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 America's Spiritual Slide

Mystical powers promise peace & oneness but deliver war and hate. Yet all are blending and seeping into the various expressions of the Emerging Church.

October 2009

Esoteric "Christianity": "....he explained that the spirit within his soul guided him into all knowledge. When I asked him which spirit it was that had control of his soul, and directly challenged whether or not it was an agent of Satan masquerading as an angel of light, he sharply replied that 'as long as you have no fear, it doesn't matter which spirit it is.' 

      "This is very dangerous ground! The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occult society that had its start back in 1887, teaches that 'Fear is failure and the forerunner of failure...Therefore fear not the Spirits, but be firm and courteous with them...' Yet, God's Word tells us that we are not to believe every spirit, but rather to test them to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1). Please understand, this is nothing to fool around with." See A New Mask for an Ancient Secret  

Michelle Obama: It's a 'sacrifice' to travel to Europe to pitch for the Olympics. But I'm doing it for the kids: "In her speech in Copenhagen today, First Lady Michelle Obama said her trip to Denmark, along with the travel of her 'dear friend' and 'chit-chat buddy' Oprah Winfrey, as well as tomorrow's visit by President Obama, is a 'sacrifice' on behalf of the children of Chicago and the United States." See Oprah and Tolle fuel New Age revival

Oprah guru faces criminal charges? "The victims were participating in a sauna-like 'sweatbox' treatment while attending a program run by James Arthur Ray, who appeared in a DVD version of 'The Secret,' a New Age book authored by Rhonda Byrne that was heavily promoted by Winfrey.'" A New Mask for an Ancient Secret

What is EFT? "EFT is a powerful new discovery that combines two well established sciences so you can benefit from both at the same time: Mind Body Medicine [and] Acupuncture (without needles). In essence, EFT is an emotional version of acupuncture wherein we stimulate certain meridian points by tapping on them with our fingertips. This addresses a new cause for emotional issues (unbalanced energy meridians)." [Endorsed by Deepak Chopra and other New Age gurus.  "NEW THOUGHT" - Its Roots and Branches

July 2009

Woman accused of killing newborn ate brain: "A woman charged with murdering her 3 1/2-week-old son used a knife and two swords to dismember the child and ate parts of his body, including his brain, before stabbing herself.... Sanchez, 33, is charged with capital murder in the death of her infant son." See A Twist of Faith and Deliver us from evil

June 2009

Is There"Christian" Yoga? "Can a Christian incorporate Hindu spiritual practices in order to get closer to the Jesus of the Bible? I have a strong suspicion the 'Hindu gods' have an agenda to introduce unsuspecting yoga practitioners to a different Jesus. A most insightful article on this topic comes from a surprising source. The article, titled 'There is No Christian Yoga,' is written by Yogi Baba Prem, a Hindu Yogi, a Vedavisharada trained in the traditional gurukural system. Listen to what he has to say about 'Christian yoga'..." See Tai Chi, Tae Bo and Yoga

May 2009

Christian" Mysticism or Occultism? "Like his secular practical mystic brethren, he has a strong sense of mission and destiny... 'Could it be that those who make the journey to the True Self are, in some ways, demonstrating what lies in store for the entire race?... Such a world cannot come, however, unless hundreds of thousands of people experience the regression of the Ego in the service of transcendence [meditation], and then restructure the culture to accommodate similar growth for millions of others. I believe we are only now beginning to recognize this task.'" See  "Sacred and perfect am I" and Mysticism & Global Mind Change

January 2009

'Christians' under the influence of Another Spirit: "What had been called 'new age' is now being presented as 'new gospel.' These 'new gospel' teachings are not new and have actually been around for centuries in one form or another. Whether it was ancient gnosticism, the occultic teachings of Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) and Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949), or the present day 'new gospel' channelings, the bottom line has always been the same -- everyone is a part of God." See From Truth to a New Spirituality <

Oprah Winfrey interviewing Eckhart Tolle on April 9, 2008 (A friend warned me to delete the link to the video): "I thought Jesus came, died on the cross. That Jesus' being here was about his death and dying on the cross, when it really was about him coming to show us how to do it. How to be. To show us the Christ Consciousness that he had, and that that consciousness abides with all of us. That's what I got." “God, in the essence of all consciousness, isn’t something to believe. God is. And God is a feeling experience, not a believing experience.”—Oprah Winfrey (April 9, 2008)  Idols and "other gods"

New Thought - Its Roots and Branches: "Roots: Ancient Mystery Religions, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Rosicrucianism, Swedenborg, Theosophy, Hermetic magic.... Branches: Unity Church, Christian Science, Divine Science, Science of Mind, Word of Faith, Oprah Winfrey & New Spirituality. Related:  Secret societies, Freemasons..."

New Ager Walsch “Mystified” By His Own Plagiarism: "Mystic occultist, Neale Donald Walsch, made his cash and his fame by claiming to have had mystical encounters with a voice he calls 'God'. His Conversations with God series was wildly popular for years, and he still travels the world claiming that there is no hell, that even Hitler is in heaven, because all, in the end is love… except, that is, if you are a fundamentalist. They, you see, go straight to hell....

        "Now Walsch is making headlines as a plagiarist after ripping off an essay this Christmas about, what else, 'love'. The cool thing about being a mystical New Ager is that you can always claim you are 'mystified' as to how it happened. The words just somehow drifted into your mind, you see. ... The plagiarized author isn’t so kind and seems unimpressed with Walsch’s New Age ethics." See next link:

Christmas Essay Was Not His, Author Admits: "Neale Donald Walsch... recently posted a personal Christmas essay on the spiritual Web site Beliefnet.com about his son’s kindergarten winter pageant.... Mr. Walsch’s story was nearly identical to an essay by a writer named Candy Chand, which was originally published 10 years ago.... Speaking of Mr. Walsch, she asked: 'Has the man who writes best-selling books about his ‘Conversations With God’ also heard God’s commandments? ‘Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not lie, and thou shalt not covet another author’s property’?” See Indigo Children and Conversations with 'God'


December 2008

"Christmas Miracle": [Not really! This New Age "prophecy" was posted at Wall Street Journal website]

       "In April 1995 Time magazine devoted an eight-page spread to its cover story on miracles and concluded: 'People are hungry for signs.' Look now for the biggest miracle of all. In the very near future a large, bright star will appear in the sky visible to all throughout the world -- night and day. Unbelievable? ...  Around a week later, Maitreya, the World Teacher for all humanity, will begin his open emergence....

     "For over 30 years... Benjamin Creme has been preparing the way for the emergence of Maitreya and his group, the Masters of Wisdom.....Awaited by all faiths under different names, Maitreya is the Christ to Christians [not true], the Imam Mahdi to Muslims, Krishna to Hindus, the Messiah to Jews, and Maitreya Buddha to Buddhists. He is the World Teacher for all, religious or not.... The outpouring of his extraordinary energy has been the stimulus for dramatic developments on many fronts.... He will seek to inspire humanity to see itself as one family, and to create world peace through sharing, economic justice and global cooperation.  ...humanity is assured... of a brilliant new civilization." See The Dalai Lama

Occultism in the Heartland: "...an invitation-only interfaith service, hosted by the Tibetan Cultural Center and led by the Dalai Lama, was held at the Saint Charles Catholic Church.... But it wasn’t just religious leaders who welcomed the Buddhist deity to Indiana. At the opening ceremony, Governor Frank O’Bannon, Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, and actor Steven Segal each walked to the podium and welcomed the Dalai Lama, each in turn addressing this man from Tibet with the high titles, 'His Holiness' and 'Your Holiness.'

     "Yet, the interfaith approach – which honors all so-called deities and their emissaries – is invalid according to the message given in the Book of Isaiah,

For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the Lord, and there is no other… …there is no other God beside Me, a just God and a Savior; There is none beside Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the Earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:18, 21-22)

November 2008

Vampire Author's fictionalized Jesus promoted by James Dobson: “Anne Rice appeared on James Dobson’s Focus on the Family program in October to promote her spiritual biography, Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession. Rice, the former atheist and queen of the vampires, has sold more than 70 million horror and sex-themed books.... Rice stands by her earlier works, and just prior to her spiritual biography, had written two novels about Jesus Christ.... The content of these novels is taken from apocryphal writings like the [Gnostic] Gospel of Thomas as well as her own imagination.... In the first novel, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, she depicts Jesus as a 7-year-old boy who gets the things he wishes for, like the death of another young boy who annoys him." See His unchanging Word

October 2008

Carl G. Jung Man of Science or Modern Shaman? "We must evaluate Jung's psychology in the light of his heretical theology. ... Borrowing the method of visualization or 'active imagination' from ancient occultism, Jung dialogued with figures that appeared in his fantasies. He called them 'archetypes' and assumed that they... had an independent existence and needed 'integration' with his conscious mind.... In fact, Jung even used the term daemon for them at times. One such 'archetype' was an old 'wise man' who called himself Philemon and who became Jung's 'wise guide' and teacher. The Bible calls this spiritism' and demon contact." See Tarot, Carl Jung, Swedenborg, Blake & Freemasons

September 2008

The Silent Church: "The 'new gospel Christ' tells Barbara Marx Hubbard that on the day of 'Planetary Pentecost' a 'planetary smile' will flash across the face of all mankind; that an 'uncontrollable joy' that he describes as the 'joy of the force' will 'ripple' through the one body of humanity.' Benjamin Creme describes the event 'as a pentecostal experience for all.' The 'Christ' of A Course in Miracles tells how the world ends in 'peace' and 'laughter.' ... Could it be that the reason the Church is so unaware of the 'new gospel' movement is because it is being led by that same spirit and heading down that same broad way? Is it happening now, right in front of our very own eyes?" See Heaven is Forever!

August 2008

Life After Lakeland: Sorting Out the Confusion: "From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley’s beliefs and practices. They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer. But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged.... The message was clear: 'This is God. Don’t question.'...

     "Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. ... Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. ... 

     "Why didn’t anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments Bentley made about William Branham?... He claimed that he was the reincarnation of Elijah—and his strange doctrines are still embraced by a cultlike following today. When Bentley announced to the world that the same angel that ushered in the 1950s healing revival had come to Lakeland, the entire audience should have run for the exits....

     "Why did God TV tell people that 'any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic'?... Paul wrote: 'Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others' (1 Tim. 5:22).... Why did a group of respected ministers lay hands on Bentley on June 23 and publicly ordain him?... This controversial ceremony was organized by Peter Wagner.... He asked California pastors Che Ahn and Bill Johnson, along with Canadian pastor John Arnott, to lay hands on Bentley..." See Angels or Demons? Todd Bentley and The Beautiful Side of Evil

July 2008

The next two quotes show the rising new spirituality promoted by countless networks, organizations and world leaders (See also Global Spirituality)

The Global Interchange: "The Global Interchange (GIC) is positioned for a pivotal role in our emerging world community through a growing recognition and alignment of the basic interconnectedness that underlies humanity's extraordinary diversity.... By linking the context of social and spiritual awakening in the world to a large population with diverse interests, the GIC offers an extraordinary opportunity for humanity to express its unfolding higher consciousness." See New Spirituality for an Awakening Planet?

The New Age Comes to the Girl Scouts of the USA: "...a 12 page brochure for their upcoming annual National Council Session... states: 'Channel your inner being. Be one with your mind, body, and soul. Yoga for everyone!' Yet, on their website it states: 'Doxology is not an appropriate Girl Scout event song, as it is easily identified as a Christian church song.'... While these references and promotions of Yoga are disturbing to say the least, a recently formed partnership... will take Girl Scouts to a whole new level of New Age spirituality! ...The Ashland Institute... teaches Attunement (metaphysical energy healing) described as .Creative Energy Practice,. which .deepens. the .connection with the Source of Life.." See Mine is the Power!

 

The most dangerous televangelist in the world: "Oprah says, 'God is a feeling experience not a believing experience... and if God for you is still about a belief then it’s not truly God... Eckart agrees with her....

     "Oprah has embraced Betty Eadie... author of the book Embraced By The Light.... Oprah wholeheartedly endorsed and promoted the feel good... book, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, which teaches you can think anything into existence.... Her Oprah Winfrey Show is the highest rated talk show in television history. Her book club makes instant bestsellers of what are oftentimes average books." See From God's Truth to the "New Spirituality"

Emerging out of the Sea: "...Lucifer’s prey is those in today’s Christianity who aren’t rooted in the faith and therefore easily devoured after they’ve unwarily walked right into his 'Christianized' or 'Christ-ized' traps.... And when Lucifer’s 'signs and lying wonders' launch in full force, the very bewitched and apathetically ignorant world will inevitably end up worshipping Lucifer...." See The Nature and Tactics of Satan  and Angels or Demons?

Proud pagan witch backs Obaman's poverty bill: "While Senator Barack Obama struggles to keep the public in the dark about the nature of his pro-U.N. Global Poverty Act, a recent 'Bay Area Interfaith Leaders’ Luncheon' was held to lobby for Senate passage of the bill, whose cost has been estimated at $845 billion. An actual witch who spoke at a 'Pagan Pride' festival in San Francisco was one of the listed participants.... Representatives of the United Religions Initiative and the World Parliament of Religions were also among those included....

     "...a concerned parent alerted us to the fact that a Christian preschool in Long Island, New York was handing out a coloring page for children which included a plea for Congress to pass Obama’s Global Poverty Act.  'Dear Parents,' said the letter that was sent home. 'We would like to join efforts with the congregation of St. David’s to stop world hunger." See Mine is the Power!

Neopaganism growing quickly: "Their numbers roughly double about every 18 months in the United States, Canada and Europe.... People, especially teens, are rejecting what they see as the 'autocracy, paternalism, sexism, homophobia and insensitivity to the environment' of some more traditional religions.... Brennan, a credentialed Wiccan minister with the Denver-based Alexandria Temple & Academy... said neopagans generally prefer to experience spirituality firsthand rather than adhere to authoritarian dogma.... Inmate neopagans include Wiccans, druids and the Asatru, who worship Odin and other Norse gods." See The Rising World Religion

Angels or Demons? Todd Bentley and The Beautiful Side of Evil: "Bentley is no stranger to demonic forces. '...twenty-five demons were cast out of me,' he said in one of the many videos that document his teachings, '...and when I first got saved the demonic started showing up unlike anything that I had seen even before I became a Christian.... I came out of everything involved with the demonic especially in the whole world of music and satanic music...." See the next link:

Todd Bentley, C. Peter Wagner and apostolic alignment at the Florida Healing Outpouring: "It was a notable night in Lakeland tonight at the Florida Healing Outpouring. My friend C. Peter Wagner took the stage and explained Biblical apostolic alignment ... Che Ahn, Bill Johnson and John Arnott agreed to provide apostolic oversight and encouragement to Todd. I expect the level of anointing, glory and geographical scope of this outpouring to notably increase after tonight." See Todd Bentley and "The Beautiful Side of Evil"

June 2008

THE SHACK & Its New Age Leaven: "I was drawn into the New Age Movement years ago by books and lectures containing parabolic stories that were not unlike The Shack. They felt spiritually uplifting as they tackled tough issues and talked about God’s love and forgiveness. They seemed to provide me with what I spiritually needed as they gave me much needed hope and promise. Building on the credibility they achieved through their inspirational and emotive writings, my New Age authors and teachers would then go on to tell me that 'God' was 'in' everyone and everything." See Deceived by a counterfeit "Jesus"

Oneness Demands Sacrifices: "To bring the counterfeit kingdom of God (the new world religion/Emerging One Church) into full emergence, the dragon intends to eliminate all hindrances through his Coming One. Sooner than we think, people will be given the choice to either get on board the Ark of Oneness or remain in the great sea of separateness and get 'swallowed up' in the coming storm of judgment.

       “'Nothing can prevent the new world religion from eventually emerging.… It will be hindered by the fundamentalists, the narrow-minded and the theologians in all the world religions, by those who refuse to let go the old interpretations and methods, who love the old doctrines …” See From Truth to a New Spirituality

 

Todd Bentley's "Revival": "There was a lot of 'cheerleading' from the stage as microphone checks were being done. ... The phrase 'stir yourselves up' was used repeatedly, as was the concept of a 'transferable anointing.'A woman led in prayer for the service and said, 'sound waves carry your [God] presence and anointing' and then told the people to 'roar like a lion!' At that request, people everywhere shouted at the top of their lungs and blew the shofars. This same lady was jerking and twitching in a similar way to what has happened in meetings in Toronto and Brownsville in the past. She went on to tell the people to look at one another and say, 'You are pregnant – with the Holy Spirit and fire!' There was also much talk of 'birthing' and 'signs and wonders."

Footprints of a Prophet or Tracks of a Wolf?  "I have been blitzed with e-mails about the Todd Bentley 'revival' in Florida. ... This is a Charismatic happening called the 'third wave.' The 'first wave' was Toronto, and it fizzled out. The 'second wave' was Pensacola, and it had the same fate. Now Bentley has brought in the 'third wave,' and folks are coming from around the world for the 'anointing.'....

     "He is an ex-Satanist, a pierced and tattooed signs and wonders guy, and a man who gets messages from angels, particularly one named Emma. He does not open the Bible and preach. When he is "under the anointing" he can cause tumors to "explode," he says. The Holy Spirit told him to kick a lady in the face with his biker boot so he did so. If he tries to deal with someone he thinks might be demonized, he gets nothing short of violent, virtually choking a man he is trying to exorcise. He also gets violent when he uses the word 'bam.'"

 

Is Todd Bentley walking in the footsteps of mystics and seers? "Is Todd Bentley actually receiving revelations from God, or is there something more to his visions of angels and messages from heaven? For example, what about his vision of Sadhu Sundar Singh?... SundarSingh’s visions of wandering souls in the spirit world and heavenly spheres also included contact with a dead mystic and seer named Emanuel Swedenborg: 'I saw him several times some years ago.... His name in the spiritual world is quite different just according to his high position or office and most beautiful character.' ... 'Not only was Swedenborg a seer and a medium, he was also one of the forerunners to modern spiritualism."' See LILITH by George MacDonald and New Thought, Swedenborg & Science of Mind

 

The Coming One: "This grand finale of the serpent’s seduction of humanity will appear to prove to an awestruck, bewitched humanity the seeming truth of the promise he gave in the Garden of Eden. With the 'power and signs and lying wonders' of  'the great dragon'—'that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world' (Revelation 12:9)—this 'man of sin' will masquerade as a 'man of peace' who has 'achieved' both divinity and immortality." See From Truth to a New Spirituality

Meditation: The Expressway to the “God” and “Christ” Within You: "Meditation is the most effective and most deceptive weapon in the serpent’s arsenal for the purpose of seeking new members for his counterfeit kingdom of God.... The following quotes on the nature and goal of meditation for those who practice it were penned by [channeler] Alice Bailey....

     "...'the great schools of intellectual meditation (devoid in the final stages of feeling and emotion) all lead to the same point. From the standpoint of Buddhism, of Hinduism, of Sufism, and of Christianity, there is the same basic goal: Unification with Deity; there is the same transcendence of the senses, the same focusing of the mind at its highest point; ... the same assimilation into God, and awareness of identity with God, and the same subsequent Illumination." See From Truth to a New Spirituality

May 2008

Academia looks seriously at Kabbalah: "Red strings, holy water, talismans and other New Age Kabbalistic paraphernalia may seem like so much spiritual mumbo jumbo to some, but a growing number of university scholars are beginning to acknowledge modern expressions of Kabbalah. In the past, university scholars in Jewish Thought departments in Israel and abroad scoffed at phenomena such as the Kabbalah Center, Madonna's interest in Kabbalah, and the New Age attraction to Jewish mysticism." See The mystical Kabbalah

 

Deepak Chopra Comments on Evangelical Manifesto: "Calling the new Evangelical Manifesto 'conciliatory,' New Age leader and author Deepak Chopra says... that 'the writers quickly declare that their purpose is 'not to attack or exclude.'... 'If you want to save the planet, it helps not to attack the bulk of humanity that worships a different God.'... Chopra finds this move by these more tolerant evangelicals admirable, but he says that the fundamentalists (those against abortion and homosexual practice) 'will irrationally dominate their agenda.'

      "Chopra is a prominent proponent of mantra meditation and believes that the christ-consciousness (God) is in everyone. This is why he finds the traditional Christian 'intolerant.'...The fact that Chopra finds the Evangelical Manifesto to be hopeful is not a good sign for evangelical Christianity.... But the New Age 'reconciliation' does not mean living peacefully with people of different faiths - it means being willing to lay aside the belief that there is only one way to God, (specifically Jesus Christ). Ultimately, this line of thinking concludes that all paths lead to God, and we can be reconciled to God through any faith." See New Thought and New Spirituality for an Awakening Planet and Gorbachev's Plan for a United World

April 2008

Emergent MIND Change: "Tolle's solution to this 'deep-seated collective delusion' is 'a radical transformation of human consciousness.' Man must begin by recognizing his own 'insanity' before he can 'emerge.' He must eradicate 'mental belief structures' by exchanging 'a set of thoughts you regard as the absolute truth' -- what Tolle calls a 'mind-dominated religion" -- for the 'transcendence of thought.'...

     "Likewise, Brian McLaren has been forging new orthodoxies for a New Spirituality in his aptly-named Emergent church movement. In order for Christians to 'emerge' ... they must give up their belief system that is mentally ill. They must abandon their 'threats of hell' which 'seem a little defensive, deranged, out of touch, manic, or embarrassed' in order to have a more 'vibrant form of the Christian faith that is holistic, integral, and balanced.' McLaren portrays the 'typical Christian believer' as 'tense, judgmental, imbalanced, reactionary, negative, and hypocritical.' Definitely not the picture of mental health!" See The UN Plan for Your Mental Health

 

Transcending Religious Differences to Become 'Truly Human' on the Ark of Oneness: "Humanity’s spiritual Ark is being built by many groups as the platform of the new world religion. Although it gives the appearance of being 'Christian,' or 'following Christ,' it is a New Age Ark of Oneness. The builders of this Ark are... warning everyone who remains separate from this Oneness to change their wrong separative beliefs or face the coming storm of judgment that is to purge the world of all separateness. Only those who forsake 'the way of separation' and find 'forgiveness' toward others... can enter this Ark of peace and safety." See The Emerging One Church of the New World

 

Warning from Lighthouse Trails. BOOK REVIEW: An Honest Look At "Don't Drink the Kool-aid": "On March 3rd, a book titled Don't Drink the Kool-Aid was released by author Carrington Steele. ... Since its release... a promotional video on YouTube has received over two and a half million hits. Steele's efforts to alert Christians and the public are noteworthy. However, after a thorough examination of this book, Lighthouse Trails must issue a public warning.....

     "...because the author also plagiarized some secular sources (such as CNN, Fox News, and Rolling Stone magazine), we believe this book may, in addition to being a poor Christian testimony, be legally problematic. Particularly, the fact that one paragraph in a book we publish, A Time of Departing, was illegitimately copied in Don't Drink the Kool-Aid and passed off as Steele's own writing, has forced us to speak up.

     "Unattributed use of another's writing that is passed off to the public as one's own is plagiarism. Kirsch's Handbook of Publishing Law (the industry standard for copyright issues)... states that verbatim copyrighted material must be credited."

They Say 'I AM' 'For Many Shall Come in My Name': "In Matthew 24:3-5, Jesus spoke these revealing words to His disciples concerning the signs of His coming and the end of the world (age): '...as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign [indication] of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]?' And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.'...

     "You will recall that one of the terms that New Agers regularly use for the higher self is the Christ consciousness. To them, Christ is not a person, but a state-of-being. Excerpts from the following New Age sources explain it this way: 'Jesus Christ ... taught that there is a power in man that gives him authority over the things of the world. This principle is the higher self, the spiritual man, the Christ." From God's Truth to a New Spirituality

"Satan is not simply trying to draw people to the dark side of a good versus evil conflict. Actually, he is trying to eradicate the gap between himself and God, between good and evil, altogether." Ray Yungen, A Time of Departing, page 101.

Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift (The Divinity of Man)--Part 3 : “In you, as in each human being, there is a dimension of consciousness far deeper than thought. It is the very essence of who you are. We may call it presence, awareness, the unconditioned consciousness. In the ancient teachings, it is the Christ within, or your Buddha nature.'– Eckhart Tolle...

    “'As we flew home on Cathay Pacific Airlines I began to think to myself, 'We are all like the clay Buddha covered with a shell of hardness created out of fear, and yet underneath each of us is a ‘golden Buddha,’ a ‘golden Christ’...’ which is our real self.' – Jack Canfield’s story 'The Golden Buddha,' Chicken Soup for the Soul." See From Truth to a New Spirituality

Erwin McManus' Awaken 2008 Speaker Promotes Eckhart Tolle: "Many of the event speakers (called "Thought Leaders") promote contemplative mysticism, but one in particular, Mark Batterson, points readers on his website to Eckhart Tolle, a New Age guru who is currently being heralded by Oprah Winfrey. Batterson says that Tolle's book, Practicing the Power of Now, is 'instrumental in the way I think about life.' His public reading list also includes several other New Agers and mystics: Jack Canfield, Daniel Goleman (The Meditative Mind), Gary Thomas (Sacred Marriage, Sacred Pathways), Leonard Sweet, Tony Jones, Brian McLaren...." See From Truth to a New Spirituality

There is no Religion Higher than -- Truth: “Our object is not to destroy any religion but rather to help to filter each, thus ridding them of their respective impurities.… 'Free discussion [dialogue], temperate, candid, undefiled by personalities and animosity, is, we think, the most efficacious means of getting rid of error and bringing out the underlying truth…"

      “[I]s there such a thing as absolute truth in the hands of any one party or man? Reason answers, ‘there cannot be.’..." —Lucifer Magazine, 1888, Helena Blavatsky."

 

Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift--Part 2: "Oprah described herself on the webcast as a 'Christian'. ... and when the first caller asked how Oprah reconciled this 'new form of spirituality' with her “Christian” beliefs, Oprah responded by talking about 'Christ consciousness.'...

 – First Caller…'Oprah, how have you reconciled these spiritual teachings with your Christian beliefs?

     "Oprah: … I’ve reconciled it because I was able to open my mind about the absolute, indescribable hugeness of that which we call God.... I believe is that Jesus came to show us Christ consciousness."

The Oneness Blessing - Pathway to Global Awakening: "The Oneness Movement is a fast growing effort to bring the Oneness Blessing to millions of people around the world with the hope of changing people's consciousness and thus the state of the planet. This Oneness experience takes place when a Oneness Blessing giver places his or her hands on a person's head (although it can also be bestowed through eye contact or even simple intention), and a sense of awakening into oneness is imparted." See The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course in Miracles

March 2008

Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift: "Tolle’s book A New Earth – like A Course in Miracles and other New Age teachings – exploits the idea that the world is at a crisis point and insists that we must 'spiritually evolve' as a species to avoid personal and planetary disaster. According to New Age leaders like Tolle, spiritually evolving means 'shifting' or converting to the heretical belief that we are all 'God' and that we are all 'Christ.' In both his book and his class with Oprah, Tolle reiterated the words that New Age leader Barbara Marx Hubbard was given by her New Age 'Christ' – 'evolve or die.'  ...if you don’t 'shift' your point of view, and 'get it'... our planet will probably be destroyed and our human species will become extinct." See The Armor of God

Departing from the Faith, Having Taken Away the Key of Knowledge: "As the New Spirituality continues to emerge as the new faith, these concepts and teachings are becoming ever more familiar within today’s Christianity. We are even being told that this is 'authentic' Christianity. Yet every one of these beliefs were penned by internationally known occultists and channelers! These beliefs, which are increasingly appearing in the teachings and writings of professing Christian leaders, were penned by Helena P. Blavatsky, Alice A. Bailey, and Neale Donald Walsch. Blavatsky has been referred to as the grandmother of the New Age movement, which is founded in the “Ageless Wisdom,” or “Ancient Wisdom,” of the East."

More Tales From the Trenches: “I was sitting at a women’s meeting at our church a couple of weeks ago and one of the women (it is a small group, about six people–I give the devotion each time for them) asked about Eckhart Tolle’s book and the Course in Miracles that Oprah is sponsoring. She and her husband are in two support groups... and she wanted to know if she should sign up for the programs as EVERYONE IN HER SUPPORT GROUP WAS GOING TO DO IT. Nobody said a word.

    "I said, 'Sally, NO, don’t sign up for that. You are a Christian and that is occult. That is New Age, Sally.' One of the other women who is a pillar in our Church said, 'Well, Oprah is a Christian.' I said, 'No, Jan, she is not. She is a pagan. Her Jesus and her God are not the same as the One we serve and worship.'She looked like I had slapped her." See From Truth to a "New Spirituality"

 

Oral Roberts, John Bevere Featured on New Secret DVD ( by Ingrid Schlueter ): I received a promotion today for a new DVD out in June called, “The Source of the Secret”: Revelations of Faith, Joy & Gratitude. Word-faith teachers like John Bevere, Oral Roberts and several others unite to promote the “Law of Attraction” as taught in the bestselling “The Secret”. Here’s the promotion letter from the agency.....Oral Roberts has been teaching “The Secret” for decades now. Here is the trailer for “The Source of the Secret” DVD, coming out in June. Look at the line-up of supposedly evangelical pastors promoting this stuff.

 

The Moses Code Taking the Next Step Toward a World Wide Awakening: "The Moses Code is a kind of sequel or next step to The Secret that focused on the Law of Attraction, which, if practiced faithfully, promises to help one obtain his or her hopes and dreams. The Secret tells readers and viewers how this is possible: 'You are God in a physical body ... You are all power ... You are all intelligence ... You are the creator'."

 

Living Luminaries: Robert A. Schuller In New Film with Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and 'The Secret’s Beckwith: 'While evangelical leaders like Charles Colson, Lee Strobel and Focus on the Family’s H.B London lined up with Robert A. Schuller and his father at the Crystal Cathedral for the ReThink Conference a few weeks ago, Schuller, Jr.’s picture was being affixed to websites and promotional materials for a marketing campaign that will introduce countless souls to New Age teachings.

      "Schuller participated in the making of the Living Luminaries, a movie just released on DVD, with New Age leaders like Marianne Williamson, Michael Beckwith of The Secret, Eckhart Tolle, now being featured on a live webcast with Oprah, and the 'Venerable Tibetan Lama' Chodak Gyatso Nupka.... Schuller, Jr. is indeed a 'living luminary' just like his father who has been a key player in the New Spirituality for decades. ... The website calls the movie participants, 'consciously evolved.'" See A New Mask for an Ancient Secret

February 2008

The Shack: "I bought and read The Shack a few days ago on the emotional recommendation of a friend who admitted that -- while he was not an avid reader -- this book moved him to tears. The Shack... is flying off the store shelves. People are buying a copy , then coming back to buying several more to pass out to family or friends. The emotional reaction triggered by The Shack seems almost unprecedented and the book is enthusiastically endorsed by Christian bookstore staff as THE book to read!

    "A book on par with John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress -- or is there something dangerously deceptive lurking in its pages? Have you questioned what you read in light of scripture ? ... The Papa of the Shack is God stripped of His majesty, His glory, His Holiness."

Who is Jesus? He's three people, says Deepak Chopra: "In his book 'The Third Jesus,'...Chopra says there is a 'sketchy historical figure,' a second 'abstract theological creation' and a third Jesus with the highest level of enlightenment -- what Chopra calls God-consciousness. 'I want to offer the possibility that Jesus was truly, as he proclaimed, a savior,' Chopra wrote. 'Not... the one and only Son of God.... 'Jesus intended to save the world by showing others the path to God-consciousness.'...

    "Chopra paints this third Jesus as one of both Eastern and Western spirituality.... 'I hope in the very least it will contribute to some healing of the rift in our collective soul, which is the cause of all the wars and all the problems we're having today.'...

    "Chopra said he hoped readers would ... understand that engaging in contemplative meditation can lead to positive change. ... 'The way we think, the way we behave, the way we feel, the way we have our personal relationships, our social interactions, our environment all changes in an evolutionary direction because we have shifted in our own consciousness.' And that, he said 'is precisely what is meant by the kingdom of heaven is within you.'"

      Compare Chopra's New Age/Hindu message with The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course in Miracles

 

The Spirituality of Oprah: "Somewhere during her career, Oprah read a book titled Discover The Power Within You by Unity minister Eric Butterworth. In line with Unity teaching, the book expounded on the Divinity of Man as perceived through mystical practice. Oprah embraced these views so earnestly that she advocated: 'This book changed my perspective on life and religion. Eric Butterworth teaches that God isn't 'up there.' He exists inside each one of us, and it's up to us to seek the divine within." See Deceived by a counterfeit "Jesus"

God's Relationship to Everything: "This teaching -- that God is IN everything -- is at the heart of the emerging syncretism of global spirituality. It is a key doctrine of New Age spirituality, and increasingly shows up in the evangelical world."

January 2008

Evangelicals and Wiccans Together? Emerging Pastor Fascinated by Witches/Pagans: "Pastor Wyman considers himself an educator for both Wicca and Christianity, and he thinks Wicca is getting a bad rap from Christians.... He’d like to change that. Here are his views on establishing dialogue with pagans and witches....

      "... a woman... was involved with Wicca which was her direct exposure to darkness that ultimately led to her demonic possession. That’s because Wicca is witchcraft, which is pure spiritual rebellion.... No sovereign God above, just their 'goddess' selves that can make all things happen. That’s why the Scriptures forbid divination and dark arts. It is direct revolt and disobedience to God.'

      "...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Eph. 5:11-12) See A Twist of Faith: The Sophia Circle

 

UPDATE on Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson and A Course in Miracles: "On New Year’s Day, New Age leader Marianne Williamson got the new year off to a rousing start on Oprah & Friends XM Radio as she began to systematically teach the New Age principles of A Course in Miracles. While most of the Christian world was relaxing, Williamson was hard at work teaching this occult Course on her radio show. ...

     "A Course in Miracles is reputedly 'new revelation' from 'Jesus,' channeled through a university professor in New York City by the name of Helen Schucman. But the Course is actually the Bible turned upside-down, as it teaches that 'a slain Christ has no meaning' and that 'the journey to the cross should be the last useless journey.' Its teachings state that 'there is no sin' and that 'the recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.'”

 


December 2007

Oprah Winfrey and Marianne Williamson: Reflections on their New Age Christ: "Shortly after the posting of Smith's article and the two subsequent articles on Herescope, there was considerable concern - at least in Christian circles - that Oprah was using her radio program to teach this New Age Course. Many Internet sources cited what was happening. Amidst the uproar, Marianne Williamson's 'Big News!' announcement suddenly disappeared from her website. All attempts to get information on why Williamson withdrew her announcement were to no avail. However, Marianne Williamson has just posted a new announcement on her website that seems to take the place of the 'Big News!' announcement of several days ago." See "Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

 

Marianne Williamson: Moonbeams, Miracles & Magic: Marianne W. says: "Suggesting anything close to the idea that love might actually be the Answer, we're swatted down like a fly by our contemporary thought police. We're told how naive we are, how silly we're being, how unsophisticated our analysis of the world situation is. 'She's a nut! She's New Age! He's a moonbeam!' Yeah, right. . . .

     "Our mind has been opened to a liberating truth, and we feel this truth like an alchemical substance that bathes our cells and transforms our thinking." Marianne Williamson."

November 2007

A History of Belief: "Places are sacred according to how the sacred is understood.... Each understanding has in turn shaped the way humans have seen the world, or places within the world, often as reflections, representations, or embodiments of that order.... [A]rchaic believers saw themselves as re-enacting, in daily life and through ritual, the cycle of what the great scholar of religion Mircea Eliade called 'the eternal return.' This was also a radically egalitarian age."

     This world of tribal wars and shamanism was usually cruel and competitive. And in the larger civilizations, powerful priests and rulers offered human sacrifices to their gods and built their "sacred places" with slave labor. See Myth, Magic and Mysticism and Witchcraft and Ecology

 

'Oprah and Friends' to teach course on New Age Christ: "By the end of the year, 'Oprah & Friends' listeners will have completed all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles Workbook. Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset—a New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is 'in' everyone and everything. ...The Course Workbook bluntly states: 'This is a course in mind training' and is dedicated to 'thought reversal.' Teaching A Course in Miracles will be Oprah’s longtime friend and special XM Satellite Radio reporter Marianne Williamson.... She and Conversations with [an occult] God author Neale Donald Walsch co-founded the American Renaissance Alliance." See Reinventing Jesus Christ

October 2007

Is this America? Part 4: "Jesus came to give us life, abundant life." (See John 10:10.) But modern American culture is fascinated with death. You can see it clothing and tattoos with skulls and other death symbols, in violent entertainment, and in some toys.... Occultism is becoming more and more mainstream. Christian churches and institutions are being influenced by non-Christian religions. The line between Christians and non-Christians has become blurred in the eyes of many church-going people, with the result that they no longer see the need to reach people with the Gospel." See The Rising World Religion

September 2007

Teacher sacrificed 19-year-old daughter to get a son: "Raibhan Tembhurne, the school teacher killed and buried his elder daughter Ratna as a human sacrifice on Wednesday evening along with his two wives Reema and Sharda by the instruction of a black magic petitioner.... Villagers told the police that Raibhan was performing a black-magic ritual at home for the last 20 days.... When the police arrived, Raibhan Tembhurne reportedly told them: 'Present age is Kaliyug (the age of Kali, who is a deity). We are on the threshold of Satyug (the age of truth). Divine forces were trying to govern Ratna's soul.'"

      Only by God's grace can people be freed from such spiritual bondage!

August 2007

Three women and a man beheaded in Orissa alleged sorcery: "A tribal man and three women were brutally beheaded by a group of villagers who suspected them that they were practising sorcery... in India. The terrible and horrible incident occurred on the night of August 26 when heads and torsos of four persons were severed from their bodies in presence of about 100 armed villagers with sharp weapons....

     "Budhini and Soren have had come from Mayurbhanj district to visit their daughter's-in-laws Somabari and Pia [the victims]. Siba and the villagers decided that they were the practitioners of the witchcrafts done sorcery against his family." See The Hand of God in Mission

 

Psychics may have to pass test to practice in Salem: "There has to be criteria or you're going to get garbage coming here,' Barbara Szafranski, the owner of Angelica of the Angels, predicted. 'Everybody here is a legitimate person who's worked for years and years.'... City councilors modeled the regulations after those used by San Francisco.... But they ran into trouble trying to define the practice of fortunetelling and opted to scrap a line referring to it as casting spells, removing curses... stop bad luck, give good luck... shorten a person's life....

      "...fortunetelling would be defined as: 'the telling of fortunes, forecasting of futures, or reading the past, by means of any occult, psychic power, faculty, force, clairvoyance, cartomancy, psychometry, phrenology, spirits, tea leaves, tarot cards, scrying, coins, sticks, dice, sand, coffee grounds, crystal gazing or other such reading, or through mediumship, seership, prophecy, augury, astrology, palmistry, necromancy, mind-reading, telepathy or other craft, art, science, talisman, charm, potion, magnetism..." See Sorcery & tribal witchcraft

July 2007

Tony Campolo Introduces Psychic Evangelism: "I was standing in front of the brand new book from Tony Campolo and Mary Albert Darling.... It is entitled, The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice. Thus far it is reading as a manifesto for hard core mystical spirituality. The authors are presenting mysticism as the means to achieve social justice and what they call 'evangelism.'...

     "Campolo... creates a scenario in which you are sitting next to a spiritually needy friend. He writes, 'You focus all your psychic energies on her, nonverbally pleading with her to decide for Christ right there and then. Now consider what might happen if this psychic communication could be heightened by steps you took to equip yourself for the task." See A New Mask for an Ancient Secret & The Nature and Tactics of Satan

March 2007

[Publisher] boosts orders of Byrne's The Secret: "Simon & Schuster... ordered an additional two million copies of Rhonda Byrne's 'The Secret,' a self-help book published in late November that urges people to think positive thoughts if they want to have positive experiences in life. This is the largest single reprint in the history of Simon & Schuster." (3-2-07) See A New Mask for an Ancient Secret

We don't like to even read the first article below, but parents need to be alert to this kind of spiritual warfare. The day may come when children challenge each other to make such declarations.

Reviving Occultism. Blasphemy Challenge’ lures kids to renounce Holy Spirit: "A radical new website is gaining popularity by challenging people to deny the existence of God, and it’s run by an atheist.... Now a dejected Sapient... promises to give away 1,001 copies of a DVD espousing their views. 'There's only one catch: We want your soul,' the site says." See Spiritual Warfare

February 2007

A New Mask for an Ancient Secret: Yes, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne teems with tempting promises and positive affirmations. But it omits all facts that could sound negative, since 'summoning what you want' demands an intentional and selective focus only on what's positive. 'The law of attraction doesn’t compute 'don’t' or 'not' or 'no,' or any other words of negation.'

     "So while the next quote gives us a glimpse into the tantalizing roots of this Secret, it doesn't tell us that those roots include ancient Egyptian mystery religions, the Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Rosicrucianism, and Hermetic magic. Nor does it warn us that its more recent branches include Unity, Science of Mind, and the 'New Thought' movement that swept through the Christianized world over a century ago."


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