Psychic Empath

The Book titled, Psychic Empath: 5 Books in 1, published in 2021 by Spiritual Awakening Academy, with no author(s) named, claims to cover the following: 

Survival guide for Empaths, Become a Healer Instead of Absorbing Negative Energies, Development, Telepathy, Healing Mediumship, Mindfulness, Meditation, Aura Reading and Chakras 

Statements with slight changes made to fit the flow of this chapter are preceded by *. The authors’ responses to the content of this book are in this font. 

*“Empathy is said to be the ability to understand and share in the thoughts and emotions of another person” (p. 206). It involves putting oneself in another person’s shoes and seeing the world from the perspective of another person. 

On the face of it, this does seem to be a commendable undertaking, but there is a dangerous downside to all of this, which is the connection with occultic practices whereby a person is exposed to evil entities. This connection is established while in a passive, altered, or shamanistic state of consciousness, and once in this state, one is open to be invaded by demonic entities. 

*An empath is not simply a sympathetic person; empaths feel the emotions and thoughts of others as though they were their own. “A psychic empath is able to pick up another person’s pain without necessarily being told of it. Their psychic ability allows them to tune into the suffering of another person even when this may not be so obvious to those who rely on verbal and visual cues” (p. 207). This may be difficult for the empath, as they will be impacted by the other’s pain and suffering. And it is not enough to simply be a psychic empath; the goal is to be a psychic empath warrior. 

*It is said that an empath is born, not made, that their skills are genetic in 35 

nature, inherent in their DNA. Thus, it is not something that can be learned; one is an empath, or one is not. And this means being able to process the energy and feelings of other people. Such people, and since prehistoric times, were seen to be priests, priestesses, seers, mystics, and more. For instance, there was the Greek Oracle of Delphi, and during the Renaissance, in France there was Nostradamus. There was even a planet, newly discovered in the mid-1800s that was said to rule psychic energy. Some of the big names issuing from this period are Edgar Cayce, Daniel Dunglas Home, and Madame Blavatsky. 

Empath traits 

*Among the traits of an empath are the following: they are highly sensitive, even telepathic, have good luck, hate conflict, have high sensory stimulation, have keenly accurate instincts about other people, often have imaginary friends, appear lonely, have a past life, communicate with animals, are loving and compassionate, have sleep issues, are good at connecting dots, have trouble letting go, soak up other peoples’ energies, are introverted, are highly intuitive, take a long time to process emotions, love nature, have strong senses, are generous, and are creative. 

Empath categories 

*Then there are various categories of empaths. One is the geomantic empath, meaning they are connected to different sites, maybe buildings, lakes, oceans, or mountains. Then there is the physical empath, or medical empath, who can discern a person’s physical well-being. The emotional empath is sensitive to people’s emotional energy. The animal empath likes to keep company with animals and may develop ways to communicate with them. The plant empath is similar to the animal empath in that they can develop close connections with plants and may communicate with them. The precognitive empath will tend to see things before they happen. The psychometric empath will have deep connections to physical objects, maybe knives, jewelry, photos, and so on. The telepathic empath can know what is in another person’s mind. 

Are these telepathic traits simply human sensitivities, imaginary thinking, or a form of mental illness? Or, are they the result of spiritual entities that know the history of humans and reside within the empath—by that we mean demonic spirits. It has been our experience to see much of what has been mentioned about traits and categories to vanish after a person has experienced the casting out of demons through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

*Geomancy is said to be an ability that empaths have or develop whereby they sense the energies and vibrations of the earth. Thus, by dousing, also known as water witching, they can discover water within the earth. Or they may be able to predict the coming of bad weather or use psychometry—the psychic ability to obtain impressions from objects. 36 

*Some empaths are able to sense and work with various spirits, a psychic ability called mediumship. “Some can heal by feeling other people’s symptoms and help them by transmuting energies” (p. 222). 

*The history of psychic empaths stretches back to the beginning of human history. However, “it was only during the New Age Awakening of the [19]70s and [19]80s that empathic skills were recognized as being distinct from other psychics” (p. 223). 

Healing tools 

*There are several spiritual healing tools that an empath may use. One is prayer, of which the H’oponopono prayer is foremost. Some aspects of that prayer are (1) Repentance—saying you are sorry for the part you have played in the things you perceive as evil or problematic that are surrounding you; (2) Asking for forgiveness—from whatever higher power you sense; (3) Gratitude—saying thank you, which takes your focus off the negative, and saying it continuously; and (4) Love—which is the most powerful force in the universe, so say it over and over again. 

Developing other abilities 

*Learning how to develop one’s “third eye”, which is between the eyebrows, helps in picking up energetic signals, which helps the chakras open up and allows energy to flow more evenly. 

*And then making one’s connection with the spiritual world will help strengthen one’s mediumship, which is allowing spirits, or deceased loved ones, to speak through you. “Even a person with no psychic skills can stay in touch with his or her ‘angels.’. . . Plus, you can then help others connect with theirs. One warning however, one must be careful as those spirits who once were humans may not like to be bothered at any hour. So, nevertheless, you need to respect them” (p. 232). 

This so-called ability is evident in our culture today. So many hope to communicate with dead parents, children, brothers, sisters, friends, famous people, pets, etc., that it is becoming the chief form of the mediumistic experience. A Google search on related topics, such as mediums, channelers, or life coaches who use psychic techniques, will reveal how many there are who are offering these spiritistic opportunities. And nothing is contacted except entities in the demonic kingdom. The result is demon possession but no contact with deceased humans or animals. 

The Shamanic and The Mystical 

The author(s) state that “Shamanism and Mysticism are two completely different practices. They have different values, either that of empowerment or 37 

surrender” (p. 236). 

*First, shamanism sees all of humanity connected to one another, otherwise known as “the collective unconscious.” And shamanism is about power, and empaths follow the shamanic path, since they connect to anything around them at any given time. Empaths have power, therefore, to connect with that which is around them, whether it be other people, animals, objects, or the deceased. This is power. “Shamanic practices are ways to heal the earth, heal oneself or others, channeling and mediumship, as well as entering a state of trance for wisdom” (p. 237). 

*There are many signs that one might be a shaman, and the top five are (1) your ancestors were healers as well; (2) you have a strong connection with nature; (3) you do not fit in with others; (4) you are able to “read” people; and (5) you feel as though you are called to help and heal others. 

*The signs one might be a mystic are (1) you are not materialistic; (2) you do not need to follow the norms of society; (3) you prefer to be alone; (4) you can see right through people; and (5) you are not afraid of the future. 

Our view is that such distinctions are disingenuous and that there is so much that is shared by the shaman and the mystic. Chiefly among the commonalities are the trance state, that which is known as the passive or altered state of consciousness, plus willful and actual contact with other worldly entities, and the deception that those entities contacted are benign and helpful. Both shamanism and mysticism are only a short distance away from direct worship of the satanic kingdom, and because of this, some empaths who have psychic abilities will hide them for fear that others will think they are evil. 

*It is said of empaths and or psychics that they can sense the subtlest energy, can internalize the feelings of other people, and have trouble distinguishing someone else’s discomfort from their own. 

*There are a number of signs that one can know he or she has psychic skills: 

*(1) They have higher than average intuitive abilities. (2) They have visions regularly. (3) Dejavu, or the sense that one has known or seen something before, is a normal experience. (4) They have accurate gut feelings on a regular basis. (5) There are occurrences of telepathy, sending and receiving messages from other people. (6) They have vivid dreams. (7) They have a sense of knowing the history of objects and people. (8) They have premonitions and predictions. (9) They know when trouble is coming. (10) They feel events from far away. (11) They have healing abilities. (12) They have access to sounds when no one else does. 

The authors of the book are aware that not all embrace psychic abilities. 38 

“Religious leaders still disapprove psychic abilities. They always warn their parishioners about the evils of psychics. They write them off as frauds, devil worshippers, or con artists. And by doing so these religious leaders dismiss the fact that there are real psychic abilities” (p. 252). 

Then a list of the chief psychic abilities is presented. 

*The first is clairaudience, meaning clear hearing or receiving messages without using one’s actual ears. The second is clairvoyance, which is clear seeing, and this seeing is with the mind’s eye. The third is clairsentience, which is clear feeling. And it means one gets messages through emotions, feelings, and sensations. The fourth is clairgustance, meaning clear tasting, and results in tasting something before putting it into your mouth. The fifth is claircognizance, which means clear knowing. This allows one to know something without seeing any facts or information. The last is clairalience, which is clear smelling, and is the ability to smell beyond your normal ability. 

Clairvoyant Healing 

*Chapter eight on clairvoyant healing, also known as psychic healing, covers the basics of this form of healing. Essentially it is using one’s psychic power by sending someone healing energies. It is said to be a balancing and harmonizing of a person’s body energies and removing blockages to dissipate physical aches and pains. 

*Clairvoyance, the ability to see clearly, involving the third eye, lets the healer see the blockage of energy and then how to relieve the circumstances. This healing may be made “manifest” to the patient portraying them as healthy, happy, and mentally, physically, and spiritually well (p. 275). 

Clairvoyant healing is sometimes referred to as energy working. This is done by the healer going into a trace state and with the movement of their hands, soothing out, releasing, and directing energy. The question is, what is this “energy?” It is never actually defined, not in any of the materials we have read nor in videos we have viewed. There is no scientific evidence verifying the existence of such energies. It is based on ancient and modern Hindu beliefs having to do with chakras and kundalini energy. 

*Meditation is an essential means of such healing. Deep breathing is very important as well. In the meditative, mindfulness state, when the healer inhales, unhealthiness is drawn out of the person’s body. Then with every exhale, this bad energy is released into the universe to be changed into something positive. 

*A spirit guide may even give the healer advice on what the trouble is and how to deal with it. 

The psychic healer’s job, as it is understood, is to heal those physical ailments that have an emotional or mental origin. So, those trained in 39 

psychiatry and psychology are not necessary. It all has to do with moving out bad energy. 

*The clairvoyant healer is also said to be able to heal someone who isn’t near them; indeed, they could be quite far away (p. 278). 

*Learning how to be a clairvoyant healer may be practiced on a pet. And if the pet does not need healing, the healer can attempt to sense their energy, and by means of meditation, focus that the pet will be healthy. 

Aura and Aura Reading 

*An aura is said to be the magnetic field surrounding every living thing, and which is said to extend about three feet around every person. And because auras originate from a person’s chakras, the aura can reveal the cause of what ails a person. It is the energy created by the chakras that create the auras (p. 285). 

*One’s aura is their personal energy field, a reflection of their current state of being. Therefore, the aura must be well taken care of, much as one would care for the physical body. 

*The psychic healer, using whatever means, can then be aware of a person’s aura and understand how to make things right. And the chief means of this involves meditation and proper breathing techniques on the part of both the healer and the patient. 

Mediumship 

*Mediumship is different from psychic reading. What is the difference? “Someone who does psychic readings may not have mediumistic abilities, which are acting as a vessel and a bridge of communication between the spirit world and the world of the living – but all mediums have psychic abilities, as this is what they use to contact the spirits of the dead” (p. 288). 

*The medium, like the channeler, can communicate with those who have died and can convey messages to the living for them. The Ouija board is a form of mediumship as are the Tarot cards, since through these means the medium is connecting with or attempting to connect with spirits of the dead. 

“The forms of mediumship used by practicing mediums are when the spirit of the dead speaks through the medium, and when the medium receives messages clairvoyantly (or clairsentient, claircognizant, clairaudient) and relays the message to the living. Most often the medium is asked by a living person to try and contact and create a channel of communication with a dead loved one” (p.288). 

Let it be clear that a medium or channeler is not connecting with spirits of the dead. Some of these practitioners are fabricating things, but others, using real mediumship, are connecting with demonic sprits that are indwelling 40 

them. Indeed, it is a case of demonic possession. In the process of many if not most of these healing events, the ones who need the healing are then also invaded by demonic spirits. It is the worst of the worst. 

At the conclusion of this Psychic Empath chapter are a series of “myths” and “facts.” Myth number 11 is, “You can quit being an empath.” Fact number 11 is, “Being an empath is a life-long sentence.” And here is an actual true statement, unless that empath turns to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and has the indwelling demonic spirits cast out.

Twenty-eight

What Title to Use

“How shall we refer to you on the wedding

announcement?”

“I like ‘Most Holy Reverend Doctor’. It has a ring

to it don’t you think?”

         

Just what or who are we? The usual titles are

“reverend,” “minister,” or “pastor,” and some like

to use “Doctor” if they have an earned doctorate.

Though I have an earned doctorate, a DMin., (not an

academic, but practical degree) I do not use it. It sounds

pretentious. I reserve “Doctor” for medical doctors,

dentists, and other medical specialists. But I will use

the term, also, for university, college, or seminary

professors if they have an earned Ph.D. or Th.D., but

that is about it. I restrict my use of the title because I

noticed that I was too pleased with being called “Dr.

Philpott”.

One day I introduced myself as Doctor Philpott to

a small group that included a rather well known medical

doctor. The M.D. gave his name, Doctor so-and-so. It

embarrassed me. He intended, I felt, to embarrass me.

He knew my doctorate had something to do with

133

What Title to Use

theology, and he could, I think, sense the kind of selfimportant

way in which I announced myself. That was

the last time I pulled that. I do not use the title in the

Yellow Pages of the telephone book, and I do not use

the term on my stationary or my business card. I have

no quarrel with others who do use it, however.

“Pastor” is the designation I use. I do not like the

title “reverend” maybe because I do not feel very

reverent most of the time. And I do not know what

“reverend” means exactly except that it is a ministerial

designation. The term “minister” is appropriate. When

I sign a wedding document (at least the ceremonial

certificate) I declare that I am a “Minister of the

Gospel.”

Essentially my function is to pastor a church, so

that is the title I use. When I meet people for the first

time they often don’t know how to address me. I will

generally extend my hand and say, “My name is Kent

Philpott” thereby letting them know how I prefer to

be called. If people ask “How am I to introduce you?”

or “How am I to list you on the program?” I will say,

“After my name should read, ‘pastor.’” And if they

want more than that I say, “Pastor of Miller Avenue

Baptist Church.” But generally, upon introduction, I

give my full name without title.

The question comes up, “How are kids to refer to

you?” I may not have the right spin on this, but I just

introduce myself to them as “Kent”. If a parent wants

to say, “This is Pastor Philpott”, or “Pastor Kent”, or

“Reverend Philpott” I let it go at that. However parents

wants to instruct their child to refer to me I will accept.

I will not correct a child but will let them call me

anything they want to.

Robes, clerical robes—though not the subject of

this chapter, I do not want to come up with a separate

134

For Pastors

chapter about robes—deserve some comment. I have

worn robes yet never felt comfortable with them. One

Sunday morning I tripped on the stole on my way up

to the pulpit and thereby generated a chorus of giggles.

I would not mention this topic except that I have met

too many ministers who take what I consider to be too

great a delight in dressing up in robes and other

religious garments. Robes were developed in an era

when the office of minister was undergoing a transition

from servant to shaman, or servant to magician. Special

garments symbolized extra ordinary powers. That is

one theory anyway, and another is that robes help set

the ministry apart or call attention to the specialness

of Christian ministry. I have little objection to this latter

view, but clothes should not be what makes the

ministry special.

If a particular denomination or church traditionally

uses robes, fine, ignore what I have said here all the

while keeping in mind our tendency to think of

ourselves more highly than we ought.

         

  What title do you prefer?

  What does the old term, “puffed up” mean to you?

 Yoga and Meditation

The following is a slightly edited chapter, # 22, “A Note to Christians on Yoga and Meditation”, from Jessica Smith’s book, The Shattering: An Encounter with Truth, published in 2015 by Deeper Revelation Books. Its focus is yoga and meditation, subjects Jessica is well acquainted with. Please keep your heart and mind open as you read this. 

I want to address the subject of yoga and meditation from the perspective of those who follow the Lord Jesus. Please know that the following is shared out of love and not judgment. . . . (Find additional information at: www.truthbehindyoga.com.) 

Yoga and a new, Eastern definition of meditation are becoming very attractive and popular in our culture today. By nature, we human beings want to fit in and go with the flow. I understand that. And I would guess that many of you who practice yoga or relaxation meditation techniques might rationalize that these practices are okay, because your type is not spiritual or is different from the more overtly spiritual forms I talk about. But I assure you, all forms of yoga are spiritual, and all have spiritual effects. 

In our society, yoga has been cleverly masked, being presented in one of two ways: (1) as a non-spiritual, exercise-only class, or (2) as a practice that retains spiritual aspects that are open to all religions. 

In the latter example, Christian practitioners are encouraged to continue in their practices and simply “plug in” the God of the Bible. As an ex-yoga teacher who trained in India before becoming a Christian, I can tell you that both views are absolutely inaccurate. Yoga is an ancient, pagan, spiritual practice that cannot be separated from what defines it (yoga means to yoke, to open and unite, with the spiritual realm). And the Yoga Sutras— the clear, ancient, little-discussed doctrine of yoga—is clearly antithetical to many religions, including Christianity. 19 

Why isn’t it well known that yoga is an ancient religion? Why is it being masked as a religion-neutral philosophy in today’s culture? . . . 

Fascinating scientific research published in the Journal of Health Psychology finds that while most people start yoga for exercise and stress-relief purposes, over time their purpose for maintaining the practice shifts to spiritual. 

Both students and teachers adopted yoga practice primarily for exercise and stress relief, but reported many other reasons, including flexibility, getting into shape, and depression/anxiety relief. Over 62 percent of students and 85 percent of teachers reported having changed their primary reason for practicing or discovering other reasons; for both, the top changed primary reason was spirituality. Findings suggest that most initiate yoga practice for exercise and stress relief, but for many, spirituality becomes their primary reason for maintaining practice.1 

1 Crystal L. Park, Kristen E. Riley, Elena Bedesin, and V. Michelle Stewart, “Why Practice Yoga? Practitioners’ Motivation for Adopting and Maintaining Yoga Practice,” Journal of Health Psychology (July 4, 2014):1–10. 

Interestingly, this doesn’t happen when taking a step aerobics class. It doesn’t happen with running or swimming or surfing or birdwatching or pole-jumping. Nor do we, in any other nonspiritual activity, find a gradual shift in purpose from physical to spiritual. Why do you think that is? Author and professor Candy Gunther Brown states the following: 

There’s also evidence that practicing something connected with religion can actually change people’s beliefs. Christians, in particular, tend to think a person’s intent determines whether something is religious. They don’t realize that active participation can actually change someone’s intent. Over time, people who start off attracted to an alternative practice because there’s a perceived health benefit start to embrace the religious ideas underneath these practices.2 

2 Ruth Moon, “What Christians Need to Know about the Alternative Medicine,” Christianity Today, October 22, 2013.

Professor Brown is absolutely right. What is underneath the practice of yoga is what counts. And where it leads is the reason I am sharing these resources with you. 

But you don’t have to take my word for it. And even though she earned her Ph.D. at Harvard and is a leading authority on the subject, you don’t have to just take Professor Brown’s or those who published the secular 20 

scientific study in the reputable Journal of Health Psychology, either. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is known as the founder of hugely popularized Ashtanga yoga. His son, Guru Manju Pattabhi Jois, carries on the teaching of yoga throughout the world. In the quote below, Manju Jois explains his father’s stance that practice alone is enough to reap the spiritual effects—regardless of understanding: 

His (Sri K. Pattabhi Jois) philosophy is that yoga would take you automatically to the meditative state, you see . . . that’s how it will draw you into the spiritual path. See, that’s why he says the yoga asanas are important—you just do. Don’t talk about the philosophy—99 percent practice and 1 percent philosophy, that’s what he taught. You just keep doing it, keep doing it, keep doing it, then slowly it will start opening up inside of you . . .3 

3 Guy Donhaye and Eddie Stern, Guriji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi: Through the Eyes of His Students (New York Point Press, 2010). 

The Jois Foundation (which changed their name to the Sonima Foundation in early 2013) advocates and makes sizeable donations to public school districts in exchange for Ashtanga yoga to be taught in public schools. They also explain this view that asanas (poses) alone are a spiritual practice. While they have since washed this view from their current website as the controversy grows of propagating such a spiritual practice in public schools, dated websites have been documented expressing that asanas are the most important part of yoga because while the poses of yoga are “in appearance an external and physical discipline,” they can “spontaneously . . . lead to the experience of the last four limbs.”4 

4 http://www.utsandiego.com/news/20-encinitas-grant-teachers/;http:// www.nclplaw.org/wp-content/yploads/2022/12/Sedlock-Yoga-Orala-Aru=gument- Press-Release-2-13-15-FINAL.pdf. (accessed March 30, 2015).13/Jul 31/yoga These last four limbs are varying levels of meditation, ending in the final limb: samadhi, which means “union with the divine.”5 

5 http://web.archive.org/web/201208140147/hyyp://www.joisyoga. com’about-ashtanga-yoga.html#parampara (accessed March 19, 2015).

In other words, practicing poses alone in the context of yoga can spontaneously lead the practitioner to opening and becoming one with this supreme spirit and the spiritual realm (which is the entire point and purpose of yoga practice) regardless of understanding or intent. 

Professor Brown was invited to testify as an expert witness in the controversial Southern California case, Sedlock vs. Baird, which protested the teaching of Ashtanga yoga in the Encinitas Union School District. After extensive research, this was her finding on the issue: 21 

. . . Yoga practice—whether or not connected with verbal explanations of why one assumes bodily positions—helps one unite with the divine.6 

6 Candy Gunther Brown, “Declaration of Candy Gunther Brown,” Motion for the Issuance of an Alternative Writ of Mandamus; Memorandum of Points and Authorities; Declarations of Jennifer Sedlock, Candy Guther Brown, Ph.D., and Dean R. Broyles, Esq. Note 45, http://www.nclplaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DECLARATION-OF-CANDY-BROWN-FINAL.pdf (accessed Jauary 21, 2015).

YOGA FAQ 

The following is a list of frequently asked questions about yoga, along with answers I believe you will find helpful. The coverage is not exhaustive; but it should provide some food for thought. 

Q: What are the religious ideas underlying yoga? 

A: Yoga is a pagan spiritual practice and has been for thousands of years. The yogic doctrine called the Yoga Sutras explains the goal of all practices along this path, which is to join or be “yoked” with Ishvara, who is also called the “source of all knowledge,” “ultimate consciousness,” “god,” or the “divine.” The yoga we find in studios and gyms is one of the ways to reach this goal. 

Yoga means “to yoke.” Many have been told it means to yoke together mind, body, and spirit. Although that sounds lovely, it is not what the term means. This yoking goes far beyond connecting the elements of one’s own person. The spiritual practice of yoga is aimed at opening oneself to the spiritual world and yoking with, connecting with, and becoming one with Ishvara, the god of the practice of yoga. This god is called many different names within varying religions and traditions. “None of these pagan gods are the Lord.” 

Everything about the practice is designed to open the practitioner to making these connections and entering a transcendent state of spiritual awakening (i.e., of yoking with Ishvara.) 

Q: Aren’t we supposed to yoke ourselves to Jesus? Why don’t just do it through yoga? 

A: There are two problems with this idea: First, Jesus says to take his yoke upon us—to walk so closely with him, that we emulate everything he says and does in order to learn from him. He does not invite us to become him. In yoga, the idea is not to take a yoke upon, but to become “one with” Ishvara. Think about the contrasts: For Christians, taking Jesus’ yoke means to 22 

walk with him, follow where he leads, and copy his example. For yoga practitioners, having yoked means to open oneself to the spiritual realm and become “one with” in the sense of being God by merging together as one. According to the Bible, we are not God. We never have been, nor will we ever be the Lord or any other version of a “god.” The Bible clearly and adamantly repeats that the Lord is the only God and we are his creation. The desire to be a god has been a deception of Satan from the beginning. . . .7 

7 See Isaiah 14:12–14; Genesis 3:4. 

Q: How do we know that Ishvara is not another name for the Lord of the Bible? 

A: There are many ways to distinguish between the two. The Lord clearly defines who he is throughout the Bible. If this question is important to you, I encourage you to research it. On my website, www.truthbehindyoga.com, you will clearly see evidenced in comparative scriptures of the Yoga Sutras and the Bible that Ishvara is a very different character, a deity whose path and practices are forbidden by the Lord of the Bible.8 

8 www.truthbehindyoga.com (accessed March 30, 2015). 

The God of the Bible is the Lord. He is the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in one being. He declares that he is the only God, and also clearly explains that there are false gods. The Lord defines his character throughout the Bible, and he does not contradict himself. So one sure-fire way to tell that the god Ishvara is not the Lord is that Ishvara’s doctrine clearly and repeatedly contradicts biblical instruction. 

Here is just one example (feel free to visit the website for many more): 

Ishvara’s Doctrine from Yoga Sutras 3.25 and 3.32: Through meditation, one can also discover spirits and communicate with master spirits.9 

9 http://www.ashtangayoga,info/source-texts/yoga-sutra-patanjali/chapter-3/ (accessed March 18, 2015).

The Lord’s Doctrine from Deuteronomy 18:9–12: 

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. 23 

Q: Yikes! What does the Bible say about other deities? 

A: . . . The deities being sought in the practice of yoga are not the Lord of the Bible. And the divine energy (or godhead) with which practitioners become yoked is not the Lord, either. The Bible is crystal clear regarding who he is, and also about the dark truth behind any other “god.” 

Q: Well, can’t we just plug Jesus in to our yoga practice? 

A: The Lord gives his clear instruction in Deuteronomy 12:30, which admonishes us to “be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.’” 

Consider also, Deuteronomy 12:2–4: 

Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah [the name of a pagan goddess] poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. You must not worship the LORD your God in their way. 

We are God’s treasured people; we are to be sanctified and set apart for him, not copycats of those who don’t know him. God calls us to separate ourselves, not to adapt and blend with pagan spiritual practices. Consider the warning from 2 Corinthians 6:14–17: 

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial [Satan]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” 

Throughout the Bible, God gives specific instructions to ensure that his followers remain set apart. He wants us far from anything that even resembles the practices of surrounding nations that follow other gods. God wants his people to be set apart, to be sanctified. 

Q: Aren’t you being legalistic? Aren’t we free from the law as it was presented in the Old Testament? 

You’re right, we are free from the law (see Romans 8:1–2). But this is not a law issue. . . .24 

I ask you to consider your example to others. I ask that, for a moment, you take yourself out of the equation and consider both Christians who are weaker in the faith and the non-Christians around you. I ask you to consider what your example of going to a class called yoga says to them. They know you are a Christian, so they assume the practice is “Christian Approved.” Do you think your endorsement increases or decreases their likelihood of digging deeper and reading up on yogic traditions, chants, and prayers? I assure you, those chants and prayers will be invocations of false gods. . . . 

The Bible, for a Reason 

The Lord gave us the Bible as a guidebook to communicate with him. It is a complete work. He tells us not to add to it, even if we receive revelation from an angel (see Galatians 1:6–12). Everything he wants us to know about how to follow him is in the Bible. Thinking that we might know better ways to commune with the Lord than the ones he prescribes . . . is the snare that has seduced humankind from the beginning: going beyond what the Lord has clearly laid out. In the Garden of Eden, Satan suggested to Eve that there was information beyond what the Lord had made known to the “first couple.” Indeed, there was. The Lord had protected Adam and Eve from it. But Eve chose to disobey, because she thought it better to discover this “truth” than to follow the Lord’s protective counsel. And she, Adam, and all of us paid for it dearly as sin entered the world. 

Not much has changed since then, either in our nature or Satan’s tactics. He still appeals to our pride, our desire to know more than the Lord outlines in the Bible. We’re still suckers for false wisdom and knowledge, even to the point of following the pagan practices strictly forbidden by the Lord. We tell ourselves that if we do them, we will connect with him “better” or “more deeply.” We think perhaps we will feel more spiritual or less stressed or might even hope to encounter a special esoteric experience if we do it our way. 

This thinking, for Christians, is a travesty. Our relationship with the Lord is not based on feelings or mysterious spiritual experiences or even seeming good health. These are quite easily manipulated by the other side. The Bible makes it clear time and time again that our relationship with the Lord is based strictly on faith and obedience—even if we don’t agree and even when we don’t understand. . . . 

Believing you have endorsed yoga (which your participation does), [others] may decide to try a class. The next thing you know, they love the way it makes them feel, so they dig deeper. They try new breathing techniques and some chanting, and soon learn more about meditation and 25 

“opening” their minds. . . . 

This scenario is happening all over the world, and it breaks my heart. Really and truly, it ought not to be. 

Yoga is not a stretch-and-tone class. Please understand this. It is an ancient, pagan, spiritual practice. Spirits have been associated with it and invoked by its practice for thousands of years. Did you know, for example, that the popular sun-salutation sequence is an act of worship to the sun god? Other poses are named after animals, celestial bodies, inanimate objects, and deities representative of pagan gods or spirits. 

There are very real spirits invoked by this practice. Period. They are being masked in today’s culture with a practice that presents itself as appealing, harmless, and even healthy. But the entire aim is to yoke the unsuspecting with the dark spiritual realm. 

MEDITATION (To Think or Not to Think?) 

Let me start this discussion by revisiting Ephesians 6:10–12, because it is so important to keep it in mind: 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

God lets us know we are warring against deceptive spirits that scheme against us. He tells us elsewhere that they are so misleading that Satan, the prince of darkness, masquerades as an angel of light.10 

10 See 2 Corinthians 11:14.It is important to remember this as we seek to uncover his schemes. 

Meditation is a word whose meaning has changed drastically in our culture. The 1828 edition of Webster’s Dictionary defines it this way: 

MEDITATION, noun [Latin meditatio.] Close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation. 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14. 

Notice that Webster originally listed only one definition. It was solely connected to the biblical practice of contemplation and focused study, and 26 

Scripture was quoted to show how the word is used. 

Today, popular dictionaries provide two opposing definitions of meditation: one remains rooted in the biblical tradition; another is rooted in Buddhism and Hinduism. The two are completely different, but they are routinely confused as such. It is important to clear up this misconception. 

The Lord’s instruction regarding meditation is to continually fill the mind with thoughts of him. Clearly, his intent is that we love him so much that we think about him always; we seek his will so ardently that we savor his Word, his instructions, and his awesome works (past, present, and future). This strengthens our relationship with the Lord and encourages us to delight in him, worshiping him with our thoughts and prayers. 

This is diametrically opposed to the mindfulness/Eastern spiritual tradition, which instructs practitioners to empty the mind of thought, often by focusing on a single subject such as the breath, a point on the body, an inspirational person, or an object. The term mindful is misleading in that it does not refer to a filling of the mind, but rather speaks of a state that results from the emptying of the mind of thoughts by focused concentration without thinking about the subject of focus. 

For example, if I meditate on Jesus in accordance with the biblical definition, I will think about his teachings. Perhaps I replay one of his parables and think about how it applies to my life; or I might turn my attention to and pray about a message Jesus gave that I am having a hard time understanding; or I may think about the ways Jesus shows his love to me. The point is, I am actively thinking about him. Contrarily, if I meditate on Jesus in accordance with the mindfulness/Eastern meditation definition, I may either picture an image of Jesus in my mind (self-induced visualization) or focus my gaze on a picture that is supposed to represent Jesus. I may concentrate on the sensation of love I feel in my heart that I believe is from Jesus. If thoughts arise, they are to be released. The point is to cultivate the state of detached mind, completely empty of thoughts. Do you see the difference? This is a practice aimed to let go of and clear the mind of thoughts. 

We are never instructed by the Lord to empty or clear our minds with thoughtless focus; we are instead instructed to occupy our minds with thoughts of him, turning them over in our minds. Thoughtless focus on a subject is a very different practice than thoughtful focus. 

Some have tried to meld this biblical paradigm with the mindfulness definition of meditation that is so prevalent in our culture. They claim that biblical meditation is comparable to mantra practice (repeating a sound, word, or phrase). But hopefully the above example has begun to clarify 27 

that these are two completely different and contrary practices. Jesus even specifically warns against praying vain repetitions like those who followed other spiritual traditions (see Matthew 6:7). His intent is for us to think about him and his goodness, which makes us steadfast in his ways. The pagan practice of letting go of all thought and emptying the mind of all thought and emotion leaves the mind wide open, with “space” to receive from the spiritual realm what feels like peace and revelations. . . . 

It is unmistakable that these are two distinctly different definitions of meditation. They are as antithetical as the spiritual sides they represent. 

Our Own Thoughts on Christian Meditation 

Meditation is something that is common to most, if not all, the world’s faiths. Some form of meditation is common to Buddhism (especially Zen), Hinduism (including Yoga), Sufism, Islam, Judaism (particularly Kabbalah, an occult-oriented offshoot of Judaism), and even some forms of Christianity. 

The essential Christian understanding of meditation can be broken down into three parts: a conscious focus on who God is, what God has done, and what God has said. The word “meditate” is found in most English New Testaments in Luke 21:14 and 1 Timothy 4:15. The Greek word in both passages is meletao (in Luke, a preposition comes before meletao). The word means to consider or think about. In the Luke passage Jesus is speaking: “Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer . . .” Clearly Jesus has thinking in mind. In the 1 Timothy 4:15 passage, Paul is giving instruction to his young disciple Timothy: “Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.” Paul urges Timothy to “practice,” with meletao being the word translated as practice. This gives us an idea about the ancient meaning of meditation, which is mindful, conscious, and reality-oriented thinking. 

In the Old Testament, meditate or meditation is found in nineteen places, mostly in the Book of Psalms. For example, in Joshua 1:8, God says to Joshua, who is Moses’ second in command, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.” Here Joshua is instructed to focus on or think about the Word of God. In Psalm 119:15 we find, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways;” and verse 23 of that Psalm reads, “your servant will meditate on your statutes.” 

In Scripture there is nothing about an emptying or clearing of the mind. The mind, the thoughts, or the reasoning process are a far cry from the kind of meditation found in all other religious practices. 

Christianity does not view the mind as an enemy or thinking as an obstacle. Scripture says nothing about putting the mind into neutral so that the divine can therefore communicate with a person.28 

It is true that Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, among others, including contemporary people in the Christian fraternity, speak of a mystical form of meditation that encourages the blank state of mind, but this is neither biblical nor mainstream Christian practice. 

Meditation or its popular designation, contemplative prayer, may seem good and may bring a measure of peacefulness, but it is still not the same as biblical meditation. 

Why our concern with this subject? Our answer is that in the passive, altered, or trance state of conscious there is a very great danger. 

The Mindfulness/Eastern Teaching (More from Jessica Smith) 

. . . The practice of Eastern meditation operates under many names such as mindfulness and relaxation or stress relief techniques in an effort to appeal to a wider audience. Regardless of the name, the purpose and results remain the same. It often starts with feelings of peace, deepens to trancelike states of deep euphoria, and intensifies further as the practitioner “yokes” with whatever is invoked to create the state of openness. The peaceful feeling is not a physiological reaction to breathing or focusing. Eastern meditation is a spiritual practice; it produces a state of being affected by spirit. 

Not all spirits are “good” spirits; the spirit that affects the state of being I just described is not a spirit working on the side of the Lord. It is deception. Its ultimate goal is for practitioners to enter a total, trancelike stillness. The purpose is said to be the attainment of ultimate “truth” and “enlightenment.” But real truth and enlightenment are not the stock and trade of the spirits and gods with which pagan practitioners become yoked during this practice. These practitioners are as unaware as I was that they are inviting in spirits of darkness and bondage. 

Just as Satan convinced Eve that the fruit would lead to real knowledge and freedom from the limitations set by the Lord, the practice of Eastern meditation promises one thing and delivers another. The professed goal is deceptive. As with anything Satan tries to use for his purposes, the real goal is to keep the practitioner from knowing the Lord, trusting him, and being saved by him. The Bible says Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy (see John 10:10). The Eastern practice of meditation is from him. 

. . . It is important to note that the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden was not evil. The Lord created the tree. He called it the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There was nothing wrong with the tree. It was how 29 

Adam and Eve interacted with the tree that mattered. They went against the Lord’s instructions. That was the problem. 

Similarly, there is nothing inherently evil about stretching or breathing or relaxing in a cross-legged position. So where is the line? This is my advice to those of you still struggling with questions of what practices are okay and what aren’t as a follower of Jesus: If you want to pray to Jesus while you hold your push-up position, awesome—the Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Yoga doesn’t get to claim exercising and stretching. And if you want to thank and praise the Lord while taking some deep breaths, do it—the Bible says to rejoice always (this includes while breathing with short or long breaths). God gave us breathing, and meditation doesn’t get to claim it. 

But here’s the difference: if we continue to engage in these practices under the name of yoga or mindfulness meditation techniques, then we not only choose to defy the Lord’s instruction (see Deut.12), but we potentially lead others astray by openly putting our stamp of approval on everything these practices represent. It is how we approach and interact with what God has created—that is the issue. 

May I suggest that the spiritual depth, peace, or stress relief we seek can be found simply by reading God’s Word, fellowshipping with other believers, taking in solid biblical teaching, and spending time with him in prayer—by following the Lord’s instructions instead of trying to “redeem” Satan’s? 

I encourage you to try it the Lord’s way, search your heart, and ask Jesus to reveal to you his heart in this matter. 

. . . When laying out his instruction for worship in Deuteronomy 12, there is a reason the Lord did not instruct his people to simply “redeem” (as many now label) the spiritual practices of those around them by plugging his name into them. On the contrary, he adamantly commanded that everything resembling the practice be burned, smashed, and destroyed. He clearly stated his intention for his people to be separate in their acts of worship, not copycats of pagans. The Lord does not counsel against these methods because he is mean and wants to deprive us of peace and knowledge, but because he sees and knows more than we can wrap our minds around—he wants to keep us from death. 

. . . See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8 NIV). 

I pray the Lord continues to guide you as you seek His truth.30 

Excerpts from Wikipedia 

March 10, 2022 

Yoga (Sanskrit: lit. ‘yoke’ or ‘union’) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciousness untouched by the mind (Chitta) and mundane suffering (Duḥkha). There is a wide variety of schools of yoga, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and traditional and modern yoga is practiced worldwide. 

Two general theories exist on the origins of yoga. The linear model holds that yoga has Vedic origins, as reflected in the Vedic textual corpus, and influenced Buddhism; according to author Edward Fitzpatrick Crangle, this model is mainly supported by Hindu scholars. According to the synthesis model, yoga is a synthesis of indigenous, non-Vedic and Vedic elements; this model is favoured in Western scholarship. 

Yoga is first mentioned in the Rigveda, and is referred to in a number of the Upanishads. The first known appearance of the word “yoga” with the same meaning as the modern term is in the Katha Upanishad, which was probably composed between the fifth and third centuries BCE. Yoga continued to develop as a systematic study and practice during the fifth and sixth centuries BCE in ancient India’s ascetic and Śramaṇa movements. The most comprehensive text on Yoga, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, date to the early centuries of the Common Era; Yoga philosophy became known as one of the six orthodox philosophical schools (Darśanas) of Hinduism in the second half of the first millennium CE. Hatha yoga texts began to emerge between the ninth and 11th centuries, originating in tantra. 

The term “yoga” in the Western world often denotes a modern form of Hatha yoga and a posture-based physical fitness, stress-relief and relaxation technique, consisting largely of the asanas; this differs from traditional yoga, which focuses on meditation and release from worldly attachments. It was introduced by gurus from India after the success of Swami Vivekananda’s adaptation of yoga without asanas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Vivekananda introduced the Yoga Sutras to the West, and they became prominent after the 20th-century success of hatha yoga. 

Zen, whose name derives from the Sanskrit dhyāna via the Chinese ch’an, is a form of Mahayana Buddhism in which yoga is an integral part. 

Yoga is practiced with a variety of methods by all Indian religions. In Hinduism, practices include jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yoga, kundalini yoga, and hatha yoga.31 

Christianity 

Some Christians integrate physical aspects of yoga, stripped from the spiritual roots of Hinduism, and other aspects of Eastern spirituality with prayer, meditation and Jesus-centric affirmations. The practice also includes renaming poses in English (rather than using the original Sanskrit terms), and abandoning involved Hindu mantras as well as the philosophy of Yoga; Yoga is associated and reframed into Christianity. This has drawn charges of cultural appropriation from various Hindu groups; scholars remain skeptical. Previously, the Roman Catholic Church, and some other Christian organizations have expressed concerns and disapproval with respect to some eastern and New Age practices that include yoga and meditation. 

Following are excerpts from a major health network site in which they recommend and explain several types of yoga to their members under a section on “Thrive Together/Stay Active”11 

11 Found at https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/stay-active/ common-types-of-yoga?wt.tsrc=email_pih&cat=l, accessed August 19, 2022 : 

Yoga is a mind-body practice. It involves breathing exercises, meditation, and moving your body. It began as a spiritual practice in ancient India. Today, many people practice yoga to benefit their overall health. It can help with pain relief, depression management, and even quitting smoking.12 

12 Their reference for this statement is found in “Yoga: What You Need To Know,” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, accessed June 2, 2022.. . . Here are 4 types of yoga to try and how they can benefit your mind and body. 

Hatha is an umbrella term for several styles of yoga. Many popular classes taught in Western society fall under this category . . . Hatha yoga can improve posture, strengthen the core, and encourage mindfulness. It can also boost the immune system and help reduce symptoms of menopause. . . . 

Vinyasa has fast, constant movement where you “flow” between poses. . . . It’s a more aggressive workout than hatha and is even considered a form of aerobic activity. So, it’s a great option if you’re looking for a more intense workout or if you’re an experienced yogi. 

Ashtanga yoga shares similarities with vinyasa. It’s performed at a fast pace and features a constant flow of movements. . . . [I]n ashtanga yoga you do a series of poses in a set order. It often starts with sun salutation poses . . . 

Hot yoga is any type of yoga done in a heated room. . . . 32 

Practicing yoga can be a great addition to your self-care routine. Staying active supports your physical health and can also benefit your mental health. 

From bigthink.com/thinking/yoga-hindu-spirituality/ (3/27/2023): 

The spiritual connection between yoga and Hinduism: 

The late Jay Lakhani, Hindu author and tutor with Hindu Academy, described what happens during a yogic union: 

“There’s something much more to us than meets the eye; we are more than material beings. Only through tremendous introspection can you rediscover essential identity. Not just the body, the mind, or the intellect, but the spirit that lights all of us up. And relinking ourselves with the spirit is the idea of yoga; joining up with our real nature.” 

Essentially, yoga is a spiritual practice meant to help with purifying and preparing the body and mind to first recognize one’s atman (“soul”) within, and then unite it with Brahman or the divine. Hindu philosophy views this attainment of union with the divine as the ultimate goal of human existence, and it is called “Moksha” or “Mukti.” This attainment is said to be a liberation or release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). 

Additional quotations taken from adherents and practitioners of various spiritual paths and techniques covered in this book: 

“Meditation is essential for the development of mediumistic abilities.” (Robert Brown, We Are Eternal, p. 295) 

“Meditation opens the door to the spirit world and to spiritual experiences It is the fuel for mediumship.” (Konstanza Morning Star, Medium, p. 51) 

“Without meditation you cannot develop your spirituality, your mediumship of the ability to properly meet your Guides.” (Derek Johnsen, How to Become a Psychic Medium, p. 31) 

“I can’t stress enough how instrumental a daily meditation ritual is for anyone who wants to contact their guides.” James Van Praagh, Wisdom From Your Spirit Guides, p. 118) 

Final Comments on Yoga and Eastern Style Meditation: 

Few practitioners of Yoga and Zen would deny that an altered state of consciousness is what they routinely seek; only those who perceive of Yoga as no more than a form of physical exercise might miss seeing the deeper goals. Serious 33 

devotees of both Yoga and Zen meditation are well schooled in the techniques for detaching or removing themselves from the normal or usual state of mind in order to be at a place or state of mind other than that which is normative. 

While both Yoga and Zen utilize meditation, concentration, and focusing, and while both may use mantras, koans, and various forms of music, it is not common for practitioners of Yoga and Zen to encounter spiritual entities while in states of trance. It would actually be more common in Yoga than Zen, but much more so in shamanism, Santería, and neo-pagan disciplines like Wicca. 

Despite the fact that no mention is made by Yoga and Zen practitioners of meeting the various spirit guides, spirit animals, fairies, elves, and gods and goddesses in their trances, danger lurks nevertheless. While in trance states, Hindus and Buddhists come upon more than nothingness during deep meditation. Their western counterparts have similar experiences when learning how to enter advanced states of meditation or concentration. 

The “more” mentioned above refers to spiritual entities of some kind. Over the years, we have talked with persons who have encountered them while deep in meditation. On occasion the person is exhilarated, other times frightened. To discover the actual existence of “otherness” can be captivating, as we have expressed a number of times, even if the spiritual encounter was thought to be taking place only in one’s mind. Regardless of whether a separate reality exists in these situations, when actual spiritual beings are encountered and even conversed with, then biblically speaking, such encounters fall into the demonic realm. 

Twenty-seven

Limit Promotions

“I just got a letter from our missionaries in South

America and they need a new computer and a new

truck. I figure it will run about $12,000. Pastor, what

are you going to do about it?”

“I think I will simply scrape a little bit more gold

off the chandelier.”

         

Pastors are asked, sometimes expected, to promote

many important and worthy causes: in some

instances it seems more like a demand than a request.

Before I learned how to say “No,” I spent an inordinate

amount of time begging for money. Squeezing money

out of people seemed like a major feature of my job.

Of course I present the need for giving tithes and

offerings. In the Sunday morning bulletin I routinely

have an offertory theme. Sometimes the theme

coordinates with the sermon, sometimes it does not.

The offertory theme provides an opportunity for a brief

teaching on giving. In addition, a record of the week

by week giving is presented in the Sunday bulletin.

The monthly newsletter contains a complete

accounting of the giving and spending for the past

month.

129

Limited Promotion

Miller Avenue is part of a particular denomination,

and the denomination has four offerings a year. We

participate in the “The One Great Hour of Sharing”

offering, an America for Christ offering (home

missions), the World Mission offering (foreign

missions), and an offering for retired ministers and

missionaries. This is characteristic of American Baptist

Churches. Prior to the date of the offering, I receive a

box of promotional materials, videos, cassette tapes,

posters, and bulletin inserts. A financial goal is set, an

educational and motivational process is set in motion,

and the goal is usually met.

Beside the four basic denominational offerings

there are others we promote as well. Several of the

missionary organizations we give to usually send a

representative around once a year to promote their work

and take up a love offering. In addition, there are other

important groups who make requests to come before

the congregation and present their ministries. And then

there are the local charities and outreaches; they too,

look to churches for support. The over-riding need is

money, sometimes money and volunteers.

It is difficult for me to make evaluations about the

worthiness of a ministry or outreach. What makes it

even more stressful is that friends will be entreating

me to support their ministry. However, limitations must

be made, pastors must learn to say, “I wish I could”. If

not, the pastor will continually be asking the

congregation for money.

A common perception, for Christians and non-

Christians alike, is that the church is simply after

money. This perception is not far from the truth. We

are too often either taking an offering or preparing to

take one.

130

For Pastors

It is essential to limit promotions. There will be

some promotion certainly, and my suggestion is to

select one or two or three a year and do a sensible

promotion. And be very straightforward about it: “We

are going to raise money for _____ and here is the reason

why.” Giving, I have found, will actually increase when

the constant selling, promoting, and persuading is

limited. Above all, reject any tactic that tends to make

people feel guilty for not giving.

Though this does not logically belong at the end

of this chapter, I want to include a tangential issue. I

think it is extremely important that no one know what

anyone else in the church is giving. Certainly the

church treasurer is going to know, and consequently

that church treasurer needs to be a confidential person

who will not divulge information. And the treasurer

must not act towards someone in a deferential manner

on the basis of giving.

Pastors do not want to know who gives what! I do

not know who gives what and I do not care who gives

what. It matters not if a person gives a dollar or a

thousand dollars a month; I will not pay attention to

the one person over the other. It is a mistake to do so.

Too easily we can get into a situation where we are

afraid of losing somebody we know is a substantial

financial contributor. Such a person can then wield an

unhealthy power over us. We want to reject that kind

of fear and entanglement.

131

Limited Promotions

         

  Do you have strong feelings about money and the

church?

  Perhaps the worst experience is having to promote

an offering for a cause you do not care for. Have you a

plan for limiting promotions?

 The Core Issue

Just what is wrong with psychic therapies such as the Akashic Records, Reiki, Kundalini healing, psychic empath, psychic mediums, crystal ball gazers, Tarot card readers, astrologers, and more? Aren’t these people merely hoping to help others be healed and comforted? How about the life coaches who use mystical and occultic processes to do their work? 

Based on our experience and connections with these ‘therapists,’ many are indeed attempting to help others. There are, however, the competing goals of money to be made and status to attain, but those are inherent in the pursuit of most career fields. 

So then, just why are we taking issue? Let’s begin with something Jesus said: 

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” 

(Matthew 18:20). 

Throughout the centuries, Christians have understood this verse to mean that when two or more believers in Jesus are together for worship, prayer, or praise, then He is present with them. The same dynamic is true for those who gather to practice or participate in occultic, psychic, mediumistic, or like activities. Yes, we are saying that when this happens, there will be a demonic, satanic presence, which can result in possession by evil spirits. 

This result is even more likely to occur when various forms of meditation are employed. Kundalini healing by drawing and balancing energy fits this, as do “mindfulness” processes whereby a person slips into a passive, altered, or shamanistic state of mind. This can occur whether one is alone, with a single psychic therapist/healer, or in a group. The Wiccan circle, where spirits are summoned for protection, is another example. 

For fifty-plus years, we have engaged in what is called “deliverance ministry.” Visit any online bookstore and type in my name, and you will find three books we have written on the subject. They are A Manual of Demonology and the Occult (Kent’s master’s thesis, written in 1972 and published by Zondervan Publishing House in 1973, updated and republished in 2021), then Deliver Us from Evil: How Jesus Casts Out Demons Today, and The Deliverance Handbook. 

Rather than trying to sell books here, we are trying to claim serious 13 

attention and credentials for our ongoing work in this area. Over these years, we, along with many others, have engaged in the very Biblical ministry referred to as deliverance ministry. Hundreds of times, including now in the pandemic era via Zoom, it has been clearly discovered that demonic spirits entered a person during various practices: with tarot card readers, those using the I Ching, gathering in the Wiccan circle, practicing meditation, being initiated into Transcendental Meditation or into Krishna Consciousness, consulting a crystal ball gazer or a medium, doing deep breathing mindfulness exercises, and more. This becomes clear when a person recognizes what has happened, often after becoming a born-again Christian, realizing they have had a demonic, evil spirit indwelling them. 

Deliverance events can be quite difficult, because the Faustian tradeoff about a demonic presence is that it gives a person both power and knowledge. The Faustian “deal” is one’s soul in exchange for gifts of power, money, and/or knowledge. On several occasions, we were requested to do deliverance with a person who made his or her living as a psychic or a medium. Right during the deliverance ministry, the person would refuse to continue, because the demons in them warned them they would lose their power and knowledge if they were cast out. No longer would they find out about past or future events on the part of their client, as it had been portrayed, nor would they be able to clear the energy, as was supposed, and open up the blockages. And the result would be that they would not be able to continue to engage in their often very lucrative practice. Their very livelihood would be eliminated, and their status demoted. 

The satanic realm has a counterfeit for the spiritual gifts and work of God’s Holy Spirit. These demonic versions are very real, not imaginary, and it is no wonder that occultists, psychic therapists, mediums, and clairvoyants are convinced they have ways to contact the ‘other’ world and to convince their clients that it is all real and wonderful. 

The price that will be paid when demons turn the gift into a ball-and-chain is not worth whatever may come by way of the psychic therapist or their clients. Unless the demons are cast out and the person becomes a follower of Jesus, the cost is an eternal one, and that is being forever separated from God and from all that is love and good. The cost is hell itself. 

2 Corinthians 11:12–15 

[12] And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. [13] For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. [14] And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (ESV)

Twenty-six

Avoid Fund-raisers

“This will help so many in our church. I know a couple

people who could earn some extra money and it will

be good for fellowship. And, pastor, you could save

some money, too.”

It sounded too good to be true. Guess what! It was.

         

Rarely a week goes by that I am not contacted by

phone about a fund-raiser. A major industry has

developed around fund-raising, and of course, fundraising

companies target churches.

Fund-raising businesses purchase lists of nonprofit

organizations, and the opening tactic is to send out a

couple of slick brochures followed some days later by

a phone call. And they will have a fund-raiser

guaranteed to bring in lots of money. For example, they

will produce a directory for the church complete with

photos. They will handle everything. Everyone will

get a nice directory and for every order $5.00 comes to

the church. It works, too. This is usually no scam; it’s

just that the program has to be run through the

governing process, and promoted, and then promoted

some more. Usually there is some paper work, phone

calling, and ruffled feathers to be soothed, too.

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For Pastors

Or there is a deal for long-distance phone rates and

the church will get a certain percentage. Or perhaps it

is group life or medical insurance, and the church

members will get a break on the premiums plus a

certain percentage of the premiums paid come directly

to the church. The word is, “Simply wonderful, a winwin

situation”. And there are dozens of schemes, often

operated by Christian organizations, even missionary

enterprises. I am amazed at the creativity of these

people; they have almost every angle down.

The appeals are irresistible; some people get quite

excited about raising money for the choir or a youth

program, and “We really do need to repave the parking

lot”. In general, the support of special projects,

especially onetime events, may be okay. But the

principle I try to stick to is—no fund-raising for the

general budget. The tithes and offerings that come in

at the regularly appointed meetings and services alone

must support the budget.

There are always reasons for fund-raisers,

sometimes compelling reasons. After the package is

agreed to then the work of promoting the fund-raiser

must begin; the concept has to be sold to the people.

There will be meetings, meetings with committees and

boards and councils; of course, everyone must be “on

board”. It will be necessary to allot a significant amount

of Sunday morning announcement time, at least, for

promotional purposes. It will be in the bulletin for

weeks, special flyers will be printed, posters painted

and banners made—to get everyone excited about the

fund-raiser.

Once one fund-raiser is run there will likely be

more of them. The budget may come to depend on

fund-raisers. “We are going to make up our red ink

125

Avoiding Fundraisers

through a fund-raiser.” Then there will be a lot of fundraisers.

It is a tremendously draining exercise.

Now I will admit that Miller Avenue does do a yard

sale once a year for our Annual Gospel Concert. (I am

not as clean here as it might seem.) The yard sale is a

compromise on my part and I have not made up my

mind whether I am doing the right thing or not. For

the last nine years we have had an annual yard sale to

fund the concert. I have to admit it is fun to do. All of

the money goes directly to our gospel concert. But I

have at least limited fund-raising to the concert. I say

“No” to everything else though some are quite

tempting.

Despite my inconsistency, my suggestion is to avoid

fund-raisers, particularly anything that has to do with

saving money on telephone rates, insurance, utilities,

soap, cosmetics, plastic containers, and groceries—

anything where people sign up and change who it is

they have been doing business with.

Of course, many promoters of fund-raisers are

certain it is all for Jesus. One hears, “Don’t you want

your money go to Christians rather than those pagan,

secular utility companies?” Well, I got sold once; I tried

a telephone deal. A slick start-up telecommunications

company in the south someplace sold me, and all for

the glory of God.

I got a whole bunch of people to switch their longdistance

telephone carriers to this wonderful Christian

group. We did a promotion, a company representative

even flew out; we had a couple of meetings and people

got excited about it and changed their long-distance

telephone carrier. The company made one point very

clear—there would be no charge to make the switch.

We had it in writing. Praise God! And then the long

distance bill was going to be lowered by 20% and 10%

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For Pastors

of that total would come right into the church. Imagine

10% right into the church!

It’s simple really. Let’s say the long-distance phone

bill had been $50.00 a month. The new company would

save the subscriber $10 and $5.00 would come right

into the church. Praise God! Come right here into the

church! Well, we did it, and I persuaded nearly all of

the elderly people in the church to get on board. We

were going to use the money for the choir. This was

actually the plan to fund the gospel concert before we

came up with the yard sale idea.

The first thing that happened, people come to me

and complained they had been charged, I think $10.00,

to switch over; and of course, that was not supposed to

happen. When I contacted the company they

apologized for the charges and said they couldn’t help

it, it was the FCC, or something or other, the NCA, or

the TWP, or some kind of government agency that

charged this and, well, what can you do. We had that

little hurdle.

The next thing people reported that their longdistance

phone bills had jumped considerably. I

contacted the company again and said, “We were

supposed to have a 20% saving.” I was told, “You know

that comes in the second year. We haven’t quite got

there.” I checked my notes at that point and this was

indeed news.

When after several months had elapsed and no

money had come into the church I called again. I said,

“It has been four months now and we have not received

a check. We figure it ought to be forty or fifty bucks by

now, for the choir.” And the voice at the other end said,

“We are going to look into this.” They looked into it

for more than six months. The last time I called I got a

recording saying the phone had been disconnected.

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Avoiding Fundraisers

We never did receive a single penny. Everybody had

to switch back over to their old long distance carrier

and it cost them another $10.00 apiece. It was a

complete boondoggle. In fact, a couple of years went

by before we finally got that company to keep

reenlisting us as their customers. We told them over

and over “We do not want you to be our long distance

carrier.” No matter, they kept doing it, the $10

switching charges continued and there are some people

who are still mad at me. It ultimately cost the Philpott’s

around a hundred dollars and a lot of prestige, and it

was a long time before the people on the church council

would listen to anything I brought up about money.

Flee fund-raisers!

         

  Anybody have a story you could send me about a

fund-raiser?

Maybe someone had a good experience—tell me about

it.

  How would you handle it if a person in the

congregation announced that he or she had the perfect

idea for a fund-raiser?

 Introduction

Advertisements from Psychic and Reiki Therapists, Life Coaches, Mindful- ness/meditation practitioners, Akashic Records consultants, Tarot Card readers, Channelers, Hypnotists, Energy Therapists, and more are offering their services to a generation of people who are largely unaware that these are occult practices and that they are spiritually and emotionally dangerous. Yet these therapists are convinced they are not engaged with evil influences and other malevolent beings and that they are only working with benevolent spirits and entities to help and heal people who engage their services. Sadly, the reality is that such practices are an invitation to being exposed to and being subject to demonic forces.

Such practitioners, therapists, and consultants are convinced their activity is safe and helpful; they are not usually aware that they are tapping into demonic forces, and of course, neither are their clients or students. Some become aware that they are encountering spiritual entities, but they generally do not realize the true demonic nature of these beings. 

Some, however, do know the actual source of their powers, but their desire for this power and knowledge is sufficient for them to ignore the truth. The same is true for the clients/patients, since there is usually a sense of being helped, at least at first. And this is the primary reason for this book. This is an eternal issue—there is a heaven and a hell, and that awful serpent, also called Satan, is coiled up in these psychic therapies and empaths.

How do we know this is true? is a fair question to ask.

Following is a brief autobiographical statement from Kent: 

Even though I graduated with a master’s degree from the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary in Mill Valley, CA, and did a second master’s there as well, I disagreed with the professors who thought that there are real demons and an actual devil. I thought I knew better but went along with it anyway. 

The reason for this is that my college major had been psychology, and 10 

during my course of study I had concluded that there was no such thing as demons or demon possession but merely psychological disturbances of one kind or another. This all changed while I was a street evangelist in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District from 1967 to 1969. At that time, I even visited a few times with Anton LaVey, the founder of the Satanic Church, and thought that he was a mere charlatan. But then, I began to encounter those who actually did have indwelling demons, so directly and personally that I could no longer deny the existence of that which is evil and demonic. Those experiences, which came by the hundreds, began a long history with what is generally called “deliverance ministry.” 

My thesis for the second master’s at Golden Gate Seminary is titled, A Manual of Demonology and the Occult, which was published by Zondervan Publishing House in 1973. This resulted in people from all over America and even foreign countries arriving at my doorstep looking to be rid of demonic spirits. By 1975, at the church I pastored in San Rafael, CA., we were forced to develop twelve two-person teams whom we trained to do deliverance ministry. During that era, with one of our pastors, Mark Buckley, I routinely engaged in casting out demons. And this still goes on today but with less traffic, thankfully. 

During the period of the 1970s, I operated a counseling ministry along with my pastoral duties. We called it the Marin Christian Counseling Center on Fourth Street in San Rafael, California. I had hundreds of patients. Many of them had come out of the beat or hippie generation and had been exposed to strange cultic groups of an Eastern variety, including various occult practices, even satanism. 

During that period of the sixties and seventies, occult practices were not nearly as popular and common as they are today. Then it was avant-garde and edgy, so to speak; now it is mainstream and largely accepted, and there are few voices expressing a different point of view. Thus, the reason for writing this book. 

For many of the chapters, we have included material from Wikipedia. Our reasoning is that readers should see what others have said on the various topics, especially those who engage in the actual practices, as well as those who criticize them. Some are in support of, for instance, Reiki, while others are not but do not take a position. Rather, they may present what is generally known about the area of interest. 

Final Note: While doing the ministry of deliverance that began in the late 1960s, I learned that in most cases, demonization began with involvement in some form of the occult—therefore the reason I began a study of these practices. Here is the list of those practices that I included in my book, Deliverance Handbook: A Guide to Casting out Demons for Today’s Christian.11 

A partial listing of occult practices includes three major categories: 

(1) Fortune telling; (2) Magic; (3) Spiritism. 

1. Fortune telling 

a. Astrology 

b. Palm reading 

c. Tarot 

d. I Ching 

e. Ouija Board 

f. Fortune Teller 

g. Tea Leaf Readings 

h. Crystals 

1. Magic 

a. Witchcraft 

b. Satan worship 

c. Curses and spells 

d. Love magic and hate magic 

e. Use of crystals for healing and other purposes 

1. Spiritism 

a. Seances 

b. Mediumship 

c. Clairvoyance 

d. Hypnotherapy 

e. Mental Telepathy 

f. Clairaudience 

g. Channeling 

h. Automatic Writing.

Twenty-five

Avoid “Movements” Within

Christianity

“Today we are going to hear from Brother Blank who

will report on the new thing God is doing in His

Church.”

“Hundreds of Christian leaders gathered in Los

Angeles over the weekend to learn how to prepare for

the upcoming computer meltdown.”

“Some churches are becoming ‘12 Step’ centered.

It shows we can learn from the culture we live in.”

         

In the 37 years I have been a Christian, I have seen

many “movements” come and go. For instance,

there have been prophecy movements; Christians

excited about world events that surely signal the soon

return of Jesus. Books about the “YK2” problem were

big in 1999. I have seen movements for the “Battle for

the Bible,” people getting excited about defending the

Bible. I have seen movements regarding shepherding,

preaching the necessity of being submitted to a

“shepherd,” which would result in a balanced life. I

have seen the “Deliverance Movement”—everyone

getting all the demons cast out. (I was involved in this

particular movement myself.)

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Movements

Then I have seen the movements whereby

addictions are cured or healed. (Almost everyone is an

addict, so we are told, and we can be free of them by

doing such and such.) And so we have Christian

movements that focus on addictions.

There has been a large and popular movement

whereby oaths and promises are made thus insuring

true Christian manhood. And spiritually discerning

Christians are “mapping” the demons that control cities

and that frustrate the success of the gospel message.

There have been, there are, and there will be

“movements” within the Christian community.

The Christian community, by and large, seems to

constantly need to be excited by some new thing. A

big revival is talked about here, and people are learning

how to take over their local governments over there;

people are rushing off to someplace in Canada, or they

are going off to someplace in Florida. They are booking

airplane flights and making hotel reservations. They

are spending lots of money running off and having a

good time then coming back and trying to get their

churches to appreciate the new movement and get on

board.

New movements have to be sold to the church,

and pastors end up being promoters rather than

preachers. Literature is mailed out, meetings are called,

and special speakers are brought in—all to get people

on track with the new and exciting movement. Talk

about a waste of resources!

Nearly all of the movements I have ever seen turn

out to be somehow funny and strange, but more than

that they are diversions from the primary goal of the

gospel ministry. Movements waste our money, steal our

time, and embarrass us. My suggestion is to avoid

movements.

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For Pastors

Could it be that those who are merely Christianized

(those who experience false conversion) are the ones

who are attracted to the movements within

Christianity? It has been my observation that those who

have experienced true conversion are satisfied with

Jesus. Growing up into the stature of the fullness of

Jesus and bringing Him glory and honor, these seem

to be enough.

The work of the gospel preacher is always full and

never ending. Therefore there is usually little time for

the movements, exciting events, great meetings, and

outstanding seminars with so many great speakers

coming together. Well, these may keep people excited,

moving and supposedly busy, but I wonder about the

movements.

         

  What “movements” have you gotten involved with?

  Where are those movements now?

Brain storm to see if you can guess what the next one will be. I

think it will involve celebrations and rituals. Yes, Christians seem to be

captivated by big, noisy, “spiritual” celebrations.

Recently one of my students who had graduated from the seminar where I was teaching returned to speak about his church planting experiences. I asked him what had he not learned in Seminary that he really needed in his ministry? His answer was He did not learn how to combat the evil spiritual forces that he met every day. 

Dr. Philpott has seen the need to inform the modern-day Christian of the need to understand the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This book is a must for all who are ready to understand that the church today is involved in spiritual warfare. If our battle against the enemy is to be won, we need to better understand Satan and his methods. This book will help in informing the interested believer of the enemy and his methods. 

~ Professor William Wagner 

Founder Global Strategy Forum 

The Philpotts give overviews of a wide variety of occult practices popular in the culture today and provide a biblical response to each. Christians can benefit from reading about these, because in order to share the truth of Christ, we should be prepared to come across people with these views. The book can also be handy as a reference on specific topics. These subjects are not discussed much in the church, and many congregants are unaware of the views that go along with them, so the Philpotts have provided a needed and useful service with this book. 

~ Marcia Montenegro, Christian Answers for the New Age, and former professional astrologer 

It is my privilege to encourage Christians and non-Christians alike to read this book. It will open your eyes to the many seductive avenues that Satan uses to lead people astray and away from the True Living God of the Bible. 

It has also grieved my heart to see my fellow Christians who are ignorant of the dark spiritual realm. I believe a large degree of the deception we see in the church today is the result of a lack of deep biblical instruction – both from the pulpit and in one’s private study of the Scriptures. If we are not armed with the infallible, inerrant, unchanging Truth from the Bible, we are prone to fall for lies and half-truths. 

I know Pastor Philpott to be a learned teacher, as well as a kind servant of Christ, who cares deeply about others’ spiritual conditions. 

This book is a great tool for unmasking many forms of “spirituality” – ones that even many Christians embrace today – to their detriment. 

Sharon Dutra, Be Transformed Ministries 

Author of Be Transformed; New Beginnings, and Fishers of MenPathways to Darkness Kent A. Philpott, MDiv, DMin Katie L. C. Philpott, MDiv Earthen Vessel Publishing Exposing the Dangers of Contemporary Spiritualities 

Pathways to Darkness: 

Exposing the Dangers of Contemporary Spiritualities 

©2023 by Kent and Katie Philpott 

All rights reserved. 

Earthen Vessel Media, LLC 

San Rafael, CA 94903 www.earthenvesselmedia.com 

ISBN: 978-1-946794-38-3 print 

978-1-946794-39-0 eBook 

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023944807 

Cover and interior design by KLC Philpott 

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information retrieval system, without the written permission of the author or publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, internet site, or broadcast. 

All Biblical Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Contents 

Introduction 9 

The Core Issue 12 

Medium Tyler Henry: Is This Real? 14 

Yoga and Meditation 18 

Psychic Empath 34 

Mindfulness or Mindlessness? 41 

Reiki 50 

Akashic Records 62 

Kundalini Awakening 69 

Third Eye Awakening 78 

Life Coaching 85 

Ancestral Medicine 92 

Tarot 111 

Channeling and Mediumship 118 

Sarah Young: Jesus Calling 124 

Crystal Healing 127 

Astrology 134 

The Ouija Board 140 

Wicca: Witches among Us 149 

Power through Communion? 168 

Richard Rohr and the Enneagram 172

Shamanism 181

SanterÍa: From Slavery to Slavery 203

Islamic Mysticism 223

Christian Mysticism 235

Soul Confusion 245

A Collection of Short Articles 253

How Demonization Occurs 267

How to Recognize that You Have a Demon 274

One Last Word 276

Bibliography 278

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Martin Luther

VERSE 1

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing

Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe

His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate

On earth is not his equal

VERSE 2

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing

Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He

The Lord of hosts His name, from age to age the same

And He must win the battle

VERSE 3

And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him

His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure

One little word shall fell him

VERSE 4

That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth

The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also

The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still

His kingdom is forever

Twenty-four

Avoid Political and Social

Controversies

“Pastor, we as a church have got to get the vote out

this year and we need to promote the Christian

candidates. And that proposition supporting capital

punishment is the most important one of all.”

“Pastor, we as a church have got to get the vote out

this year and we need to promote the Christian

candidates. And that proposition against capital

punishment is the most important one of all.”

         

There are many political and social controversies,

causes, and issues that churches become

embroiled in. Some are extremely worth while, some

are even important.

There is no end of Christian based programs and

movements that have a political or social dimension

and are generally approved of in the Christian

community. These, however, tend to divert and dilute

the message and ministry of the gospel preacher.

Christians are often pictured as being politically

conservative; this identification is not always a helpful

one. People will reject the Christian message for no

other reason than they think political baggage goes

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Controversies

along with it. And, the fact is that perception is too

often correct.

Of course, Jesus is not identified with any political

party. And though many Christians might fall into

politically conservative camps, Christianity itself is not

political. Espousing certain political views, endorsing

political candidates (while it may seem to be expedient

and often-times even demanded in certain

environments) will ultimately prejudice the gospel to

the very people who need to hear it’s message.

Political opinions and positions are sometimes

mixed right in with gospel presentations. The message

seems to be, “Choose Jesus and support so and so and

such and such.” What a mistake! An unnecessary obstacle

is placed in the way of the unconverted as though the

gospel were not offense enough.

People at Miller Avenue do not know how I vote

or what political party I identify with (I hope). Neither

political material nor speakers come before the

congregation. Christians, certainly, are to be good

citizens and may take active roles in politics, but the

gospel preacher is neither a politician nor a promoter

of political causes. I like to think our job is far too

important than for us to be bogged down in secular

trivia.

Christianity, as I have said before, is worldwide,

cross-cultural, and not identified with any political party

or cause. Christianity is not Western, it is not Eastern;

it is global. Jesus died that all people may come to Him

as Savior. Potentially any one in the world may come

to Jesus, regardless of their political affiliation or their

social commitments.

There are several social concerns I avoid though

many Christians are heavily immersed in them.

Although I have particular views on abortion, I will not

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For Pastors

get drawn into that arena. My views tend to be

conservative in that regard, yet the issue has been

politicized to the point that I think spending time,

money, and energy in that direction is largely counter

productive. I also will avoid the issues of capital

punishment and prayer in the schools. (I am probably

limiting the audience for this book by stating my

feelings like this.) These are not areas where I want

to stand up on a bandwagon and start beating the drum.

My finding is that once exposed to the Scripture, by

the leading of the Holy Spirit, Christians tend to come

to certain conclusions on social, political, and ethical

issues without my having to influence them myself.

Certain stances become obvious.

Christians have a number of different views on the

ethical and social issues; I have mine, but they are not

ones I am going to be speaking on from the pulpit. A

safe illustration is that during the “Cold War” I did not

demonize the Soviet Union nor preach fear of

communism though I reject the system. I think it is

very important that we learn to agree to disagree about

things that are not central to the gospel message. Now

I know that there will be those that will argue against

me, but this is my opinion. I believe we need to speak

out against sin and take various stands, but the

promotion of the gospel must remain uncontaminated

by other messages.

Another area I don’t get involved in is the Evolution

verses Creationist controversy. I believe the Biblical

account in Genesis—God as maker of heaven and

earth—and I pretty much leave it at that. I have not

always done so, but I have found it to be an area that is

overwhelming, and people can become greatly

obsessed with this issue. In my experience, people who

were atheistic evolutionists, upon hearing the message

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Controversies

of the gospel, have been converted and became

followers of Jesus. I find that I do not need to deal

with the various views they have. People’s social and

political views have a way of changing as time goes on

especially as a person is exposed to the Scripture. What

I cannot do through providing videos and books and

cassette tapes and argument, God’s Spirit can do. If a

person differs with me on some point, this does not

greatly excite or concern me. I do not want to be the

agent for change; rather I would have that be God’s

province.

A pastor who focuses on conversion oriented gospel

preaching, I observe, generally will not engage

themselves, except minimally, in extraneous

controversies even within their own denomination. We

only have so much time, so much energy, and it is too

easy to be distracted by the “significant” trivialities

we are constantly faced with. And there is one issue

right after another. Let others engage in those things;

but let us go forward proclaiming the gospel, lifting up

the name of Jesus, and somehow these other things

get taken care of along the way as well.

         

  Did I tread on any of your favorite issues?

  If I did, can you separate that from the basic thrust

of the chapter?

  What happens when politics, social issues, and the

gospel are all mixed up together?