In David Jeremiah’s 1995 book, Invasion of Other Gods, he gave a strong and clear warning against the New Age. But about a decade later in his 2003 book, Life Wide Open, Jeremiah was quoting and favorably referencing those who practice and promote the New Age. Now in more recent days, he has been promoting and resonating with emerging church pastor, Erwin McManus.1 It is difficult to understand this shift in David Jeremiah’s spiritual outlook.
The common element throughout all New Age teachings and writings is mysticism. Interestingly, though Jeremiah doesn’t appear to be teaching mystical meditation himself, he continually makes reference (in a positive light) to those who do. In Life Wide Open, he includes Brother Lawrence and St. John of the Cross. In Brother Lawrence’s book, The Practice of the Presence of God, it says that he “danced violently like a madman” when he went into the “presence” of God (ATOD, p. 147), not something that the apostle Paul or Jesus boasted of. And St. John of the Cross was “enriched by the teachings of Sufi philosophers (Islamic mystics).”2
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In today’s (July 11, 2007) daily commentary by David Jeremiah, he tells readers to “Visualize the Lord Jesus sitting across the table from you” and quotes mystic St. Francis de Sales.3 De Sales (1567-1622)was a mystic who sought “mystical union with God” and campaigned to bring reformers back to Catholicism. 4
Many Christians continue looking to David Jeremiah as a leader in spiritual matters, but unfortunately he may be leading them in a direction that could be harmful to their spiritual well-being by pointing to those who practice mysticism. Jeremiah’s affinity with Erwin McManus, who says it is his goal to destroy Christianity, should cause discerning, Bible-believing Christians to take notice and be aware.
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