This is a link to our weekly radio program Search the Scriptures Daily. You may listen to the program by clicking on the "mp3" link above. For more listening options, please see our Radio Page.
Gary:
You’re listening to a special edition of Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of the Berean Call. Still to come in our revisit to our first program series in 1999, Religion in the News, plus answers to your questions in Contending for the Faith, and in Understanding the Scriptures Dave and Tom will continue their discussion of God’s salvation. In addition to this radio program, we publish a monthly Newsletter which we make available free of charge. We also produce and distribute a wide variety of teaching materials including books in print, e-book and audio book formats, CD’s, DVD’s and other items to encourage the serious study of God’s Word. And, during this special representation of our first radio series, we are making a limited number of copies of Dave and Tom’s controversial classic, The Seduction of Christianity available at a great price. Only $7.50 each, including shipping, while supplies last. Just ask about the radio special when you contact us. For a complete list of materials, or to get a copy of today’s broadcast, write to us POB 7019, Bend, Oregon 97708. Call our toll free order number 1-800-937-6638, that’s 1-800-937-6638, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org. If you would like a copy of this broadcast on compact disk, ask for Program #2408, and be sure to mention the call letters of this station. And if you would like to watch Dave and Tom, our weekly broadcast is available on DVD, ask about a subscription when you contact us. You can also download both audio and video podcast at our website. We’ll repeat this information at the end of the program. We continue now with our special revisit to 1999.
RELIGION IN THE NEWS Now Religion in the News, a report and commentary on spiritual events and trends reported in the media. Perhaps we could subtitle this segment as further signs of the apostasy. In a sense, this is our spiritual thermometer as we evaluate the condition of professing Christianity. This item is from The Arizona Daily Star, dated April 18, 1998, with the headline, "Trendy Tiaze Prayer Services." "Since the beginning of time young people have found reasons to sit close to one another on the floor in the dark. Well, now they are doing it at church at a trendy type of prayer service called, Tiaze. Tiaze is a group method of Christian prayer that combines Bible readings with repetitive chanting and meditative silences. It presents them in a format that’s user friendly. The market research take on Tiezeh, is that it’s elements of chanting and contemplation make it quintessential, nineties mix of spirituality and individualism. Tiezeh songs, in contrast, are introspective, sung in harmony and accompanied by classical instruments or an organ. They are often one sentence or phrase repeated over and over; such as, "Lord, have compassion." Now, many U. S. churches and main-stream Catholic and Protestant denominations are adding Tiezeh to their menu of services. Gary: Dave and Tom will now comment. Tom: What do you think? I mean, if it gets people to go to church can’t it be okay? Dave: It’s a community, Tiezeh is a community over there in France. I haven’t visited it but they are into mysticism. The pope has visited, by the way, and is quite happy with it. Now, what we’re talking about here are the very techniques that we were just refuting. First of all, repetition. They think that--it’s like spinning a Buddhist prayer wheel in Tibet, you know. Jesus said the heathen use vain repetition and they think they will be heard for their much speaking. Actually, in this case, "Lord have mercy;" that is a prayer, but in this case it’s more like a mantra to put you into an altered state of consciousness. Tom: You say it over and over and over. You’re not communicating, you’re trying to change something within yourself, right? Dave: You are really tuning yourself out. You’re getting into an altered state of consciousness. But, what is the point? Jesus said: Use not vain repetition as the heathen for they think they will be heard for their much speaking and then he said--the disciples said, tell us how to pray. No, they didn’t say tell us how to pray--they said, Lord, teach us to pray. There's a big difference and there is no technique. And Jesus didn’t say repeat this prayer, they call it the Lord’s prayer. It’s not the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is in John 17, that the Lord prayed. This is the so called Lord’s prayer---the Lord would never pray this prayer: Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil and so forth--forgive us our sins as we forgive those that trespass against us--that’s not a prayer the Lord would pray but he said to the disciples: After this manner pray ye. In other words this is a pattern, but it has become a mantra also. I mean, you were a Catholic once upon a time. How many times did you say: the "Our Father," over and over and over? And, this is what they are doing so they are getting into kind of a mood and they think this is going to accomplish--it could give them a good feeling--but it’s really--I’m not trying to split hairs, I’m not trying to be just a "party pooper" for this party that they are trying to have that’s sitting on the floor in the dark and chanting, but it has nothing to do with getting to know God. Tom: Right, and that’s the heartbreak of this because people are drawn into and from a feeling orientation that somehow they are going to feel closer or get closer to God. But this isn’t His way. If I would say to somebody: This is interesting and it does have a kind of a sense of being religious, but is this what God wants? Is this how he is calling those to draw near to Him? Give me examples, I mean, was this good for Paul, the apostle Paul? Dave: Never, ever would you find it in the Bible. You will find the contrary. In fact, God, in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 9:23,24 says, "don’t let the wise glory in his wisdom, the wise shouldn’t glory in his wisdom, the rich in his riches, the mighty in his might; But let him that glorieth glory in this,--". Oh, you could sit down and chant and get a real religious feeling. No, that’s not what it says--"That he understandeth and knoweth me." And then God gives some of his characteristics: I am the Lord who exercises mercy and loving kindness and justice on the earth; for in these things do I delight. Jesus said the real Lord’s prayer in John 17:3. He said; this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. And one day--well, we quoted it in our earlier segment--Jesus said; I will say to them, I never knew you. You don’t get to know somebody by chanting their name even. I could sit down and chant to my wife, "have mercy on me, have mercy on me," I mean, or to some person I can chant their name or whatever. That’s not getting to know them but Christianity is about getting to know God. Through His Word, through Communion with Him, allowing Him to speak to us through His Word and it doesn’t come through some mystical state. That is never taught in the Word of God. Tom: And that’s critical. God has laid out how He wants us to come to Him. How He wants us to grow in our relationship with Him. I would say anyone out there whose church is into this and really want to know the Lord; go to those who are bringing this into the church. Ask them to give you examples from God’s Word of how this relates to what God wants. Dave: Why didn’t Paul suggest this? Why didn’t Peter? In fact, they talk about the contrary. Paul talks about doctrine. He says, you have known my doctrine. He emphasizes doctrine--he emphasizes truth. It’s not a feeling but it’s through truth that we come to know the Lord and he is the Truth. So He said: If you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed, you will know the Truth. And the Truth, not chanting, not therapy, the Truth will set you free. And how does that come about? Well, we could launch off in a long sermon but we are running out of time here. But it comes through the Spirit of Truth John 16:13: When he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will lead you into all truth, he will teach you of me. So this is what we need rather than chanting although my sympathy would be with these people who are trying to get a religious feeling and maybe church didn’t appeal to them in its ordinary form and they think this goes down a little better, but it’s only leading them into a delusion and that concerns me.
