close to a decade, I would say those estimates are conservative and growing.
The Desert Fathers (tagged as Christian) were hermits, ascetics, and monks who lived mainly in the same Egyptian Nitrate desert as Anthony, an Egyptian from Alexandria, Egypt, who has been called the “Father of Monasticism.” They believed the isolation of the desert life would teach them to not be concerned about the things of this world and the solitude would make it easier to follow God. Hungry souls from all over went to this region to join monasteries in the 3rd to 7th centuries.
As time went on, these ascetics monks developed a reputation for supposed holiness and wisdom and the desert life changed from that of the hermit with his own individual spiritual program, to community living with common prayer and meals which developed into what is called “Christian” monasticism. But where was the redeeming power of Jesus in all this?
The colossal error of the monastic lifestyle is denial and separation is not how one tames the heart. The heart is a beast that cannot be tamed by man’s creative tactics. It is only by submission unto Christ as the sovereign Lord or our life can one hope to realize proper victory over the flesh.
What is most troubling is that many of New Age groups embrace and love their teachings because it appeals to their system. It is always a bad sign when the world system speaks well of a religious group or leader, because they indeed love their own. The influence of these desert monks have come to influence the Church in terms of what is called the Emergent Church. A grave departure from the teachings of Christ, instead holding to Eastern thought and denial of absolute tenants of what Christ and the Scriptures taught.
"The Desert Fathers believed as long as the desire for God was sincere--anything could be utilized to reach God. If a method worked for the Hindus to reach their gods, then Christian mantras could be used to reach Jesus ." ATOD, p. 43, 2nd ed.
"In many ways the desert fathers were like Cain--eager to please but not willing to listen to the instruction of the Lord and do what is right. One cannot fault them for their devotion, but one certainly can for their lack of discernment." ATOD, p. 44, 2nd ed.
"O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD. For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made. People bow down, And each man humbles himself." Isaiah 2: 5-6