There is a great lack of discernment among today's Evangelical Christians. The watering down of scripture is leaving the church vulnerable to heretical doctrines and ideas. The best protection against false doctrines and false teachers is to be firmly rooted in the word of God and to be testing everything in the light of scripture just as the Apostle Paul commanded the Bereans to do: "For they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11). If the Apostle Paul himself urged the early Christians to test everything said in light of scripture, how much more discerning should today's Christians be in this sea of charlatans and messy theology? The Apostle Paul warned: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Jesus also warned in Matthew 24:4 and in Matthew 24:24 that we are not to be deceived "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."
Sadly, here are two areas of deception that are making their way into the church show and a lack of discernment:
- Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is Latin for "divine reading," "spiritual reading," or "holy reading" and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to provide special spiritual insights. The principles of lectio divina were expressed around the year A.D. 220 and practiced by Catholic monks, especially the monastic rules of Sts. Pachomius, Augustine, Basil, and Benedict.
With regards lectio divina the inherent dangers in opening our minds and listening for voices should be obvious. The contemplative pray-ers are so eager to hear something—anything—that they can lose the objectivity needed to discern between God’s voice, their own thoughts, and the infiltration of demons into their minds. Satan and his minions are always eager for inroads into the minds of the unsuspecting, and to open our minds in such ways is to invite disaster. We must never forget that Satan is ever on the prowl, seeking to devour our souls (1 Peter 5:8) and can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), whispering his deceptive lies into our open and willing minds. Many so called "Christian" institutions and even evangelical churches have now started introducing sessions into their training programs suggesting that one grab onto any phrase, verse or thought that would confirm their calling. Certainly God uses His sufficient, infallible and inerrant word to guide and lead us as we study it (exegesis), but for us to take our circumstances and smash it into the word (eisegesis) to conform our calling is most certainly not the way to read scripture.
The attack on the sufficiency of Scripture is a clear distinctive of lectio divina. Where the Bible claims to be all we need to live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16), lectio’s adherents deny that. Those who practice “conversational” prayers, seeking a special revelation from God, are asking Him to bypass what He has already revealed to mankind, as though He would now renege on all His promises concerning His eternal Word. Psalm 19:7-14 contains the definitive statement about the sufficiency of Scripture. It is “perfect, reviving the soul”; it is “right, rejoicing the heart”; it is “pure, enlightening the eyes”; it is “true” and “righteous altogether”; and it is “more desirable than gold.” If God meant all that He said in this psalm, there is no need for additional revelation, and to ask Him for one is to deny what He has already revealed.
Unity and friendship with the world actually disguise unbelief and are dangerous distractions from the Lord and His truth. Contemplative prayer techniques turn the believer toward the same desired esoteric enlightenment, which was the deception of the serpent, as was promised Adam and Eve. Satan planted the lie that they were somehow incomplete without partaking of hidden knowledge that would make them like God.
- Yoga
Yoga is practiced by many in North America and around the world. Courses on Yoga are in most every city being offered in schools, colleges, health clubs, YMCA's, and churches. Most westerners are naive to the religious origin and nature of yoga. Many practitioners who do, merely presume that the exercises are harmless if they are not practiced with a spiritual intent. Yoga is a series of exercises and postures (asanas) which are advertised as a way to tone up, reduce stress and experience tranquility. So should a Christian participate in Yoga? I find it quite amusing that the question is even asked. That fact alone tells one that the practice is questionable. Is it purely a form of physical exercise? Based on the evidence, I would have to give a resounding NO!
Yoga though is an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Swami Vishnudevananda, well known authority of Yoga, in his book "The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga" explains the purpose of Yoga, "It is the duty of each developed man to train his body to the highest degree of perfection so that it may be used to pursue spiritual purposes... the aim of all yoga practice is to achieve truth wherein the individual soul identifies itself with the supreme soul of God."
Hinduism, as do most new age groups, teaches that the ultimate reality is consciousness or energy (God-Brahman). Each individual soul (Atman) has seven energy deposits known as chakras or meridians in his body along the spinal column. The yoga positions are designed to align these chakras, for the energy to merge with the ultimate cosmic energy and to experience "Atman is Brahman."There are various schools or forms of yoga: Karma Yoga (spiritual union through right conduct); Bhakti Yoga (union with the Absolute by devotion to a guru); Juana or Gyana Yoga (access to God through esoteric knowledge); and Raja Yoga (God-realization through mental control).
Two of the more controversial styles of yoga are kundalini (the arousal of the serpent force at the base of the spine) and tantra yoga which is violent sexual practices. One subdivision of Raja Yoga is hatha yoga. This is the most popular form being practiced today in the West. Hatha Yoga is divided into eight stages: (1) body purification; (2) postures; (3) mudras (postures that produce psychic/prana/chi energy); (4) breath control; (5) stilling the mind; (6) concentration; (7) meditation; (8) union with God-Shiva (Ibid).
The word yoga is sanskrit meaning union or yoking with the God consciousness. In case anyone is confused about whether Hatha Yoga is religious, in the book ?Hatha Yogao by Swami Sivananda Radha, is written, "When most people in the West think of yoga, they think of yoga as a form of exercise. Too often... there are yoga teachers who teach asanas without an understanding of their real nature and purpose. Asanas are a devotional practice which like all spiritual practices, bring us to an understanding of the truth.... Beyond this there also lies a mystical or spiritual meaning. Each asana creates a certain meditative state of mind," (p.xv; emphasis mine).
"Hatha Yoga plays an important part in the development of the human being... the body working in harmony with the mind, to bring the seeker into closer contact with the Higher Self," (Ibid, p.xvii)."The physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects are of utmost importance and have always been the basis on which various yogas, kundalini and Hatha specifically have been built to achieve the harmonic development of human beings," (Ibid, p. 5).
There are many exercises much more beneficial than yoga and the time has come for Christians to respond with the facts to have this removed from wherever we can. Not only that, but the problems presented by yoga are both individual and social. Widespread claims to the contrary, it is not a health practice. The person who engages in yoga for health purposes may find himself converted to an occultic way of life. In spite of its perception as a safe and valuable technique, true yoga involves occultic meditation and the development of psychic powers which may result in spirit contact or spirit possession.Although the public falsely perceives yoga as a safe or neutral practice, even authoritative yoga literature is replete with warnings of serious physical consequences, mental derangement, and harmful spiritual effects. Paralysis, insanity, and death are frequently mentioned. Allegedly, such consequences arise from wrong yoga practice but, in fact, they really arise because yoga is an occult practice. Those who care about their overall health and especially spiritual health, should not practice yoga.
Jesus tells us that from the moment of rebirth, we are complete in Him. We are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), the Trinity dwells in the believer (John 14:16; John 17; 2 John 1:9) and nothing will separate us from the love of Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39). Believers need to test the spirits (1 John 4:1) to see if these so called "apostles of Christ" speak according to the Word (Isaiah 8:20) and need to turn aside from godless myths (1 Timothy 4:7), avoid the philosophies of men (Colossians 2:8), mark those who introduce heresies contrary to truth (Romans 16:17), and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). Those who lead us away from purity and devotion to the Word are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5). Let us uphold the truth of the Word and walk by its light in faith, hope and love, trusting that the Lord has given us all that we need to be complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).
References:
The Holy Bible
Caryl Matrisciana: http://www.carylmatrisciana.
Roger Oakland and Bob DeWaay: http://www.olivetreeviews.org/
Brian Flynn: http://onetruthministries.com/
“Take Heed” Ministries: http://www.takeheed.net/
Being Still by Jon J. Cardwell: http://justificationbygrace.
Holistic Health Practices: http://www.jashow.org/wiki/index.php/Holistic_Health_Practices/Part_41
The Wathcman Expositor: http://www.watchman.org/na/yoga.htm
Being Still by Jon J. Cardwell: http://justificationbygrace.
Holistic Health Practices: http://www.jashow.org/wiki/index.php/Holistic_Health_Practices/Part_41
The Wathcman Expositor: http://www.watchman.org/na/yoga.htm
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