YWAM Emerges: The MysticVoice of Dr. Atef
By Steve MitchellPower To
Stand Ministries
Today, many in the Church are seeking after a mystical
relationship with God. We are told that “Christian mysticism” is synonymous
with having a deeper, more intimate relationship with God and we may even get
the opportunity to have our senses and minds virtually blown asunder by a
manifestation of God’s intense presence. With claims of that nature abounding
by many in Third Wave, Word/Faith, and new emergent circles, there’s a scramble
to experience the supernatural in an unprecedented way. Many “mystics”
or experts in mysticism have emerged on the scene. They are being well
received by many in the church as revelators with prophetic guidance to give
fresh words and new revelation from God, tragically, often in contradiction to
the Bible.
This article is about one such voice hailed by YWAM
leadership as a “true mystic” who has been sent to give the “fresh word”
of the Lord to the leadership of the organization – Coptic/mystic/desert priest
Dr. Atef Aziz Mikail.
Before we look closer at his new ministry to YWAM, we need to outline a few concerns about mystics and mysticism.
Mysticism is defined as: 1: the experience ofmystical
union or direct communion with ultimate reality reported by mystics.
2: the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality
can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight).
3 a: vague speculation : a belief without sound basis b : a theory
postulating the possibility of direct and intuitive acquisition of ineffable
knowledge or power.(Webster’s Dictionary).
A mystic is: • noun a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to attain unity with the Deity and reach truths beyond human understanding. — ORIGIN Greek mustes ‘initiated person’, from muein ‘close the eyes or lips’ or ‘initiate’.(Oxford Online Dictionary)
Kevin Reeves, in a review of Erwin McManus’ book, The Barbarian Way, says this concerning the trend of Christian mystics:
“McManus is enamored of the word “mystical”, and uses it repeatedly in his book. Again, he changes definitions. The word “mystic” in the Greek refers to someone who is involved with secret rites—i.e. a hidden way to God that is only for the initiated. Now, I understand that McManus probably does not mean this when he is speaking of a closer walk with God and intimate communion with Him. But it is important to use words corresponding to their actual meanings. That is what we have language for! To call a true follower of Jesus Christ a “mystic”, and his communion with God “mystical” is to mislead by wrong definition. Hinduism, Buddhism, and many world religions are mystical, but following Christ is not.” http://www.theothersideoftheriver.com/Articles/Hordes.shtml
Arthur L. Johnson also sheds some needed light on this:
“Mysticism, if my understanding of the Bible and of history are correct, is both anti-Scriptural and a contradiction if the evangelical view that the Bible is the one and only ultimate criterion of truth about God and our relation to Him” (Arthur L. Johnson, Faith Misguided: Exposing the Dangers of Mysticism, p. 11).
These men have a good grasp of the problems that come with trying to integrate both ideas, and that is why we need these definitions. So keep in mind at the outset, mysticism, as a system of spirituality or, even as it is known experientially, has NO compatibility with biblical Christianity. God never called his children to seek mystical experiences or be mystics. The Bible uses the word spiritual for our life and walk (Rom.15:27; 1Cor.2:13, 14:27; Galatians 6:1; 1 Pt.2:5).
While it is true that Scripture speaks of “mysteries”, we must keep in mind that the Greek word Musterion is always used in connection with something that is being revealed by God. At the appointed times, God used specific men, the writers of Scripture, to bring forth His revelations to us. We can’t know everything about God and His plans but make no mistake- He revealed to us all we need to know in terms of what was previously kept secret concerning our salvation and His plans for us.
W. E. Vine writes: “In the ordinary sense a “mystery” implies knowledge withheld; its Scriptural significance is truth revealed. Hence the terms equally associated with the subject are “made known”, “manifested”, “revealed”, “preached”, “understand”, “dispensation”. The definition given above may be best illustrated by the following passage: “The mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to His saints.”(Col. 1:26,rv).” (Vine’s Complete Exposoitory Dictionary ofOld and New Testament Words, p. 424).
Other verses in which Musterion is used in this way are 1 Cor. 4:1, 13:2, 14:2; 1 Tim. 3:9; 1 Cor. 2:6-16 Paul contrasts biblical Musterion with Greek mystical version; Col. 2:2,4:3, Eph. 1:9, Rom. 16:25; Eph. 5:32, 6:19; 1 Cor. 15:51; Mark 4:11,13:11among others.
Any usage of the term “mystery” in Scripture is totally different from what is being advocated today in many circles concerning becoming a mystic or mystical Christian. So the fact that the Bible mentions “mysteries” doesn’t give anyone the green light for mysticism. But that doesn’t stop many in the emerging church movement from endorsing this type of spirituality:
“In the words of one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century, Jesuit philosopher of religion/dogmatist Karl Rahner, “The Christian of tomorrow will be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or he will be nothing” (Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality, p.76).
“Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology.” (Ibid.).
“Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen to the voice of love ... For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required” (Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, p. 6, 31-32).
“Mysticism [contemplative prayer] provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam.” (Tony Campolo, Speaking My Mind, p.149).
Emergent leader Brian Mclaren also expresses his advocation of mysticism in his book Generous Orthodoxy, in which he devotes an entire chapter entitled: ‘Why I Am A Mystical Christian”.
For an excellent expose of these new emergent personalities, go here: http://www.letusreason.org/current73.htm
These are just a few examples but this is becoming more and more widespread. As we will see, YWAM has no problems letting their leaders be trained by a mystic like Dr. Atef.
I first heard of Dr. Atef in a sermon delivered in Hawaii by YWAM GLT leader Danny Lehmann at Calvary Chapel Komo Mai’s Mars Hill Saturday night Service in 2005. Having listened to a steadily worsening stream of teachings from Lehmann in the previous weeks, needless to say, my interest was piqued when this man was referenced in a dubious interpretation of 1 Cor. 13:
“Then the third was the mystical Christians. It says
‘Though I understand all mysteries’. I’m a mystical type like my friend Dr.
Atef I was talking about last week. He spends time for months eating bread and
water and fasts for months at a time and gets all mystical with God in the
deserts of Egypt. He lives by himself, kind of a mystical guy. But even if you’re
really spiritual like my friend Dr. Atef and you do that, if you do it and you
don’t have love, you’re zero. (Danny Lehmann “The Tree of Life” 9/18/05).
He says in a later sermon:
“I can understand all mysteries. I can be a real mystical
Christian” (Danny Lehmann 11/05/05 Mars Hill).
One can clearly see in Lehmann’s message the
misunderstanding he has between the Bibles usage of “mystery” and being a
mystical Christian. I do not know if they are really friends or not, but this
Dr. Atef is mentioned twice by Lehmann as an example of being a mystical
Christian and that in a favorable light.
I think it’s obvious that there’s no real compatibility between mysticism and biblical Christianity. These gentlemen have their worldviews and philosophical presuppositions mixed up. While it is true that the Bible reveals, unveils and even teaches that there are mysteries nowhere does it advocate the practices we see being endorsed and uplifted in this movement. The current craze of contemplative mysticism and ascetic practices to achieve higher levels of consciousness with God are often misleading and dangerously deceptive because they deviate far from what God’s Word teaches.
Lehmann’s endorsement of Dr. Atef prompted me to begin a
search regarding the identity of this new persona. I discovered that he has
earlier emerged from an ascetic life and is being hailed as a recent revelator
of sorts for YWAM. He is one in a long line of voices that YWAM leadership,
especially the GLT (Global Leadership Team), are listening to for future
direction. Because this is the case, it warrants a short treatment outlining
some concerns concerning the presence and ministry of Dr. Atef.
Dr. Atef Aziz Mikail was a featured speaker at the Sept. 2005 GLT training conference in Belo Horizonte, Brazil called Viva Latin America. YWAM leader Stacey Jillson says this about Atef:
“To know God.” More than a company slogan, these words lie at the heart of Youth With A Mission; it is our vision, our passion, and our heart’s cry for the world. YWAM worldwide was reminded of this in a powerful way at 2005’s Global Leadership Team (GLT) meetings in Brazil, and from an unexpected source: a 59-year-old Egyptian physician turned Coptic priest named Dr. Atef Aziz Mikail” source: http://www.ywam.org/articles/article.asp?AID=325
He is introduced in the above-cited article (“Do We Need a Spiritual Awakening? YWAMers respond to a warning given by an Egyptian priest” By Stacey Jillson Date: 2/1/2006|Source: International YWAMer|Issue: IYFeb06) as a “mystic” and of course cited as such by Danny Lehmann who was also at that meeting. This again breeds concern because much if what is found in mysticism and eastern thought is spiritually dangerous. This is also why so many who claim these levels of relationship with God ultimately have nothing to point to verify their claims except for subjective experience rather than confirmation fro God’s Word. Dr. Atef’s beginnings are no exception.
In Jillson’s article we are told that:
“Shortly after Atef began his university studies, Jesus appeared to him in a dream and told him that he was clinging to earthly things rather than to Him. For a year and a half, the young man searched for an explanation of the meaning of the dream and found none” (Ibid.).
She then shares that at a later time he was led to pray confessing his sins and asking the Lord Jesus to come into his life “in a new way”. One wonders what is actually meant here. He came from a Coptic family but does this mean he was saved earlier? Does it mean that his prayer to Christ to manifest in a “new way” was conversion? As he relates the story in the article it sounds as though he may be getting saved for the first time as it is in conjunction with confessing sin. All this presents more questions than answers.
There are many accounts by folks alleging that Christ has appeared to them. All I can say here is that suspicions arise because “Jesus” in his dream told him something that would usually be revealed to a person shortly after they had already been saved. Think about it! Of course the unbeliever is clinging to earthly things rather than to Christ because they have yet to even know Him or have any relationship with Him. I find it a bit troubling that this statement was the first revelation to a young Atef who may have not yet even known Christ or the evil of clinging to earthly things and not trusting in Him alone – an impossibility anyways for an unsaved person.
I bring this up because it’s not normative, and I am not doubting his later conversion but then that was rather unique as well:
“But shortly after entering medical school, he had an encounter with the Lord. “I found myself coming to the Lord one night,” Dr. Atef says, “confessing my sins and asking Him to come into my life in a new way. I had never heard anything about this from anyone, about how to come to Christ; I just found myself led to pray this way. I couldn’t understand what had happened to me and I expected it to fade away, but month after month I found that my life was moving in a different direction” (Ibid.).
Its an encounter involving confession of sin and an invite to Christ to come into his life in a new way. Atef had never even heard how to come to Christ which may indicate my earlier suspicion that he is talking here of actually being saved. At any rate this type of relationship is truly mystical and to Atef himself, mystifying. Truly his experience seems quite unique and is not normative in church history. What then is this different direction he heads in?:
“That direction would lead Dr. Atef into an ever-deepening walk with Jesus. He entered a religious order straight out of medical school” (Ibid.).
It seems a bit strange that an ever-deepening walk with Jesus leads him, (a new mystic) into a “religious order”. This leading must be questioned, for it was a monastic order that involved many contemplative and ascetic practices:
“Over the past three decades, he has repeatedly left his fruitful ministry in Egypt to spend years in solitude with the Lord. He’s spent a total of eight years in prayer and Bible study at a historic Egyptian monastery” (Ibid.)
It would be interesting to know more about what kind of instruction he received and who was in this religious order. Was it 8 years of good Bible study and biblical prayer? I hope so but this all seems more likened to the new resurgence of monastic retreat and contemplative centering prayer stuff so endorsed by today’s emergents. Monastic living is not the ideal for service to the Lord for Christians and even Atef began to be conflicted with this:
“I was torn between two things which seemed at that time to be contradictory to me. Would I remain in the monastery and be a worshipper, or would I be a missionary?” (Ibid.).
While I find it good that he began to question his monastic lifestyle and pursue more, I find his contemplative question fundamentally flawed: Note how he views a life of worship to God as a monastic reality whereas missionary work is seen as a contrast to worship. Would he remain in the monastery as a worshipper OR be a missionary? Sadly, many view these as different poles in the same light and we see worship to the Lord and ministry oftentimes treated as two different things. But Atef is a mystic and God therefore cannot leave him in such a conundrum because allegedly Atef has a job to do:
“Then God spoke to me, ‘This is the calling of this generation, to be worshipping missionaries, and I will use you in a special way’”(Ibid.).
Here’s where my concerns were raised to a higher level. In reviewing much of what many in YWAM have alleged that God has actually spoken in the past years in their organization and having had discussions with YWAMers and ex-YWAMers trained by the likes of the Dawsons, Lehmann, and Cunningham, it becomes clear that we need to pay special attention to any alleged quotes from God as claimed by these people. YWAM is rife with many false teachings and yet still claims such intimate communication and revelation from God. The question emerges and is relevant here: ‘Why then is God telling them things that are unbiblical, only half revealed, ridiculous, or not in character with who the Bible reveals the true God to be?”
My concern is summed up when we look at this quote by God to Atef. Would God tell him that this is the calling of THIS generation, to be worshipping missionaries? This generation? Why would God say that THIS generation is called to do that? Did He not call everyone who knows him to be a worshipper in every generation? Jesus told the woman at the well: “…for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:23b-24), in all generations, everywhere. He was searching true worshippers then and still is today, whether you are called a missionary or not. Should it not be obvious that every missionary who truly brings the good news be a worshipper in spirit and in truth? I just find some of these claims made hard to believe in content as to whether God would really say these types of things or not.
It becomes all too apparent at times that God seems to speak so specifically to people who advocate, endorse, or teach very false things yet they get to get spoken to so specifically? Here Atef is personally told by God Himself that he is specially called with a special ministry in a unique way. Most of us find ourselves having to walk in faith and be obedient to what God’s Word says and where the Holy Spirit leads.Atef was supposedly spoken to directly by God which consists of, at best, debatable content.This call was Atef’s commission into YWAM and as we will see that this has put him in a position of prominence to teach some very questionable things, all in the name of revelation from God.
Make no mistake, Atef alleges that he was personally led into connection with YWAM to fulfill God’s supposed calling to this generation of “worshipping missionaries”. There are many sounder organizations that have upheld the Word of God for many years and don’t entertain the false prophets and bad doctrine that YWAM has become riddled with. One wonders why God would endorse this movement with so many words and revelations and few, if any, warnings concerning their false teachings and practices.
Dr. Atef first got involved with YWAM in the 70’s and was impacted greatly by the teachings he heard were being taught in YWAM. He mentored and taught a girl named Magdy who became director of YWAM Egypt. Eager to give her mentor a platform she invited Atef to teach in 2002. He ended up enrolling in a DTS himself, hearing lectures and going on outreaches.
It is reasonable to assume that some of Atef’s teachings came from the perspective of his mystical relationship with God as he learned in the wilderness of Egypt during his monastic years. It is reasonable to assume Magdy’s mentorship involved the imparting of some of this and its impossible to know all that was taught. Concerns remain and multiply as we can also reasonably assume that Atef himself was influenced and taught by some of the resources so prevalent in the DTS’s, some of which have proven to be unbiblical and false (example: Unbiblical Spiritual warfare teachings, reconciliation rituals, guidance principles, etc.).Atef’s connection with YWAM may have been a hearty mixture of truth and error.
In Cairo in 2002, YWAM International Chairman Lynn Green met Dr. Atef, who summarily impressed Green with the tales of his own experiences in the desert years:
“From the moment he began to speak about monasticism,”
Lynn says, “I knew I was in the presence of a rare man and that, somehow, my
life was linked to his.” Since their first meeting, Dr. Atef and Lynn Green
have become close friends. “He is a spiritual mentor to me, and a most unusual
intercessor,” Lynn explains” (Ibid.).
The impact here is obvious. Is this what God meant when He supposedly had in mind great things for Atef? One other concern remains here and that is the fascination that Atef introduces into YWAM with monasticism. There’s a lot involved in that subject but it most certainly is not something beneficial to a group whose discernment level is already so low in so many areas.
Green sums up the real uniqueness of Atef’s relationship with God, and it fits right in with what YWAM seems to always be looking for – the fresh word of guidance from God:
“His life’s calling and the disciplines he has developed have equipped him to lead a life of intense prayer. From that place of prayer he comes to understand something of God’s heart and God’s word for the subjects of his prayer. From the time he first learned of YWAM three decades ago he felt a strong heart link to us” (Ibid.).
It is clear that Atef is considered a unique individual and that for the better or worse as pertains to his relationship with YWAM. Atef, with his colorful mystical background has generated admiration and is easily hailed as a guiding voice for the organization. Joy Dawson is viewed in much the same way, as are others who are considered prophetic bringers of the “fresh word” or revelation for the group. I believe many in leadership and on the GLT believe they’ve hit a recent “jackpot” of wisdom and guidance in Atef. But let’s look then at what he actually has imparted to the GLT in that September conference.
From
the Mouth of a Mystic
Fast forward from his first DTS in 2002 and hear the words of warning and exhortation Atef gave at the GLT conference on Sept. 2, 2005:
“Taking his message from the story of Samson found in Judges 16, Dr. Atef said, “Some of the strength has left YWAM and the blessings have been blocked. Whenever the devil notices that there is real strength in a group he will not stop until he finds where this strength lies, then he will try to steal it.” Where have we left ourselves open to the enemy? “I’ve noticed many unclean relationships,especially among the young people in the mission, and it is spiritually poisoning the body of the mission and draining its strength,” Dr. Atef said. “Fleshly reactions, materialistic living, lack of financial integrity and the relationship area have caused some of the locks of hair of YWAM to be shaved off” (Ibid.)
The above quotes from his address are a textbook example of a mystical hermeneutic employed by so many in YWAM and the emerging church circles. Oftentimes, Scripture portions are cited or read and then given dimensions of application that often do not have anything to do with the original context or what God might actually have intended in His revealed Word. Applications of principles in certain passages are fine but care needs to be taken in how and when they are applied. Here the point is simple, Samson’s shorn locks and resultant weakness is used as an example that YWAM is a weakened and tainted organization because of sin in both leadership and mission worker’s camps. While one may consider this type of application tenable we must take care to really examine who is saying the following things. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t favor this type of teaching but I do believe that YWAM’s status as a group that is honoring to God and has a high regard for His Word has been weakened and all but plunging into apostasy on many levels. Looking to a mystic for guidance is evidence of that. It is for this reason that I suspect any of Atef’s applications.
Atef’s applications are definitely problematic:
“The devil succeeds if we live our Christian life only
out of intellect or emotion,” he says. “When the spirit is awakened it flows up
like a fountain and covers all the inner being so the devil can’t attack. We
need to learn to wake up and attend to the spirit within the mission”
(Ibid.).
What scriptural basis is there for this statement? The Bible doesn’t speak about the Christian’s spirit having to be “awakened.” However, this kind of teaching is found in mysticism. In fact, taking the second statement in combination with the first, this teaching resembles some variation of Collective conscience, which, if reached, forms a barrier to the devil’s influences. Note, the organization itself has a “spirit” that, by implication, can be “awakened” thereby insulating its “inner being”? Saints be wary of this mystic speech. He speaks hear of the spirit being awakened and qualifies what he is referring to by labeling it the spirit within the mission? Where does this teaching come from? Where does Scripture say the human spirit insulates the inner being from the devil? In contrast Jesus said “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
I believe John Dawson’s influence is obvious here. He wrote about a concept suggesting cities and geographical regions actually had “souls”, “personalities”, or some sort of collective spiritual essence:
“A city is a human institution, and like all institutions it develops a creaturehood or personality that is greater than the sum of its parts” (John Dawson, Taking Our Cities For God, p. 40).
“Think about the personality of your city. Noted historian Arnold Toynbee, in his introduction to the book Cities of Destiny, defines the city as follows: 'In order to become a city, it would have to evolve at least the rudiments of a soul. This is perhaps the essence of cityhood'“ (Ibid.).
“Does a city have a 'soul' as he puts it? Any astute observer can see that certain cities seem to embody a central dream, and there is usually both a good and evil side to that dream.”(Ibid.).
“I believe God has participated in the creation of our cities both in forming their personality and in stationing high-ranking guardian angels over each one” (Ibid.).
Could it be that Atef has absorbed some of this from having
to read the Taking Our Cities For God book in his DTS experience? We can
be sure of the fact that he as a mystic makes all the difference in the terms
he is using. For us to describe a generic spirit within a mission or
organization is reference to how the people in that ministry are characterized
in attitude and conduct. Here Atef talks about the inner spirit of a person and
then implies that we can see an awakening within the organization. This is
mysticism and bears greater clarification at least.
I bring this up because his continued word to the leaders
bears witness that he has been influenced by John Dawson’s mysticism as well:
“We should restore the shape of the church back to its biblical picture,” Dr. Atef says. One solution is to discern the devil’s work in a nation and to find the redemptive gift of the land. “In Egypt, for example, the redemptive gift is worship. When the Egyptian church was a worshipping church, it impacted the whole world” (Ibid.).
It appears that this is straight from Dawson. Dawson has taught for many years that cities have a “redemptive gift” that needs to be uncovered and recovered by reconciliation rituals, spiritual mapping and marching, and talking authority over the demons that have it in their grasp:
“I believe our cities have the mark of God's sovereign
purpose upon them. Our cities contain what I call a redemptive gift”(John
Dawson, Taking Our Cities For God, p. 39).
“Satan will do anything in his power to accuse your city,
to malign its redemptive gift” (Ibid. p. 41).
“Principalities rule through perverting the gift of a
city in the same way an individuals gift is turned to the enemy's use through
sin”(Ibid.).
(For more on what has become a YWAM primer of sorts: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/dawson/index.html)
Whether it’s coming from current YWAM president John Dawson or Dr. Atef’s mystical insights, it needs be mentioned: Organizations do not have a literal “spirit”, collective soul, or personality anymore than cities or geographical regions do. There’s also no indication in Scripture that Egypt or anywhere else has any hidden “redemptive gift”. Again we must ask: where doe the Bible say Egypt’s “redemptive gift” is worship? How does Atef know this?
God gives gifts to people (1 Cor. 12:4-11; perhaps Eph. 4:8; definitely Eph.4:10-16)- individuals in the church not to associations, cities, or geographical areas. Mysticism, however, allows for the opposite and we need to get away from this imposing mentality, largely perpetuated by the recapitulation of error in groups like YWAM.
The “We” who need to “restore the shape of the church back to it biblical picture” cannot be YWAM. Although that is what Atef seems to be saying. The cults believe it and those emergents so restless for fundamental changes say the Church and Christianity itself must transform and metamorphose into something completely new and different.
In light of this mandate given, the question must be asked as to whether God’s true church needs restoration at all. The answer is of course NO. God is building it and has preserved it through the ages. Repentance and some reformation needs to happen within the church but not any kind of restoration. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the architect and builder of His church:
“…I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18b).
The Bible never says that saints in the end times will need
to restore the shape of the Church and its certainly not the commission of a
parachurch ministry like YWAM to fulfill this. Concerning the church in the
last days, YWAM is instead in fact fulfilling what the Bible said about
the negative aspects of many in the church in the last days – apostasizing
rather that shining as true light in the darkening days.Going after this
mysticism is only one facet of this taking place.
In typical Third Wave (Word/Faith) style, Atef believes YWAMers need a refilling of the spirit with “a new, fresh anointing”, How do we get that?
“According to the writings of the early church, this depends upon real and sincere recleansing and emptying of the self. We need to get rid of our own ways that come from our old nature and the impact of culture, put away the destructive activity of the flesh and striving for self-promotion, and instead practice self-denial and purity. This will open the way for a new infilling of the spirit.” (Ibid.).
Seemingly these “new fresh anointing” teachings always crop up in these contexts. What the Bible guarantees concerning the reality of our spiritual walk is never enough! 1 Jn. 2:18-27 teaches us about the true anointing that we, as believers, have already been given. We don’t need new or fresher “anointings”. Nor do we need the counterfeit anointings and dysfunctional unctions advocated by Benny Hinn and the word/faithers, which YWAM has been known to associate with. The hunger for signs and wonders and constant breakthroughs of revelations is the very reason why YWAM accepts a new prophetic revelator that will lead them into a new experience and here they have accepted the mystic Dr. Atef.
Lets stop confusing the Bibles exhortation keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:18) with the teaching of the anointing that all believers possess in the Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 2:18-27). Insofar as Atef is saying YWAM needs to clean up its act: Bravo! Purity and daily filling with the Holy Spirit is a must. Because Atef is a mystic, clarification of his usage of “emptying the self” should also be required to really understand what he is advocating. Given his penchant for the ascetic experiences and personal revelations, we should be wary of his terminology. I believe we can get some insight concerning which early church authors he is referring to by the recommended reading list at the end of Jillson’s article:
RESOURCES Here are some tools to help you in the journey. --The Sayings of the Desert Fathers by Benedicta Ward --The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry by Henri J. Nouwen --Too Deep for Words by Thelma Hall (an introduction to the desert fathers’ practice of meditative Bible reading known as Lectio Divina) (Ibid.).
Not good references. Remember Nouwen’s quote from the first segment of this article:
“Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen to the voice of love ... For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required” (Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, p. 6,31-32).
(Read more about the dangerous beliefs of these people in this excellent article by Steve Muse: http://www.erwm.com/ContemplativeChristianWizardry.htm).
If Atef has anything to do with recommending these works, care must be taken and what he says must be viewed with extreme caution because of the possibility of it being laden with error. This is nothing more than emergent mysticism and this movement is a primrose path into a deadly woods. These practices are calling people back to ancient rituals, some of which were mixtures of truth and error, others classified as outright false teachings. YWAM doesn’t need to be getting its feet wet in the emergent bog. The leaders need to be pointing everyone back to a real respect and submission to the Bible for its sole guidance.
Dr. Atef also emphasized having a stronger prayer life and that’s good advice as far as it goes, but then, true to form, the new revelations keep coming:
“These disciplines may seem like tall orders, but as Dr.
Atef reminds us, we must work out our salvation. “In the west, the attitude is
that we are saved and it is finished. In the east we are greatly concerned with
working out our own salvation, so special insights have been given us on how to
do this.”(Ibid.).
What disciplines is he talking about?Here’s the typical
East-West dichotomy rhetoric, which involves mass generalization of the issues.
It is not true to say that all westerners think of their faith in this
particular way. Nor is it any truer that those living in “the east” have
special insights into working out their salvations. All believers are counseled
to do this in the way the Bible prescribes in Phil. 2:12: “Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling.” This has absolutely nothing to do with entering into a monastic
lifestyle or participating in many of the ascetic practices and rituals of the
early desert fathers (i.e. emptying of self to be filed with his presence). It
means to bring to completion what you have received by walking in obedience.
V.13 goes on to say “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do
for His good pleasure.”
Furthermore we must keep in mind that, regardless of geography, and you will find examples of Christians who are both mindful and lazy concerning these things in both the east and the west. What does Atef actually mean when he asserts that? He’s insinuating that Easterners have a secret insight, and what follows is thoroughly tainted with eastern mysticism, for he says that we are to:
“Nourish our spirits so they can grow and be transformed
into the original shape God intended before the fall. Our second purpose is to
release the spirit from the imprisonment of the mind, soul and flesh. Finally,
when these things are accomplished, Christ formation can happen; not me, but
Christ in me. When the complete Christ is revealed, His likeness will show
through us”(Ibid.).
Follow his “logic” carefully. If we participate in certain practices and disciplines then we can achieve the “original shape”, our Edenic return, which God intends for us. Only then will the second purpose be fulfilled: a freeing of the spirit. THEN, and only then (“when these things are accomplished”) he says, “Christ formation can happen.” The “complete Christ” can be revealed!
Saints, there is more to this instruction. This is alarming
in its implications. At best, he advocates some kind of return to complete
pre-curse status in our lives and spirits, here and now. This is impossible to
achieve while we are here on Earth. We cannot reach the “original shape” or
mode of existence that Adam and Eve had pre-fall before the resurrection. It is
heresy to suggest otherwise.The Bible tells us when the ultimate transformation
will take place:
Rom 8:21-23 “because the creation itself also will be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with
birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly
waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
And this is when we are told it will happen “Behold I
tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed- in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Forthe trumpet will
sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal
has put on immortality, then it shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O
Hades, where is your victory?’(1 Cor. 15:51-55).
Right now we are all under the bondage of the curse
practically speaking and will not be able to experience what Atef says we need
to cultivate until a future time. (See also: Rom. 8:18-30; Rev. 21:1 and
Millennial passages). What Atef seems to believe is that through these
disciplines and practices designed to transform us, we can reach some sort of
sinless perfection state which is what Adam and Eve had before the fall. This
is basically introducing new age mysticism.
Despite this obviously erroneous assertion in the beginning
(i.e. requirement to reach Edenic state before Christ likeness can be
manifested) his terms are problematic as well. It might cause any casual reader
to ask whether Dr. Atef is a true evangelical Christian or a New Ager? I only
ask because this terminology used, although interspersed with a few biblical
terms, it has far more in common with pagan philosophies than biblical ones.
The result of our spiritual quest is, according to Atef,
“Christ formation” which he describes by possibly alluding to Gal. 2:20b: “…it
is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Is this verse being
alluded to here? If so it still says nothing that Atef says it does. This
scripture concerns Paul’s way of saying that he was being conformed to Christ’s
image and identified with Christ’s suffering so that Christ’s will in him was
preeminent over his own. He’s not speaking about reaching some perfected state,
which would allow the “complete Christ” within to manifest. This phrase
combined with his next one in which he mentions “the complete Christ” really
resembles a New Ager’sconcept of Christ consciousness. New Age philosophy is
basically eastern mystic/Gnostic thought repackaged and often refers to the
spirit being in prison and the need for the Christ within to break forth
(usually by some spiritual discipline, or enlightenment). Again, Atef claims to
be a Christian but at the same time a mystic and this explains why his
terminology is the way it is.
Jillson recounts Atef’s further advice to see the “Christ
formation” happen:
“Since good intentions are never enough, Dr. Atef provides us with some tools to accomplish these purposes: Weakening the Soul and Flesh--Fasting on a regular basis. “Any Christian exercise done irregularly never brings fruit,” Dr. Atef says. He encourages us to fast one day each week for at least a year. --Keeping a regular devotional time without interruption. --Daily repentance. At the end of each day, review the day’s events to correct mistakes and be restored in the spirit. --Reading the Bible in large portions at regular times, i.e. one evening every two weeks. “This allows for the washing power of the Word.” --Submit to God’s times of chastening. Accept rejection, lack of provision, etc. thankfully, cooperatively and positively.” (Ibid.).
Hearing Atef speak of these things carries with it visions of extreme asceticism like he and the desert fathers did to “get all mystical with God” (to quote GLT leader Danny Lehmann). Doing these things can be helpful to grow spiritually although fasting is more for the purposes of strengthening our intimacy with the Lord. All of these mentioned can be beneficial but the attitude changes when they are legalistically required in terms of timing, prayer and fasting. The only problem is that with the monastic mindset, these acts become ritualistic and done for misguided purposes, not to mention that these are being recommended by a mystic like Dr. Atef.
We need to do them as a natural overflow of our love and devotion to the Lord individually. God has already transformed us into His new creation and continues to work in us as believers. These things should be done as He leads and for the purpose of getting closer to Him. Atef is recommending these to achieve his false premise of reaching a state of sinlessness in order to free the spirit and initiate the “Christ formation.”? WHO is telling us to pray and fast here makes all the difference.
Of course, Dr. Atef’s past involved ascetic practices as a mystic monk and some of those previous practices make their way into his exhortations as well:
“Every element of the human being has its own spiritual
food, Dr. Atef reminds us. “There must be daily spiritual manna. The book of
Psalms can be this manna, prayed out loud daily.” --Quietness. “We need some
times to be quiet. This will lead to a stillness of the body, mind, soul and
spirit, which clears the mind and brings deep peace that will lead us to a
deeper spiritual life.” --Vigil nights. By spending the night in prayer, Dr.
Atef says, “a deep quietness is established and a peace found that is not
shattered by noise” (ibid.).
I can see the benefits of being quiet for times of
reflection. I can definitely see the strength in reading Holy Scripture, but is
it a biblical requirement or a monastic one to pray it out loud daily? All
night prayer can be good as well as long as it’s something the Spirit is
leading us to do and it’s not done to achieve any false level of intimacy or
mystical union with God. Does stillness clear the mind or bring
peace? The peace God gives us is not an experience per se.
In Too Deep
The next section of Jillson’s article about Dr. Atef is entitled “Words to YWAM Leadership”. His teachings thus far are described as “inspiring” and “timely”. In the conclusion of his teaching to the leaders he keeps mentioning the terms “deep” and “deeper”:
“God wants to go deeper in the lives of the leaders to
bring them to a new page of their life,” he says, “to accomplish things ahead
of them. But they won’t receive these things or be able to complete them until
they go deeper with the Lord, with the Holy Spirit, having a deeper experience
within. He is hovering over them to find a deeper space to keep them deeply and
take them to a deeper level, a deeper measure so that they can perceive the
next phase of their calling and complete it. Through them the whole mission
will take off to another level in spiritual matters.”(Ibid.).
Wow! That’s deep! He mentions “deep” in some form seven times in those words and its obvious what he is getting at… to go deeper to reach another level with God. The problematic part of this exhortation is who’s giving it and in the implications from his perspective. What does it mean that YWAM leaders need to have a “deeper experience within”. Does he mean that they need to seek a more intimate relationship with God and if so, what would this be done? If we set these teachings in the contexts of past words to the leadership and the personal beliefs of leaders like the Dawsons or Cunningham, then anyone could reasonable conclude that, buried DEEP in there somewhere is the hunger for supernatural manifestations of power, signs and wonders, and usually some sort of extra biblical revelatory word. That’s been the past fruits from many of the leaders who claim real depth in their ability to hear from God.
One interesting aspect here is Atef’s description of what
the Holy Spirit is allegedly doing or wanting to do among these folks. Going
deeper with the Holy Spirit means that He is “hovering over them to find a
deeper space to keep them deeply and take them to a deeper level”? What on
Earth or in Heaven does that mean? It sounds like some sort of analogy to Gen.
1:2 where the Spirit hovered over the face of the waters. Are we to see these
words in some sort of creation context? Does the Holy Spirit hover over the
face of “our waters” just waiting to take us “deeper”? Whatever this new
level YWAM needs to seek for, they are obscure tenets espoused from a true
mystical teacher like Dr. Atef.
Keep in mind that reaching this new depth according to Atef would mean that God “would accomplish things ahead of them” and that the leaders would have to go through a series of inductions into “the deep” before they could even perceive the direction and plans God has for the ministry. In other words, the true path here is only available to a group of the initiated who are on a far different level than the rest. This, my friends, resembles the Gnostic fables of Rick Joyner and others who claim special anointings and other such bestowments and feel they are on some quest to discover God in a new way. We should avoid these types of insinuation, especially coming from a mystic. The reward: the whole mission takes off on another level in spiritual matters. The danger: Repentance needs to occur before true growth can ever happen because of the low level of discernment being displayed at present. Get deeper into God’s Word, dear ones, and test from whence and from whom these teachings come.
Jillson asks along with the rest of us:
“But what does this mean [ to go deeper] and what
might it look like? Dr. Atef explains, “I don’t think it’s about issues like,
‘Go here or go there, or do this or that.’ It’s that there is something ahead
of them wider and deeper, and I believe God will reveal it in His due time.” (Ibid.).
So basically, Dr. Atef doesn’t know what he is really telling them will happen either. This should give all great cause for concern. Where is he getting his “guidance” or mandate from to say these words and to guarantee these things? How does he know that what he is saying is God’s Word for YWAM leaders? He, admittedly, has yet to understand it himself so should everyone not be cautious in light of that? How much better would it be to let God speak through His Word and be obedient an all areas to bring glory to Him through the mission rather than waiting on this type of guidance from a mystical viewpoint?
While he may not be clear concerning the details of what may take place in the future with YWAM he does make an attempt to clarify what it means to go “deeper” with the Lord:
“Dr. Atef is very clear about one thing: “The common
theme is to go deeper. To go deeper means recleansing and resanctifying and
providing a new way for the Holy Spirit to come deeper.” (Ibid.).
Where in Scripture does it say that the Holy Spirit seeks a “new way” to “come deeper”? I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he must be pointing to having a deeper intimacy with God through surrendering ourselves more to Him. Is not the Holy Spirit indwelling a believer and that he is at work sanctifying us?He goes on to say that he hopes YWAM leadership develops a greater depth in their prayer life and as far as that goes, that’s a good exhortation for all. He closes his speech with these words to the Global Leadership Team and all of YWAM:
“ I think the Lord is calling YWAM to a deeper life of prayer in particular. He wants to give YWAMers more time for prayer, more depth for prayer, to be praying men and women because this is part of the calling of being an apostolic believer. They know that they are called to be apostolic, especially the top leaders and the GLT. That apostolic calling also means prayer.”(Ibid.).
A few final points of concern exist in these last words in September 2005. The use of the term “apostolic” is widespread now and YWAM leaders are fond of it, specifically the GLT who have decreed that YWAM is entering a “new apostolic season” of sorts in this day. Sadly, past training from and collaboration with the likes of CindyJacobs, C. Peter Wagner, and other false teachers associated with the New Apostolic Reformation presents great cause for concern in the implications found in that term, “apostolic” as used by YWAM. To be sure, at least partially, they hold the generic usage to describe missionary activity, i.e. in a general sense, YWAM missionaries are “sent out” and therefore “apostolic”. But given their Third Wave involvements and New Apostolic ties, we may be sure to see a continued collaboration with this new group of false apostles who are all too willing to partner with YWAM in their goals of “Globalization- Jesus Style!” and world evangelization. Both of these concepts involve a great deal more than the Great Commission and discipleship as found in Scripture.
Dr. Atef’s involvement in speaking to the core leaders proves their penchant for the mystic and his words are given great emphasis as being from the Lord:
“The GLT took Dr. Atef’s words to heart. “Dr. Atef’s message to the GLT was powerfully anointed,” says Lynn Green… Brazilian leader Braulia Ribeiro agrees. “The point isn’t to recover YWAM’s strength, but to have a cleanness of heart before the Lord.” Our Response”...the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:11-13, NKJV) God has spoken to us. Not through wind or earthquake or fire, but through the quiet, gentle voice of a humble man of God.”… (Ibid. ).
Thus ends Stacey Jillson’s article and some final words concerning Dr. Atef. Only one other mention of him occurs on the net that I’m aware of and it comes in the form of a post by YWAM international Chairman Lynn Green. Here are a few excerpts:
“YWAM came into being by the Word of the Lord and is forever dependent upon God’s Word to us… So we are utterly reliant upon God speaking to us and when He does not, it is a sign of sickness in the body of YWAM.When I look back on the past several years, the Word of the Lord has been too rare and we have not been well.” (Lynn Green post on http://ywamict.org/?p=11 ).
These words are laden with the sad fact that YWAM is utterly dependent on speakers like Joy Dawson and Dr. Atef among others. Green is not speaking about the Bible when the “word of the Lord” is mentioned. It means direct supernatural guidance from those whom YWAM views as their prophetic voices. YWAM, therefore, must have a Dr. Atef to continue moving ahead:
“Now, however, I have great hope because God has begun to speak clearly to us again.At our recent Global Leadership Team meetings the Lord spoke to us through my friend, Dr. Atef…At one point, I asked him if he had anything from the Lord for us and he said yes” (Ibid.).
One can almost hear a massive sigh of relief that God was going to speak again. An obscure mystic priest provided the word YWAM was starving for. How sad it is that this is what it takes to generate “great hope”. He was of course hailed as the bringer of truth:
“We recognized God’s voice in all of these things and were deeply convicted. When he finished his brief word to us, we responded in brokenness and repentance.On the one hand it was a hard message, though it was delivered with love and gentleness.At the same time it was deeply encouraging to know that God was speaking to us again with the razor-sharp Word of God” (Ibid.).
Saints, when an organization looks into mystic ways for its guidance and directives they will always get an answer back but it will not be from the true God. In fact, whatever guidance one receives when not in submission to God’s written word as their authority will not be sanctioned by the Author of that Word. In fact we are told to test words like Atef’s to see if they are in accordance with Scripture, sadly they did not. Why does it take a mystic to convince YWAM leadership that God is indeed speaking again? Have they not had access to the Bible this whole time? Apparently that is not enough for the leadership in this group to be directed from God. It is never enough for those who believe themselves to be languishing for direction from God but unwilling to be led by His Word. Green had looked to Atef in the past and wanted a final word as well:
“I went to Dr. Atef again and asked him what he felt God was saying now.He replied that when he came to us, he wondered if we would ever be restored to all the power and anointing God had planned for us.But when he saw the broken and humble response from the leaders, he was filled with hope and reassurance that God is still working powerfully with us and through us.What a joy I felt!” (Ibid.).
How tragic it is to see the GLT hang on the every word of a mystic like Dr. Atef while not acknowledging the wellspring of guidance available in the Bible to change ones personal life and ministry.For it takes more work to go deeper into serious study, submission to, and application of the Bible.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 makes it clear that we can be completely and utterly “fitted out” for service and ministry, indeed for “every good work” that is required of us while here on Earth if we just take God at His Word: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete. Thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
This truth, in accordance with the Holy Spirit’s empowerment and illumination is the fuel for our ministry endeavors and the power we need to walk in obedience to Christ and bring God glory through our lives. This sufficiency is all but completely denied as evidenced by YWAM’s looking to Dr. Atef on the level they do.
As for Atef’s wondering whether YWAM “would ever be restored to all the power and anointing God had planned” for them: Most assuredly not as long as they do not regard the Bible for what it truly is. Either God’s Holy inspired word is priority or He is not speaking, or guiding. Oh, they will get mystical experiences and deeper into the mire of counterfeit spirituality to be sure, but that is a counterfeit form of godliness without power.
The conclusion of the matter is this. A deeper intimacy with God will bear fruit of a closer adherence and respect for the authority of God’s Word. In fact, the Bible says that one cannot truly love Jesus if they do not love and obey His Word above all else:
John 14:24-25 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. ‘These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.”
1 John 2:3-6: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk as He walked.”
Whose every word are many in YWAM hanging on and listening to? Dr. Atef’s or the Word of God? It must be one or the other because as we have seen, Atef’s words do not agree in every point with the Bible. Whose words are we to believe and walk in: Atef’s or God’s? Will you choose to follow the desert mystic or the true Messiah?
Any new level concerning spiritual matters should be one of
maturity, which walks in faith and obedience to the Bible and the true leading
of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Word. Any true work of God among a
church or organization will bring repentance from false doctrines, teachings,
endorsements of false teachers and implications of unbiblical methods and
practices. Doctrine will improve and discernment will blossom. There will be a
renunciation of all things shameful and a return to submission under Jesus
Christ as Lord. Signs and wonders will not be emphasized and there will be no
need for prophetic mediators in the fashion that they have been sought after in
YWAM in previous years.
Final
Food for Thought
If youth from the various churches go through YWAM training to be on the mission field this is certainly what kind of training they will receive. They will also bring this type of teaching back into the churches they attend and spread the mysticism that YWAM is now promoting.
Consider these quotes from Arthur L. Johnson once again has outlined concerns with mysticism this way:
“Mysticism, if my understanding of the Bible and of history are correct, is both anti-Scriptural and a contradiction if the evangelical view that the Bible is the one and only ultimate criterion of truth about God and our relation to Him” (Arthur L. Johnson, Faith Misguided: Exposing the Dangers of Mysticism, p. 11).
“Mysticism, as I have defined it, has as its essential element a certain deep trust in inner, subjective feeling states, which are seen as both good and valuable in themselves and as truth-bearing” (Ibid.,p.41).
“When the mystical experience is said to be a revelation from God, this must also be rejected, because the supposed revelation is either superfluous or contrary to the written Word. It is also dangerous because its sets the stage for further “revelations” that may well be false. Accepting mysticism is a rejection of the doctrine of a completed and sufficient revelation in the scriptures” (Ibid.,p.41).
“It is not the believing of certain specific views that makes one a mystic. However, to be a mystic is itself an open door to false doctrine…the greater danger today for the church does not lie in the false teachings of mystically based cults, as dangerous as these are, but rather in the tendency in the church to confuse the voice of the Holy Spirit with mystical.”
I think everything Arthur Johnson said in the above mentioned quotations shine light on why I and others are so concerned with organizations like YWAM who listen to and seek after men and women who claim mystical relationships with God. As a result, I believe we have seen YWAM decline in purity as the years have progressed. Indeed their current state is far worse than before.
A true relationship with the true God should lead us away from mysticism and all its trappings and terminology and into a spiritual and biblical walk of faith in our lives and ministries.
Thanks be to God who gives us the true power to stand!
Steve
Mitchell
Contact me at: powertostand@yahoo.com