"But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Ps. 46:10).
"Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2).
Contemplative prayer is an ancient Christian practice that has not been widely known or practiced in many evangelical and charismatic ranks, but I believe the Spirit of God is restoring it to the broader body of Christ in our day." -- James Goll
You can believe whatever evil things your wickedly deceitful heart concocts Mr. Goll but that don't make them true. Intimacy with God is not accomplished by disobeying His Word and practicing evil. Beloved if you are truly on a quest for intimacy with God I suggest you read His Word regularly and intently; not use it to excuse what your flesh wants. Goll claims that the bible is full of references for this imaginary quest he is selling. But Psalm 46 has nothing to do with that at all. It is about God being our fortress so when He says be still that means do not worry or fret. Goll and all contemplative prayer advocates mangle this simple scripture to mean we need to be still in prayer, like meditation. Except that is nowhere in Psalm 46. Goll gets no help from Hebrews either:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
The word "therefore" ties this chapter back to 11 for context, which is all about faith, not prayer. Even verse one here shows this is about running the race and not being entangled by sin -- not prayer. Does the verse from Second Corinthians help James Goll? Of course not:
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. -- 2Corinthians 3:12-18 (ESV)
