Chapter 6, The Evictor, from The Preposterous God

East of Eden is where the Creator sent Adam and Eve as a consequence of the breaking of one single commandment—not to eat the fruit of a tree found in the midst of the garden. Two specific trees were named: “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (see Genesis 2:9, 17) and “the tree of life” (see Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24).

In Genesis chapter 3 is recorded what the Creator, about to become the Evictor, said to an unknown audience. In a manner akin to a stage play God said,

Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22–24)

In our previous chapter we dealt with the problem of evil, and here in Genesis we encounter evil again. There are perhaps hundreds of passages in the Bible that beg this central question. Now, however, the focus is on the incredible, preposterous event where God threw His precious creation, even that made in His own image, out into a wilderness.

Prophetic?

The Book of Genesis initiates the story of God and His creation. The grand themes are presented in this book of beginnings then run throughout the rest of the Bible like threads in a woven tapestry, all the way to the last book, Revelation.

Created in the Creator’s image, evicted from a paradise, recreated and forgiven, then restored and returned to experience the heavenly Paradise—this is the story of Scripture.

Why the long journey? Must the creature go through the agony of the eviction from the garden? Did the Creator toss Adam and Eve out because of a single infraction?

The Trouble with Sin

In the Genesis account the problem was the breaking of a single commandment, the only one given. Adam and Eve did eat the forbidden fruit. They knew it, and God knew it. And then we find something utterly preposterous.

Something happened after they ate the fruit; Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened as never before. Yes, they then had more knowledge, but only the knowledge that sin brings. The result was guilt and fear.

They hid from God. Suddenly they realized they were naked and sewed some fig leaves together. When God came calling in the cool of the day, they did not respond or greet Him. Why so?

The thing about God is that He is holy, meaning, without sin. Sin is the breaking of the divine commands. God is wholly other; He alone is sinless. We are not so, and we all know it. Even the psychopath, whose conscience is not working as it should, knows something is amiss. Adam and Eve knew they had sinned and created a lie to hide behind. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Blame shifting and excuses!

Would this have happened if there had been no presence of evil? Again, God must have known what would happen; yet He allowed that evil to invade the very paradise He made for the first humans.

And we are living with it still. Indeed, nothing has changed from that day to this. We wrestle with guilt, fear, loneliness, and are angry about all that has been lost. Perhaps the phrase “separation anxiety” expresses our inner conflict.

The Creator made us, so He must have known the terrible emotional and spiritual distress that would come to all of us. Yet we are told He is a loving God.

Being God, could He not have simply pardoned the guilty pair? Could He not have thrown the serpent out, even destroy the fallen angel? If we think too much on these issues it will not bode well with us. We then plunge further into the pit of snakes and are bitten innumerable times.  

I have a vague idea of what happened back at the beginning of the human race, and even have some understanding of why God had to take action. Too many of us over the centuries have come up with simplistic answers to the age-old mystery, none of which gave much comfort. Often the easy answers create more questions than they solve.

No Easy Answer

First, do we have it right? Can we trust the Genesis account? We must ask these questions, even if fear would prevent it, and there are reasons to fear. Others might think we are off track, disobedient, cultic, rebellious, liberal, making shipwreck of our faith, or have gone apostate. These immaturities must be rejected, and we must explore reality regardless of pressures not to If I only had the Genesis material, I would wonder. But all through Scripture, no character or author disputes it. The historians, the poets, the prophets, the apostles, Jesus’ enemies, and Jesus Himself all adhere to the biblical account we have in Genesis. The systematic theology springing out of the Scripture demands that the early account of creation and eviction forms the necessary glue that holds together everything following it.

If Genesis is not accurate, Jesus died for nothing. He died for a preposterous something, all right. He died because our personal sin has separated us from the Creator, and only by our Lord Jesus taking our sin upon Himself can we once again walk in Paradise with our Creator. It is that simple.  

Chapter 16 of Pathways to Darkness about Sarah Young’s book, Jesus Calling

 Sarah Young: Jesus Calling

The following is repeated from our own book, The Soul Journey: How Shamanism, Santeria, Wicca, and Charisma are Connected, in which we propose that the “connection” between these spiritual paths is actually the mediumistic practice of attaining a trance state and contacting spirits, be they supposed spirits of dead ancestors (shamanism and Santería), spirit quides (various occult renditions), lords and ladies of the Realm (Wicca), or even the supposed Jesus of Sarah Young’s series of books that started with Jesus Calling in 2004. 

******* 

Sarah Young practices “listening prayer,” in which she hears messages directly communicated from Jesus. She describes her technique in her bestselling book, Jesus Calling, which has sold over nine million copies in twenty-six languages (as of the end of 2013). This book was the fifth bestseller for the first half of 2013 for all books, not just Christian books. Through it all, the author maintains a low profile, partly due to physical disabilities, and thus she is relatively unknown. She has experienced chronic physical difficulties for many years and writes inspiringly of her loving connection with whom or what she thinks is Jesus giving her comforting and encouraging messages. 

It all began with Sarah wondering if she could receive messages during times of prayer. She hoped God would talk to her personally. And it began to happen. And yes, she believes that Jesus is really and actually speaking with her. She prays then listens, and He answers. This has been her experience for many years. 

As she hears, Sarah journals what she hears, and after a number of years she published some of what she heard. Readers and prayer groups are encouraged and comforted by the messages, and as sales of books demonstrate, she has a growing audience. Many thousands are now taking up the practice of listening prayer. 

The key question which must be asked is, who is speaking? Jesus or someone else? Is it possible there is clever counterfeiting here? 

Over the centuries Christians have thought that God does speak to them. Richard Foster, who champions contemplative prayer or meditative prayer, defends Young’s practice. He has modeled his own recommendations for deep meditation and contemplation on what Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Ignatius Loyola, and many others practiced and experienced centuries ago. What Young does is the same as or quite similar to the exercises of these Christian mystics. 

Sarah Young describes her own custom as meditating on Scripture and then waiting quietly to hear a reply from Jesus. When Jesus speaks, she writes down what she heard or was placed on her heart. She insists that the words or messages are not revelatory in the sense of prophecy or fortune telling; the content of the messages is fairly ordinary and biblically based. The Bible plays a major role in Sarah’s life, and she firmly believes it is the inspired revelation of God; however, and this is a huge “however,” she wanted more than what the Bible offers. She indeed got more and has come to rely on these communications, the “encouraging directives from the Creator,” as she originally said before that phrase was removed from her 2013 edition. 

But there is a worrisome twist. When Young journals the words supposedly spoken by Jesus they are written in the first person with Jesus as the person speaking. She does not, for instance, write, “Jesus said,” but rather, “Focus on me.” Since she purports to write down whatever Jesus says, her readers must logically conclude that her journal is as authoritative as the Bible, almost a fifth Gospel. If this is not so, then Jesus Calling is pseudo-biblical, an imitation, albeit very clever, of a revelation from God. 

Young’s error is therefore serious and similar to that of the Course in Miracles, supposedly communicated by Jesus to Helen Schucman in the 1970s. Schucman’s Jesus dictated profoundly spiritual concepts to her, which she wrote down, and one of the most successful new age cults was born. Schucman’s Jesus bears little resemblance to the biblical Jesus, unlike Young’s Jesus, but could this make the counterfeit even more difficult to detect? 

Young’s book sales are phenomenal, and again I cannot help but be reminded of Helen Schucman and the Course in Miracles; however, Young’s book is far more biblically Christian than Schucman’s. The difference seems clear, and many Christians are tempted to embrace Young’s claim to hear the voice of Jesus. But it will not work. There is neither biblical precedent nor warrant for quieting oneself, praying, and then listening for Jesus to speak. Young’s techniques fit into the broad spectrum that is Charisma today, emboldening yet another dangerous counterfeit practice. 

The Jesus supposedly speaking to Sarah Young is very affirming and encouraging, but little else. The messages lack the doctrinal content of the real Jesus found in Scripture. Encouraging promises found in quotes supposedly from Jesus’ appeal to those who are easily dazzled by assurances of personal satisfaction and are therefore attracted to purveyors of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. 

Nowhere in Scripture does God promise to speak individually to believers or answer prayer by speaking directly to the one praying. This is the critical point. What I discovered in my decades of ministry is that, if you want to hear things from God, you eventually will hear something. But the communication is not from God, however real and spiritual the communication might be. 

John 10:27 is quoted by proponents of Young’s book as proof that Jesus speaks directly to His ‘”sheep.” “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” To “hear” is to know Jesus as the Good Shepherd as distinct from a false shepherd or a wolf; the literal application of “hear” does not work here. It is the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer at conversion who “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). 

An instruction for believers to listen for the actual audible voice of Jesus, be it solely in the mind, is foreign to the New Testament writings. There is nothing in Scripture about praying then listening for a response. It is surprising that so many do not know this. Churches across the country have instituted prayer groups devoted to Young’s methods. Again, it illustrates the fascination with feelings and direct experiences rather than seeking to learn what the Word of God actually teaches. 

We are all hungry to know more of God, and little by little we do grow up into the fullness of the stature of Christ (see Ephesians 4:1-16). Following Jesus is a lifelong process and there are no shortcuts. Quick and easy methods of “going direct” to the source can be addictive and difficult to disengage from. Christians are yet sinners and living in a sinful world; we are pilgrims traveling the straight and narrow road that is often filled with pain and sorrow. God hears our prayers and does strengthen and comfort us, but He speaks to us through the Scripture. That is enough for us. We do not need more. Eve wanted more and she got it, but it brought disaster upon her and all of us. 

******* 

We strongly suggest acquiring Brenna E. Scott’s book, Christian Journaling or Psychic Channeling? A Critical Comparison of the Jesus Calling Series with Occult Training Literature. You will find in this book a brief history of how Sarah Young encountered a devotional book, God Calling, written in the 1930’s by two women who practiced waiting in God’s Presence in a mediumistic manner. Ms. Scott is quite thorough in her analysis of the contents of Sarah Young’s books. There is a foreword by Chris Lawson, and it is published by Brenna Scott Publishing, LLC, 2022.

Memoirs book, chapter 36, Church of the Open Door Begins in San Rafael

Earlier movements

It was not until 1968 that I became acquainted with the Charismatic

Movement, mainly the Catholic version of it. I connected with the

Protestant Charismatic Movement a year later, at Holy Innocents

Episcopal Church in Corte Madera, a town in central Marin County.

Father Todd Ewald brought a fellow Episcopalian priest, Father Dennis

Bennett of Seattle, to preach and minister at Holy Innocents about

that time, and many of the Jesus People started attending. I recall an

elderly lady named Gert Bohanna who often ministered there as well.

Somewhere I have tape recording of a talk she made there. She must

have been in her seventies and was so interesting to hear. Every one

of us loved her.

The services were fairly charismatic but not wildly so, and while

there was healing and speaking in tongues, the main focus was on

preaching the Gospel and teaching the Bible. Wherever Jesus was

preached and the Bible taught, Jesus People would show up.

We soaked up instruction from the teachers and preachers of the

Charismatic Movement, especially from the Ft. Lauderdale Five, as

we called them—Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince, Don

Basham, and Ern Baxter. These men were older than nearly all of us,

and were experienced, mature Christians. They produced dozens of

teaching tapes that we eagerly sought out and listened to for hours

and hours. If we heard that one of these men was to be preaching anywhere

near us, we made our way there. We also appreciated mainline

Pentecostals like Oral Roberts and Kathryn Kuhlman, but they didn’t

draw us as the Five did. Several other preachers and teachers also

caught our attention—names that escape me now.

Jesus People, like those of the Catholic Renewal or the Catholic

version of the Charismatic Movement, although influenced by charismatics

and Pentecostals, were nevertheless distinct from them, at

least in the earliest years. My guess for the origin and chronology of

the Charismatic and Catholic Renewal movements is that they preceded

the JPM. They may have been a part of the general awakening

that developed from various directions, but my experience tells me

they were not related.

In San Rafael, where I was living from late 1968 until 1985, there

was a Marist seminary, and one or two of their priests/monks visited

the Bible studies we conducted. They invited me to their masses, and

I occasionally participated in these. There was also in San Rafael a

Carmelite Monastery that offered a public prayer service that many

Jesus People and charismatics from a number of different churches

attended. Still, the JPM was different and distinct from the Catholic

Charismatic expression, though many people moved freely between

the two.

Our work in Marin centered on Bible studies and evangelistic

outreaches at the local high schools and the local community college,

College of Marin, which has two campuses, one in Ignacio and

the original and main campus in Kentfield. Eventually, we had a Bible

study in each school, and that often led to opening up yet another

Christian house. I signed so many leases and guaranteed so many utility

accounts during that period, it caused me some sleepless nights.

As stated earlier, we began then to open up Christian bookstores and

even a thrift shop.

On Sunday mornings, my family and I attended local Baptist

churches, mostly Southern Baptist-aligned and some American Baptist

churches as well. In every case we were warmly received and

encouraged. Although we were a para-church ministry that came

alongside churches and not leaders or pastors of a church, I felt it

important to be a part of a community of faith; evangelistic outreach

was not enough. Most of the time, we attended the First Baptist

Church of San Rafael on Lincoln Avenue, the Lucas Valley Community

Church in a northern suburb of San Rafael, or the First Baptist Church

of Novato.

Pressure to Begin a Church

Among our early leaders, from around 1970, were Mike Riley,

Roger Hoffman, and Bob Hymers. Roger and Bob had roots with

Southern Baptists, Mike had been with the United Brethren Church,

and all attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill

Valley, the school I graduated from in 1968.1

Mike, Roger, and Bob were much more used to regular church

involvement than the rest of our leaders. Nearly from the beginning

of our relationship they were pushing to start up a church. They had

a valid point, since the kids and some of their parents attended all

kinds of different churches, while the majority attended nowhere at

all. For more than a year, I resisted this move, thinking a para-church

ministry was the proper model for us.

Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus, who more than anyone else served

as a mentor to me during that period, encouraged us to remain a parachurch

ministry with a focus on street evangelism. I agreed fully, and

thus a wedge opened up between the others and me.

An Evening Gathering in Mill Valley

Mike, Roger, and Bob had assembled together a number of the

young people from our ministry for gatherings at the Dow home in

Mill Valley. I decided to attend to see what was happening. Bob, no

question one of the best preachers I have ever heard, anywhere, anytime,

could hold anyone listening in rapture for long periods. Bob,

whose full name is Robert Leslie Hymers, Jr., is a strong leader with

a lot of experience in churches, and he was bound and determined

to start a church, which he wanted named Church of the Open Door

after the famous church of the same name in Los Angeles.

Quickly, the house became too small to accommodate the crowd,

and a move was made to Scout Hall in Mill Valley on East Blithedale.

That place also filled up quickly, and I was left with a very large

dilemma. This was all being done despite my wanting to avoid becoming

a church. However, the leaders of our Christian House Ministries—

Mark Buckley, Kenny Sanders, Bruce Arnold, Blacky Smith, Geoff

Tachet, Bob Gaulden, Bob Burns, and others—conferred together and

recognized the church-like entity that had already developed. They

also decided to continue the existing model of street evangelism, high

school ministry, Christian houses, Christian bookstores, and so on.

A board of elders formed, I served as senior pastor, and we took

steps to incorporate. It did not take too long before Scout Hall was

not adequate, so we moved into Carpenter’s Hall on Lindaro Street in

central San Rafael and rented out some office space nearby on Jordan

Street. This was in 1972.

As could be expected, the Monday morning elders’ meetings were

stormy, to put it mildly. The egos, including mine, could not easily

be contained in the space in which we met, which was my office at

the Christian General Store, 2130 Fourth Street in San Rafael. After

around one year, Bob decided to go back to Los Angeles from whence

he had come and begin another church there. The original name of

his first church in downtown Los Angeles was the Fundamentalist

Tabernacle Baptist Church. Bob’s great preaching soon drew crowds,

and the church grew rapidly.

Bob’s leaving had an impact on me I did not recognize right away.

He was the only non-charismatic among us, not that we were “wildeyed,”

but we were tending more and more in that direction. The oars

were missing, and I was carried along on the current. It was not until

1978 that Dr. Lou Rambo, my major professor at San Francisco Theological

Seminary, forced me to make a critical analysis of what we

were doing and thinking.

In 1975, the Church of the Open Door had outgrown the space in

Carpenter’s Hall. On one single Sunday, we divided ourselves up and

started four additional churches. One was in Novato with Mark Buckley,

another in Petaluma with Kenny Sanders, one in San Francisco

with Bob Gaulden, and one in Pt. Reyes Station with Bruce Arnold.

At that point there were somewhere between 325 and 375 attending

the two Sunday mornings services in San Rafael. The Sunday following

the division into four churches the hall in San Rafael was full

again, although there should only have been about 125 in attendance.

My figures may be faulty, but that is how I remember things. We were

forced to continue two morning services, and the later service was

always packed wall to wall.

A final note on the founding of the Church of the Open Door in

San Rafael: The view of the church’s founding above is my own, and

I have discovered in the process of preparing these memoirs that my

account is only one among several. None of the versions vary enough

to cause any alarm, however. Perhaps a more agreed upon story may

evolve out of conversation around this book.

The Preposterous God, The Creator and Evil

Chapter Three

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1).

The serpent, as we find elsewhere in the Bible, is Satan, an angel who rebelled against the Creator.[1] We also know him as the devil, the commander of demons. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). 

Satan is a creature, as were all the other angels. C.S. Lewis recognized this and wrote, “There is no uncreated being except God.”[2] And who created Satan? None other than the Creator God. How preposterous!

Satan has another name as well—Lucifer—which may be translated, “Day Star.” This information is from Isaiah, the prophet who wrote in the eighth century before the common era. Here is what he said:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven, above the stars of God I will set my throne on high, I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

The striving for power, authority, and adulation on the part of a created being/angel is at the heart of human history; it moved from Adam and Eve to Cain and on down to us. This is a thoroughly biblical worldview.

Theodicy—The Problem of Evil

David Hume, the eighteenth-century Scottish philosopher, captured the core of the puzzle in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Attempting to define our impulse to question God on the matter of the presence of evil, Hume wrote: “He is willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing: whence then is evil?”

Questions

The questions could go on and on with no satisfying answer. The real question, however, is whether our questions require an answer. The Scripture, both the Hebrew and Greek portions, from Genesis to Revelation, make no attempt to confront the problem of evil; it merely assumes and acknowledges it with no explanations given. Evil is assumed, with its root cause being a creature who rebelled against the Creator at some unknown point, inside or outside of time. This knowledge does not deter human inquiry, however; we are stuck on the notion of evil being a problem needing a solution.

Is it possible that we humans are not capable of true understanding here? Might the Creator not intend for us to understand? Would it change things if He provided a solution? We would likely just continue on our way, making Satan either a friend or an enemy.

In a way, God has indeed given an answer to the problem of evil. As an answer to Hume, my view is that the Creator is both able and willing to subdue Lucifer. What’s more, He has already dealt a victorious and deadly blow to Satan. This is what the work of Christ is all about!

The Beautiful Devil

Satan desires to be worshipped and has franchised his corporation out across the globe. Some submit to him directly and knowingly; others do so indirectly. We know of straight-on Satanic worship and also of the occult arts, bundled together under the broad spectrum of spiritism, magic, and divination. His presence and abilities are enough to turn a hyper-materialist into a super-naturalist in a flash. Once one experiences a demonic presence, one is never the same again.

Beautiful is the Day Star, so very attractive and powerful. He has miracles, signs and wonders, and real raw power. He delights to anoint his priests and priestesses with dark and sensational gifts. He counts his converts by the billions.

Satan would claim the authorship of evil, but though he is malevolence itself, he is ultimately impotent.

The Work of Messiah[3] Jesus

Before the foundation of our world and the entire universe, the Creator God both foreknew and predestined the course of the history of the entirety of the creation, both on the micro and macro level.  If not, He is not God.

Slowly, and from our point of view, painfully slowly, He is allowing the entire script to be played out. This is revealed piece-meal in the Bible, with the first core prophetic revelation being stated directly in Genesis 3:15. This statement is part of a longer narrative from verses 14–19 and is what the Creator said to the creature, the serpent:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

The “woman” is a type but always female. First came Eve, the prototype, then the nation Israel, then the remnant Israel, then finally the single woman, Mary, mother of Jesus called the Christ.

“Enmity” is stronger than the English word generally conveys and means warfare or deadly conflict. We see “he” refers to Satan, including his followers, those angels who sided with Lucifer in the cataclysmic rebellion.

“Your offspring,” the Creator says, and these are the followers and worshippers of Satan, knowingly or unknowingly, both demon and human. Quite an army!

“Her offspring” is in the singular, “he shall bruise.”

Her offspring deals a deadly head blow to “your offspring,” which offspring is capable only of dealing a bruise on the heel.

The “he” is the Messiah, the Christ, the One appointed by the Creator to undo all that the serpent brought upon the creation. This is the fundamental theme of all the Bible. The apostle John summed it up by saying: “The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:18b).

The work of Satan is to induce humans to hide from their Creator because of their guilt and shame, which is the natural effect of sin. His plan is to blind and possess those who follow him, so they might be with Him in eternal gloom and darkness. We all are rebels against God, whether we recognize it or not. Therefore, God acted to bring peace and freedom to His beloved creation.

This “plan of salvation” moved directly to the Roman cross on which Jesus was hung about AD 30 outside the walls of Jerusalem. As the old hymn so eloquently presents it, “Only His blood can wash away my sin” — the blood Jesus shed while on the cross.

Problem of Evil Solved? 

The problem of evil is not solved, not satisfactorily answered, merely understood to some degree. This must be enough for us this side of eternity.

Will the great question be answered when we are in the presence of God? I doubt it; any possible relevance will be negated. Joy will fill us to fullness.


[1] See Ezekiel 28:11–19; Revelation 12:7–10; and 20:1–3.

[2] The Screwtape Letters, p. vii.

[3] Messiah, from the Hebrew, meshiach, means the Anointed One, leading to the Greek, Christos.

Channelling and Mediumship, chapter 15 of Pathways to Darkness

Following are highlights from the book Opening to Channel: How to Connect With Your Guide. It is written by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer, published by H. J. Kramer Inc, Tiburon, California, in 1987. Much, even most, of the material in the book has been channeled to the authors by their guide spirits Orin and DaBen. 

Channeling and mediumship are united. The medium channels: thus, mediums engage in channeling. A medium may be referred to as a psychic or a channel. And what is channeled comes from what are referred to as guides, spirit guides, animal guides, dead ancestors, and more. 

Then there is the term “trance channeling,” since channeling is done while in a trance, which is a passive or altered or shamanistic state of mind or consciousness. This state of mind is usually entered into by using various forms of meditation involving concentration, emptying the mind, deep breathing and relaxation, and waiting to be contacted by spirits. 

The stated purpose of the book under consideration is to teach the reader how to channel a guide. The authors say that one can “learn to channel a high-level guide or your higher self” (p. 10). And by means of channeling one can access “all the ideas, knowledge, and wisdom that is and ever will be known” (p. 13). 

Again, all of this hinges on the trance state. To enter this state, you must learn to concentrate, rid yourself of your own thinking, and be open or receptive to higher guidance. It is in the trance state that the higher energies are contacted. 

Once the guide is contacted, this entity becomes a friend “who is always there to love, encourage, and support you” (p. 14). This friend becomes a wise teacher, “one who comes from within rather than without” (p. 14). 

The book by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer is an account of how two well-meaning people became indwelt by spirits, and we mean evil spirits or demons. This is a typical pattern; one we have often encountered. Many are anxious to tap into wisdom and acquire or access power and knowledge, and to be indwelt by these spirits is usually quite exhilarating. Make no mistake, it is very spiritual. It does not have to be religious, meaning, one does not have to engage with or be a member of a religious organization, whether Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or other, although that is not prohibited. 

Here is how Orin and DaBen describe themselves to Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer: “We, Orin and DaBen, are beings of light. We exist in the higher dimensions, and our goal is to assist you in opening your channel to these dimensions so that you may evolve more rapidly” (p. 15). 

The above is not fantasy or the work of someone attempting to sell books; it is evangelical outreach of a diabolical sort. And it is incredibly deceptive, when all of a sudden one is aware of actual contact with spiritual entities. Few realize what has taken place. Here is something new and exciting, even something where some money could be made. The understanding that these spirit guides are unholy or demonic is rare. Deception and devotion come quickly. One would have to have a solid Biblical theology to recognize that he or she has been duped. 

These guides, by various means, can prove their incredible spiritual power by giving knowledge that would not be accessible by any other means. Revealing events and histories of those they possess and of others is enough to capture most. 

Orin and DaBen teach what channeling will or will not do for you. For one thing, a person will be able to make a difference in the world and will experience not as much depression, anxiety, or heaviness. And, high-level guides will “not take over or control you” (p. 16). 

Here is a huge deception, because, in fact the guides will take control little by little, and this is over a period of time and in a way that is almost imperceptible. It is little by little, but the dependence grows. 

Then Orin and DaBen say that “channeling will help you learn to love yourself more” (p. 17), by being free of normal prejudices, thus loving yourself more, especially as you follow your higher path. It will also greatly enhance creativity. 

Then Orin and DaBen describe what a person can use channeling for. “Some people’s guides assist them in counseling, teaching, therapy, healing, or bodywork” (p. 17). 

Here we grasp the heart of the incredibly rapid growth in the numbers of those who offer various forms of psychic therapies. The “Life Coach” is a new industry that is sweeping across America. Not all those who present themselves as life coaches use mediumistic or psychic means to do their work, but a growing number do. We are acquainted with a few who do not, but very many rely upon psychic means, using practices like Reiki, Akashic Records, tarot cards, and so on to do their “therapy.” And here is how it works: 

Jesus, while teaching His disciples, said to them something of incredible importance. “For where two or there are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). Even just two together and because of Jesus, in worship or prayer or fellowship, and He, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is actually present with them. 

It has long been known that Satan mimics the things of God. He is the great counterfeiter. The craft and power of the devil and his angels are great, as Martin Luther wrote in the hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” And for every gift of the Holy Spirit, as we find in Romans 12:3–8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, there is a counterfeit or demonic gift. Those “gifts” coming from Satan are very convincing and often dramatic. 

Orin and DaBen state that asking for a guide is all one needs to do. “If you request a guide to assist you, one will begin to work with you” (p. 23). Supposedly, this will most often happen in a person’s dream state or even at unexpected moments. Engaging with tarot cards is another way to make a connection. In addition, using the Ouija board, seeking automatic writing, and deep meditation are also means of connecting with a guide. 

Chapter 2 is titled “Channeling in Trance,” and directions are provided on how to achieve the trance state. And it is the trance state that allows a person to connect with a guide. “Channeling involves the achievement of a slightly relaxed state where you can turn your attention inward and upward to receive messages from higher realms” (p. 27). Meditation practices can assist in achieving the trance state, but a relaxed state of internal focus also works. 

There are also states where the consciousness disappears all together, and those who reach such a state are called “unconscious channels.” The person now is not aware of the contact with the guides and will have little or no remembrance of it at all. The “conscious channel” will be able to recall some experiences of engaging with the guide spirits. It is said that most people fall somewhere between deep, unconscious trances and full alert states. Orin and DaBen suggest it is best to remain conscious while channeling. 

Sanaya experiences Orin as a very loving, wise, gentle being with a distinct presence. Duane says DaBen’s interaction with him can change greatly, but is a very radiant energy, loving and exacting. And DaBen has great knowledge. 

Chapter 3 is titled, “Who Are The Guides?” 

Orin and DaBen say that guides come from many places, so many that they seem to be infinite. Some guides have incarnated on the earth, others have not, and they come from dimensions outside the galaxy and stars, like from a fourth dimension. These are the Masters such as St. Germain, angels such as Michael and Raphael, guardian angels, and other extraterrestrial entities. Orin says he was incarnated once on earth and has long since evolved into pure light and spirit without a physical body. DaBen is also a being of light and has not incarnated. 

Guides pick people to indwell who have similar goals and purposes. Not all entities from the higher realms choose to be guides. 

Guides, in order to work with people, must be able to work with energy where their electromagnetic fields are at a very subtle and refined level (p. 36). 

Orin and DaBen say some guides will be known to those they work with, figures like Christ, Buddha, angels, American Indians, Chinese sages, East Indian masters, or one of the great masters like St. Germain. Some guides will appear as male or female, however, there is no actual polarity with guides. 

Orin and DaBen are not guides; they are demonic spirits. Without a Christian and biblical understanding, Orin and DaBen might get away with this lie. But those who are biblically grounded know better and have for ages. Yet, what these two evil spirits have to say will be readily accepted by many, especially when they learn how to focus, meditate, and attempt to connect with higher powers of energy. This is the devil’s playground, and it seems so exhilarating at first. Down the line, however, these spirits will present themselves as who they actually are, and this realization may prompt the person who has become indwelt by them to seek relief from the misery these minions of Satan bring. This is called deliverance ministry. 

Excerpts from Wikipedia 

Wikipedia, February 22, 2022 

Channeling 

A conduit, in esoterism, and spiritual discourse, is a specific object, person, location, or process (such as engaging in a séance or entering a trance or using psychedelic medicines) which allows a person to connect or communicate with a spiritual realm, metaphysical energy, or spiritual entity, or vice versa. The use of such a conduit may be entirely metaphoric or symbolic, or it may be earnestly believed to be functional. 

In the latter half of the 20th century, Western mediumship developed in two different ways. One type involves clairaudience, in which the medium claims to hear spirits and relay what they hear to their clients. The other is a form of channeling in which the channeler seemingly goes into a trance and purports to leave their body, allowing a spirit entity to borrow it and then speak through them. When in a trance the medium appears to enter into a cataleptic state, although modern channelers may not. Some channelers open their eyes when channeling and remain able to walk and behave normally. The rhythm and the intonation of the voice may also change completely. 

A notable channeler in the early 1900s was Rose Edith Kelly, wife of the English occultist and ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), who allegedly channeled the voice of a non-physical entity named Aiwass during their honeymoon in Cairo, Egypt (1904). Others purport to channel spirits from “future dimensions”, ascended masters or, in the case of the trance mediums of the Brahma Kumaris, God. Another widely known channeler of this variety is J. Z. Knight, who claims to channel the spirit of Ramtha, a 30-thousand-year-old man. Other notable channels are Jane Roberts for Seth and Esther Hicks for Abraham. 

Mediumship 

Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between “familiar spirits” or spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as “mediums” or “spirit mediums”. There are different types of mediumship or spirit channelling, including seánce tables, trance, and ouija. 

Mediumship gained popularity during the nineteenth century, when ouija boards were used by the upper classes as a source of entertainment. Investigations during this period revealed widespread fraud—with some practitioners employing techniques used by stage magicians—and the practice began to lose credibility. Fraud is still rife in the medium or psychic industry, with cases of deception and trickery being discovered to this day. 

Mediumship is associated with several religious belief systems such as Shamanism, Vodun, Spiritualism, Spiritism, Candomblé, Voodoo, Umbanda and some New Age groups. 

In Spiritism and Spiritualism the medium has the role of an intermediary between the world of the living and the world of spirit. Mediums claim that they can listen to and relay messages from spirits, or that they can allow a spirit to control their body and speak through it directly or by using automatic writing or drawing. 

Spiritualists classify types of mediumship into two main categories: “mental” and “physical”: 

• Mental mediums purportedly “tune in” to the spirit world by listening, sensing, or seeing spirits or symbols. 

• Physical mediums are believed to produce materialization of spirits, apports of objects, and other effects such as knocking, rapping, bellringing, etc., by using “ectoplasm” created from the cells of their bodies and those of séance attendees.

During seances, mediums are said to go into trances, varying from light to deep, that permit spirits to control their minds. 

Channeling can be seen as the modern form of the old mediumship, where the “channel” (or channeller) purportedly receives messages from a “teaching-spirit”, an “Ascended master”, from God, or from an angelic entity, but essentially through the filter of his own waking consciousness (or “Higher Self”). 

History 

Mediumship became quite popular in the 19th-century United States and the United Kingdom after the rise of Spiritualism as a religious movement. Modern Spiritualism is said to date from practices and lectures of the Fox sisters in New York State in 1848. The trance mediums Paschal Beverly Randolph and Emma Hardinge Britten were among the most celebrated lecturers and authors on the subject in the mid-19th century. Allan Kardec coined the term Spiritism around 1860. Kardec claimed that conversations with spirits by selected mediums were the basis of his The Spirits’ Book and later, his five-book collection, Spiritist Codification

Some scientists of the period who investigated Spiritualism also became converts. They included chemist Robert Hare, physicist William Crookes (1832–1919) and evolutionary biologist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913). Nobel laureate Pierre Curie took a very serious scientific interest in the work of medium Eusapia Palladino. Other prominent adherents included journalist and pacifist William T. Stead (1849–1912) and physician and author Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). 

After the exposure of the fraudulent use of stage magic tricks by physical mediums such as the Davenport Brothers and the Bangs Sisters, mediumship fell into disrepute. However, the religion and its beliefs continue in spite of this, with physical mediumship and seances falling out of practice and platform mediumship coming to the fore. 

In the late 1920s and early 1930s there were around one quarter of a million practicing Spiritualists and some two thousand Spiritualist societies in the UK in addition to flourishing microcultures of platform mediumship and ‘home circles.’ Spiritualism continues to be practiced, primarily through various denominational Spiritualist churches in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, over 340 Spiritualist churches and centres open their doors to the public and free demonstrations of mediumship are regularly performed.

Chapter 35, Two Brothers in Haight from Memoirs of a Jesus Freak

Sometime in 1968, I began to keep a journal. I admit this was

after the news media discovered the Jesus Movement, and it

occurred to me that it might be important to chronicle things as

I saw them.

So I began to write it all down with a pencil and a cheap spiral

notebook. I went back mentally to the night I was driving home in the

rain from my job as a shoe salesman at J.C. Penny in Corte Madera.

The Scott McKenzie song about coming to San Francisco and wearing

a flower in your hair was playing on the radio. There it was, like the

time it seemed God directly and personally called me into the ministry,

that I heard, “Go to the hippies in San Francisco.” Okay, I said to

myself, and the very next night I headed in as instructed.

That night I met David Hoyt and my whole world changed. I had

thought I would be a pastor of a normal kind of church and do the

things that I had seen my pastor, Bob Lewis, do. I had no further ambition.

I never thought I would write a book or be a great preacher or

get involved in the wild and crazy things I did.1 I paid a high price, and

my family, eventually families, also paid a high price. If I had known

then what would transpire, I might have become a Jonah and tried to

run away from the commission God gave me.

My idea was to write down my experiences as they happened and

not wait a week or so when I might have more time. As best I could,

this was the program I followed. I shared with David what I was doing,

and there were times when we collaborated and jointly tried to recall

1 Turns out I did write a book or two and, yes, I have done some wild and

crazy things, but I never did become a great preacher, although I do my best every

Sunday morning.

I hoped that, at some point, the notes might be turned into a book.

I knew I was not much of a writer, but I had an interesting story, so

I started sending out letters to publishers about what I was writing

about. Much to my surprise I got a letter from Zondervan Publishing

House in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it was, as far as I knew then, the

largest and most prestigious Christian publishing house in America.

A vice-president named Bob DeVries sent the letter. I sent a follow-

up letter to him asking what he wanted me to do, and his reply

was a request for the manuscript, which I immediately sent. Then I

waited. Within a few weeks, he flew out to the Bay Area to meet David

and me for lunch at the St. Francis Hotel by Union Square. Having

grown up in what sociologists of that era described as lower middle

class, I had never before eaten in, let alone seen, such a fancy restaurant.

Shocking to us was Mr. DeVries’ eagerness

for us to sign a contract, which we

were also eager to do. Bob DeVries was a

most pleasant and gracious man, probably

the most important person I had ever met.

He remained so throughout the adventure

with the story of the hippies.

We had entitled the book, Two Brothers

in Haight. Zondervan kept the title

but said the book had to be rewritten, so

they hired a professional, Norman Rohr,

who made a living ghost writing as well

as teaching writing. When he showed up

a couple of weeks later we talked about

the book and our story, so he could begin

reworking what we had done. After I read

his version, however, I called Bob and said

something like, “I don’t think so.”

Not giving up on us, they hired Ed Plowman to do the next rewrite.

I knew Ed, because he was a founding member of Evangelical Concerns

and pastor of the Presidio Baptist Church in San Francisco.

Things went much better with Ed’s version, and the book was placed

in line for printing.

The whole process dragged on considerably, and by the time I

received the galley proofs, David had long since moved from Walnut

Creek to Atlanta. I sent the galleys back and waited for the printed

version.

Halt !

But then it happened; David was swept up into the Children of

God. I was presented with a dilemma at that point. If the book came

out, I suspected the COG would make use of it in a way I couldn’t tolerate.

By that time I knew way too much about The Family and was

convinced the book should not be published.

I called Mr. DeVries and told him what had happened. I unloaded

my worries and, after calming down, said, “We cannot publish the

book.” He instantly agreed. The irony is that the printing job was

nearly complete, and the book would have been in the mail in less

than two weeks.

That book, two versions of it plus my own original manuscript,

sits amongst my archives of the Jesus People Movement. It might yet

see the light of day.

Chapter 35, Two Brothers in Haight from Memoirs of a Jesus Freak

Sometime in 1968, I began to keep a journal. I admit this was

after the news media discovered the Jesus Movement, and it

occurred to me that it might be important to chronicle things as

I saw them.

So I began to write it all down with a pencil and a cheap spiral

notebook. I went back mentally to the night I was driving home in the

rain from my job as a shoe salesman at J.C. Penny in Corte Madera.

The Scott McKenzie song about coming to San Francisco and wearing

a flower in your hair was playing on the radio. There it was, like the

time it seemed God directly and personally called me into the ministry,

that I heard, “Go to the hippies in San Francisco.” Okay, I said to

myself, and the very next night I headed in as instructed.

That night I met David Hoyt and my whole world changed. I had

thought I would be a pastor of a normal kind of church and do the

things that I had seen my pastor, Bob Lewis, do. I had no further ambition.

I never thought I would write a book or be a great preacher or

get involved in the wild and crazy things I did. I paid a high price, and

my family, eventually families, also paid a high price. If I had known

then what would transpire, I might have become a Jonah and tried to

run away from the commission God gave me.

My idea was to write down my experiences as they happened and

not wait a week or so when I might have more time. As best I could,

this was the program I followed. I shared with David what I was doing,

and there were times when we collaborated and jointly tried to recall

1 Turns out I did write a book or two and, yes, I have done some wild and

crazy things, but I never did become a great preacher, although I do my best every

Sunday morning.

the events of the days that we spent together walking the streets of

the Haight Ashbury.

I hoped that, at some point, the notes might be turned into a book.

I knew I was not much of a writer, but I had an interesting story, so

I started sending out letters to publishers about what I was writing

about. Much to my surprise I got a letter from Zondervan Publishing

House in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it was, as far as I knew then, the

largest and most prestigious Christian publishing house in America.

A vice-president named Bob DeVries sent the letter. I sent a follow-

up letter to him asking what he wanted me to do, and his reply

was a request for the manuscript, which I immediately sent. Then I

waited. Within a few weeks, he flew out to the Bay Area to meet David

and me for lunch at the St. Francis Hotel by Union Square. Having

grown up in what sociologists of that era described as lower middle

class, I had never before eaten in, let alone seen, such a fancy restaurant.

Shocking to us was Mr. DeVries’ eagerness

for us to sign a contract, which we

were also eager to do. Bob DeVries was a

most pleasant and gracious man, probably

the most important person I had ever met.

He remained so throughout the adventure

with the story of the hippies.

We had entitled the book, Two Brothers

in Haight. Zondervan kept the title

but said the book had to be rewritten, so

they hired a professional, Norman Rohr,

who made a living ghost writing as well

as teaching writing. When he showed up

a couple of weeks later we talked about

the book and our story, so he could begin

reworking what we had done. After I read

his version, however, I called Bob and said

something like, “I don’t think so.”

Not giving up on us, they hired Ed Plowman to do the next rewrite.

I knew Ed, because he was a founding member of Evangelical Concerns

and pastor of the Presidio Baptist Church in San Francisco.

Things went much better with Ed’s version, and the book was placed

in line for printing.

The whole process dragged on considerably, and by the time I

received the galley proofs, David had long since moved from Walnut

Creek to Atlanta. I sent the galleys back and waited for the printed

version.

Halt !

But then it happened; David was swept up into the Children of

God. I was presented with a dilemma at that point. If the book came

out, I suspected the COG would make use of it in a way I couldn’t tolerate.

By that time I knew way too much about The Family and was

convinced the book should not be published.

I called Mr. DeVries and told him what had happened. I unloaded

my worries and, after calming down, said, “We cannot publish the

book.” He instantly agreed. The irony is that the printing job was

nearly complete, and the book would have been in the mail in less

than two weeks.

That book, two versions of it plus my own original manuscript,

sits amongst my archives of the Jesus People Movement. It might yet

see the light of day.

The Created in the Image of the Creator

Chapter 4 from The Preposterous God, very short

Chapter Two

The Created in the Image of the Creator

It is no wonder we are tempted to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We are created in the very image of God. Image. What is this? When we look in a mirror, we certainly don’t see God, who does not look like we do; this is easily concluded.

What, then, does “created in the image of God” mean? We see from the biblical account that it took both the male and the female to express something of the nature of God: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).

But “image” has much more to it than mere physical attributes.

We note that none of the animals God created, as depicted in Genesis chapter two, had a personal relationship with their Creator. That ability or status was reserved for the humans, Adam and Eve. Their relationship with God was personal to the extent that God actually communicated directly with this first couple. We see this in Genesis 3:8-13 after they disobeyed His one commandment:

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Image therefore takes on the idea of the capacity to have fellowship with, to know and be known by, and to communicate with, the Creator. This idea may seem strange, even preposterous to us, yet it is at the heart of the ultimate intention of the Creator. There is a lot more to the story. Genesis, after all, means beginning.

God Incarnate

Is the garden appearance a case of God becoming incarnate—physically present? Christian thinkers have been divided on this issue for the last two thousand years. The passage quoted in Genesis 3 above seems to indicate that an actual, physical Being was present in the Garden (Paradise) and literally spoke with Adam and Eve.

While the writer of the passage might have taken literary license and conveyed a most complex event into a manner more easily understood, there are also other possibilities, yet the minimum clear statement is that we find the Creator in real and actual conversation with a man and a woman. The Creator never spoke to any of the animals we find listed in Genesis chapter two, verses 18 through 23. But with Adam and Eve He did.

A Lonely Creator?

It has been suggested that the Creator was lonely, which prompted Him to create humans in order to have someone with whom to communicate and have a relationship. Neither the living organisms nor the angels satisfied Him, so fellowship would depend upon a Creature somewhat like Himself, a creature made in His image. Perhaps fellowship with human beings was the ultimate intention of the Creator. Perhaps He put that same desire for fellowship with Him inside of each human being.

Image—we humans are made in the image of the Creator. Do you ever have a sense of this? Have you read the writings of poets, heard the music of great composers, seen the paintings and sculpture of artists, or watched the films of talented directors, and seen the deep longings that abide in the spirit of men and women? Have you found in those creations the sound of a cry to know the Creator of all? The Creator is not lonely, as He is complete in His Being. However, we humans have a deep inner loneliness that can only be assuaged by a relationship with Him.

A Different Reason

We may never know why we are created in His image, and we may not really need to know. But just maybe the answer is that He loves us.

I can hear it now—the retort that the Creator can’t possibly love His creation. After all, look at the world and see the suffering throughout history. We are born and we die, and in between is turmoil and strife, with our best hope being a painless death. If love is the reason, then why the evil loosed upon us?

The Creator’s love is preposterous to us, given what we see in the world.

Pathways chapter #14: Tarot

Featured

 After perusing numbers of books on Tarot, we settled on Tarot for Beginners, by Meg Hayertz, published by Althea Press in 2018. The following is a brief summary of Meg Hayertz’s book.

Ms. Hayertz received her first tarot card reading in Portland, Oregon, at a psychic fair at the age of 19. And due to some issues in her life, she found that the reading helped calm her, which then resulted in wanting more.

 Kent reports: I recall a similar kind of fair in Berkeley some years back and another one in San Francisco later on. Though a Christian at the time, I was stunned if not overwhelmed by the spiritual power I witnessed. If it had not been for my Christianity, I might well have been attracted to that which is psychic.

 Still in the introduction, Hayertz says it is not enough that the cards shine a light on what goes on in a person’s heart and mind; this must be put into action. “I suggest we use the 78 archetypes of the tarot to empower ourselves to become more loving and free” (p. IX). And to this end, she dedicates her book.

The origin of the word Tarot goes back to the mid-15th century. In various parts of Europe games such as Italian tarocchini, French tarot, and Austrian Königrufen were popular, and the general term tarot attached itself to what became the present-day tarot. 

Part 1: Tarot Then & Now

The origins of the tarot are murky, but they are cards, 78 of them, divided between Major and Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are much like the standard deck of 52 cards but instead of spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds, there are cups, pentacles, swords, and wands, but with four additional cards. The Major Arcana contain 22 cards, four of which are The Empress, The Hermit, The Fool, and the Devil. Each of the cards have several meanings that can be attached to them depending upon the reader.

The author states that when Napoleon brought back artifacts from Egypt to Europe, there grew an interest in divination. In 1887, A. E. Waite, a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, developed occult symbolic systems around divination and astrology, which in time became related to the tarot. He then asked an artist, Pamela Colman Smith, to create a deck of tarot cards using symbols that were known at the time. This deck was published by William Rider & Sons, of London, in 1910. 

The author claims that reading tarot cards can reveal one’s potential future, and rightly evaluate one’s present circumstances, help with making decisions, help one to understand life, plus develop self-knowledge, intuition, and creativity. 

Tarot is a form of divination, a magical technique, not scientific, for gaining knowledge about the unknown and the future. And as a form of divination, it is condemned in Deuteronomy 18, verses 9–12: 

[9] “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. [10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer [11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, (ESV) 

Hayertz states that divination is a form of magic as well as most forms of meditation, “since a meditation practice can bring self-knowledge and spiritual knowledge from beyond our rational mind” (p. 7). She wants to dismiss the idea that there is a divide between the magical, or divine, and the ordinary, thus making tarot divination ordinary and common. 

In regard to the two major divisions of a tarot deck, the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana (Arcana means mystery), which come from Catholicism and Judaism, as well as Greek and Egyptian mythology, she notes the Major Arcana reflects Gnostic, Catholic, and Pagan imagery. There are also many spiritual traditions that have come to be associated with the cards, such as astrology, Kabbalah, numerology, and alchemy, as well as still more spiritual traditions that have found parallels and connections with the tarot, including crystal healing and Ayurveda (the traditional system of medicine in India) (p. 7). 

It is clear then that our author places tarot solidly amongst occultic practices.

Part 2 Tarot Mechanics 

Tarot card reading fits clearly into what is known in the occult world as divination. The cards are used to answer questions about the past, present, and future, and it is said that tarot is an opening into one’s spiritual self.

The first step for a person who wants to do tarot is to select a deck. Meg uses the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, otherwise known as RWS, but there are many others. And before making the first reading one must both purify and attune to the deck. Once readings begin, the deck must be cared for by keeping it clean and cleared of extraneous energy. 

Here in the process of purifying and attuning the deck reveals the occultic, New Age, divination, fortune telling nature of tarot. 

A deck can be purified by placing the deck on a “windowsill or outside during a full moon.” Or, one can bury the deck in salt for a few days, but in a plastic bag so that the salt does not touch the deck. 

Alternately, sage or a smudge stick can be burned while the deck is held in the smoke. Another way to purify the deck is to put the 78 cards in order, first the Fool (O) then on until the Word card (XXI), then observe through that suit all the way to the King of each suit. Once the deck is in order, it must be reshuffled. 

Attuning is the next step, and it means forming a connection with the deck—in other words, attuning to it. This means treating the deck with respect and trust. It takes a week to attune to the deck, gazing at the images on the cards to determine if there is any intuitive sensing—emotional, mental, or spiritual connections that come up. 

The deck must be cleansed regularly, as the deck can pick up unwanted energy from previous readings. There are two rituals that can be performed. One, shuffle the deck rhythmically and tap the deck on the table in order to release any extra energy. Two, fan the deck out in your hand, blow softly on the edges, and with the whole deck knock once on the top of the deck. 

It is this purifying and attuning process that brings the one selecting a tarot deck into a spiritual arena, and this is an evil arena. Indeed, this is the door opening to the demonic realm. This need not be a terrifying experience at all, but a change has occurred—a new and amazing ‘spiritual’ life and experience comes to life. And these supernatural experiences are real and not imagined. In fact, they can be quite exhilarating and captivating. 

There is a definite procedure to begin a reading; one needs to prepare a space and deck. Some tarot readers will create an altar where are placed the reader’s personal spiritual items. In any case, one needs to turn off phones, light a candle, play some music, and then invite the guidance of any higher power in. Be open then to any wisdom or insight that might be communicated in the reading of the cards. 

From six to ten minutes before beginning a reading for oneself, quietly focus the breathing and/or visualize a beam of light entering through the top of the head, which will fill the body with light. 

When one is in the right spiritual state of mind, one asks a question, but the tarot does not answer back with any direct answer. Instead, the reader, as he or she examines the cards, will relate ideas and events and reveal areas needing growth. The future is never spelled out in terms of certainty. 

On page 14 and 15, Meg Hayertz writes about Tarot Symbolism and states that symbols found on tarot cards come from a variety of sources. The version she is speaking to is the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, or RWS. 

The first is Christian mythology. Adam and Eve are depicted many times, and there is the Devil and the snake of Genesis chapter 3. There are images of a church, the pope, two monks, and more. 

The second is Egyptian mythology, or more accurately the European interpretation of Egyptian mythology. 

The third is source is from Kabbalah, a Judaist offshoot. 

Each sign of the zodiac is also found amongst the cards. 

Interpreting the cards takes practice, the author states. As we read through materials on tarot, it seems apparent that any counsel or direction from an intuitive framework could result in almost anything. (Toward the end of this chapter are some statements found on interpretation of the cards, mainly focused on intuition.) 

Our author claims there is both an intellectual and an intuitive side to determining what the cards are saying to the reader or to the one who is consulting the tarot reader. There is an opening of “your intuitive associations sparked by the cards.” Then, “note how your associations and intuitive messages match up with the meanings of the cards.” Third, note how the cards’ symbolism matches up with one’s experiences. Last, consider what actions one should then take. 

The author next moves on to which spiritual practices are connected with or are tied to tarot card reading. These are Astrology, Kabbalah, Numerology, Rosicrucianism, and Alchemy. (Our view is that there are many other spiritual/ occult practices that could be included here.) And each of these fit snuggly into and are recognized as occult practices. 

This association is an eye opener, as tarot is placed among very direct forms of the occult (pages 16 and 17). During long years of casting demons out of people, so many of them attracted demons into themselves by means of the occult. This is not child’s play nor adult play but is extremely serious. We are reminded of a most important verse at this point, 1 Peter 5:8, since this is what is going on in our world today with the wide open and public embracing of the occult arts, of which tarot is only one among many: 

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

In chapter 3 of part 1, the author begins to explain how one decides what the card spread means. One card, two cards, three cards, or more are pulled from the deck and spread out. Then the reader considers the meanings of the cards and how it all applies to him or herself, or to the one for whom the reading is being done. 

After examining this material, it is obvious to us that a reader could interpret the cards in many different ways. There is no concrete counsel, no clear solving of a dilemma, nor help with making a decision. It seems that a professional tarot card reader could bend the reading to just about anything, including flattering or messages that the “client” was clearly hoping for. There is obviously much room here for deception. 

Yet this is not the very worst outcome, which is giving oneself, however unwittingly, to an occult practice, which is animated and realized by demonic power. And the outcome of this is nothing less than judgment and an eternity in hell. Is it worth that? 

Chapter 4, part 1, is titled “Growing From the Tarot.” No comment is needed on part 2 of the book by Meg Hayertz, as it only presents each of the cards, the Major and Minor Arcana, and possible meanings for each. 

She begins this section by saying, “I use the cards to help my clients.” 

We completely believe her. Based on what we have encountered with psychics of many different persuasions, very few of them are aware of the evil nature of their work and do not care one way or the other. Either that, or they fear the loss of income, or are afraid of being tormented should they turn from their practices. 

Yes, Meg is probably sincere when she says for her clients that she wants to “unlock creative blocks, deepen their inspiration, and become more aware of issues and values that underlie their personal lives and creative work” (p. 62). 

To read tarot cards is simply to meditate on the cards “to see what feelings, associations, and narratives arise. Then, we match the experiences that arose during meditation to the definitions of the cards” (p. 63). 

Using only a broad-brush stroke to report on this process, it begins with “Connecting with our Intuition.” 

Intuition: this word can be so difficult to define, but after encountering it hundreds of times, it is apparent to us that it involves impressions that come to one while engaging in the process, and this process is usually meditation and focus of one’s breath or something else linked to gaining a state of so-called mindlessness. 

The term used here is “meditative inquiry into your inner life.” When this is achieved, then Meg says one is to “sit with what arises and open to it” (p. 64). Meg then concludes this part with, “This first step is noticing and illuminating our experience and connecting with our intuition.”  

We wonder, whatever in the world does that mean? 

The next step is to select a card or cards from the tarot deck, lay the card or cards down in front of you and meditate on these. One must look at the artwork, note the name of the card, like “The Emperor,” consider it’s also-known-as name, in this case the Grandfather, then note the keywords, in this case, Reliability, Fatherhood, and Responsibility, the element associated with it, here Fire, and astrological sign, here Aries, and then numerology, in this case 4. 

These clues or cues, which may be the right word here, are to be meditated upon. If there is more than one card spread out, then think about what might be at play between the cards. Then one can ask oneself questions such as, “Do the dynamics between the cards feel tense? Or, what are the relative ages of the figures in the cards? Or, are they facing each other? Or, what are the cards’ similarities and differences? 

The next major step is “Integrating intuition with conscious awareness.” Something is then stirring in one’s mind, and the goal here is coming to a place of understanding. And it is here when meditation is core so that the meaning of the cards comes into one’s awareness. 

We must say that the process described to grasp the message of the cards is very elusive, fanciful, lacking substance, and unrealistic. It could yield almost anything. 

Meg describes how it is that one integrates insight brought by the card reading into action. Mainly, this happens by reliance upon your intuitive sense. 

Finally, by means of meditation, envision yourself entering the card or spread. Ask a character therein, like The Emperor, if that is the card drawn for the deck, for guidance regarding action. Allow “the words or gift they offer you to intuitively come to you” (p. 68). If things are not clear, one should ask their intuition for assistance and illumination. 

Again, let the participant beware of invoking unintended spirits by “asking a character therein, like The Emperor, for guidance.” 

Closing thoughts 

Using words like intuition and meditation is deceitful. It should be evil spirit or demon instead of intuition. It should be connecting with the demonic rather than meditation. However lighthearted this tarot card reading business is presented, it is merely a cheap disguise for a course on how to become demon possessed. 

Excerpts from Wikipedia 

Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word “intuition” in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; inner sensing; inner insight to unconscious pattern-recognition; and the ability to understand something instinctively, without any need for conscious reasoning. July 9, 2022 

The word intuition comes from the Latin verb intueri, translated as “consider” or from the late middle English word intuit, “to contemplate.” July 2, 2022

Meghan Rose, a spiritual advisor and tarot reader, defines intuition as “the ability to understand something without rational or conscious reasoning.” So, in the context of tarot cards, the reader, who could be a professional or yourself if you’re reading your own cards, receives intuitive messages from the cards that they won’t be able to explain with logic. They just know. And because we all have intuitive superpowers, honing your intuitive tarot skills is totally possible with a bit of practice. 

The tarot (/ˈtæroʊ/, first known as trionfi and later as tarocchi or tarock) is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini, French tarot and Austrian Königrufen, many of which are still played today. In the late 18th century, some tarot decks began to be used for divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy reading to custom decks developed for such occult purposes. 

Tarot card reading is a form of cartomancy whereby practitioners use tarot cards purportedly to gain insight into the past, present or future. They formulate a question, then draw cards to interpret them for this end. June 26, 2018 

Tarot cards are a form of divination, which literally means working with the divine, or your higher self, which is the ultimate purpose of tarot cards, just like yoga. June 26, 2018

Chapter 34, of Memoirs of a Jesus Freak, “The COG Moves on Atlanta

The JPM was largely, but not completely, a youth movement.

Many leaders had no theological training but were self-taught.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that formal education,

theological or otherwise, was demeaned by a large segment of the

Jesus People. It was considered preferable to be “taught by the Spirit.”

Over a short period of time, a rather extensive vocabulary grew

up that represented the insider language of the Jesus People. It was

a mixture of hippie talk and Jesus talk. It reflected a fundamentalist

mindset, and some of it was useful in shutting down negative ideas.

I find myself still reverting to some of the phrases today. One that

comes to mind is, “If it isn’t in the Word, I don’t want to hear it.” Of

course, what was “in the Word” was carefully and narrowly defined.

The JPM base theology was either Pentecostal in nature or Dispensational

and anti-Pentecostal, but in either case, it was thoroughly

fundamentalistic, literalistic, and certain that Jesus was coming

tomorrow. The “authorized” King James Version was the only acceptable

translation, and alongside their pocket-sized copy of the KJV

New Testament, some also carried a copy of Hal Lindsay’s, The Late

Great Planet Earth.

Jesus People Leadership

Many leaders had little experience in coping with a large number

of brand new converts, especially ones from dysfunctional homes who

often exhibited serious mental and emotional illnesses, chief among

them being drug and sexual addictions. After all, the real attraction to

the hippie life, maybe not for all but for most, was the lure of dope and

sex. After even a genuine conversion, and even after a space of time

when the addictions receded, temptations would re-emerge. Many

intrigues and crazy rationales were concocted to fulfill perverted

drives, but they were now under some kind of spiritual cloak. For

many young converts, it was not a quick or simple process to move

from being cloaked in self-righteousness to being clothed in the righteousness

of Christ.

The youth and immaturity of most JPM leaders meant they were

utterly unprepared to deal with heavy responsibility—and I include

myself here. No group of Jesus People elected their leaders; the most

charismatic, aggressive, and outspoken grabbed for or were shoved

into leadership roles. Another view is that, due to the number of

youth coming to Christ, someone had to manage the situation. I recall

that few of the leaders in those early days lasted in those positions for

very long. It was as though God had gifted them, undergirded them,

and inspired them, and then when the JPM faded, so did they.

The COG in Atlanta

David and I often discussed the COG, and we were both aware of

the danger this radical mob of zealots posed. The few “Mo Letters”

already written were not yet widely distributed, so no one really

knew what the group was up to. We did know that the COG targeted

Jesus People gatherings and attempted to persuade people that they

and they alone were the really committed followers of Jesus.

We had a faint awareness of the cultic tactics the COG used. The

media unwittingly helped Jesus freaks here. At first, most secular and

Christian journalists could not distinguish between the good, the

bad, and the ugly. But as time went on, and the bizarre stories began

to appear in both print and television, most Jesus People had their

antennae up.

Despite the threat of the COG, David secretly visited their compound

in Texas to check out what they were doing. After David’s identity

was revealed, he was corralled and courted, and to make it a short

story, David invited a COG band to visit the Atlanta ministry. At least

he thought he was only inviting a band. The COG had planned things

well. Suddenly they burst on the scene, isolated the leaders through

one-on-one conversation—divide and conquer—and in a relatively

brief time, kids were getting on buses heading for Texas. They had

managed to isolate David, making it impossible for him to cope with

the situation.

Before that point, Berg and The Family’s excesses were not apparent,

and certainly David was not aware of their tactics. The circumstances

David faced in Atlanta and the responsibility of keeping track

of all the other houses in the various states was becoming unmanageable.

David was understandably stressed to the breaking point;

and raising a family in that environment was virtually impossible. My

thinking is that David viewed a melding into COG as a rescue of sorts.

He had no idea what he was really getting into.

Ed Sweeny and a Red-Eye to Atlanta

Late one evening I received a phone call from Ed Sweeny, the

Catholic priest I had met in Atlanta some months earlier. He told me

about the buses that showed up at David’s headquarters in Atlanta

and about the dozens of kids getting on board. I called an airline and

I was quickly on my way east.

Ed picked me up, and we drove straight to the former French

embassy. I jumped out of the car, rushed up the steps to the front

door, and encountered a young man who had been in the COG only

six months. I was way too late; the bus was on its way to other states

to pick up unsuspecting folk at the other houses David had founded.

I was highly agitated, though dead tired, and for an hour the young

COG zealot preached the philosophy and mission of The Family to me.

In a way I do not understand, I was ready to join up, right there and

then. All thoughts of my own family and ministry back in Marin fled

from my consciousness, as though I was hypnotized. Just at the point

I was going to walk into the house and become a member of The Family,

Ed suddenly appeared, grabbed me by the arm, and said, “Into the

car, get into the car, we are leaving now.” He literally pulled me off the

porch, across the lawn, and into his car.

Ed is gone now, but I love that man to this day.

The dimensions of the take-over, and that is how I viewed it then

and still do, was far greater than I thought. It was some years before I

realized the scope of the operation, a realization that came via some of

those who had boarded the buses heading for the “Texas Soul Clinic.”