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Many churches are so lacking in the gospel that people are hungry for God. This has created a vacuum that people are desperately trying to fill. Unfortunately, there is someone who is more than happy to fill this void but it is NOT of God.
Churches that are lacking the true Gospel are becoming the norm instead of the exception. In the attempt to fill pews, pastors are allowing their sermons to become a source of inspiration instead of conviction. Conviction or feeling guilt for sin is what causes a person to repent. This is a necessary action on part of the Christian. Repentance turns us back to God. Jesus Christ’s blood shed for us atones and cleanses us.
This lack of Bible-based truths is not the only problem in the church. When people stray from the Bible and its guidance they open themselves up to deception.
The New Age….What is the New Age? One could say in general that the New Age is a new way of looking at things. In reality it is a new spirituality woven with mysticism. Think back to the late 60’s. Remember the dawning of “The Age of Aquarius”? The Age of Aquarius is inviting us to enlightenment, an awakening of peace, love, and unity with God and the universe. New Age “enlightenment” is infiltrating business, home, leisure activities and it is also infiltrating the church. Your church, my church. How can this be? Well, this process was started many years ago and it crept in so slow that many have been caught unaware. Very few churches today are totally dedicated to keeping untruths from filtering in. It is sad to say that this is what the people want and the church leaders are complying.
Consider just a few of these activities that are now being practiced by Christians.
Yoga
Meditation
Contemplative Prayer/Centering Prayer
Channeling
Visualization
Reiki/Therapeutic Touch Massage
Goddess Worship
What do these practices have in common? Divination. Divination is the attempt of man to contact the spirit world. Well the Lord forbids it. God’s people are not to use these condemned techniques to acquire knowledge or attain the “experiences” so many are seeking. Current terms for divination may be metaphysics or paranormal. Think of these terms used in the New Age lingo as meaning, beyond the seen world, beyond the 5 senses, or outside of explanation.
Now let’s take a couple of these terms and make them sound biblical. How about Centering Prayer or Christ Consciousness. Centering Prayer is actually meditation and Christ Consciousness is state of awareness one reaches while in meditation in which one becomes a “christ” or becomes divine. Christians are being duped into indulging themselves in New Age/New Thought practices by redefined terminology to make it acceptable, but in truth, it is sorcery.
Let’s look at Det 18:10-12
“Let no one be found….who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchdraft, or cast spells, or who is a medium or spiritualist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…” (NIV)
The Bible could not be any more clear than this. The above verse condemns witchcraft, sorcery, and spells. This is turn condemns Harry Potter, The Chronices of Narnia, Star Wars, and the Ring Trilogy.
I used to believe that the deceivers saying “I am Christ” would only be cult leaders with a following but with the booming New Age practices being found IN the church as well as in secular life, i now believe that a new spirit is taking over the church and it is being promoted by church leaders. This spirit is not the Holy Spirit but the spirit-world which has nothing to do with holiness. These spirits are parading as Jesus and Christian’s believe that they are “seeing”, “feeling” and “experiencing” Christ. This deception is truly overpowering to those who think they are communing with the Lord when in fact they are not. Satan is a master deceiver at imitating Christ.
When this spirit takes over, it is not going to announce it to you. It is going to seduce you, make you feel joy and union with the universe and/or God. You may feel a power of being special, that you have been chosen and are spiritually superior to others. “Anointed” is another term that is popular today to describe God’s chosen.
Fallen angels, who so many years ago were thrown from the heavens for rebelling against God, roam the earth looking for a vulnerable empty vessel to enter. Please do not be that empty vessel by opening up yourself to the spirit world.
Meditation is the key that opens the door between the two worlds and an open door is an invitation to the occult spirits. Meditation is how one stills the mind and empties it of thought. This is commonly done through repetition of words and breathing techniques. Often those who use these techniques report seeing a bright white light. Remember that the Bible teaches that Satan comes as a white light.
2 Cor 11:14 “And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light“. (KJV)
And as he masquerades he is saying:
Gen 3:5 “…then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods..” (KJV)
Isn’t this what the New Agers are promising? We shall discover the God within us, that we are as Gods, we are God?
This is the exact opposite of true Christianity, which is to give our lives totally over to Christ in obedience to his will. He is our God, our Creator, and when we repent of our sin and call upon his name, He gives us the Holy Spirit. We are no longer in charge of our lives. Look at this next verse.
Mat 16:24 “… If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me“. (KJV)
If we are our own God then how can we deny ourselves. WE CAN”T
There is only one way. That way is believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he suffered and died for you and me on the cross, that he was resurrected, and now is at the right hand of God.
Hold the word of God next to your heart. Search the scriptures for truth. The truth will not be found in the ways of man that are devised to achieve Godhood. The truth lies in your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and discovering Him, as your God, by the Word He has given to us in the Holy Bible.
If you are using any of the above methods please refrain and repent as these methods are detestable to the Lord.
On the blogroll the best information comes from the Eastern Regional Watch website with a variety of New Age articles.
kim
Next – Crisis in the Church – Part 3
More about New Age Techniques
Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Fundamental Message of Christianity
by David W. Lowe
Because Jesus Christ is equal with God (Phi 2:6) and created all persons (Joh 1:1-9), he has inherent sovereign authority over all humanity and the universe. This means you and I must surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ. It is one thing to call him Master and Lord with your mouth, and quite another to make him the Master and Lord of your words, thoughts, and actions by obeying his commands in complete humility. He cannot be your Savior unless he is first your Master and Lord. If you have a problem with the idea of a Sovereign God ruling over your thoughts and actions, then you must question whether you are truly a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is King of Kings, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, and has all authority and power. As the righteous judge of mankind, his kingdom stands eternally opposed to sin and rebellion. Just as an inventor has the inherent rights to an invention or an author holds the copyright for a book he has written, so the Lord has the inherent rights to the earth he created and everyone in it. Because he holds the patent to the creation, he has the right to demand how it is used and how we interact and conduct ourselves within it. If that omnipotence and omniscience were the only reason to worship and obey him, it would be enough. But he not only created the world and everyone in it, he became one of us, and willingly offered himself to be butchered and crucified by his own creation in order to provide for its salvation.
How could I not bow in reverence and amazement to a King such as this? Earthly kings desire power, wealth, and fame, but this King desires mercy, servanthood, and sacrifice. This King humbled himself below all of his subjects in order to save them from their sins. Instead of giving me justice and crushing me back into dust, he vowed to save me in his boundless mercy. In the ultimate of paradoxes, God used my murder of his Son to be the medium by which I am saved! On the cross, the sinless Lamb became a curse so that a sinful human being like yourself could have his righteousness credited to your account by trusting in his blood atonement for forgiveness. Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of your sins, and you remain a magnet of the wrath of God. But the perfect, sinless blood of Jesus Christ can remit the sin of every person who repents and trusts in his sacrifice.
Every knee will bow and acknowledge his authority, because he has earned the right to rule and receive all glory and honor through his perfect sacrifice and resurrection from the dead. Come to him in humility, understanding the quantum lengths to which he descended in order to become a human being and experience a gruesome, excruciating death at your bloody hands. Put your trust in his sacrificial atonement for your acts of rebellion against him, realizing his perfect existence was crediting to your sinful account. Believe the eyewitnesses of his resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven. Then, pick up a cross daily in gratitude, obey his commandments in the Word of God with joy, and follow him without wavering, no matter the price.
http://earthquakeresurrection.com
Read David’s Blog Here
Crisis In the Church General Unrepentence (Part 1)
So whose fault is this crisis? I am a Christian. I backslid for many years but have returned to the Lord full-force. Is it my fault? Yes…. it is my fault.
The church is in crisis. Actually it has been for many, many years but too many people have been too busy doing religious things to notice. There are auctions to plan for, meetings to attend, tables to be set up for selling crafts, work parties to gather, rites and ceremonies for the congregation, songs to sing, offerings to count, pamphlets to print and fold, on…and on….and on…
I am not saying that these activities are bad in themselves, but how much time do we spend praising God, reading His Word, and praying on bended knee. How often do we, as a church members really encourage one other? How about sharing with others in your church that are needy? How often do you do this? Do you witness to others? As a Christian who believes and has repented, you have been given a spiritual gift. Do you use this gift for the others who are also in Christ?
Most often, we do none of these things….It is true isn’t it? It is for me. This truth is hard to swallow. When I think of how little I have done for the Lord, I am shamed and convicted. Do you pray for this conviction of sin? A couple of years ago my walk with the Lord turned much stronger and powerful and yet it left me weak and dependent on Him. What helped me turn this corner in my life was that I asked the Lord to show me my sin, expose my wicked heart and motives.
Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting . (Psalm 139:23,24)
When He searches me, and convicts me of my sin, I realize how much I need and love the Lord and how much I need his forgiveness and correction. He is our Father and admonishes us for our own good. How else can we serve Him until we give up trying to control our own lives and totally give our life over. In contrast, many in the church seek stature, riches, power, and the appearance of godliness by their good deeds. We want to hear how we will be blessed by our tithing and how good a people we are. We want to hear about how our money helps those in other countries. We want feel-good sermons and humorous stories that make us smile. We want experiences, and wonders and signs. No one wants to hear about sin anymore. Hearing about sin makes us feel bad and we might have to actually change our behavior. What ever happened to faith? Faith…No, we have to see with our eyes to believe…..
So…This is the condition of the church today. It is unrepentant, seeking experiences and following false gods. Jesus told us over and over again, that there would be many false prophets in the last days and to “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Mat:24: 4,5)
The spirit of the antichrist is prevailing and the scary part is that it is now prevailing in the church. The last days are here and many in the church do not know it. This is a crisis indeed.
kim
Next – Crisis in the Church
The New Age (Part 2)
The above DVD is a look into the unbiblical practice of Yoga in the Church.
A friend suggested watching this DVD produced by Caryl Matrisiana. I received it and let me tell you, you need to watch it.
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This is what the cover says about “Yoga Uncoiled: From East to West
“Once viewed by Christians as a pagan import from the East, yoga has now become mainstream in the church through Christ-centered yoga classes, designed to help improve spirituality and experience the presence of God. But is yoga’s mysticism compatible with historic Christianity?…..Video-journalist Caryl Matrisiana, who was born and raised in India, returns to her native land to search for truth among India’s leading experts and examines what Christian Yoga practitioners in the West are saying about their Yoga participation. ”
The video starts with the ’60s and the Beatles and how they introduced millions of young people to the drug culture, TM, and so started the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
There really is too much to describe in this eye-opening DVD so you need to order it. When you do, share it with others and maybe ask your pastor if you can show it in your church.
So if you are wondering if yoga can be mixed with Christianity or if yoga can truly be separated from Hindu philosophy, this DVD will provide all the answers.
PS the answer is a definite NO but order the video anyway.
kim
(hey thanks, Carla)
Here is the link for my Original article “Is Yoga Occult?”
Should Christians practice Yoga? NO!! Okay bye…..
Hey wait! .. Don’t you want to know why? You should, and this information involves all who may be participating in this Eastern religion. Religion? Yes, Yoga is Hinduism. Now you are going to argue…”NO, I do Yoga to relieve stress and for relaxation”. Or how about this, “I only hold the positions for exercise and to increase my body strength”. Did you know that the Sun Salutation is worship to a sun goddess?
Okay let’s talk. Well… if you will read this for a few minutes, I would be extremely pleased.
Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit. Union with what? You will find the true answer to this a bit later. Yoga theory teaches that everything is divine and the goal is to reach union with Brahman, your higher self, God, or the universe, depending on what they are trying to sell you. The practice of Yoga, the positions and breathing prepares the body for the occult changes that will arouse the coiled power (Kundalini) at the base of spine. This power can travel up the spine passing through the Chakras to the top of your head (Crown Chakra). It is the ultimate goal for the Kundalini (Serpent Power) to reach the brain. The “OM” which is repeated over and over again is to empty the mind of thought so that a new spirit can enter.
What happens then? The ultimate goal of enlightenment? Let’s take a look at what the experts say:
Swami Narayananda describes some of the possibilities:
These hot currents that reach the brain center heat the brain, make the mind fickle, bring insomnia, brain disorder, insanity and incurable diseases. For the hot currents keep the mind wide awake and if a person does not know how to check the currents and to bring down the partly risen kundalini shakti to safer centers, one suffers terribly and it may ruin the whole life of a person or lead one to insanity. This is why we see many become insane, many get brain defects, and many others get some incurable diseases after deep sorrow.
Gopi Krishna, founder of one of the many kundalini research centers, records his own experience:
It was variable for many years, painful, obsessive, even fantasmic. I have passed through almost all the stages of different mediumistic, psychotic, and other types of mind; for some time I was hovering between sanity and insanity.
Even though one may desire only the physical or exercise of yoga, you can see how dangerous a practice it really is. The above kundalini symptoms are the extreme, this is duly noted, but nevertheless, many have noted a change of worldview, or a darkness that follows them because of their involvement into the occult spiritual realm. A commercial on TV shows a woman in a lotus position calmly looking at the ocean, and you may desire the relaxation but the truth is, (and the trainers don’t want you to know this), the problems can be overpowering. Consider some of these other manifestations. Fear, uncontrollable laughing or weeping, intervals of ecstasy, tremors, spasms, and violent shaking. The guru can often impart these manifestations in mass, to his students, leaving them writhing on the floor helpless.
New-Age techniques almost always involve some form of meditation that is to bring you into a state of peace, enlightenment, open the door of physic knowledge, and can bring extraordinary power. But this power is an illusion of self-grandeur, it is occult, and very dangerous because the spirit you invite into your mind, is a demon or fallen angel. Remember the earlier question of what “union” means in Yoga? You are NOT uniting with a higher-spirit, an ascended master or a spirit-guide, you are uniting with a counterfeit spirit who is delighted to deceive you into thinking it a positive force but in truth is demonic.
Christians need to know that we are not to delve into the spirit world.
Deut 18:10-12 says “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…”
In Yoga the self is God… In Christianity one denies self……… Choose now.
Choose the Lord Jesus Christ, for……….. “No man can serve two masters”. Mat 6:24
Please read Yoga Uncoiled which tells you of a great DVD about Yoga.
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/yoga-uncoiled-from-east-to-west/
New article posted February 22, 2008 – link below-
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/yoga-a-christian-perspective/
I was at a loss for words and Satan was discouraging me. Last night I prayed that the Lord would give me His words, for I had none. This is the dream I had last night.
I dreamt that I was in a crowd of people at some musical event that was worldly and evil. But there was a way out. I could see a pathway.
There were two pools of baptism. One path was leading to Jesus and the other was to a deceiver. I could see the way to Jesus. I could not see Him but I could see the water flowing from his hands onto the heads of those bowing down to him. There were many crowding around the pool of the deceiver. Written on the stone walls surrounding the deceiver there was scripture, but he was quoting the second part of John 10:10 “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The deceivers’ voice was sickly sweet and he bid the people to come to him. He was sitting in the pool and splashing the water in invitation.
I headed for Jesus. The path was easy to see but there were many barricades put there by the surrounding people. I walked right over them.
Then suddenly, I was walking against a tide of people who did not want to listen to the Word of Truth and were leaving in disinterest. I begged of them “Please turn around, you are going the wrong direction!”. Their faces looked blank and they ignored my pleas. BUT..a few stopped walking, a look of realization came upon their face, and Praise God, they turned around.
(End of dream)
Many churches are full of deceiving spirits. Sadly, these unholy spirits are invited by the metaphysical (beyond the seen world) new-age practices introduced by pastors and congregation alike. These new-age practices create an altered consciousness of emptiness that opens a doorway to the other world. This altered consciousness can be easily attained by one method. Meditation. I am not talking about the kind of meditation that involves deep thinking, I am talking about the kind that empties the mind of thought. I believe that the repetitive music being introduced today… the singing of single phrases over and over again, is a step to prepare congregations for the new-age breath-prayers and centering which is really….yep…meditation. If anyone, I mean anyone, whether it be a friend or leader in the church, suggests anything that closely resembles meditation. Flee.
I am grieving for our churches. The messages are watered-down to appeal to the unsaved. There is no preaching of repentance. There is no guidance for holy living. There is no Glory given to God. If a pastor preaches damnation, then the people start looking for a new pastor…one who will tell them they will be blessed with riches if only they ask and that Jesus came to this world to say, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Therefore, there are many unsaved people coming weekly to their church, to sing the songs, repeat the creeds, pray the prayers and leave their tithe to gain the promised prosperity of their giving. This is so sad that my heart aches for the Lord who gave his life for us and suffered so terribly on the cross.
If you are looking for a new way to seek God besides studying the Bible, I beg of you, please turn around, you are going the wrong direction, and turn only to Him.
DiscernIt 
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