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….. a Ministerial Association will host Kitsap County clergy, chaplains and spiritual leaders in a second annual retreat day Oct. 16th at Firway House Retreat….The retreat will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the theme “Thank God You’re Here!” The day includes holy leisure, celebration of call and humor. A rustic outdoor labyrinth is available on site for prayer, play and pondering.…..
My local newspaper seems to be fodder for many articles lately and then readily delegated to the dumpster for toxic removal. (IMHO). This weeks surprise in the RELIGION section was the above ministerial retreat complete with labyrinth and all the expected goodies for….pondering?
So now it seems I have to research labyrinths since they are coming to a neighboring town so that our local spiritual leaders can do their Buddhist meditations for “holy leisure”.
I found this at http://www.Cephas-library.com.
Most of the practicing New Age occult world has known and still does, that the introduction of the labyrinth prayer walk is a victory for their cause, bringing the unsuspecting Christians into agreement with the overall plan of the Aquarian Age, where those participating in this practice could be captured or ensnared into the ways of Satan. (‘The Labyrinth: The Occult Has Truly Gone Mainstream’ can be found at http://www.cephas-library.com/na/new_age_labyrinth.html )
Even though the labyrinth is a Western concept, it shares some similarities with Asian monastic and spiritual practices. The patterns of the labyrinth are similar in design and conception to the mandalas of South Asian Buddhism, which are physical representations of the spiritual realm designed to aid in meditation. Labyrinths blend their visual symbolism with the process of walking, which is similar to the Japanese Zen practice of kinhin, literally “walking meditation,” where all of the attention is focused on the process of each step, one foot in front of the other, and the breath is controlled and regulated. Both of these techniques are used in Buddhist meditation, which combines the elements of calming and insight into the single goal of samadhi, or “awareness.””
From what I am reading from different sites the labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness with a purposeful path to a journey to our own center and back. It creates a sacred place to “That Which is Within.” This journey to center of our deepest self broadens our understanding of who your are.
Why would a Christian be involved in such an activity? We have already learned that to go “within” is an occult eastern mystical practice using meditation and controlled breathing patterns. To go “within” is to search for one’s own divinity. Again I have to ask why a Christian would even think twice about getting involved in the metaphysical.
“In walking the Chartres style labyrinth the walker meanders through each of the four quadrants several times before reaching the goal. An expectancy is created as to when the center will be reached. At the center is a rosette design which has a rich symbolic value including that of enlightenment. The four arms of the cross are readily visible and provide significant Christian symbolism.”
Can you see the readily visible four arms of the cross in this labyrinth? Oh yeah…maybe there…no…there…I give… I guess they are referring to the gaps between the four quadrants but to suggest that this is a Christian symbol is ridiculous. The above passage from lessons4living explains that reaching the center has a symbolic message of enlightenment.
Enlightenment is a New Age term for all-knowing or being as God. This is an anti-Christian message found over and over again in spiritual mysticism. The labyrinth is no exception.
Here is a picture of a Labyrinth right inside of a Presbyterian church in Maryland. I simply do not understand. Do the congregations of today no longer have any discernment whatsoever? Do they not realize that this is an unholy blend of eastern mysticism and Christianity? Do Christians absent-mindedly swallow everything that is introduced by their leaders as “spiritual”?
The use of such a method as a labyrinth… is merely another method of meditation which is a way of emptying the mind. We have learned that the use of meditation is the doorway between worlds and the key to the metaphysical.
Contact with the higher self – inner self- or the search for divinity is the ultimate goal of occultism. Any terms in New Age circles such as enlightenment, Christ Consciousness, breath prayers, new gospel, centering prayers, contemplative prayer are suspect and to be avoided by the Christian.
Christianity is being invaded by eastern mysticism. Christians are allowing themselves to be taught how to achieve altered states of consciousness in order to enhance their lives. This is deceit. The bible teaches that were are not to be involved in such practices.
Below is part of an article from Steve Muse of Eastern Regional Watch
The Labyrinth: A Walk to Life or a Walk to Death?
Is it a coincidence that within the last 20 years an ancient practice that had been abandoned by the “Church” has once again been introduced within its very walls that is impacting thousands? Why now is it being welcomed with open arms with such great enthusiasm by an unsuspecting church populace? This is another of many deceptions that have risen up within the body of Christ to bring delusion upon those who do not love the truth of God’s word. What affect will this ancient practice have upon we the believers in Christ?
Across the country and throughout the nations a practice is being revived within the church, which has been dormant for centuries. In effect, an ancient tool has been “unearthed” or re-discovered and people have begun to experiment in the practice of walking the labyrinth. This is a practice that seems to bring a sense of spiritual well being for those participating in it but in reality it has trapped and is snaring many in darkness because of the labyrinth’s Occult origins.
Most of the practicing New Age occult world has known and still does, that the introduction of the labyrinth prayer walk is a victory for their cause, bringing the unsuspecting Christians into agreement with the overall plan of the Aquarian Age, where those participating in this practice could be captured or ensnared into the ways of Satan. ttp://www.cephas-library.com/na/new_age_labyrinth.
After researching the many websites on today’s use of the labyrinth, most agree that the labyrinth is a tool or device created to bring one into a higher spiritual realm through the use of meditation whether your are a practicing Zen Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, a New Age Occultist, a Satanist, an atheist or even a “Christian.” My question now as it was at the beginning of this article is what is this labyrinth all about and how will it affect the believer in Christ?
If someone were to hand you an Ouija Board, telling you that it had been thoroughly redeemed and that other Christians were successfully using this board to bring them to a greater experience of God, would you also begin to entertain the thought of using this well known Occult method to seek God? Would you then use this Occult device, knowing full well that this is a tool or rather a gateway and portal to bring you into communication with “higher” spiritual entities (demons and familiar spirits). The labyrinth is much the same as the Ouija Board in its intent and purpose, to open one up to the influences of the demons of darkness, to supposedly gain wisdom and knowledge of the mysteries of life. Then why even begin to experiment or experience the sacred walk of the labyrinth?
In Deuteronomy 12:1-14 and again in Exodus 34:10-17, God commands us clearly not to participate in anything that has ever been used in pagan ritual for worship or for any other use, for that matter. The labyrinth has been from the very beginning a demonic temple, a Kundalini energy source, a tool of divination, a gateway and a portal to communicating with other spirits and was incorporated into the Roman Catholic experience at a time when there was little understanding of the Bible and little or no discernment.
People are drawn to the labyrinth by the subtle seductions of the spirit world trying to convince us that anyone can get to know “God” through some kind of spiritual experience. If this were the case then we have all been duped as Christians. If I knew that I could have a “God” experience just by walking the labyrinth then all that God did through the sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross is really unnecessary to bring us into relationship with the Father, I just have to have an “experience” and all will be well.
Many believe that the labyrinth is the beginning of a “spiritual journey” opening up relationships with the ancient masters who will in turn offer the knowledge and wisdom of the ages to all who will take the first step or “the initiation” to enlightenment. Most Christians know or should know that the ancient masters are really familiar spirits or seducing demons and the initiation is a bonding with the powers of hell itself. Is this really a walk to life or a deception that will lure us onto a path to death?
http://www.erwm.com/TheLabyrinth.htm Here is the link for the entire above article from Eastern Regional Watch Ministries.
Researching labyrinths has been interesting. There are about 1954 currently in the United States. 793 of these are located within churches. YES…. IN THE CHURCHES OR ON THE CHURCH GROUNDS. I randomly scanned about 300 of these and here is the number of each denomination that has installed a labyrinth on their premise.
Baptist – 3
Church of Christ – 9
Lutheran – 17
Presbyterian – 24
Catholic – 28
Unity – 13
Unitarian – 16
United Methodist – 39
Undefined- 63
Episcopal – 88
These numbers are only representative of the total… but they show which churches are allowing contemplative spirituality into their ministries. The Undefined churches had a general name like Hope Church, The Foothills Church, etc. so they were impossible to designate. The remaining number of labyrinths (1161) not on church properties….were located in health/medical facilities, spas, retreats, private residences, parks, etc……I discovered that a local retreat about 10 miles from my home has 3 seasonal outdoor labyrinths.
http://wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org/locate-a-labyrinth (link now broken) Here is the site I used to find where the labyrinths are located. I invite you to take a look for yourself.
*updated* link http://labyrinthlocator.com/
All of this eastern mysticism found in the church today is making me very cranky, sad, and burdened. I weep inside when I wonder what the Lord must think when He looks down at His own children, walking the traditional path of the lost and pagan.
kim
NOTE: OCTOBER 30, 2007 The link to the video was changed. When i watched the new video it was evident that it had been heavily edited and no longer contained some of the quotes below. The video is now about 3:00 minutes instead of 5:23.
I have been wondering what the youth’s emerging church really entails. The description i have been hearing, is this: a dark room, sofas, and candles. One can imagine that easily enough, but what about their beliefs. Disenchanted with the church, young people are creating their own churches. One has to ask…if people are creating their own churches and tailoring it to their own liking, what will they come up with? I saw this video on another blog and watched it with interest. This church is called Solomon’s Porch and it is youth orientated. So please watch this video called “A Spiritual Revolution”. Read the quotes i took from the video first and be listening for them while you watch.
I am sorry i could not embed the code for this video but it loads fast. Please watch.. it only lasts 5:23 minutes.
A Spiritual Revolution
http://current.com/items/76386062_solomon_s_porch note: (this is the edited version, the original no longer exists)
Here are some quotes from these young people.
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” We just knew that the way we had done Christianity all of our lives was no longer a viable option anymore.”
“The issues Jesus would deal with today would be …racism, the environment, it would be globalization, and it would be feeding the masses….it would be these sorts of things.”
“I see the Bible changing…i do not see it stagnant and so for us, as a community of Christians to say, we need to believe this one thing and hold it tightly and make sure that it is never questioned?…That is a real waste of energy with all the things we could be doing in the world.”
“I have no agenda to go around and convince people of things they don’t want to be convinced of. That seems to be the least gracious, kind and loving thing you can do…is go and disturb someone who chooses not to be disturbed. I think places like ours are hope producing for people who are already disturbed and gives them another option.”
“There is no…like..statement of belief at this church or statement of faith..is not like a set in stone theology that everyone in this church has to adhere to.”
“I have heard that the kingdom of god is supposed to be like a party house so let’s do communion like a house party.”
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While the video did not exhibit any disrespect during their communion, an attitude that diminishes the holy sacrament of communion is definitely a negative. Insinuating that communion is part of a “house party” is degrading to God.
Basically we are seeing a common trend of removing Jesus Christ from the church. Here at this church they seem to be removing or rejecting authority. But in this process are they removing God’s authority? I think so. The young woman who commented that making sure the Bible was never questioned was a waste of energy… this hurt my very soul.
The church wants to make its own rules because they do not like the rules set forth in scripture. What a convenient belief system. If you do not like what scripture says, do not want to change your life, do not want to give up sin…well, just say that the Bible is not true or is not relevant today, or how about this…it was written by men.
I would love to have the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written by God’s finger, but this is a little impractical for lugging to Bible study.
All scripture is God breathed. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers to write about God’s Word with perfect accuracy. God only speaks the truth, it is impossible for God to lie. (Hebrews 6:18) The Bible is inerrant, free from error. When in doubt about versions always go to the KJV.
Brian Flynn in his book “Running Against the Wind”, was prepared to stump Dr. Don Bierle who was speaking about his becoming “a Christian after examining the evidence that supports the historical accuracy of the Bible.”
Here is what Brian says on page 81. “At the end of the class, I was impressed but disturbed. I had no idea this type of information existed. I could hardly believe that historical evidence supported the authenticity of the Bible. I had entered this class so confident that I could challenge Dr. Bierle, and he would fold with the well-you-just-have-to-believe line. But I was wrong. He had the evidence, and all I had was my arrogance.”
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[suggested reading]
Surprised by Faith – Dr. Donald A. Bierle
http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Faith-Don-Bierle/dp/0971410089
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? – F. F. Bruce
Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell
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Anyway watch this video and check to see if you are exhibiting any of the same attitudes of these young people.
Are you trying to change the Word of God to your liking?
Do you choose not to believe the Holy Bible is truly from God?
Would you like to see the Bible changing to fit your needs?
Do you think it is kinder to not share the Gospel because it may disturb someone?
Do you think there is another way besides repentence of sin and faith in Jesus Christ?
Are you ashamed of the Gospel?
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”
Do not be ashamed of God’s Word. Glory in every word. Pray that His Word will speak to your heart and convict you of your sin. Yes…ask…ask for the conviction of your sin and that the Lord will show you what areas in your life need changing. The Holy Bible is your Owner’s Manual for everything you need to live a life pleasing to the Lord.
kim
Because of a special program broadcast in Brazil November 13, 2011 featuring Paul Gowdy, two new translations of his article are available.
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/a-decepcao-toronto-pelo-pastor-paul-gowdy/
Portuguese Version link above
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/el-engano-de-toronto-por-el-pastor-pablo-gowdy/
Spanish Version link above
*Update*
The Toronto Deception
By a former Toronto Vineyard Pastor
It has taken me nine years to actually come to the place where I would write this story. Part of the reason was because I was not fully convinced that it is appropriate to speak out against weaknesses in the body of Christ publicly. Another reason is because it has taken years of soul searching to become convinced that what happened in the Toronto Airport Church was actually all bad or at least more bad than good!
For the past number of years I have called it a mixed blessing. I think James A. Beverly called it this in his book Holy Laughter and the Toronto Blessing 1994. Today I would call it a mixed curse concluding that any individual good that came from this experience is far outweighed by much harm and satanic deception. I suppose that therein has been my dilemma. I have tried to live my life in the fear of the Lord and Jesus told us that the unforgivable sin was the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Attributing to Satan what was in fact a work of God. If pressed as to whether or not the Toronto blessing is all God or all Devil I will still be hedgy, but I am convinced that Satan has used this experience to blind people to the historical doctrines of God, to produce fruit in keeping with repentance, to failing to test and discern the spirits and failing to test prophecy.
After three years of being in the thick of the Toronto blessing our Vineyard assembly in Scarborough ( East Toronto) just about self destructed. We devoured one another, with gossip, backstabbing, division, sects criticism etc. After three years of ‘soaking,’ praying for people, shaking, rolling, laughing, roaring, ministering at TACF on their prayer team, leading worship at TACF, preaching at TACF, basically living at TACF we were the most carnal, immature and deceived Christians that I know. I remember saying to my friend and senior pastor at Scarborough Vineyard Church in 1997 that ever since the Toronto Blessing came we have just about fallen to bits! He agreed!
My experience has been that the manifestation of spiritual gifts mentioned in 1st Corinthians 12 was much more common in our assembly, before January 1994 (when the Toronto blessing started.) than during this period of supposed Holy Spirit visitation.
During 1992-1993 when praying for people we would experience what I believe was genuine prophesy, deliverance and much grace and favour from the Lord. After the Toronto Blessing started, all ministry time changed, the only prayers were ‘More Lord MORE ’, the shouting of ‘Fire’ the jerky shaking of the body with the ‘ooh ooh OOH WOOOAAH’ prayer. (I kid you not!)
On January 20th 1994 about 15 people from our church traveled over to Toronto Airport Vineyard in order to listen to Randy Clark, a Vineyard pastor from the USA. John Arnott had called our senior pastor to invite us. He communicated that Randy had been to the Rodney Howard Browne meetings and that the stuff had broke out in his church in the following weeks. John was hoping that something might break out with us too. We were only too happy to travel over. We were a church plant out of the Toronto Airport and we started in 1992. In those days there were three Vineyard Churches in Toronto. One Down Town church, Scarborough vineyard church to the east and the Airport Church. We were one big happy family. Because we were small in number we did special meetings, conferences etc, together.
The year before most of our leadership teams joined and had headed to Nicaragua for a short term missions trip. We had genuine love and fellowship with each other. Since leaving the Vineyard churches I have read a fair bit of analysis from the critics.
Some make out that the Toronto Blessing was one huge conspiracy to lead the body of Christ into heresy. Heresy and apostasy I suspect may well be the result, but none of these destinations were intentional. I am honestly convinced that the leaders in the Vineyard churches are genuine born-again Christians who love the Lord, but have fallen into deception. They have not loved the Lord enough to keep His commandments. They have failed to obey the scriptures and have been led astray by our longing for something bigger and brighter and more exciting and dynamic. I am guilty of this sin also. I have preached renewal in Korea, the United Kingdom, the USA and here in Canada. I am genuinely repentant and in writing this story I would ask you the bride and body of Christ to forgive me. Especially the Pentecostal / Charismatic Christians among you, for you are my immediate family theologically. I am an evangelical Christian, I always have been but I do not believe in the cessation of the spiritual gifts at the end of the apostolic era. I believe that it was my evangelical roots (my family are Baptists and I was born again in the Presbyterian Church.) that started to open my eyes to problems with this so called renewal.
In hind sight I look back and think how could I have been so blind? I laughed at people acting like dogs and pretending to urinate on the columns of the TACF building. I watched people pretend to be animals, bark, roar, cluck, pretend to fly as if they had wings, perpetually act drunk and sing silly songs. How I thought that any of this was from the Holy Spirit of God amazes me today. It was loud irreverent and blasphemous to the Holy God of the Bible. I suppose in my mind I reasoned that as long as they did not teach any thing in direct violation to scripture then it was what we called the exotic. This is a buzz word for manifestations that could not be justified from a biblical perspective. I was taught from the pulpit that we had two options. The order of the nursery full of life and messy or the order of the graveyard, very orderly but dead!
As a young immature pastor I wanted life with mess. I failed to remember that God wants us to become mature and grow up in him. I became disconcerted by the prophetic words that came forth especially one by Carol Arnott in which she had her bride experience where she was taken into the very presence of Jesus and said that the love that she experienced was even better than sex! I was shocked in my spirit and thought how can one compare the love of God with sex? When we suspected that demons were running riot in our services John Arnott would teach that we should ask are they coming or going. If they are leaving then that is ok! John would defend the chaos by saying that we ought not be afraid of being deceived, if we have asked the Holy Spirit to come and fill us then how could Satan come and deceive us? This would make Satan very strong and God very weak! He said that we needed to have more faith in a Big God to protect us than in a Big Devil to deceive us. This sounded very convincing but was totally contrary to scripture for Jesus and Paul and Peter and John all warn us about the power of deceiving spirits and especially so in the last days. Again we did not love God enough to obey His Word and the result was that we opened ourselves up to lying spirits. May God have mercy upon us!
Finally the penny dropped for me as I was rolling around one night ‘drunk in the Spirit’ as we would say. I started singing and as I rolled around the floor the Nursery Rhyme ‘Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow.’ came to mind. I sang this in a mocking spirit and instantly my heart told me this was a demon. Instantly I repented and was in total shock. How could a demon get into me? Did I not love God? Was I not zealous for the things of God? Was I not nuts about Jesus? I knew that an unclean spirit had just manifested through me and I was guilty of great sin. After this experience I stayed away from TACF. I did not go back there any more. I did not possess the conviction to denounce the whole experience but thought that we where failing to pastor the Blessing well enough.
Even after I stopped going over to TACF, I had to pastor the fruit of it. One example was when some of our people returned from a meeting there asking us if we had all received the golden sword of the Lord? I asked them what they were talking about thinking that it was some prophetic reference to the Holy Scriptures but they said, ‘no, its not the Bible, it’s an invisible golden sword that only the really pure can receive. If taken in an unrighteous fashion then the Lord would kill you. But if you are holy enough to receive it then you can wield this sword and it will heal aids, Cancer etc. and bring salvation. How one wielded this sword was by pretending to have this invisible sword in your hand and motioning to strike people with it when in prayer! I thought while even in deception at this time that the TACF had become Looney bins! This was purportedly first received by Carol Arnott and then given to the ones holy enough to receive it!
Another thing was the golden fillings in the teeth. We had people in our assembly peeping down one another’s throats looking for the gold fillings that God had placed there to show how much he loved them! In all my time there I only heard one message on repentance given by a visiting speaker from Hong Kong named Jackie Pullinger. It went over like a lead balloon. We were not there to repent, we were there to party in the Lord! After one year into the blessing I spoke out at a pastors meeting and said ‘guys we have shaken, rattled, rolled, laughed cried and bought the tee-shirt. But we have no revival, no salvation, no fruit and no increased evangelism so what’s the deal?’ I was soundly rebuked – who was I to expect to see fruit when the Lord was healing his broken people? We had been legalistic long enough and God was spending this time restoring his wounded and freeing us from legalism I was told not to push the Lord and the harvest would come in his time.’
I knew this was wrong because the Lord had commanded us to go into all the earth and make disciples! Not, that everyone should take a sabbatical for who knows how long, while God does some strange new thing! Ultimately I left over something as controversial as the ordination of women. Personally I believe from scripture that women should not be pastors/ elders in a local assembly. I could be wrong on this and there is much debate in the Church today but that is my conviction and in the Vineyard churches they were ordaining all the pastors wives to co pastor with them. I am certainly for women in ministry but believe that the Elder/ pastor role in a local assembly has been reserved for men. I did not write scripture but God willing I will have the grace from now on to obey it.
So there is my story. I could go on and document much excess, folly, sin and latter day reign teaching that manifest from the prophetic end of this Blessing but others have already done that. We sang about Joel’s army and the billion soul revival as if it were one of the Ten Commandments, and as always it was just around the corner. Next month, next year etc. Jesus said that when the son of man returns will he find faith upon the earth? And if he does not return when he does no flesh would be saved but for the sake of the elect he comes. This is a far cry from the dominionism that is being taught all through the vineyard / prophetic/ spiritual warfare movement. I honestly think that they think they are going to take over the whole world! While in the Vineyard I embraced a life verse from the Apostle Paul the phrase do not go beyond what is written!
To finish I just want to say sorry for the damage, that I have personally done by teaching things that are not correct biblically. I repent before men as I already have before God. I will not excuse my falling into deception. I did not bother to test things when the scriptures commanded us to do so. Everyone who was there when this thing started knows that what I write is true, they would just come to different conclusions especially if they are still promoting the ‘river!’
To those in the river I would say swim out, there are things living in the water that will bite you real good! I love the people of TACF and the Vineyard movement but I think that we have much to answer for and may the Lord open your eyes sooner rather than later. I suspect that when this letter goes online I will get bombarded by emails from both camps, some damning me for still believing in the ministry of the Holy Spirit and still walking in deception and some old friends damning me for exposing dirt or being negative about the Lords anointed! Well, the Lord knows my heart and by his grace he will guide me into all truth as I seek to know Christ and him crucified! If you believe that I walk in sin and error please pray for me that the Lord would forgive me and open my eyes. I will study the word to show my self a work man approved! I would call on all who read this to pray that the Lord would open the eyes of all who have been involved in this deception. Whether leader or follower, we are loved and the Lord is a forgiving God. He says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I believe we are like the church in Laodicea, we think that we are rich, have prospered and need nothing, we do not realise that we are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. We must take the Counsel of Jesus and buy gold refined in the fire (which is his suffering, not a false spirit!), white garments to clothe our shameful nakedness and salve for our eyes that we might see again. Jesus is calling us to repentance and thank the Lord that he is, for it will lead us to true restoration with our Father! If God has forgiven me and opened my eyes then he can do it for all those caught in deception too. I will finish with a warning from Paul, he says if you think you are standing firm be careful lest you fall.
Sincerely Paul Gowdy.
Harry, Yoda, and Yoga
Marsha West
August 2, 2007
Quicker than you can say “Quiddich,” a wizard’s broomstick rocketed to the sky and inscribed a smoke trail message for all the world to see… Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows…has arrived! The long-awaited book was released at the stroke of midnight on July 21, putting an end to the suspense. The Potterites, under Harry’s spell for 10 years, now know his fate.
Parents waited in long lines with their youngsters for hours on end so that little Danielle would have first crack at reading the seventh and final book in J. K. Rowling’s phenomenally successful Harry Potter series.
…….Parents who have studied occult literature in order to better understand it should by all means talk to their kids about the Potter books and explain why they’re not permitted to read them, if that’s their decision. The dangers of the occult should not be glossed over. Tell it like it is.
…….Emerging Church leaders boast “a movement from the moral to the mystical is necessary.” To that end, contemplative (centering) prayer is now marketed to Christians around the globe. Who are these Emergents?
What exactly is contemplative prayer? “As it is expressed in a modern day movement is mystically (i.e. based on a technique or method) in which one empties the mind of thought through repetition, usually of a word or phrase or focus on the breath. In this case the silence would be an absence of thought, all thought.” [4]
Some call CP the “silence.” But why not call it what it is? Yoga meditation! [5]
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please read the entire article here from one of my favorite blogs.
http://simplyagape.blogspot.com/2007/08/harry-yoda-and-yoga.html
Parents or teachers who are concerned about the occult influences in children’s lives today need to read:
Spellbound – The Paranormal Seduction of Today’s Kids
Here is where to order this book/
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/kdqz4
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/escjy
This is another situation where the Lord put me into a witnessing and learning experience.
pictures: wiccan symbol earth – water – wind – fire with the upright pentagram
This is a revised article originally posted 7/7/07.
I went into a business I frequent knowing that the owner Marilyn, is a Wiccan and calls herself a witch. Well, I noticed that she had filled a bookcase with books about witchcraft and casting spells. Also she had posted a sign on her counter “Wicca 101”. Please sign up for classes.
I said something to her young employee about staying away from the evil books, who in turn said something to Marilyn. She left me a letter at the counter and here is a portion of it.
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“I practice the Old Religion that dates back over 30,000 years when humans cherished the planet and what She provides to sustain life. We honor, respect and love not only the masculine god but the feminine Goddess in all Her aspects. We honor and call upon the Arch Angels for assisance and protection whenever we are doing healing work or spiritual ceremonies. We honor the seasons, our planet, the elements that give us life; Mother Earth, Fire, Water, Air.”
“In Wicca, there are many different, eclectic practices…none of which include the Christian bad-guy Satan. Satan ONLY exists in Christianity…you will not find him in other religions. From what i have learned over the years those that are against Christianity take the opposite polarity and honor the negave of Christianity…known as Satan. For us, he doesn’t exist at all and we have nothing to do with anyone that does. This is not because we “believe in him”, it’s because we know there are negative influences and energies of the universe which are not to be tapped into.”
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There is something about dealing with witchcraft in your very own neighborhood that makes these issues so close to your heart and so suddenly real. When a local pastor endorsed the new “Harry Potter” book as a good example of good and evil, I was stunned.
Okay, I needed help with this situation. I wrote Marilyn a letter but first emailed it to a friend David Lowe (http://earthquakeresurrection.com) who strengthened the repentance message and basically revamped the letter, much to its improvement.
Here is part of it.
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Your take on Satan is interesting. Those who adhere to biblical teachings believe that Satan has an influence over ALL other religions. Whether the god worshiped is Baal, Osiris, Brahma, Shiva, Sophia, Kali, Eros, Adonis, Gaia, etc., II Cor. 4:4 describes this evil influence as the “god of this world,” who has blinded the minds of those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. These gods and goddesses are personifications of life forces or manifestations, but in reality those worshiping them are worshiping demons- unclean evil spirits. The Bible states so in Revelation 9:21 when it says”humanity…did not repent of the works of their hands. so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols,” Psalm 96:5 states “For all Gods of the nations are worthless idols.”
I have read that most witches teach that we are “divine”. But this is the same lie that Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden. Gen 3:5 “Your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods”. See…the lie is still the same today. People want to be like God instead of worshiping God. This belief has eternal implications.
Many of the things you believe are filtering into the churches. The Gospel is being ignored. The Gospel is that Jesus died and rose again. He took our sins upon Himself, so that we are forgiven and will live forever with HIM, if we repent and put our trust in HIM. Repentance means we acknowledge our faults to Him, die to ourselves, following the commands of Jesus as a child obeys its Father, and serving Him as a subject serves its King. There couldn’t be anything further from teaching that we are “divine” than this.
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A couple days went by after I dropped off the letter to her. Then early one morning at 4:00 am, I was awoken by a chanting/singing. I immediately knew that this had to do with Marilyn and I knew she was casting a spell. I believe the Lord allowed me to hear this in my spirit so that I would pray. I prayed for her and His protection for myself.
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Just recently I was talking with an IHOPian (who I am very concerned about because he is involved in this ministry) who told me that witches had put a curse on his house and had left a dead black cat on his property.
Someone else who has left this ministry gave me an interesting account of how the local witches were frequenting the IHOP (International House of Prayer in Kansas City) prayer room and going to the altar for prayer. This person told me that going to the altar became a problem because it was an open forum and anyone could lay hands on anyone and there was a sense of something demonic from the other person praying.
This person asks….. why aren’t witches fleeing in such a powerful environment of prayer and how could a curse get through the protection that prayer would provide through constant 24/7intercession?
Good question don’t you think? The answer is that territorial and spiritual warfare as proposed and conducted by IHOP is ineffectual.
Upright Pentacle/Pentagram
Upright pentacles and pentagrams are among the most widely used religious symbols. They have been used in many eras and by many cultures and religions of the world: by ancient Pagans, ancient Israelites, Christians, magicians, Wiccans and others.
Wiccans have attempted to reconstruct a Pagan religion similar to that of the ancient Celts. They have adopted the upright pentacle/pentagram, since it was the symbol of Morgan, an ancient Celtic goddess. Many wear it as jewelry and use it on their altars. The symbol is frequently traced by hand using an athame (a ritual knife) during Wiccan rituals. It is used to cast and banish their healing circles. Some Wiccans interpret the five points as representing earth, air, fire, water, and spirit — the five factors needed to sustain life. Others relate the points to the four directions and spirit. Some Wiccans and other Neopagans bless themselves and others with the sign of the pentagram. Their hand passes from their forehead to one hip, up to the opposite shoulder, across to the other shoulder, down to the opposite hip and back to the forehead. Some of the more highly structured Wiccan traditions have used an inverted pentagram to represent a second or third degree status. “Many of these groups have since substituted a triangle form for the same degrees because of the association of the inverted form of the pentacle with Satanism and black magic.“
Witchcraft (divination): a means for extracting information or guidance from a pagan god.
When most people think of witchcraft, they think of worshipping the devil. Howbeit, most people that worship the devil, do NOT worship him directly–They worship idols or other pagan gods. Did you know that behind every idol is a demon! Read the following Scripture:`
1 Corinthians 10:19,20: “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”
There is a real danger in playing with the occult. Charms, idols (statues), crystals, tarot cards, candles, potions, magic recipes, astrology, horoscopes, palm-readings, fortune-tellers, psychics, crystal-balls, spells, trinkets, etc.–There are demons behind all of these!!! If your seeking guidance, power or information from them, you are practicing witchcraft. There are many people today who are placing emphasis upon astrology, rather than upon the Bible. Remember, seeking guidance or information from a pagan god is witchcraft according to the Bible. Stores and magazine racks are loaded with material on occultic practices. The media is promoting it. Oprah Winfrey has done much to promote it. Author’s are promoting it. We see it everywhere we turn! My friend, astrology and all such practices are an abomination unto the Lord. God calls it “an abomination.” Why is it an abomination?–Because it takes people away from the living and true God, Jesus Christ. It plunges them into darkness and demonism (the real gods of the occult). There is reality in the world of demons. There are fallen angels and a spirit world around us. This stuff is real folks, and today people are fascinated with it. Ozzy Osbourne went straight to the top of the rating’s chart in 2002. He is known for upside-down crosses and blasphemies against Christ. People are intrigued with the occult. People use drugs and every other means they can think of to try to make contact with this unseen world (and the Satanic world is eager to make contact with them). A child of God must leave this mess alone! To dabble in astrology is to turn away from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. God has given us warnings concerning this. His warnings have been very accurate in the past. His batting average, friend, is excellent–He hasn’t missed yet. God hits a home run every time, and I am going to go along with Him. You would be wise to do the same.
http://jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Wicca%20&%20Witchcraft/witchcraft_is_satanic.htm
GODDESS WORSHIP
When I hear and learn about the sad condition of the church today, I am truly burdened. Then something like this comes along and truly knocks me right back down on my knees in prayer. (You know those huge kneepads carpet installers wear? I need me some of those!) Anyway..
I learned from Richard Coombes http://aoreport.com that there was a United Methodist Church (a mega-church) near him in Kansas City “engaging in various non-standard variations along the lines of referring to the Holy Spirit as a goddess or the great goddess or mother goddess – and even praying to this goddess.” Apparently, this applies to the entire mainline UMC denomination, with the exception of those who have withdrawn and become independent. I am thinking…What? What is going on?
I looked into the United Theological Seminary. They have a pitiful Portrait of Jesus.
This link gripes me no end with the seminary advocating mystical experiences.
http://www.united.edu/portrait/spirit1.shtml
Here is a portion:
“Spirit person or religious ecstatic is one who has frequent and vivid experiences of the sacred.”
“Most of these experiences involve non-ordinary states of consciousness such as vision, shamanic journeys, mystical experiences, or enlightenment experiences.”
Then read this statement by Dr. Marcus Borg who is involved with the United Theological Seminary.
To be Christian, I would say, is to live within the Christian tradition as a metaphor of the sacred, and also as a sacrament of the sacred. The tradition as a whole has as one of its main purposes mediating the reality of the spirit or the reality of the sacred—that is, entering into a relationship with the sacred. It’s about entering into a relationship with suchness, with is-ness. I think of God, to use very abstract language, as is-ness without limits. Our relationship to is-ness matters profoundly. It will shape our whole way of being in the world. If we see is-ness as indifferent, we will be concerned with our own self-protection. If we see is-ness as threatening, we’ll be even more paranoid about life. But if we see is-ness as giving us life, it creates the possibility of relating to life in a non-threatened kind of way. That makes possible the lives of the saints.
What?? Where is Jesus Christ in our Christian life, and what is…”is-ness”..? Good grief, it is no wonder that the Church is in trouble, if this is what the seminaries are teaching. I don’t mean to pick on the UMC because these things are happening straight across the board in all the denominations.
This link below is an article called “The March of Sophia” (Paganism in Our Churches) This is part III of a series of 5. This article describes how a Lutheran church (my denomination), sponsors a yearly retreat called “Retreat with She Who Is”, led by a Lutheran pastor.
Excerpt: The pastor “invited us to form our own images in clay of Asherah, the mother goddess of the Canaanites…with a sacred body just like mine”. All ten of us prayed the Goddess rosary. Pastor Stacy called us to “remember the sea as the primal water from which life emerged, to think of it as the amniotic fluid of our mothers’ wombs”.
http://www.chalcedon.edu/articles/article.php?ArticleID=274
If you have a chance to read all of the series you should be shocked as I was.
Richard also gave me other sites to look at. Please take a look at:
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/609/CFI/cfreport/index.htm
The Church in Bondage Timeline of Goddess Worship in the Churches
http://cmpage.org/bondage/appendixd.html
Re-Imagining Revival
http://www.jeremiahproject.com/prophecy/feminist4.html
from the above link:
RE-Imagining Revival
“Sophia, Creator God, let your milk and honey flow, Sophia, Creator god, shower us with your love..Our sweet Sophia, we are women in your image. With nectar between our thighs, we invite a lover, we birth a child; with our warm body fluids, we remind the world of its pleasure and sensations…”
Thus went the prayer offered up in their pagan service along with replacing the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper with bread, milk and honey. They continued by singing songs to the goddess Sophia, the source of their divinity, the creator who dwells within them and unleashes within them their divine power. Conference participants worshipped the divine in each other by marking red dots on their foreheads to signify their divinity, and then bowing to each other in an act of reverence.
National staff and leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) gathered with feminist leaders from other World Council of Churches denominations including United Methodist, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, United Church of Christ, Baptists, Episcopalians, Mennonites, United Church of Canada, the church of the Brethren and the Church Women United.
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The above list of denominations is frightening. The feminist movement has a great deal to do with the infiltration of goddess worship in the church and according to the occult world the New Age that is dawning will be a feminine age. The feminine goddess is being accepted in the liberal church and prevalent in witchcraft, especially Wicca. The woman of today is being asked to realize her god nature in her spiritual search. If you ever watch Oprah, she is a total advocate of New Age philosophies and continues to feature New Age women on her show.
There is so, so much information on all these practices that I feel that I have not really done you justice by the lack of content, but I hope to have sparked your interest and that you will continue to research. Most of all the information I have read comes from the blogroll.
All these issues from Yoga to Goddess worship involve the same principles. These principles that range from the altered consciousness to contact and worship with the spirit world, lead us away from Christ. All these apostate traveled roads are leading right to the New Age Spirituality. When the church is deemed harmless and determined nonexistent, the world will be ready to accept the Antichrist with open arms. He will fit right in because the world is now being prepared for his arrival.
Are you ready? Are you wearing God’s spiritual armor and using his Word to defend yourself or are you spiritually compromised by involving yourself in the occult world?
There are only two choices!!!!
kim
Since we have been researching occult channelers let us now take a look at Helen Schucman. Born 1909, she wrote “A Course of Miracles” over a period of 7 years which was dictated to her from an inner voice who identified itself as “Jesus”. This Jesus said he was going to correct errors in the Bible. The “Course” says sin does not exist so there is not a need for forgiveness which entice those who want to be called Christians but do not want to give up their sin. How convenient. The Course teaches that fear is an illusion and that all is love..
Jesus is according to this book “an elder brother entitled to respect for his greater experience, but he is one of many Christs, and we all have the ability to become as Gods.”
This pattern always develops. There are many ways to God, God is in us, we are God. This basic message is the same as the other channeled messages received from various entities from the spirit world. The world needs to be enlightened and more spiritually evolved to progress to the next plane. When there is contact with the spirit world the content is always anti-christian. The Christian terminology can be deceiving so one has to compare these messages with the Word of God.
Here are some quotes from “A Course in Miracles” by this “Jesus”.
“There is no sin; it has no consequence.” workbook pg 183
“The Atonement (at-one-ment) is the final lesson he (man) need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation.” text pg.237
“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross’. The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross. Until then you are free to crucify yourself as often as you choose. This is not the Gospel I intended to offer you.” text pg.52
“The mind can make the belief in separation very real and very fearful, and this belief is the devil.” text pg.50
“Atoning means undoing. The undoing of fear is an essential part of the atonement value of miracles.” text p.5
I selected a few quotes regarding fear which I will address later.
“A Course in Miracles” according to Warren Smith in “Reinventing Jesus Christ”:
“During the 1980’s the Course gained a grassroots following of dedicated believers…and interest grew in the Course and it became a cult classic for those in the know. Yet even as word spread, the Course still remained relatively unknown to the general public.”
Enter Marianne Williamson. After reading her story, she seemed to be quite troubled. She then wrote her book “A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles”. She appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1992, and Williamson’s book soared to the top of The New York Times bestseller list. The miracle was reawakened.
Here is are some quotes from “A Return to Love”:
“Jesus and other enlightened masters are our evolutionary elder brothers” pg.42
“We are who God created us to be. We are all one, we are love itself. ‘Accepting the Christ’ is merely a shift in self-perception.”
It has long been known that Oprah constantly features New Age promoters on her show. This has exposed millions of women (and men), to New Age philosophy. New Age philosophy is Theosophy which translates Divine Wisdom. This has caused extreme damage to the true Church of Christ. Many women just automatically believe what Oprah has to offer up without question. When Oprah had Williamson on her show neither suggested that the “Jesus” they were referring was a different Jesus than we know of in the Bible. When Williamson was asked: Was Jesus the only Son of God?, her answer was “Hogwash”.
http://beliefnet.com/story/120/story_12052_1.html
I want to go back to the statements that Schucman’s “Jesus” made about fear. I have noticed that many messages channeled to mediums, concern the overcoming of fear. I was reading about a women’s journey going through the 7 chakras (levels) of yoga and her “spirit guide” (demon). At every level she faced extreme fear and anxiety, but her demon guide led her through the fear, saying it was evil, so she would advance to the next phase of enlightenment. I have to believe that this fear was her conscious telling her to stop. But she didn’t. The compulsion of wanting to become enlightened or to have special knowledge is a heady pull into mysticism.
What a sad day it will be for those who find out too late that they are not embracing the Holy Spirit but the fallen angels from the dark side, bent on deceiving them. They are listening to the lies of the serpent, which can be traced back to the Garden of Eden…that lie is that you can be like God…
Remember the song Aquarius/Let the sunshine in? – Recorded by the 5th Dimension released in 1969
When the Moon is in the Seventh House, and Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace shall guide the planets, and love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius ….
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Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more forces of derision
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelations
And the mind’s true liberation
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
Aquarius Aquarius
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Years ago, I remember driving down the highway, me and my girlfriends singing the verses to this song loudly along with the radio. Little did we know that these lyrics of yesterday were to be tied into the New Age movement of today. Now…..just so you won’t think that we were 16 year-old New Agers in the late 60’s, I have to admit that we also sang the lyrics, “Hey, Hey, we’re the Monkees”, with equal relish.
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OCCULT NETWORKING
Networking was conceived of as a way to expedite human evolution and it was championed by the Luciferian Theosophists. This fact is well-documented throughout their literature, particularly in the many books written about the New Age or New World Order by leaders of this cult. These networking philosophies have rapidly become mainstream by being merged into various “scientific” disciplines such as sociology, psychology, marketing, and even medicine.
Marilyn Ferguson identified networks as “A TOOL OF TRANSFORMATION” in her pivotal book, The Aquarian Conspiracy (J.P. Tarcher, 1980), which “outed” occult Theosophy and helped to propel it into a full-blown New Age Movement. Ferguson identified “networking” as “a tool for the next step in human evolution” (p. 213). The rapid proliferation of networks was seized upon as a method to rapidly diffuse the esoteric ideas of this obscure Luciferian cult into the mainstream of American and global society. One of the mantras of the New Age “Aquarian” movement is “think globally, act locally.” As previous posts in this series have described, the purpose of networking was to transform the world. It would happen by restructuring the world from the tiny cellular all the way up to global governance.
The full article can be found here:
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/HerescopeFebruary2007.htm
OCCULT NETWORKING IN THE BUSINESS WORLD
Now I want to take a look at Ray Yungen’s book “For Many Shall Come in My Name”, and see how networking is effectively spreading New Age ideas into the business world.
Ray says, “The way New Age thought has crept into corporations is simple to understand….management trainers and human resource developers hold positions where they can incorporate metaphysics into business under such titles as Intuition Development and Superlearning….Once while attending a New Age convention, I was told by one of these new breeds that resistance to New Age concepts in business was being replaced by a new openness, that if you barge in with occult lingo it turns them off right away. You have to tell them how you can make their employees happier and get more productivity out of them..then they will listen. You are really teaching them metaphysics, but you present it as human development.” (pgs 58-59)
“This approach has tremendous appeal because companies naturally want to get the most out of their people. In one interview, New Age writer Marilyn Ferguson echoes the same theme:”
Business leaders have, by and large, exhausted materialistic values and are often open to spiritual values…What’s more, top-level business people are not afraid of the transformative process, and typically, after i speak to them, they say, “I didn’t know that such things were possible. I don’t understand everything you’re saying, but I”m going to find out about it.” Whereas most people who don’t understand new concepts automatically reject them, business people, who by nature are trained in risk taking, go after them.
“It is absolutely amazing how unabashed Creativity in Business is in recommending its source of creativity. In one section we find the heading, Getting in Touch with your Inner Guide. It reads:”
In this exercise you meet your wisdom-keeper or spirit guide–an inner person who can be with you in life, someone to whom you can turn to for guidance. (pgs 59-61)
Wow…what a predicament for the Christian who would be required to take one of these courses for purposes of their employment.
OCCULT NETWORKING IN THE SCHOOLS
Ray also talks about New Age in Education. This really shook me up.
“The field of education presents an ideal setting for transformation. In virtually every area of education and instruction from kindergarten to universities…the Ancient Wisdom is being taught either up front or covertly…Marilyn Ferguson acknowledges:”
Of the Aquarian Conspirators surveyed, more were involved in education than in any other single category of work.
“These people, according to Ferguson, had already begun to attempt significant changes in the educational system. She states:”
Subtle forces are at work, factors you are not likely to see in banner headlines. For example, tens of thousands of classroom teachers, educational consultants and psychologists, counselors, administrators, researchers, and faculty members in colleges of education have been among the millions engaged in personal transformations. They have only recently begun to link regionally and nationally, to share strategies, to conspire for the teaching of all they most value: freedom, high expectations, awareness, patterns, connections, creativity. They are eager to share their discoveries with those colleagues ready to listen. (pgs. 66-67)
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – The “Let the sunshine in” portion of this medley has taken on a whole new meaning for me just while writing this.
II Cor 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
Okay! Anyone care to join me in a rousing rendition of “Hey, I Think i Love You” by the Partridge Family?
kim
In 1875 Helena Petrovona Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society in New York. What is Theosophy? Theosophy translates into Divine Wisdom. Theosophy holds that man is evolving spiritually and that someday will be as one with God. Blavatsky wrote “Isis Unveiled” and “The Secret Doctrine” which were channeled to her by an Ascended Master Kuthumi who lived in the 19th century. Djwal Khul also called the “Tibetan” was also an Acsended Master who channeled to HPB. She introduced Buddhism and Hinduism into the West .
“Blavatsky saw her mission as sublimely messianic: to save the world…Theosophy had been associated with the Gnostics and the Kabbalists. Madame Blavatsky’s Theosophy was nothing less than an attempt to synthesize Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Occultism into a new religion. The plan was to introduce these occult teachings throughout the West, and this in turn has created what we now know as the New Age. It advocated a universal brotherhood of humankind, wise men of superhuman knowledge who lived in the Himalayas. It was her conviction that these men had trained her and then sent her out into the world with permission to disclose some the secret knowledge that could light up a pitiless and incomprehensible universe” (Meade).
Madame Blavatsky wrote:
“I was the first in the United States to bring the existence of our Masters into publicity; and . . . exposed the holy names of two members of a Brotherhood hitherto unknown to Europe and America (save to a few mystics and Initiates of every age), yet sacred and revered throughout the East, and especially India.”
If you have read any of my previous articles you know who i think Spirit Guides, Ascended Masters, deceased relatives, and inner voices are. They are truly fallen angels or demons who are stepping in to deceive those who think they are in commune with some higher being. The allure is gaining some kind of secret knowledge, and who doesn’t want to be in on a “secret”, but if you use occult methods, expect occult results. As you may see, the plan that was put in effect so long ago is coming to pass. More and more people are accepting yoga and meditation as a way to improve their life, improve spirituality, and come closer to God. But in truth, deception is taking place as predicted in the Bible. Even Christians are buying into Contemplative Spirituality which can lead to communion with the pit.
Alice Bailey
After the death of HP Blavatsky…. enter Alice Bailey who claimed that her teachings came from the same Occult Brotherhood that taught HP Blavatsky . . . . Bailey’s guide professed to be the same Djual Khool that was one of HPB’s teachers. Bailey also declared that her guru was the same Master Kuthumi that Blavatsky knew.
After misfortune in Alice Bailey’s life she and her three children settled in California where she met two women who introduced her to Theosophy. She had her first contact with a master calling himself the “Tibetan” in 1919. He wanted her to take dictation. Alice states:
I heard a voice which said, “There are some books which it is desired to be written for the public. You can write them. Will you do so?”
She wrote 19 books that were channeled directly to her between the years 1919-1949.
Here is an excerpt from “For Many Shall Come in My Name” by Ray Yungen
To occultists, the significance of the Alice Bailey writings was that they foretold that in the coming Aquarian Age “the teachings of the East and West must be fused and blended before the true and universal religion–for which the world waits–could appear on earth.”* There also would be a “Coming one”, whom she called “the Christ”, who would not be the Lord Jesus Christ whom Christians await the return of, but an entirely different individual. This man would embody all the great principles of occultism, chiefly the divinity and perfectibility of man, and consequently expect recognition and honor as to his own lordship and divinity. (page 32)
The Lucis Trust
“The Lucis Trust is the Publishing House which prints and disseminates United Nations material. It is a devastating indictment of the New Age and Pagan nature of the UN. Lucis Trust was established in 1922 as Lucifer Trust by Alice Bailey as the publishing company to disseminate the books of Bailey and Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society. The title page of Alice Bailey’s book, ‘Initiation, Human and Solar’ was originally printed in 1922, and clearly shows the publishing house as ‘Lucifer Publishing CoIn 1923. Bailey changed the name to Lucis Trust, because Lucifer Trust revealed the true nature of the New Age Movement too clearly. (Constance Cumbey, The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, p. 49). A quick trip to any New Age bookstore will reveal that many of the hard-core New Age books are published by Lucis Trust.”
This quote can be found here:
http://freemasonrywatch.org/lucistrust.html
Those who are unaware of the New World Order influence on the United Nations need to open the above link. It is truly frightening.
*this sentence sums up the entire theme of “A Time of Departing”
Here is a photo of a Taize service…..I finally remembered that i had found information about Taize on the Lighthouse Trails Research website. Taize is a prime example of how contemplative spirituality is compromising the church. It appeals to the youth and is Buddist oriented with a Catholic flavoring.
Taize – Another Avenue Through Which Contemplative is Entering the Church
Taize Community is an international, ecumenical communityin France. Taize Worship is practicing the silence with icons, candles, incense and prayer stations, and is a very contemplative/Buddist oriented community attracting young people from around the world.
As an article on Taize worship explains:
Short chants, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character,” the brothers explain in a brief introduction printed in the paperback songbook. “Using just a few words, [the chants] express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being.
While it is apparent that Taize is rooted in Eastern mysticism, it is equally apparent that it is being incorporated more and more into Christendom. Below are some examples of Christian ministries and schools that are introducing people to Taize worship.
Columbia Bible College (BC, Canada)
Eastern Mennonite University (Virginia)
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Seattle Pacific University (Washington)
Renovare (Richard Foster) – page 2
Here is a link to the newsletter containing this article
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletter020507.htm
Here is the link to my orginal article about Taize
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2007/07/30/crisis-in-the-church-taize-what-is-it/
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