In the video of this post, Doreen Virtue analyzed the “Christian App” Dwell. In the process, she explains many types of false and unbiblical teaching used by this app.
Doreen used excerpts from her own New Age meditation, comparing them with Dwell, to show that Dwell is actually indoctrinating listeners into the New Age and taking them away from the biblical spiritual path.
The title of Doreen’s video at her site:
Christian meditation apps Dwell dangers warnings new age Lectio Divina mysticism and ecumenism
Narrative that accompanied her video:
“Christian meditation apps, such as Dwell, contain unbiblical and potentially spiritually dangerous methods such as Lectio Divina, breathwork, ecumenism, and monastic mysticism. Doreen Virtue compares audio clips of her pre-salvation new age meditations to the meditations on Dwell, so you can hear the similar hypnotic induction techniques.”
The video of this post is from the YouTube site, Doreen Virtue
Doreen has many videos on false Christian ministries; Yoga; New Age; unbiblical trends in the Christian church…. If you are a new Christian and haven’t yet become familiar with the contents of the Bible, she can be of much help avoiding all the false teaching that is currently masquerading as Christian teaching in the contemporary church.
Doreen was born again late in life. She grew up in Christian Science and was a New Age Guru and author for many years. She wrote 70 books, taught meditation, practiced yoga…. She knows much about such false systems because she was adept in them before God pulled her out of that Pagan world by giving her birth from above (as in John 3).
So, if you have questions about meditation, yoga…, she can set you on a biblical path.
Christian meditation app, DWELL, avoid it, per Doreen Virtue
The following highlights are from the initial 12 minutes of her 24-minute video [bracketed statements, emboldening and underscoring are mine]:
- The DWELL app utilized techniques from New Age Spirituality and Roman Catholic Mysticism
- The above are NOT biblical; although these techniques are trendy, those who use them are putting their souls in peril
- In this presentation, Doreen plays clips of her former meditation exercises, comparing them to meditation exercises used by the DWELL app; her aim is to show the techniques are New Age
- Founders of the Dwell app are twins; they are of the Anglican faith
- Co-founder, Jonathan Bailey’s description of self:
- “I worship in the Anglican Communion, but I value and embrace the beauty and balance of the Christian tradition. Thus, I explore all three branches of Christianity: the Orthodox; Roman Catholic; and Protestant
- There are not 3 gospels in Christianity; there is ONE; two of the above got it wrong, per the Bible
- [That is, if you do not know the gospel presented in the New Testament, then you may easily be fooled by other counterfeit gospel messages – they abound]
- Bailey’s message is ecumenical
- [Ecumenism focuses on unity at the expense of doctrine]
- [Readers of the whole counsel of God know that God rejects those who blend His truth with Pagan ideas or who water down His truth]
- Bailey is also on the board of a company called Renovare’
- This is Richard Foster’s ecumenical conglomeration of mystical, contemplative practices, rooted in the techniques of the Desert Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church
- They present the Desert Fathers as knowing something more about worship, spirituality, than we do
- [The New Testament speaks against Gnostics, those who claim to possess secret knowledge; the Desert Fathers are like the Gnostics in that core matter. God gave the Bible to be known and followed by all…. Therefore, the idea of secret, advanced knowledge is a man-made concept to bolster the pride of such practitioners]
- The serpent offered Eve secret knowledge in Genesis 3…
- Such spiritual practices can lead to spiritual oppression
- [STOP video and read the passage Doreen used in her video at 3 minute 20 second mark – Pastor Gary Gilley, a competent critic of false spiritual teachings, wrote on Richard Foster]
- Richard Foster and Dallas Willard are the chief Mystics behind the contemplative spirituality movement
- [I own a DVD by Beth Moore, no longer available to purchase unless on Ebay, used; in her presentation of contemplative spirituality, she joined forces with the Mystics being critiqued herein by Doreen Virtue; title of DVD, Be Still]
- Richard Foster taught about Jesus, presenting Him as a mystic who taught followers to use imagination in the spiritual life
- What does God say in scripture about our imaginations?
- Doreen noted Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
- [To read verses, from across scripture on this verse, see the end of post based on Genesis 6:5, what God said about our imaginations]
- Doreen noted that Christians should not accept the teachings the following contemplative mystics: Thomas Merton; Dallas Willard; Richard Foster; and Richard Rohr
- The above men push the Roman Catholic monk agenda of going into experiences; teaching that one may get closer to God via feelings and experiences
- The New Age teaches the same message
- The Bible is from God; therein, He has set boundaries on what a human can know about Him
- [Deu 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed [by God in the Bible] belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law]]
- [In numerous passages of the first 5 books of the Bible, God condemned spiritual exploration using mediums and encounters with ‘familiar spirits.’ Such things were called “divination.” It is forbidden by scripture. But popular bible teachers such as Beth Moore; and Pentecostals such as those written about in this blog under the CATEGORY of Prosperity Preachers, casually speak of encounters with God and spirits. They do not even understand how blasphemous they are to God. And those who follow them are obviously scripturally illiterate. Deut. 29:29 prescribes a different way, reading the Bible and obeying it by grace]
- The Bible tells us to ask God for wisdom:
- James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed
- It is wrong to think that God is not there just because you cannot feel Him
- [The New Testament often calls us to walk by faith not by sight; faith is trusting what God has said and believing He will do it – even though you may not feel it]
- Doreen played a portion of DWELL that called listeners to “invite” God to do this and that. Doreen noted that scripture does not say such things
- [God is omniscient and omnipotent, He needs no invitation. He is sovereign and decides when to reveal Himself to any person, as in John 3]
- The Bible does indicate that one may draw near to God:
- James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up
- [Jesus noted in the beatitudes that spiritual bankruptcy is the first mark of a true kingdom citizen, Matthew 5:3; followed by mourning for one’s sin; resulting in meekness…]
- [The process outlined by the mystics would likely cause one to feel prideful because he supposedly drew near to God via the schemes of his own imagination]
- [Paul says many times that salvation is a gift and it is by faith; that one cannot earn it; achieve it…]
- Regarding the false teachers spoken of above, Doreen cited:
- 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works
- [God Himself, uses false spirits and teachers to judge those who refuse to believe His truth: see, for examples, 2 Thessalonians 2; and 1 kings 22 about God using false spirits to judge. Also, God, in Job 1 and 2, permitted Satan to afflict Job. Not because Job deserved it, however. Therefore, there is a realm of evil spirits and God sets limits on them. For those who refuse to accept His word, He gives them the counterfeit ‘ear ticklers’ they desire, those teachers will lead them to hell]
- It is not biblical to read a passage of scripture and [use it as a mantra] and go into a trance state to hear from the Holy Spirit on the passage
- Bible passages need to be interpreted per context
- Good Bible commentaries and study Bibles do that
- Doreen uses the Wiersbe Study Bible [Sproul and MacArthur offer study Bibles also]
- Study Bibles provide explanations for many verses of scripture
- [Bible Hub freely offers many versions of the Bible and Bible commentators]
- Eisegesis: when a person puts himself / herself into the context of a passage
- Exegesis: when one reads the Bible in context
- All Christians need to learn how to apply scripture to their lives
- What is biblical meditation?
- Psalm 1 speaks of the blessings of it; Joshua 1:8 says more about it
- Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success
- [From Strong’s Concordance (free with E-sword):
- … but thou shalt meditateH1897 therein dayH3119 and night…
- hâgâh, haw-gaw’ A primitive root (compare H1901); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication to ponder: – imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter]
- [From the Complete Word Study Dictionary (I purchased for E-sword):
- hāg̱āh: A verb meaning to growl, to groan, to sigh, to mutter, to speak; used figuratively: to meditate, to ponder. The Lord told Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night (Jos_1:8), and the Psalms proclaimed people blessed if they meditate on the Law (Psa_1:2). Job promised not to speak wickedness (Job_27:4). The Hebrew verb can also refer to the mutterings of mediums and wizards (Isa_8:19); the moans of grief (Isa_16:7); the growl of a lion (Isa_31:4); the coos of a dove (Isa_38:14)]
- [Posts in this blog on the book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney say more about Christian meditation: One can be meditating when he / she is memorizing scripture. The reciting over and over and speaking quietly to oneself is one example Whitney gave]
- [See CATEGORY, Spiritual Disciplines for posts on Whitney’s book]
- Dwell app stated that one can re-center on the Lord by ‘breath prayer’ and Lectio Divina…
- Nowhere in scripture will you find any statement like that. The ‘breath prayer’ concept is from the school of contemplative meditation – not biblical
- [End of highlights 12 minutes into Doreen’s 24-minute video]
SOME VERSES ABOUT THE IMAGINATION, CROSS REFERENCES OF GENESIS 6:5:
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually
The following is the breakdown of Gen 6:5 from the Bible commentary Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, it solely uses verses of scripture to explain a given verse: The commentary comes free with the free PC download, E-Sword.
God: Gen_13:13, Gen_18:20-21; Psa_14:1-4, Psa_53:2; Rom_1:28-31, Rom_3:9-19
every imagination: or, the whole imagination, The Hebrew word signifies not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires. Gen_8:21; Deu_29:19; Job_15:16; Pro_6:18; Ecc_7:29, Ecc_9:3; Jer_17:9; Eze_8:9, Eze_8:12; Mat_15:19; Mar_7:21-23; Eph_2:1-3; Tit_3:3
thoughts: Jer_4:14
continually: Heb. every day
Some of the above cited verses:
Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done
Deu 29:19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
[A blurb from Albert Barnes commentary on the above verse: “Compare on the thought Jer_23:17. The secret and presumptuous sinner is meant who flatters himself that all is well and will be well with him, since he follows his own devices and prospers. Compare Psa_73:11 ff.”]
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Ecc 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions [via their imaginations]
Ecc 9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
[That is why we are told to look outward towards Christ, not within]
Eze 8:12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth
[Ezekiel chapter 14 is mostly about idolatry that starts in the worshipers heart and imagination]
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: [via the scheming of the imagination]
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others
[Those desires are likely mostly framed by the imagination]
THEREFORE, GOD DOES NOT APPROVE OF ONE USING HIS / HER IMAGINATION TO WORSHIP; GOD WOULD HAVE ONE FOLLOW THE DICTATES OF THE WRITTEN WORD WHEREIN HE PRESCRIBED HOW HE IS TO BE WORSHIPED.
Yes, postmodern biblical scholars and theologians believe that God’s word cannot be understood…. They err. See Calvin, Luther, Augustine… Sproul, MacArthur for men who have mined scripture and shared those nuggets of gold with their listeners. Rely on their teaching for the sake of your soul.
If one is actually reading scripture and seeking understanding, then he / she will be given illumination by the Holy Spirit as He sees fit. Think about what Jesus said in John 3.
Video-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@Doreen_Virtue/videos
Jul 5, 2024
Christian meditation apps, such as Dwell, contain unbiblical and potentially spiritually dangerous methods such as Lectio Divina, breathwork, ecumenism, and monastic mysticism. Doreen Virtue compares audio clips of her pre-salvation new age meditations to the meditations on Dwell, so you can hear the similar hypnotic induction techniques.
Here’s a good Bible app to download for FREE right now. The app has an audio feature and timer that allows you to listen to the Bible: ESV Bible Apple IOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/esv-bib… ESV Bible Android Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/de…
Marcia Montenegro of Christian Answers for the New Age wrote warnings about Dwell here: https://tinyurl.com/4hmhj4tc
Note from Doreen: I have had comments turned off of all my videos since 2009 because I don’t have an assistant or moderator, and my schedule is extremely busy. You can reach me through direct instant messages at https://www.instagram.com/doreenvirtue/ where I personally read and answer messages, albeit slowly because it’s just me without a staff. If I don’t answer right away, please write again and your letter will pop to the top.