New Age Entry #18

This is the last of these posts unless something else comes to mind. With this last post I want to bring us back full circle to the scriptures we began with and give you a few more to encourage you.

In our first post the scriptures we used began with the first of The Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

The New Age says there are many ways to God, but in John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” So whether Oprah or anyone else believes that, as we saw in one of our last posts, Jesus’s words are the final say-so.

In our second post is one of the main scriptures we should all be reading and thinking on now, Matthew 24. Although I didn’t post the whole chapter, we should be reading it in its entirety because Jesus has a lot to say, including: “See to it that no one deceives you,” Matthew 24:4, and in verse 11, “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” He is speaking of the end times as His disciples had questioned Him about that specifically.  If it were not possible for us to be deceived, why would He warn us against it?

Paul laid a foundation for our study in Acts 20:27-31, especially in verse 30 when he said: “and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Notice "from among your own selves.") Our study took off from there as we showed how easy it is to be deceived if we don’t read and study the Bible for ourselves and not just swallow everything that comes down the pike just because someone stands in a pulpit (or on a stage or on TV) and says it.

The book of Jude has only one chapter, but verse 4 there contains a similar warning: “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Notice the phrase, "certain persons have crept in unnoticed." Also, licentiousness has to do with being sensual, disregarding morality.) While I love a lot of the contemporary music, I am seeing some of this in a few of the newer songs. I have also noticed over the last few years how much Christian people are enjoying using the words "passion, passionate, and intimate" when referring to the Lord and their relationship with Him. I understand the point they're trying to make, but I have to wonder if there aren't other terms that could be used that would make the reference more Godly and less worldly.

If you’re reading this, you are a thinking person to whatever degree God has given you the ability to think. Use your own mind and your own Bible (not The Message or The New Century Version, as we saw in earlier posts!) and talk to God. Ask Him to show you all His truth. Do it with an open heart.

I have often had this radical thought: Maybe it’s good to forget everything I was ever taught as a child (and maybe even as an adult!) and read the Bible and study it for myself, letting God tell me what HE wants me to know instead of listening to what others want me to believe.

I hope these posts have blessed and helped you. Thank you to so many of you who have spoken to me about them. It has been very encouraging to me. God bless you all.

Entry #10 in The New Age Series

Our next focus will be on “The Purpose Driven Life,” by Rick Warren. I told you the names were going to be more familiar as we go along! This book was wildly popular in the early 2000s. It seems everywhere you went someone was reading it. I did, and as I read it, there were times when I knew something wasn’t quite right, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I kept reading though, just sure I was going to get something out of it. I really didn’t except for the very first sentence in the very first chapter: “It’s not about you.” Of course, that sounded great because the Christian life is about serving God and helping others, right? That was fine except it seems a good portion of the rest of the book is all about…you.

One thing I noticed was that Rick used so many, many versions of the Bible. I thought that was odd but I just thought that he was trying to please everyone by hoping to cite their favorite version. I didn’t recognize some of the versions, especially the New Century Version. I later discovered that it has New Age tendencies as it uses the “God is in everyone and everything” concept which we’ve already established is not true. God is in every Christian but not in every person and everything. The New Age people believe that God is in everyone and everything and that makes everyone and everything connected…you know, “one with the universe.” Actually you may remember that they think everyone and everything is God. According to the Bible, this is not true.

Another thing that is noticeable is that “The Message” seems to be among his favorite versions, if not his absolute favorite, as he quotes it many times in his book. We can see where that’s a problem as we’ve already seen the fallacy in believing it to be a true Bible. Or even true to the Bible.

Over the years I have heard discussions about “The Purpose Driven Life,” and how others were turned off by it or couldn’t really get into it, or that it even angered some folks. I understand. As it turns out, it seems that Rick Warren was close with Robert Schuller of Crystal Cathedral fame whom we studied several days ago. I understand that Rick’s wife, Kay, even spoke at a Schuller conference several years ago. You may say, “What’s wrong with that?” Well, when I go to a conference or other meeting, I expect like-minded people to be on the stage. Like-minded with me. I suspect that the Warrens and Schullers were like-minded with each other.

My friend Warren B. Smith was deeply into the New Age for years but was radically saved by Jesus Christ in the 1980s. He came across “The Purpose Driven Life” when it was popular and read it. He says that he immediately began seeing some of his old New Age teachings being brought forth by Rick Warren. Mr. Smith now devotes his life to speaking on the dangers of the New Age and its harmful effect on people. After he read “The Purpose Driven Life,” he wrote “Deceived on Purpose,” to help people understand that Rick Warren’s book was not entirely Christian but loaded with New Age implications. There is a lot of information about Rick Warren in Mr. Smith’s book. It and his other books are available at amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Deceived-Purpose-Implications-Purpose-Driven-Church/dp/0976349205/ref=sr_1_8?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1442438406&sr=8-8&keywords=warren+b+smith

In “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick quoted a number of notable people, such as:

Bertrand Russell, an atheist; Albert Einstein, agnostic; Anais Nin, a female erotic writer; Madame Guyon, a French mystic who said that God is in all things; Dr. Bernie Siegel, a New Age leader with a spirit guide named George; and Aldous Huxley, occultist and New Ager. I’ll just let you draw your own conclusions from that.

Stay tuned!smile emoticon

Entry #9 of the New Age Series

Today’s focus is on “The Message” by Eugene Peterson. Some people call it a Bible. I, and many, MANY others, don’t consider it a Bible because the Bible itself says you are not to add to or take away from it. That is mentioned in the books of Deuteronomy and Revelation. Although in both places it says you are not to add to or take away from “this book,” which could limit the instruction to Deuteronomy or Revelation, it would make sense that if God doesn’t want those books amended, chances are He doesn’t want any of the rest of the Bible tampered with either. You may wonder where “The Message” has added to or taken away from the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, not only has it been added to, but it has been watered down. This passage appears to be an unveiled attempt to cater to the “Save-the-Earth” and LGBT communities. Here is the passage in the NASB and in “The Message.” The differences are not subtle at all but blatant. NASB 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified..." THE MESSAGE "Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start...."   The use of the phrase "use and abuse" is relative to the reader's viewpoint.  What does "use and abuse" mean to a Christian?  What does it mean to a homosexual or lesbian?  What does it mean to a pedophile? And notice the phrase, "use and abuse the earth."  Do you see the earth mentioned in this passage in any other version of the Bible?  I tried but I couldn't find it, so here is one passage where The Message has added to the Bible. Let's move on.  Contrast these two versions of The Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13. They don’t say NEARLY the same thing. NEW KING JAMES VERSION Matthew 6:9-13 "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. THE MESSAGE "Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what's best - As above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! Notice in “The Message” version of The Lord’s Prayer the phrase, “as above, so below.” This is a term used in witchcraft when a spell is cast. This term “seals” the spell. It is also used in numerous New Age works, including “The Secret,” by Rhonda Byrne. Here is more information on “as above, so below.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism (Scroll down about a third of the way to the heading, "As Above, So Below.")  An internet search will tell you much more. There was also a horror movie a year or so ago entitled “As Above, So Below.” While there are many examples of how “The Message” has secularized, watered down, and amended the Bible, there are also some passages that are too embarrassing and, I feel, too crude and borderline vulgar to post here. If the Bible is supposed to be God speaking to us, I can’t see Him using this type of language to do so, especially when you consider that He says in Ephesians 5:4, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” If you want to compare them for yourself, you can find your favorite version and “The Message” at www.biblegateway.com The passages in question are: Ezekiel 16:24; 2 Kings 18:27; Jeremiah 2:24, Jeremiah 3:2; Jeremiah 18:13, 1 Samuel 20:30; Hosea 2:10, Hosea 4:12. Are you seeing how Satan is introducing the New Age into the church? Stay tuned!