New Age – Psalm 119: 38

‘Grounding’ exposed: Former psychic calls trend spiritually dangerous, scientifically baseless

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Tuesday, July 08, 2025

In a recent episode of her podcast “Ex-Psychic Saved,” former medium Jenn Nizza sounded the alarm on grounding, or “earthing,” calling it a deceptive New Age practice built on pseudoscience and spiritually dangerous ideas.

Joined by researcher Marcia Montenegro, a former astrologer and the founder of Christian Answers for the New Age, the pair offered an extensive breakdown of the spiritual, scientific and financial dangers behind the popular wellness trend.

“Is it an innocent healing modality or a New Age deception?” Nizza asked at the top of the episode. “We’re going to dive into this topic of grounding today.”

Montenegro began by debunking the notion that grounding is simply walking barefoot outside or enjoying nature.

“Grounding is not liking to walk barefoot outside. It’s not finding the outdoors relaxing. It’s not appreciating God’s creation,” she said. “Those things are fine. They’re not grounding. Grounding is based on the belief that energy in the Earth is healing, and that’s not biblical, it’s pagan.”

She explained that the practice is tied to New Age energy beliefs, similar to those found in crystal healing and other alternative therapies. “There is some kind of energy theory going on,” Montenegro said. “It’s wrapped up in scientific jargon to sound credible, but it has zero factual support.”

Clickhere to listen to the Ex-Psychic Saved podcast

Montenegro traced the grounding trend to Clint Ober, a former cable TV executive, not a scientist. Ober’s ideas were then promoted by others, including the late Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a cardiologist who specialized in integrative medicine and called himself a “certified bioenergetic psychotherapist.”

“Integrative medicine is just a rebrand of alternative healing,” Montenegro warned. “They integrate superstition with science. And ‘bioenergetic’ is one of those New Age buzzwords that signals energy healing. That’s a red flag.”

Montenegro noted that one of Ober’s associates is a known advocate of energy medicine. “These are not people I would take my dog to,” she said. “These are not credible sources of truth or healing.”

According to Montenegro, grounding is not just ineffective, it’s spiritually dangerous. “When you fall for a deception or give it worth, you are helping to make your mind more open to other deceptions,” she said.

Nizza agreed. “You buy grounding sheets today, and maybe next week you’re going to a sound bath or a New Age yoga class. These things are gateways deeper into deception.”

Montenegro described how these practices rely heavily on anecdotal testimonials rather than data: “Testimonials are not evidence. That’s a logical fallacy called the anecdotal fallacy.”

She warned Christians in particular not to divide their spiritual loyalty. “If you’re a Christian participating in grounding, you are honoring a false belief system. You’re giving spiritual weight to something rooted in paganism.”

Both women condemned attempts to justify grounding with biblical references. “There was a post claiming Moses taking off his sandals at the burning bush was an example of grounding,” Montenegro said. “But the ground was holy because of God’s presence, not because it had some energy in it.”

Nizza added, “That’s what the enemy does — he’ll try to make you think that God is connected to these things so you feel good about them. It’s not biblical. It’s deception.”

Montenegro warned that grounding is just one example of a growing trend: the infiltration of New Age beliefs into the Church, often through concepts like energy healing, vibrations and frequencies.

“This is the heart of all pagan belief systems,” she said. “In Taoism, it’s ‘chi;’ in Hinduism, it’s ‘prana;’ in the South Pacific, it’s ‘mana.’ In the West, we’ve called it ‘life force’ or ‘vitalism.’ Satan is trying to bring that into the Church.”

The podcast also touched on prominent figures Montenegro sees as responsible for spreading these ideas, including Dr. Laura Sanger, who has spoken on Christian platforms about topics like frequencies and Nephilim-related theories. Montenegro criticized her use of Scripture and called her ideas “completely unbiblical.”

“She says things like the walls of Jericho fell because Joshua used ‘the sounds of Heaven,’” Montenegro said. “This is the kind of nonsense Christians are now being taught as theology.”

Nizza emphasized the importance of discernment. “We want to pray for the deceived,” she said. “But we also have to expose these things as they come. Ephesians 5:11 says, ‘Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.’”

Montenegro addressed accusations that she’s overly critical. “My ministry is about warning against New Age and occult deception,” she said. “I’m not trying to be negative. I’m trying to protect people and help the Church remain pure. That’s what we’re called to.”

The episode concluded with a sober reminder. “There are real dangers in the world,” Montenegro said. “But these exaggerated dangers, these false ideas, keep people from thinking clearly. Christians need to be sober-minded and discerning.”

Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com

Are You About To Slip?

Their foot shall slide in due time. (KJV) Deuteronomy 32:35

“As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: Which is also expressed in Psalm 73:18,19. “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they brought into desolation in a moment!”…

“The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and JUSTICE bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that have never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls, all you that were never born again and made new creatures, raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God…

“…And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands calling, and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with thier hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God.”

The preacher Jonathan Edwards spoke these words on July 8, 1741 while preaching his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in Enfield, Connecticut. As he preached some people called out for him to stop. At one point there was so much noise, he had to ask them to be quiet so he could be heard.

He concluded the sermon by saying, “Let everyone that is out of Christ now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let everyone fly out of Sodom: ‘Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.’ “

The people of Enfield were never the same.

Have you fled to Christ, the Lamb of God, to be cleansed by his shed blood on Calvary? We all need to flee to Jesus to escape the coming wrath of God. If you have not, why not today?

“They cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who will be able to survive? “ Revelation 6:16

Source: E. Michael and Sharon Rusten, The One Year Christian History. A great daily devotional based on historical events.

A Polynesian Ancient Tradition About Nimrod of Genesis

The following ancient tradition by the Polynesians was reported by English Missionary John Williams (1796-1839) who arrived in Tahiti in autumn of 1817 and was eaten by cannibals in November 1839 in the New Hebrides.

“…the heavens were originally so close to the earth that men could not walk, but were compelled to crawl” under them. “This was found a very serious evil; but at length an individual conceived the sublime idea of elevating the heavens to a more convenient height. For this purpose he put forth his utmost energy, and the first effort raised them to the top of a tender plant called teve, about four feet high. There he deposited them until he was refreshed, when by a second effort he lifted them to the height of a tree called Kauariki, which is as large as the sycamore. By the third attempt he carried them to the summits of the mountains; and after a long interval of repose, and by a most prodigious effort, he elevated them to their present situation.” For this, as a mighty benefactor of mankind, “this individual was deified; and up to the moment that Christianity was embraced, the deluded inhabitants worshipped him as the ‘Elevator of the heavens.” 1

“Now, what could more graphically describe the position of mankind soon after the flood, and the proceedings of Nimrod as Phoroneus, “The Emancipator,” than this Polynesian fable?

“While the awful catastrophe by which God has showed His avenging justice on the sinners of the old world was yet fresh in the minds of men, and so long as Noah, and the upright among his descendants, sought with all earnestness to impress upon all under their control the lessons which that solemn event was so well fitted to teach, “heaven,” that is, God, must have seemed very near to earth. To maintain the union between heaven and earth, and to keep it as close as possible, must have been the grand aim of all who loved God and the best interests of the human race.

“But this implied the restraining and discountenancing of all vice and all those “pleasures of sin,” after which the natural mind, unrenewed and unsanctified, continually pants. This must have been secretly felt by every unholy mind as a state of insufferable bondage. “The carnal mind is enmity against God, ” is “not subject to His law,” neither indeed is “able to be” so. It says to the Almighty, “Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.” So long as the influence of the great father” (Noah) “of the new world was in the ascendant, while his maxims were regarded, and a holy atmosphere surrounded the world, no wonder that those who were alienated from God and godliness, felt heaven and its influence and authority to be intolerably near, and that in such circumstances they “could not walk,” but only “crawl,”– that is, that they had no freedom to “walk after the sight of their own eyes and the imaginations of their own hearts.”

“From this bondage Nimrod emancipated them. By the apostasy he introduced, by the free life he developed among those who rallied around him, and by separating them from the holy influences that had previously less or more controlled them, he helped them to put God and the strict spirituality of His laws at a distance, and thus he became the “Elevator of the heavens,” making men feel and act as if heaven were afar off the earth, and as if either the God of heaven “could not see through the dark cloud,” or did not regard with displeasure the breakers of His laws. Then all such would feel that they could breathe freely, and that now they could walk at liberty. For this, such men could not but regard Nimrod as a high benefactor.

“According to the system which Nimrod was the grand instrument in introducing, men were led to believe that a real spiritual change of heart was unnecessary, and that so far as change was needful, they could be regenerated by mere external means.

“Looking at the subject in the light of the Bacchanalian orgies, which, as the reader has seen, commemorated the history of Nimrod, it is evident that he led mankind to seek their chief good in sensual enjoyment, and showed them how they might enjoy the pleasures of sin, without any fear of the wrath of a holy God. In his various expeditions he was always accompanied by troops of women; and by music and song, and games and revelries, and everything that could please the natural heart, he commended himself to the good graces of mankind. “2

And so it continues in 2025 because when God confused the languages at Babel after the worldwide flood, the newly created language groups that dispersed around the world took with them the rebellious teaching of Babel and the worship of Nimrod into their new countries; therefore, today the nations are still in bondage to idols and false gods.

Thank you King Jesus for the Gospel that sets men free and brings them into your heavenly kingdom which one day will come to earth when You will reign from Jerusalem bringing justice.

Come Lord Jesus!

Carl. 1.Source: English Missionary John Williams (1796-1839) who arrived in Tahiti in autumn of 1817 and was eaten by cannibals in November 1839 in the New Hebrides. He wrote Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands which you can find on the internet for free.

2. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons (Or, The Papal Worship Proved To Be The Worship of Nimrod), Printed in United States 2013. Hislop (1807-1865) was a Scottish minister.

A Christian response to the occult

By Christopher L. Reese and from Christian Post

Christians hold various opinions about Halloween, but one thing it certainly points to is the human fascination with the supernatural. Although many in the West pride themselves on being secular and scientific, everyone has an innate curiosity about what may lie beyond the world we experience with our five senses. History shows humans have always acknowledged the existence of the supernatural and engaged in practices to worship or manipulate it.

This is unsurprising in light of the fact that humans are spiritual beings (e.g., Matt. 10:28), and that we interact with the spiritual realm — for example, by entering into a relationship with God, who is also spirit (John 4:24). The author of Ecclesiastes tells us that God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Eccles. 3:11), and Augustine echoes this when he writes, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”¹

Although humankind should seek transcendence in God, because of the fall, many seek it elsewhere. If one is coming into contact with the spiritual realm apart from God, they are interacting with the only other spiritual reality that exists, that of Satan and his demons — the world of the occult.

What C. S. Lewis perceptively wrote about demons also applies to the occult in general: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”² In the same way, it is a mistake either to deny or underestimate the reality of the occult, or to spend a great deal of time and energy dwelling on it (unless one is called to a ministry that requires deeper engagement). Yet, since the occult is prevalent in the world, we should be aware, at least, of the main forms that it takes. As Paul wrote, “we are not unaware of [Satan’s] schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

What is the occult and how widespread is it in the US?

The occult can be defined as “[Phenomena], events, and religious practices engaging a practitioner in a realm of the supernatural that is rooted in things secret or hidden.”³ More specifically, “The term frequently refers to certain practices (occult ‘arts’) that include divination, fortunetelling, spiritism (necromancy), and magic.”⁴

The US government doesn’t keep detailed records on religious affiliation, so precise numbers of occult-oriented religions aren’t available. But the Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study estimated that 0.4% of the US population, about 1.3 million people, subscribe to a “New Age” religion, with most of these identifying as Wiccan or Pagan. By comparison, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has about 1.2 million members.⁵

In 2007, an executive with Barnes & Noble estimated the American “Pagan Buying Audience” as numbering 10 million people.⁶

What are some examples of occult groups and practices in the US?

Since the largest occult-oriented groups cited in the Pew survey above consist of New Age and Wiccan or Pagan adherents, we’ll examine the beliefs of those groups below, followed by a brief discussion of some of the most common occult practices. There is a tremendously diverse spectrum of beliefs among both New Agers and Pagans/Wiccans, so the following survey attempts to identify the beliefs most commonly shared by these respective groups.⁷

New Age movement

The New Age movement is a “loosely structured network of individuals and organizations who share a vision of a new age of enlightenment and harmony . . . and who subscribe to a common ‘worldview.’”⁸ As with Wiccans, there is a vast array of beliefs among New Agers (though many don’t necessarily identify with this label). Despite the diversity of beliefs, there are some commonalities, including the following.

An emphasis on personal experience and mysticism rather than dogma.
A belief in monism (all reality is one) or pantheism (everything is God).
Adoption of beliefs from a variety of world religions and/or mystical traditions.
Rejection of the idea that any single religion or belief system is exclusively true.
Humans are divine and don’t need salvation, but enlightenment, which involves embracing one’s true divine identity.
A belief in the sacredness of the earth, which is sometimes viewed as a living organism.
Belief that humans can bring about a utopia through enlightenment and personal transformation.
There are various organizations devoted to New Age beliefs, but most adherents engage in spiritual practices alone, or with a small group. Popular practices include astrology, the use of crystals (for meditation or healing), the pursuit of altered states of consciousness (sometimes using hallucinogenic drugs), attempting to interact with spiritual beings (through mediums or channeling), and the use of psychic powers to gain knowledge beyond the five senses.

Paganism/Wicca

Paganism is an umbrella term that encompasses modern attempts to revive pre-Christian religions (such as Greek, Roman, and Germanic), but mostly consists of those who identify as Wiccans (witches).⁹ There is no centralized Wiccan teaching authority, or set of beliefs that all adherents agree to, but the following are generally applicable.

An emphasis on practice and personal experience rather than dogma.
Belief in gods and goddesses, or pantheism (everything is God), or panentheism (everything is part of God), or animism (everything possesses a spiritual essence), or a combination of these.
Most Wiccans deny the existence of Satan.
Humans are basically good and divine, or potentially divine. Sin as defined by Christianity does not exist, but one can be in disharmony with oneself, others, or supernatural beings. Since there is no sin, salvation isn’t necessary.
All living things are sacred.
Magic (sometimes spelled with a “k” [magick] to distinguish it from tricks performed by illusionists) can be used to bring about change in people and the world, and can be used for both good and evil purposes.
Many Wiccans believe in some form of reincarnation.
Many Wiccans celebrate eight Sabbats (festivals) throughout the year, and perform rituals either privately or with other Wiccans. Some Wiccans meet in small, autonomous groups called covens.

Of these two groups, New Age beliefs are far more popular and prevalent in the US. Many of these ideas have taken root in popular culture and are promoted by celebrities, movies and TV shows, music, and bestselling books.

Practices

Necromancy

Necromancy refers to the attempt to contact the spirits of the dead in order to obtain otherwise hidden knowledge or to communicate with deceased relatives or friends, often for the purpose of emotional comfort or closure. Mediums claim the ability to act as a bridge between the living and the dead, and the attempt to contact spirits is sometimes called a séance (from the French word for “session”).

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain knowledge of future events or other hidden knowledge by interpreting signs, contacting spiritual entities, or through supernatural powers. Divination has been practiced throughout human history and is still prevalent today. Modern forms include the use of tarot cards, psychic readings, astrology, palm reading, and Ouija boards.

Magic

Magic can be defined as the use of rituals or actions performed for the purpose of manipulating natural or supernatural forces or beings. Both necromancy and divination can be considered forms of magic, as well as the casting of spells, which often involve incantations, physical rituals, and the use of herbs, potions, or amulets.¹⁰

A Christian response

Space prohibits a detailed response to each of the beliefs and practices listed above, but the following comments briefly address some of the big-picture issues raised by the occult, along with most of the practices described above.¹¹

First, occult beliefs and activities are an attempt to circumvent God’s authority and go beyond the revelation provided in Scripture. This temptation is as old as humankind itself and was precisely what Satan offered Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan insisted that there was knowledge to be had that God was withholding and that gaining this knowledge would elevate the human couple to a godlike status (Gen. 3).

In this light, it’s not surprising that Paul refers to false teachings as “things taught by demons” and that some who abandon the faith “follow deceiving spirits” (1 Tim. 4:1). Much of Satan’s activity in the world involves producing and disseminating ideas that contradict or distort God’s revelation.

The occult is also a form of idolatry — giving ultimate allegiance to someone or something other than God. Whether it’s the Mother Goddess worshiped by some Wiccans, or a deified self-pursued by New Agers, all occult belief systems replace the Creator who has revealed himself in Scripture with some type of counterfeit deity.

In addition, all of the categories of occult activities noted above (necromancy, divination, magic) are expressly prohibited in Scripture. As the Lord warned the Israelites before they entered the promised land:

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you (Deut. 18:10-12).

We are all tempted to try to discover what will happen in the future or to gain other knowledge not attainable through natural means. But as the late biblical scholar Merrill Unger pointed out:

“There is everything wrong in prying into the future, which God has not revealed and, for our own welfare, does not want us to know. Such knowledge is contrary to God’s Word and will, but it is the kind of knowledge that Satan and demons give. . . . Although God has revealed His general plan for the future for both the saved and the unsaved, it is not normally His purpose for us to know the specifics of that plan or the details of individual lives.”¹²

Thus, Moses told the people of Israel, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deut. 29:29).

Finally, participation in occult activities opens a person up to demonic influence. This is true for both Christians and non-Christians. Paul warned the Corinthians that “the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons” (1 Cor. 10:20-21).

The following true stories illustrate this danger.

Heath Adamson’s story

Heath Adamson, who is now a leader in his Christian denomination, became interested in the occult as a young boy. “What started out as intrigue and entertainment,” he writes, “quickly led to a lifestyle of encounter with the stuff of Hollywood lore. I remember watching a chair slide across the floor and a candle floating off the coffee table.” He continues, “I had night terrors so bad, so horrific, I was tormented for years. In junior high, the anxiety produced ulcers. Specialists couldn’t confirm what was wrong. I felt trapped, breathless, and alone.”

In high school, he had “regular encounters with the demonic realm, became addicted to numerous drugs, looked like a human skeleton, and lived life in quiet desperation.”

A classmate invited Heath to church, and afterward, at home he felt God’s presence for the first time. “I remember the warm tears falling down my face. Crying wasn’t something I did. It was almost as if the sky opened up and, for the first time in my life, I sensed real and pure love.”

Heath began to pray regularly and continued to attend church services with his classmate. On one Wednesday evening he responded to an invitation to receive Christ, and “[m]y body was supernaturally and instantaneously healed. My substance addictions vanished. It’s almost as if I met myself for the first time.” Like many others, Heath found deliverance from the occult through Jesus Christ.¹³

The minister and his sister

The late Christian apologist Walter Martin relates meeting a Christian minister and his wife in New York after one of Martin’s lectures. The minister shared with Martin that he had come from a family of spiritists who practiced mediumship and held séances. The minister had come to Christ many years ago, but his sister was still involved and frequently used an Ouija board to communicate with spirits. The minister was concerned about his sister, and one night he and his wife decided to confront her.

In an attempt to show his sister that the Ouija board was evil, he began asking it questions. “What do you feel toward me?” he asked the board, which then spelled out the answer “H-A-T-E.” “What do you think of the Bible?” he asked. The board replied with an obscenity. With that, the minister stood up and exclaimed, “I’ll have no more to do with this. It’s devilish,” and threw his Bible onto the middle of the board. He recounted to Martin what happened next:

At that moment, the board levitated off the table and flipped the Bible into the air with such force that it flew across the room and hit the wall. My sister and my wife screamed.

As I stood there looking at it, something smashed me in my stomach and knocked me to the floor. I was doubled over — breathless — with my head between my knees, and the only thing I could gasp was, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Help!”

But I was lying on the floor in such a convincing position that my wife and sister came over to help me. When we pulled up my shirt, there was a red welt the size of a fist over my solar plexus! At that juncture, my sister recognized that I had been hit — but by nothing visible in that room. The next thing I knew, we were all having a prayer meeting. My sister came out of the occult to Christ, and the Ouija board was splintered and burned.¹⁴

Thus, the occult should never be taken lightly, even by Christians.

Deliverance from the occult

The following six steps are crucial for anyone who desires to break free from the occult.15

1. Receive Christ as your Lord and Savior

The first step in departing from the darkness and entering the light is to be born again into God’s kingdom through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for your sins. Those who come to Christ are “called . . . out of darkness into [God’s] wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). One of the reasons Christ died was “so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb. 2:14-15).

2. Confess the sin of involvement in the occult

Scripture declares that “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

3. Destroy all occult objects

The book of Acts describes how many who had practiced sorcery in the city of Ephesus came to Christ and “brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly” (Acts 19:18-19). “Having occult items around such as game boards, cards, and statues may provide a source of temptation to return. Removing all such objects helps avoid facing that temptation and dealing with memories.”¹⁶

4. Break off all occult associations

Communication with spirits (which in reality are demons) must cease, and you must no longer associate with friends or others who remain involved in the occult. Seek out new friends who are mature Christians who can help you grow in your relationship with Christ, and find a Bible-believing church where you can worship and serve.

5. Immerse yourself in God’s Word

As Paul instructed the Christians in Rome, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). Our minds are transformed as we read, study, meditate on, and memorize God’s Word. Scripture is also the “sword of the Spirit” by which we repel Satan’s attacks (Eph. 6:17; see Jesus’ example of doing this in Matt. 4:1-11).

6. If necessary, seek additional help

If you find yourself struggling even after following the steps above, find a Christian counselor or minister to talk to, especially someone who has experience helping people formerly involved in the occult.

Notes

Confessions, 1.1.
C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2001), ix.
Larry A. Nichols, George A. Mather, and Alvin J. Schmidt, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 428.
Ronald Enroth, “Occult,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Daniel J. Treier and Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 608.
Cited in Iqbal Ahmed, “The Many Faces of the Occult,” The Atlantic Selects, December 23, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/604084/pagans/. I’ve updated the estimate for the membership of the PCUSA, and tried to use a slightly more precise figure for the number of New Age adherents.
Patheos, “How Many Pagans Are There?”, https://www.patheos.com/library/answers-to-frequently-asked-religion-questions/how-many-pagans-are-there.
I’m indebted to the following sources for the description of beliefs and practices: Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, and Kurt Van Gorden, The Kingdom of the Occult, 5th ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008); Ron Rhodes, New Age Movement, Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016); Craig Hawkins, Goddess Worship, Witchcraft, and Neo-Paganism, Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016).
Ron Rhodes, New Age Movement, Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 9-10.
Sabina Magliocco, “Neopaganism,” in The Cambridge Companion to New Religious Movements, edited by Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012), 150–66.
“Magic (Supernatural),” in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magic_(supernatural)&oldid=1110907032.
For a more in-depth critique, see the volumes listed in footnote 7.
Merrill F. Unger, What Demons Can Do to Saints (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991), 26.
Heath Adamson, “Her Prayers Helped Pull Me Out of Occult-Fueled Madness,” ChristianityToday.com, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/november/heath-adamson-prayers-helped-pull-occult-madness.html.
Martin, Rische, and Gorden, The Kingdom of the Occult, 5th ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 9-10.
This list is a modified version of the one found here: Patrick Zukeran, “The World of the Occult: A Christian Worldview Perspective,” Probe Ministries (blog), May 27, 2003, https://probe.org/the-world-of-the-occult/.
Ibid.

Originally published at The Worldview Bulletin Newsletter.

Christopher L. Reese (MDiv, ThM) is a writer, editor, and journalist. He is the founder and editor of The Worldview Bulletin and a general editor of the Dictionary of Christianity and Science (Zondervan, 2017) and Three Views on Christianity and Science (Zondervan, 2021). His work has appeared in Christianity Today, Bible Gateway, Beliefnet, Summit Ministries, and other sites.

Self-Esteem and Forgiveness

We hear a lot about “self-esteem” today. The “self-esteem movement,” made up of some religious teachers and psychologists, seeks to make people feel better about themselves without making any reference to sin or the need for forgiveness. Some religious teachers have even said that Christianity should stop talking about sin. Because the movement is associated with psychology, many mistakenly believe that the claims of the “self-esteem movement” have a scientific basis. They do not.

Consider the Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” From the world’s standpoint, he had no trouble with self-esteem. On the other hand, the world would say that the sinner who prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner…” had a serious self-esteem problem. In Jesus’ analysis, however, the Pharisee’s self-righteousness – his “good self-image” – was what kept him from God. It was the sinner’s knowledge of his self-worthlessness, and humble repentance, that brought him the peace of God in a personal relationship with his Maker.

From this vantage point, it is easy to see that the cult of self-esteem promotes self-righteousness. Adding Christ to self-esteem still produces self-righteousness.

Christians and all people need to be encouraged to focus on Christ! The Christian who lives a daily life of repentance in the full knowledge that Christ has redeemed him, making full atonement and peace with God, will have no “self-esteem problem.”

Luke 18:13
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Prayer: Forgive me, dear Lord, for those times when I have thanklessly felt sorry for myself or let my pride come between us. Fill me with the joy and peace that only You can provide through the forgiveness of my sins. Amen.

Photo: Man crying in a support group, Envato.

Source: Creation Moments

Unmasking UFOs, aliens and demonic deception

By Dan Delzell, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, December 01, 2024

As reported by The Economist earlier this year, “UFOs are Going Mainstream.” Believe it or not, 20 million people in the United States claim to have seen a UFO, and four million claim to have been abducted by aliens. So, what in the world is going on here? Are UFOs and “aliens” real?

Before attempting to answer this paranormal question, first consider an easier question: Are fallen angels (demons) and holy angels real? Yes indeed, as Scripture makes abundantly clear. And if UFOs and aliens are demonic manifestations, as many Christians believe, we would expect to find some clues in the Bible.

Once when Jesus encountered two demon-possessed men, the demons shouted, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29) Demons instantly become terrified once Jesus arrives on the scene.

So, what about “alien abductions” today? How do these traumatic experiences compare to demonic encounters in the New Testament? And most importantly, do today’s harrowing “alien” episodes abruptly cease when the name of Jesus is introduced into the equation?

Gary Bates has researched this issue for over 25 years. As a best-selling author on the matter who also has an award-winning movie on “aliens” and UFOs, Gary said, “There are over 400 cases that I am aware of where these abductions have been halted by people calling on the name of Jesus Christ … the instant His name was called, it stopped.”

Christians of course are not surprised that the name of Jesus stops things like nightmares and other frightening phenomena, including “alien” ordeals. (See my 2011 CP op-ed, “How to Say ‘No’ to Nightmares.”) Since we are not alone in the universe, we do at times cross paths with angels and demons.

As Gary stated, “The Bible has always talked about another dimension. And we’ve had visitors from that dimension, and they’re called angels. Good ones, bad ones … God’s angels always bring a message that is consistent with what we read in God’s Word. The bad guys…are there to deceive and deflect and to take people’s eyes away from the Creator.”

As supernatural beings originally created by God to serve as holy angels, demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God and went the way of Lucifer. Demons are highly intelligent and also skilled impersonators. These shapeshifters can appear at your bedside as your deceased relative, or show up during a seance. They can also impersonate the mother of our Lord through various apparitions of Mary. And when people take part in certain New Age practices, demons even pretend to be “Jesus” the “ascended master.” And yes, demons can take on an alien appearance, or even the shape of a UFO.

Demons want humans to interact with them in order to draw people into the spiritual clutches of the occult. If you open a wrong door in the spiritual realm, demons will come through it to trick you, oppress you and lead you away from the one door that leads to everlasting life in Paradise. Jesus said, “I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9).

Interestingly, many “alien” abductees are told they were chosen because they are special and are needed to spread the message of their “alien” abductors. An obsession with UFOs and “aliens” can even become a substitute religion. For example, the Heaven’s Gate cult was a UFO religion that produced mass suicides by its members in 1997.

While demons distract and disorient people in order to lead them further and further away from Christ, God’s holy angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Angels and demons are invisible to the human eye, unless of course they choose to visibly appear, such as when two holy angels appeared at Christ’s empty tomb. They asked Mary, “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:13)

Demons fear the risen Savior because the Messiah “triumphed over them by the cross,” (Colossians 2:15) and “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4). The fate of every demon is sealed, just like the fate of their master, Satan.

The Apostle John wrote, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). And this is why “Satan is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12).

UFOs and “aliens” are merely one way the devil and his demons seek to distract people from accepting the good news of the Gospel (see John 3:16). Some people become so mesmerized by UFOs and “aliens” that they actually start pursuing mysterious phenomena. It is a seductive doorway into the occult.

Dr. Hugh Ross is an astrophysicist who points to “a connection between occult involvement and UFO encounters.” Christian UFO investigator David Wimbish agrees. He has “engaged in significant research into the UFO phenomenon, and has suggested that not only can the occult lead one to have a UFO encounter, but interest in UFOs can also actually draw one into the occult.”

Dr. Ron Rhodes writes, “Many UFO investigators have followed a path that has taken them directly into the world of the occult. They believe they are rediscovering ancient spiritual truths and uncovering new realities about the universe … it has led many to experiment with astral projection, to believe in reincarnation, etc.”

Jacques Vallee, a well-known (secular) French UFO researcher says, “The phenomena reported by (UFO) witnesses involve poltergeist effects, levitation, psychic control, healing, and out-of-body experiences. Vallee has personally investigated countless UFO sightings. His comments are based on years of firsthand experience.”

Negative consequences and dark side effects occur whenever demons interact with humans, even if the devious impersonators initially tell you they want to help you. This diabolical charade is one way they gain access into the lives of unsuspecting victims. Don’t forget that their master “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Thankfully, there is a way to effectively counter and overcome every type of demonic deception. Repent of your sins, receive Jesus as your Savior, (see John 1:12) and then walk closely with Him. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

UFOs, aliens, demons and the devil himself have no power over Jesus Christ. You see, if you are a follower of Christ, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.

Source: Christian Post-December 1, 2024

Worldview may have more impact on mental health than chemical imbalances: study

A new study suggests that the mental health crisis in the United States may be more closely related to a lack of a biblical worldview than to commonly cited causes like chemical imbalances.

The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released the study Tuesday, attributing the rise in mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and fear, to what researcher George Barna calls “worldview deficiencies” rather than “psychological or chemical imbalances.”

The findings are based on interviews conducted in January with 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 or older, with a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

The report highlighted mental health struggles among younger generations, noting that 56% of Generation Z and 49% of millennials regularly experience anxiety, fear or depression. Generation Z refers to the youngest group of American adults, while millennials are defined as those born between 1984 and 2002. In total, one in three adults from these generations has at least one diagnosable mental disorder.

Barna sees a direct correlation between mental health challenges and the lack of a biblical worldview, which the Cultural Research Center defines as “a means of experiencing, interpreting, and responding to reality in light of biblical perspectives.” The CRC evaluates an individual’s biblical worldview based on their answers to a series of belief-related questions.

Only 1% of Generation Z and 2% of millennials possess a biblical worldview, according to Barna. He commented that it is “not uncommon to find a young adult who trusts feelings more than facts, sees no inherent value to life, believes in Karma, and rejects the existence of the biblical God.”

“Add to this a lack of any sense of purpose or meaning, and the idea that truth is subjective,” Barna explained. “This common set of components results in a lifestyle that is inconsistent, chaotic, frustrating, and lacking hope. Anxiety, depression, and fear are virtually inescapable in such a life.”

Barna highlighted several beliefs he considers contributors to mental unrest among young people. Seven out of ten individuals under 40 said their life lacks a clear purpose, while four out of five who reject God reported frequent experiences of fear and anxiety.

“The lifestyle that results from these common worldview components is one of chaos and fear,” Barna said. “However, embracing a biblical worldview offers a sense of purpose, security, and peace that can alleviate many of these mental health challenges.”

Barna also pointed to syncretism — described as a “blend of conflicting beliefs drawn from various worldviews” — as the dominant worldview among young Americans, adding that it’s “not surprising that anxiety, depression and fear are rampant among young adults who adopt syncretism.”

“Without a solid foundation of truth, their lives become inconsistent and chaotic,” he said, emphasizing that “the biblical worldview, by contrast, provides a framework that fosters emotional stability.”

Barna acknowledged that some situations do require conventional mental health treatments, such as counseling, prescription drugs or physical therapy, but he said that other mental health struggles may stem from “worldview components that trigger and sustain the condition.”

“If people instead embraced the core tenets of the biblical worldview, their lives would not be perfect,” Barna concluded, “but they would avoid many of the emotional and psychological pitfalls we’re seeing today.”

The report also examined the mental health of individuals whose beliefs directly conflict with the biblical worldview. Among those disengaged from both political involvement and Christian faith, 82% reported frequent experiences of anxiety, depression and fear, compared to 67% of respondents who were more engaged.

Incidents of fear, anxiety and depression were higher (46%) among those who believe gifted mediums can communicate with the spirits of the dead, compared to 34% of those who do not share this belief.

Similarly, 40% of respondents who consider “Mother Earth or the Universe” as an important guide reported mental health challenges, compared to 25% who did not. Among individuals classified as “consistently liberal” on social and political issues, 38% experienced frequent anxiety, depression or fear, while only 22% of those who did not identify as consistently liberal reported the same challenges.

Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com

Is the Pope Right About the Human Heart Being ‘Fundamentally Good’?

Is the Pope Catholic? This humorous rhetorical device has long been used to answer a question with an emphatic “yes!” But after comments made by Pope Francis during a recent 60 Minutes interview, a lot of people are now asking the question for real.

“We are all fundamentally good,” Pope Francis told Norah O’Donnell during their exchange. “Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good.”

A snippet of the interview captioned with the pontiff’s controversial claim went viral on X earlier this month, though additional context was later added by users to indicate a slight mistranslation by 60 Minutes. The community note explained: “Pope Francis said ‘somos un poco pícaros y pecadores’, meaning literally ‘we are a little bit rogue and sinners,’ speaking to some sinfulness within each of us. This is not the same as saying ‘there are some rogues and sinners’.”

So, are all humans “fundamentally good”? Is the heart itself good? Are we just a “little bit” rogue and sinful?

Not according to the prophet Jeremiah, who said: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Or King Solomon, who mourned, “The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live” (Ecclesiastes 9:3).

Or Jesus, who explained that “it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly” (Mark 7:21–22).

Or the apostle Paul, who quoted the Psalms to emphasize his point: “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one’ ” (Romans 3:10–12).

[Scripture teaches that], all humans have inherited a sin nature as a result of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden. As a result, we are born with a propensity towards sin, are estranged from God, and are in desperate need of salvation.

As early as the fifth century…a British monk called Pelagius denied original sin. He taught that the fall of Adam did not cause all humanity to inherit a sin nature, and he stressed that humans were fundamentally free to live good lives without the intervention of divine grace.

But a secular argument can also be made that the Pope erred on the fundamental nature of humanity. We need look no further than the collectivist political projects of last century—communism especially.

The belief that humans are inherently good allowed men like Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot to put forth—and put into action—their ideas that a harmonious society could be achieved if only the right social conditions were created. But eliminating existing class structures did just the opposite, creating a vacuum that was quickly filled by tyranny, oppression, and mass atrocities.

Ironically, the old systems these leaders did away with, while not perfect, had been honed over the centuries to take into account the fallenness of man. Still today, the safest and most prosperous nations on earth are those that properly account for deep human fallibility through their provision of robust checks and balances.

Thus, while the idea of original sin might sound jarring today, it remains one of the most important political insights in history. Its logic is counterintuitive. When humans assume we are fundamentally good, we end up unleashing the most unspeakable evil. But when we are humble enough to admit our fallenness and sin, prudence urges us to create the social conditions fit for human flourishing.

After all, the Christian gospel message is not that we are good, but that despite our sin, Jesus Christ is good, and that he has come to save us.

https://intellectualtakeout.org/2024/05/pope-human-heart-fundamentally-good/

Source: Berean Call

The Choice

You either come to God for forgiveness and salvation based on what the Savior Jesus did on the Cross, or you’re going to come under divine judgment and come to Jesus as your Judge. Which will it be? Carl

Unconventional But It Worked

The following is a true story as told to me by my son-in-law who is a North American Mission Board missionary. Only the names have been changed.

While talking with a pastor friend, the pastor related how Young Man had just asked Jesus Christ into his heart, been born again, and joined the church. The pastor was concerned because Young Man had a lot of zeal but lacked knowledge on how to be a witness to his friends. He was afraid he would turn people away from Christ instead of drawing them to Him.

Meanwhile, Young Man was out witnessing to his friends about their need for a Saviour to escape Hell. He carried a cigarette lighter in his pocket. He witnessed to his friend Tim by grabbing Tim’s arm and putting the cigarette lighter underneath his forearm and apply the flame to the skin. You can imagine Tim’s surprise as he jerked his arm away from the flame.

The next Sunday, the pastor runs into Young Man before church and Young Man tells him how he had witnessed to Tim, his friend, with the cigarette lighter. The pastor realizing that he was right about the Young Man, says to the Young Man, ” I have to talk to Tim right after the service. Where can I find him?”

The Young Man says, “Oh, Tim is seated in the church, he wants to be baptized.”

Tim had received his friend’s unconventional witness concerning his need to have his sin washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ so he could escape the justly deserved flames of Hell. In other words, Tim was born again and wanted to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism to testify to the world that he had been born again.

Do you need the flame of a cigarette lighter applied to your arm to get your attention?

The New Testament warns us there is coming a day “when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed –for our testimony to you was believed.” II Thessalonians 1:7-10

Today is the day to believe on the Lord Jesus and what He has done for you at the Cross by shedding His precious blood so your sins could be covered. Do not put it off.

Carl

Why We Should Prepare to Meet God

“The greatest reason why you should prepare to meet your God is because you MUST meet your God.”

It is not optional.

No excuse slips will be accepted. Your physical death nor your grave will keep you from it. There will be no back door to escape. No escape anywhere. No escape.

Unless your case is settled out of court through a meeting with the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, you MUST appear before the judgment bar of God and you are going to meet with yourself in the presence of God.

What a terrifying thought to meet with yourself! All your evil thoughts, evil words and sinful actions revealed in the presence of a pure, sinless Holy God who hates sin. A Holy God whose Son you have rejected as your Savior and whose precious blood that was shed for the forgiveness of your sins, you have trampled under your feet. A Holy God who is described as a consuming fire.

“But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judges them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shall escape the judgement of God.”

Romans 2: 2 tells us that man’s judgement will be according to truth. Every individual sees himself in the distorted mirror of his own imagination. We have seen mirrors in amusement parks which make a tall man look short and a thin man look fat. The human imagination makes the individual see himself in some sort of comparison with others, and always in a light more favorable than is justified by the truth. The coming of God’s judgment will destroy that distortion; a “hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies” (Isa. 28:17).

You will be forced to look upon yourself as you truly are, in the sight of a Holy God, who hates sin.

And Romans 2:3 says that there will be no escape. No escape. Don’t forget that –no escape.

No, there is no escape. But wait! There is a way of having your case settled out of court. You must move fast. You must come to Christ now. For now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. The Bible teaches us that the issues of eternity are settled in this life. There is no second chance. The Lord said, If you “die in your sins; where I am going, you cannot come….for if you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8:21, 24).

Today His mercy calls. You are guilty, but you can yet escape God’s wrath, through Christ. If you refuse God’s mercy, you must face Him.

There is no escape.

Come Today To Christ!

Carl

Excerpts from Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans 1, pp. 12-14, 22

What Marianne Williamson, Presidential Candidate, Believes About Jesus Christ

(This article was first published before the 2020 Presidential Election but her beliefs have not changed and, since she is running again in 2024, I thought we should revisit this post.)

A Christian apologist who once believed in New Age spirituality criticized Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson’s teachings about Jesus Christ.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel Wednesday, Steven Bancarz — whose story of leaving the occult and turning to Christ was reported on by The Christian Post in September 2016 — unpacks the central error of the New Age philosophy espoused by Williamson, which is that accepting Christ is merely “a shift in self-perception.”

Promoted as a favorite author of Oprah Winfrey, Williamson is among the most visible New Age teachers in the world and has authored several New York Times best-sellers.

In the Democrat presidential race, she currently stands in the bottom tier among the top 13 candidates, less than 1% nationally, according to today’s RealClearPolitics average of polls.

Williamson has received positive reviews and heightened interest due to her debate performances, however. According to Google, Williamson was the most internet searched candidate during CNN’s July 30 debate. During that debate, Williamson used the phrase “dark psychic force,” which also trended in Google searches.

“If you think any of this wonkiness is going to deal with this dark psychic force of the collectivized hatred that this president is bringing up in this country, then I’m afraid that the Democrats are going to see some very dark days,” Williamson said in response to a question about the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.

In a 2016 interview with BeliefNet, Williamson said Jesus was a human who “completely self-actualized and fulfilled in all ways the potential glory that lies within us all” when he was on Earth.

“To say there is ‘only one begotten son’ doesn’t mean that someone else was it, and we’re not. It means we’re all it.”

“Jesus actualized the Christ mind, and was then given the power to help the rest of us reach that place within ourselves. He was sent down by God — as we all are.”

Bancarz says that while Williamson’s words are a distortion of the real Jesus, her teachings fulfill some prophetic utterances Jesus made about the end times.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Former psychic blasts Fox News for divination segment with astrologer: ‘Extra deception’

Dear Reader: this post is an Christian Post article. I John 5:19 warns us that “… the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” This pernicious one is intensifying his attack on humanity in our days to deceive as many as he can because he hates mankind. Do not be deceived. Let us flee to Jesus Christ who took the wrath of God for us because of our sins, was raised from the dead, lives forever more and defeated satan and all his demons. Yes, take shelter in Him. Carl

A former psychic who repented of occultism to become a Christian blasted Fox News for inviting an astrologer on “Fox & Friends” last week to read the horoscopes of the anchors, marking the second divination segment on the channel in recent months.

Jenn Nizza, an author and podcaster who runs Ex-PsychicSaved.com, told The Christian Post that she believes Fox News is driven solely by ratings and money, but that the network potentially poses a spiritual danger to its viewers by airing light-hearted interviews with occult practitioners.

Astrologer Susan Miller joined “Fox & Friends” hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones last Thursday to explain how the moon and Monday’s solar eclipse could affect not just someone’s mood, but their entire life for at least six months.

“It’s not just your mood,” she said. “It’s everything if it touches a planet in your chart, and on AstrologyZone.com — which is my website — I delineate how specifically a solar eclipse is actually a new moon. I know it sounds [like] it should be a full moon, but it’s not. It’s the new moon, always. And it will affect you for six months or more.”

Miller went on to offer vague, broad predictions for each of the “Fox & Friends” anchors based on their astrological charts.

Earhardt, who offers a streaming Bible study on Fox Nation, replied to her horoscope reading by noting that she leans on God during hard times, and also pressed Miller to explain how she reconciles her astrological practices with her supposed Roman Catholic faith.

“God talks to me, actually,” Miller replied with a laugh before the segment wrapped up because of time.

Despite its breezy tone, Nizza is concerned that segments like the one with Miller could be used by dark spiritual forces “as a way to reach people that otherwise wouldn’t be aware as much of divination.”

“It makes it seem like it’s a big old joke, it’s just entertainment,” Nizza told CP. “If Satan masquerades as an angel of light, if he can make this seem like something that it’s not, if he can make it seem like this is light-hearted and just entertainment, he’s desensitizing people to it.”

Nizza emphasized the “extra deception” posed by Fox News effectively promoting divination with the aid of hosts who portray themselves as Christians.

“Fox is deceived, but they’re promoting themselves at times to be Christian, to care about God,” she said. “And then you have [the hosts] talking about God and talking about their Zodiac signs as if it’s just OK; as if you can comingle Christianity and the New Age, which is in direct rebellion to God. You can’t have both.”

“If the enemy can make you think that something is either holy or godly, then you would feel safer doing it; you would feel more comfortable doing it,” she continued. “But did you go to the Word and check? A lot of people aren’t going to. They’re relying on these people claiming to be Christian.”

“So unfortunately, the responsibility still lies on us to go to the Word and check and see what God says — to ‘test the spirits,’ of course,” she added, referencing 1 John 4:1.

Nizza, who said she is increasingly “fed up” with Fox News for broadcasting occult practices and drifting further into sensationalism, also accused the network in January of pushing a “demonic agenda” when opinion host Jesse Watters invited the so-called “English Psychic” Paula Roberts on his primetime show to divine the country’s political future with tarot cards.

Citing her own experience as a former medium, Nizza told CP at the time that the cardboard and pictures of the tarot do not offer any insight by themselves, but that the purported information psychics obtain from them is “channeled” from demonic sources.

“A tool of divination is one that’s actually accessing the demonic realm, the spirit realm, and you’re going against God’s will of boundaries; God says not to,” she said, citing Deuteronomy 18:10-12, which prohibits witchcraft and divination as “detestable” practices that incur divine judgment.

As with tarot cards and any other form of divination, Nizza said astrology taps into demonic sources of knowledge, which she said threatens to rope in practitioners even if the predictions are not always accurate. She has written about how dabbling with tarot cards at age 13 dragged her into a life of demonic oppression for years.

“They can get 100 things wrong and one thing right, and you can hang on to that one thing that’s right, because you’re going to be so intrigued,” she said. “And that’s the hook. That’s the proverbial carrot being dangled in front of your face.”

“Where planets were when you were born is meaningless,” she continued. “A planet doesn’t know if you’re wise with money, if you are personable, if you’re going to have a new love in your life. They just know nothing about you. There’s no wisdom in planets.”

“It bothers me,” she added regarding Fox’s occult content. “It’s a news channel. Why are you even reporting on divination? Why are you getting into the supernatural?”

Nizza also posted a TikTok video on Monday exhorting Fox News to stop promoting divination.

“Fox News, do me a favor: please stop putting diviners on your channel, I’m begging you,” she said, adding that “the devil is using you guys” to put divination in the minds of people who are simply trying to watch the news.

“This is what the devil does, this is his agenda,” she said. “I understand the desire for ratings and for money, but you’re not going to take that with you when you go. I would really think about that: serving God and pleasing God, not man.”

Last July, an investigation by The Blaze revealed that Fox Corporation was willing to match Fox News employee donations of up to $1,000 to a number of far-left organizations, including The Satanic Temple.

Fox News never publicly addressed the revelation that emerged from multiple sources within the company, though it reportedly removed The Satanic Temple from its giving portal days after Blaze Media founder Glenn Beck broadcast the story.

The Occulting of Culture (and the Church)

The event, so central to Scripture and, indeed, salvation itself, seems as though it is being reduced to a “sideshow” in what is the increasing paganization of culture and even the church. Dr. Peter Jones warned about this 22 years ago in his excellent 2001 book Pagans in the Pews. For way too many, the focus is now on them and not on the One who came to redeem us all.

In Soft Occultism, Patricia Patnode describes: Young women looking for meaning are enchanted by a new paganism elevating ego and material desire.
Young men are also being “enchanted by a new paganism” for pretty much the same reasons. It elevates “ego and material desire.” It affirms and directs worship to the being they most love – themselves.

The paganism that is all the rage is not really new, of course, and has been part of the human condition since shortly after the fall. However, paganism in the Western world faded far away as Christianity ascended in the early centuries. It only seems to us starker and more pronounced today because it follows the Christian era and is strongly resurgent now that Christianity is being pushed aside. God and His Son have been pushed to the background of society and even the church, it seems.

Patnode writes: The new, default spiritual identity for young people in the West is soft occultism, or casual witchery. This identity can easily accompany an existing religious affiliation, and often does since it is so obviously integrated in most aspects of modern Western culture. Some may want to argue that this is only true in the culture outside the church, but the same transformation is happening in many of the “Seeker Sensitive,” “Purpose Driven,” narrative-focused churches, along with many other churches where we may not have expected it to have taken root. Like so many other infections, it seems small and merely bothersome until it is suddenly malignant and, everywhere, a threat to the body.”

It is interesting that Patnode points out that popular lifestyle gurus and life coaches borrow their material from the church!

The root of all kinds of evil is indeed the love of money, but the reason we love money so much is because we love ourselves, and money can, we think, make us happy. Self-love is the root of the root. The search to “uncover hidden knowledge of ourselves” entices us away from the clearly revealed knowledge about ourselves in the word of God. Sound biblical teaching and discipleship in the local church by the pastors, elders, and more mature believers is being gradually replaced with “Christian Life Coaching” and profiling systems. The soft occultism that is pervading much of the church entices and draws the unwary into its grip through “spiritual tools” from occultism like the Enneagram. It too often is embraced and grows through the aid of the pastors in those churches, as well as through Bible Colleges, seminaries, “Christian” publishing houses, and magazines.

A few years ago, I heard of an intriguing new personality test straight from the pulpit….I went home that day and took the test, thinking it was all fun and games and absolutely safe, of course, because I had heard it at church. Upon discovering my number, I was completely won over. At the time, I thought that beyond the pleasant emotional pull of simple “self-awareness,” it was a great tool of transformation, which pointed out my strengths and weaknesses and the blind spots that I had never noticed before but which were keeping me from being the best I could be. I thought it would help with the relationships in my life and could be a great way to authentically connect with others on a deeper level. What ended up happening, though, was the complete opposite. I became hyper-focused on my alleged “type,” and with crazy eyes, I shared it with my friends, family, acquaintances, and even absolute strangers in the grocery store.

I began placing everyone in a box according to what I viewed their “type” to be. In doing this, I felt that I was protected in a way from people I could never hope to comfortably mesh with. I took control into my own hands and steered clear of “certain types” and, for two years, dove headfirst into progressive Christianity without realizing it. I read books by a guy named Richard Rohr (whose occultic teachings, by the way, not a lot of pastors seem familiar with), listened to his followers, and read books by Ian Morgan Cron, Suzzane Stabile, and David G. Benner. I listened to podcasts about the types and read a slew of books based on false doctrine and a specific false view of God known as panentheism. Panentheism teaches that God is in everything. I read about the false self versus true self² and how to properly relate to others with this spiritual tool. I began psychoanalyzing my family, friends, and close acquaintances, and for two years walked in this way.

Then, two very close friends warned me about this system and ideology that had obviously taken control of my life. The second they warned me about this tool, I realized I already knew the truth in my heart. For a while, though, I continued to double back to it because of the sway it held in my church at the time and many other churches in the Nashville area.…What I found was absolutely astonishing!…What I can mention is that the types originate from a form of automatic writing, which is an allegedly “spiritual way” of making contact with the “spirit world.” It is strange that no one seems to question who these “spirits” might be or whether making contact with these “spirits” is even a safe idea, let alone Christian! Indeed, the practice has origins in the occult and the demonic. I can say without a doubt that this “Tool” isn’t helpful at all, but a blind walk onto a pagan spiritual path – into which many Christians are walking blindly towards and/or have fallen into step with today. It’s getting in touch with an exciting “self” outside of the gospel – a self where you don’t need Jesus at all. I believe that this harmless seeming “Personality test” is an unholy Spirit in the church today, leading Christians out of truth, which is horrifying.

So many pastors and church members walk right into this false religious practice with a big smile on their face and joke with their friends about their types, all the while not realizing exactly what they have attached themselves to. Without thinking, Enneagram adherents start to place others in “personality boxes,” too, which is not kind. I have to wonder what’s truly being “made” of it all by sinister forces beneath the surface. Using it in our churches and messing around with this ideology is dark – horribly dark – and I’m saddened that very few seem to be paying attention.

All of my Christian life, I’ve listened to pastors preach about staying away from evil, and now I plead with you to do your own deep research and throw this evil out of the church. The flock needs protecting and shepherding like never before.https://midwestoutreach.org/2023/12/07/the-occulting-of-culture-and-the-church/

Source: Berean Call

One Example of The Dangers of Yoga

AP Photo/Mariam Ilies

The following article concerns the arrest of a Romanian yoga guru who is the leader of a multi-national tantric yoga organization called Atman Yoga Federation and is charged with the indoctrination of his female followers for sexual exploitation. The sexual abuse of female and male followers by yoga gurus is well documented going back to when the Beatles started going to India in the 1960s to receive “enlightenment” which was actually a descent into spiritual darkness. Carl

PARIS (AP) – A 71-year-old Romanian yoga guru and 14 others were handed preliminary charges by a Paris magistrate on a raft of counts linked to an international ring that for years allegedly subjected followers seeking enlightenment to sexual exploitation.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said that six of the 15 people interrogated were ordered held on Friday, while nine others were freed but under judicial surveillance.

Gregorian Bivolaru was among two of the six handed a string of preliminary charges that included human trafficking in an organized band, kidnapping, sequestration or arbitrary detention of numerous people along with rape and “abusing the weakness of a group” via psychological or physical subjection. None of the 15 was named but a judicial source said that Bivolaru was among the two facing the longest list of charges.

A trimmed-down version of the preliminary charges were handed to the other suspects. An investigation will now determine whether the preliminary charges lead to a formal indictment and a trial.

The arrest this past week of Bivolaru and 40 others in the Paris region ended a six-year manhunt in several countries. The police unit that combats sect-related crimes freed 26 people described by authorities as sect victims who had been housed in deplorable conditions.

Accounts from alleged victims detailed in the French media portray Bivolaru as a guru who coerced women into sexual relationships under the guise of spiritual elevation in a career spanning decades and continents.

Bivolaru’s group, initially known as MISA, for Movement for Spiritual Integration Toward the Absolute, was later known as the Atman yoga federation. Non-consensual sexual activities under the facade of tantric yoga teachings were allegedly at the heart of the organization, according to a French judicial official who spoke last week on condition of anonymity because the person, like other judicial officials, wasn’t authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The group’s “ashrams” were centers for indoctrination and sexual exploitation disguised as spiritual enlightenment, according to the official. One appeared to be exclusively dedicated to satisfying the desires of the leader, with women transported there from elsewhere, the official added.

MISA said in a statement on its website in Romanian that Bivolaru had been targeted by media campaigns since the 1990s to “discredit and slander” him, calling any charges against him in France “absurd accusations.”

The Atman federation meanwhile described the situation to The Associated Press in an email as a “witch hunt,” disclaiming responsibility for the private lives of students and teachers at its member schools. It also highlighted that some member schools had won cases at the European Court of Human Rights, demonstrating human rights violations against them.

The alleged sexual abuses spanned Europe. In 2017, Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation issued an international arrest warrant for him for alleged aggravated human trafficking. Bivolaru had obtained political refugee status in Sweden in 2005, which delayed legal proceedings in Romania. In France, yoga retreats were held in and around Paris and in the southern Alpes-Maritimes region. However, it was not immediately clear how long he had been in France.

Source: Breitbart News

British University Offers A Master’s Degree in Witchcraft

With Halloween behind us, the witch and warlock costumes can be put away for another year. But the real witches are still very much with us.

News comes to us that a British university is scheduled to offer a master’s degree in witchcraft, magic, and occult science in the 2024 school year. Professor Emily Selove is the director of the new program at Exeter University.

She justifies the degree’s development to:

“A recent surge in interest…. Magic and the occult inside and outside academia lies at the heart of the most urgent questions of our society.”

The university website says that the classes will take place in the Institute of Arab and Islamic studies. Selove goes on to explain that the classes will:

“Allow people to reexamine the assumption that the West is the place of rationalism and science while the rest of the world is a place of magic and superstition.”

Actually, this university class is an interesting accumulation of viewpoints, all of which have Satan’s fingerprints all over them.

There is no doubt that there is “a recent surge in interest” in witchcraft and the occult. The Pew Research Center reported in 2014 that there were about 730,000 adult pagans and wiccans in the United States.

This desperate search for meaning has led to the creation of:

“…sea witches, city witches, cottage witches, kitchen witches, and influencer witches, who share recipes for moon water or dreamy photos of altars bathed in candlelight. There are witches living all over the world, hosting moon rituals in public parks and selling hangover cures that ‘adjust the vibration of alcohol so that it doesn’t add extra density and energetic ‘weight’ to your aura,’” according to The Atlantic magazine.

However, one church in Florida has demonstrated a highly effective biblical approach to the solution of these people’s problems.

Bill Losasso, senior pastor of Pathways Community Church in Largo, Florida observed that his state was “one of the three hotbeds of witchcraft, along with Texas and California.” because witches have actually come in and attempted to disrupt his worship service.

Apparently, the pastor had trained his people well because when the witches came in expecting a fight, they were, instead, welcomed by a loving concern for their spiritual welfare.

Over time, some were converted and baptized. It became sort of a contest with other witches coming for revenge and meeting the same joyous fate. Losasso says that:

“There have been no more physical attacks by the witches, but, of course, a ton of spiritual warfare. But everyone involved learned the power of the scripture: ‘…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.’” (1 John 4: 4.)

Everyone witnessing to a real witch needs to understand that they are generally more afraid of us than we are of them. Bill Gordon, an associate of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board, says that:

“It has been my experience that witches are normally more afraid of us than we are them.”

Just as an individual has that God-shaped vacuum in their heart, there is also that vacuum in a culture such as ours.

We have spent many decades systematically eliminating God from our culture and now we are watching His evil replacement. Man is essentially a spiritual being who cannot long tolerate a secular-based worldview.

But to the Bible believer, spiritual darkness is only a challenge. The longer that people are lost, the deeper their despair and the more ready they are to respond to the gospel. And salting a community with gospel tracts that people love to read will ferret out those who are ready to respond. Any effort you make will be worth it because Chick tracts get read and God promises that:

“…So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

Source: Chick.com

World’s Greatest Problem

THE WORLD’S GREATEST PROBLEM IS LOSTNESS.

Today, over 3,000 people groups have no missionary presence and likely have no access to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The lack of accurate knowledge about God’s saving grace is not limited to just these distant groups. You and I are surrounded by THE LOST every day regardless of what nation we live in.

Fellow Christian, what are you doing to fulfill the Lord’s commandment to:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” (Matthew 28: 18-20)

Do Something. Please!

Carl

The Second Coming of Jesus to The Earth

Part Two – The Second Advent of Jesus, The Messiah

Lord Jesus’ SECOND ADVENT is when He physically returns to the Earth again. In light of the turmoil in the Middle East today, I thought we should republish this post.

In the larger scheme of end time prophecy, His return is at the end of the seven years of tribulations when the Antichrist will be defeated and destroyed.

JESUS IN HIS HOME SYNAGOGUE

When Lord Jesus read part of Isaiah 61 to announce that that He was the Messiah, He stopped halfway through verse 2 where it says “to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” and did not read the second half of the verse which says,

“And the day of vengeance of our God…” Isaiah 61:2b

If He had read the second part He could not have said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Because the second part has to do with His return to Earth as a Warrior King-Priest to reveal Himself to Israel, purify Israel and save Israel from the armies of all the nations of the Earth who will try to destroy her.

In God the Father’s plan, this day of vengeance had not arrived when Jesus was speaking in His hometown synagogue around 30 AD. By reading verse 2 and 3 we see what His Second Advent involves:

“The SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, FOR HE ANOINTED ME…TO PROCLAIM..

“…the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:2b-3

This section of Scripture reveals a SECOND ADVENT and reveals the specialized task the Messiah, Jesus, will perform as Warrior King-Priest:

…to proclaim…the day of vengeance of our God
…to comfort all who mourn… in Zion
…giving a garland instead of ashes
…giving the oil of gladness instead of mourning
…giving a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting
He will make the people of Israel into oaks of righteousness
He will cause glory to rebound unto God, by the changes in the people of Israel.

The specialized task deal with two things: the day of vengeance and the salvation of Israel physically and spiritually. This is after the church has been raptured and at the end of Antichrist’s rule.

FIRST TASK – MINISTER TO THOSE WHO ARE MOURNING

The setting is the end of the seven years of tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon is ongoing. Armies from all the nations of the earth are besieging and close to overwhelming the defenders of Jerusalem. Some of Israel has fled to the wilderness (Petra), some have been killed by the invading armies and some are besieged in Jerusalem. Zechariah 13: 9 tell us that two-thirds of the people in Israel will die during this time but much of the Jewish population will have already fled to the safety of the wilderness. The one-third remaining in Israel will be refined or purified by the Lord.

It is my understanding that at that point in the battle, Jesus will physically set His feet on the Mount of Olives coming to help Israel and will reveal Himself to Israel. They will understand that He was their Messiah all along. This is why the Messiah’s specialized tasks mention mourning, ashes, and fainting. Listen:

Zechariah 12:9-14 NASBS

[9] And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. [10] “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. [11] In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. [12] The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; [13] the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; [14] all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.

And again:

Ezekiel 20:43-44 NASBS

[43] There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done. [44] Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD.'”

Concerning those who have fled to the wilderness:

Ezekiel 20:33-38 NASBS

[33] “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you. [34] I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; [35] and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. [36] As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord GOD. [37] “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; [38] and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.

Can you imagine what it will be like for the Jewish people to realize that Jesus of Nazareth was their Messiah all along? To realize that all the judgements that they as a people had endured over 2000 years could have been avoided. Is it any wonder that Ezekiel 20:43 says speaking about the Jewish people who realize this, “you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done.” The shock of the realization and then the remembering of all they had done individually and nationally. It will be a time of “being stunned” by what is being revealed to each individual.

But…now we see the reason that the Messiah will comfort all who mourn in Zion, giving a garland instead of ashes and a mantle of praise for the spirit of fainting! Though this realization that Jesus is the Messiah will happen to the remaining nation, it is through personal repentance and faith in Jesus the Messiah that the Jewish remnant will be born again. That is what “…by themselves…” in Zechariah 12:12-14 means.

It will be a glorious transformation of Israel that will rebound to God’s glory.

Ezekiel 39:25-29 describes this time:

[25] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. [26] They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. [27] When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. [28] Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. [29] I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD.

Isaiah 61: 4-9 describes what the Lord will do for Israel after they acknowledge Him and repent of their sins:

[4] Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. [5] Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. [6] But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. [7] Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs. [8] For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them. [9] Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them Because they are the offspring whom the LORD has blessed.

PROCLAIMING THE DAY OF VENGEANCE – THE SECOND TASK

The second task of Jesus during His second advent is to proclaim the day of vengeance. To understand this let us begin with Isaiah 63: 1-6 which is a picture of Lord Jesus on this day. Note what Lord Jesus says in verse 4.

Isaiah 63:1-6

[1] Who is this who comes from Edom (modern day Jordan)

With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah (Petra),

This One who is majestic in His apparel,

Marching in the greatness of His strength?

“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

[2] Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?

[3] “I have trodden the wine trough alone,

And from the peoples there was no man with Me.

I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath;

And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,

And I stained all My raiment.

[4] “For the day of vengeance was in My heart,

And My year of redemption has come.

[5] “I looked, and there was no one to help,

And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;

So My own arm brought salvation to Me,

And My wrath upheld Me.

[6] “I trod down the peoples in My anger

And made them drunk in My wrath,

And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

(Clarification added)

Did you notice in verse 4 that Jesus said the day of vengeance was in My heart? Remember in Isaiah 61:2b the Messiah would proclaim the day of vengeance? Here we have Jesus The Messiah proclaiming this when He physically comes to Earth to destroy all the armies intent on wiping out Israel and the Jewish people.

After the day of vengeance is finished, Lord Jesus will establish His earthly kingdom in Jerusalem for a thousand years. The new temple described in Zechariah will be built and from there He will rule all nations. Isaiah 61: 10-11 describes the Lord Jesus at this time:

Isaiah 61:10-11

[10] I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. [11] For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

JUDGE – THE FINAL TASK OF THE MESSIAH

After the thousand years, the Great White Throne judgment will occur. Read Revelation 20: 11-15.

All the dead who rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will appear before the One whom God the Father appointed Judge of all mankind, Jesus Christ Himself (Acts 17:31). The book of life will be opened and the books containing the deeds of each individual will be opened. The people will be judged according to their deeds written in the books. Those who have rejected Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior causing their name NOT to be written in the book of life will be thrown into the place prepared for the devil and his angels forever (Matthew 25:41), the lake of fire.

The followers of Jesus Christ will inherit a new heaven and earth where they will dwell forever. Read Revelation 21: 9-22:7.

Dear Reader, where will you go? Will you be thrown in the lake of fire or enjoy eternity in the presence of Jesus in the new heaven and earth? You must decide this side of death. Follow Jesus…you will not regret it!!

In two different post we have discussed the two appearances of the Lord Jesus on Earth and the difference of each. We are in the first advent and the second advent is steadily approaching.

Even so, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20)

Carl

Mysticism and The Coming World Religion – Part 2 (Revised)

May 1, 2023

T. A. McMahon

Originally published November 1, 2016

As noted in Part 1 of this series, there is a coming world religion (CWR), and it is advancing rapidly. One of the significant elements that expedites its growth is mysticism, which is a belief system that ultimately rejects teachings that involve objective laws, rules, requirements, obligations, dogmas, doctrines, and the like, in favor of subjective experiences and intuitive feelings.

The goal of the CWR (also known as the religion of the Antichrist) is to bring all religions under its patronage and control. Since all religions have doctrines that separate them from one another, even to the point of hostility in some cases, their doctrines must be compromised or altered in order to be acceptable to all—or they must be removed altogether. Mysticism facilitates doctrinal compromise because of its subjective nature. In other words, the objective meaning of a doctrine must give way to one’s subjective interpretation, i.e., how one feels about it. When such a belief system is in place, there can be no absolute truth; so-called truth is whatever an individual feels it is. It’s in the mind of the beholder.

Religions that are heavily legalistic in their theology must change in order to fit in with the ecumenical CWR. Two such religions are Roman Catholicism and Islam. In part one of this series we documented how the Church of Rome is well along the way of shifting from its highly legalistic system of rules and obligations toward a more mystical process. The Catholic Church has more than a billion followers, and they also must be included in the religion of the Antichrist. Islam, too, has greater than a billion adherents, so it also must become a part of the CWR. However, it is legalistic—and aggressively so—in its doctrine and practices, far more so than any other religion in the world. Consequently, many doubt that it could ever change.

Some have suggested, therefore, that the religion of the Antichrist will be Islam itself. For that to happen, the conversion of the world to Islamic beliefs would follow its historical method, which is at the point of a sword. Although that worked to a large degree in the past, it falls far short of what is necessary to spiritually transform the entire world. Additionally, there are obvious problems for this belief system regarding the coming religion of the Antichrist. The fact that the entire world will worship the Antichrist as God is inconsistent with and opposed by the Muslim worship of Allah. Sharia law, which is the Islamic code of law, is derived from the Qur’an and the Sunnah (Muhammad’s teachings and examples). Consequences for disobeying Sharia laws are the harshest among religions. Its rules are overtly abusive regarding women. Furthermore, Islam’s collectively intense hatred of Jews and Christians, as well as “all infidels,” is diametrically opposed to the CWR’s necessary ecumenism. These doctrines of Islam work against its efforts to attract followers to the coming world religion. What then, if anything, is there within Islam that might reconcile the billion-plus Muslims to the religion of the Antichrist, with its mystical underpinnings? The answer is Sufism.

Sufism is the mystical Islamic belief and practice through which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge by way of a direct personal experience with Allah. This is Islam in the throes of experiential and subjective beliefs and practices. Being functionally at odds with Sharia laws and practices, many Sufi practitioners reject the rules of Sharia outright, regarding mysticism as the most direct way to achieve union with Allah. Moreover, where it has been historically practiced throughout the world, Sufism has had no problem coexisting with other religions. This is not the case, as we’re well aware, for Islamic Sharia Law.

One mystical aspect of Sufism is for its practitioners to put themselves into an ecstatic trance or altered state of consciousness through whirling. These individuals are known as Whirling Dervishes. According to one source, “The hundreds of the Dervish twirling rotations (20-30 per minute) coincide with the theta rhythm in the brain, and the chanting (they repeat the word ‘God’ [more likely ‘Allah,’] about 99 times) makes the dancers dissociate from reality and enter a different state of mind. When the ceremony is over, the dervishes return, side by side, in front of the sheikh [master and guide] and then move to another room to meditate. The physiological goal of the whirling is for the dervish to ‘empty’ himself of all distractions” (https://bit.ly/3ZgY9sm). It should be obvious that this is just another form of Eastern mystical meditation along with the contemplative forms practiced by more and more professing Christians in the West.

The various exercises of mysticism are similar throughout the world, even where there has been no connection between the cultures or people groups. For example, Sufi meditation and yoga employ the same lotus sitting position and a hasta mudra (with the thumb curled and touching the tip of the forefinger). Sufi whirling has the same effect as the uncontrollable shaking in the Dynamic Meditation practiced by the followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The Sufi Shaykh is similar to the guru in yoga in terms of the practitioner’s absolute submission to him and obedience to the guidance given. In some practices, the Shaykh is a transcended spiritual entity channeled by the meditator.

The Encyclopedia of Islam lists a number of manifestations found within the meditation practices of Sufism, e.g., “barking and howling” (MacDonald, D. B. “Darwish [Darwesh],” Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition, edited by: P. B. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs, Brill Online, Augustana, 21 Sept 2009), behavior that was also exhibited through the so-called impartation of the Holy Spirit in places such as the Toronto Airport Vineyard, Pensacola and Lakeland, Florida, International House of Prayer (IHOP), and Bethel Church in Redding, California, among numerous others.

These experiences taking place throughout the world should offer more than a hint that spirit entities, contacted through altered states of consciousness and meditation, as well as some people’s faith in the false signs-and-wonders methods, have been facilitating Satan’s goal of seducing and controlling the consciousness and beliefs of mankind. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy:4:1).

Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, is someone whom I would describe as the poster boy for everything that I’ve been noting in this article, which is the acceptance of all religions in the formation of a one-world religion. He is a Muslim—a Sufi Muslim. He is also a New Ager and a national spokesman for Transcendental Meditation or TM (https://bit.ly/3GjqXKc). TM is the pseudo-scientific title conjured up by Hindu guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Maharishi, who came to fame as the spiritual advisor and guru to the Beatles, began teaching meditation in US schools as the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, but it was shut down because the courts realized that it was clearly a religion. The Maharishi simply renamed it The Science of Transcendental Meditation (emphasis added). This incredibly important alteration was not only successful in promoting his Hinduism in schools, but it also opened the door for other pseudoscientific forms of meditation such as Mindfulness and MindUP, which have been overwhelmingly accepted by our school systems here in the US.

To continue reading click here:

Mystical Revolution and Reiki Energy

The following video presentation is by the late Ray Yungen. He is sharing how the past New Age movement has been absorbed by today’s culture. Toward the end of the video, he explains Reiki Energy and how prevalent it is in today’s culture.

Ray Yungen, author, speaker, and research analyst, studied religious movements for over twenty-five years. His love for Jesus Christ and for people and his exuberance for life are reflected in his writing. He is the author of several books and booklets and lecture DVDs dealing with the New Age and mysticism, and how these relate to biblical prophecy and the church.

If you are interested in any of Mr. Yungen’s written material, please click here.

May the video open your eyes to the advances the occult is making in the West. Carl

Mystical Revolution and Reiki Energy – Ray Yungen – Berean Call Bible Conference

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