Twenty-one

The Worship Service

The note read: “YOUR WORSHIP SERVICE IS

BORING!”

Monday evening I called the writer of the note, a

visitor, to discuss the disturbing comment. “Can you

give me any suggestions?” I asked after a few

pleasantries were exchanged. “Yes, too many old

hymns, too much Bible stuff, and the sermon was too

long.” “What would you do instead?” I asked.

He would have gutted the service; he wanted a

band, dancing, and multi-media presentations. Nice, I

suppose, but beyond our capability.

Our worship service was bound to be boring to this

person. I, however, did take the note to the church

council for evaluation. In fact, we did spiffy the service

up some but probably not enough to satisfy our bored

friend.

         

The worship service is public; that is, visitors are

more likely to be present in the worship service

than at the prayer meeting or Bible study. It is at the

worship service that the gospel will be preached to the

unconverted as well as to the converted.

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The Worship Service

At this point in my ministry I try not to get overly

excited about what goes on in the worship service as

long as the form and content are biblical. However,

the worship service tends to generate more suggestions

and criticisms than any other single element in the life

of a church. In times past I would be tempted to take

any intimation that the service needed to be changed

personally. I would defend, argue, and thump my Bible.

Now, though, if changes are requested I am more

amenable just as long as the teaching and preaching of

the gospel remain central. What everyone eventually

comes to realize is that there are just so many things

that can possibly be done in a service anyway.

Let us consider the worship service. Notice I did

not say “Sunday” worship service since some groups

worship on days other than Sunday though I think

Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day of the resurrection,

was normative for the early church (see Acts

20:7,Romans 14:5-6, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Colossians

2:16-17, and Revelation 1:10). A glance at the worship

of God as described in the New Testament, and there

is very little said about what actually went on in early

church services, reveals there were several distinct

elements to the worship.

Preaching and teaching were primary. There was

prayer, and communion (the Lord’s Supper or

Eucharist) was observed. Acts 2:42 reads: “They

devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to

the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Psalms where sung, new songs of the Christian

community were apparently developed, and there was

some free-form music. (See Colossians 3:16 and

Ephesians 5:19) In addition, prophecies were given,

revelations were announced, and tongues were spoken

with interpretation. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26-32) The

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For Pastors

problem is we know almost nothing about what these

forms of worship actually looked like or consisted of.

My view is that error may easily result if we read our

own contemporary experiences back into the New

Testament times. Modern charismatic or Pentecostal

understandings of tongues and prophecy may bear little

resemblance to the worship of the early church. There

are no video or audio recordings of what went on in

the church at Corinth or any other New Testament

church. Therefore, my conclusion is that I am unsure

of what a “scriptural worship service” actually looks

like. To be safe I stick with what I am sure of, preaching

the gospel, teaching the Scripture, singing the Psalms

and other songs that glorify God and lift up Jesus and

the cross, praying, celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and

fellowshipping with believers.

Let me briefly describe a worship service used at

Miller Avenue. (Warning: people who are looking to

be entertained or are wanting to be in on the

“happening” feel-good church do not last long at Miller

Avenue.) We begin with a hymn, have a “Call to

Worship” followed by a “morning prayer” that is made

up by the person who is leading the worship part of

the service. After the morning prayer we read the

“Collect of the Day” which is a prayer used by millions

of Christians of many denominations worldwide, and

our version is taken from a Lutheran worship manual.

From time to time I will substitute the Lord’s Prayer

for the collect. Using an overhead projector we sing

two or more choruses, old ones and new ones, with a

guitar and piano accompanying. All of this is rather

sedately done. Our choir makes a presentation after

the choruses or perhaps there is a solo or duet. Then

comes the memory verse, (I emphasize the memory of

Scripture) followed by a point to ponder or reflect upon.

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The Worship Service

The time for reflection is vital. Moving quickly from

one segment of worship to another is not always what

people need. Having a time to think, reflect, pray, or

simply be silent, can be refreshing and pleasing to many

people.

The worship part of the service is over now, total

elapsed time about thirty minutes. Announcements

come next (I have finally given up on attempts to

eliminate announcements), which I view as part of

fellowship. During the announcements printed

material is often passed out and may include

newsletters, testimonies, reprints of helpful articles,

and so forth, and any inserts that are in the bulletin are

referenced, and recently Spurgeon’s Morning and

Evening Meditations have been used. (Bulletin covers

with pretty pictures seem to be a waste of money and

resources; rather, I look for articles and essays that are

of some spiritual value to adorn the bulletin cover.)

Tithes and offerings are received preceded by a thirtysecond

presentation of an “offertory theme”—a

teaching on biblical giving. Following the offering is a

time for “Revelations, Hymns, and Exhortations”

(except on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of

the month). Every week I encourage people to bring

with them something God has given or shown them

during the week in their private devotions or ministry.

Of course, this can be risky because someone might

say some strange thing or take up an inordinate amount

of time, but the risk is worth it. This segment may run

five to ten minutes. Bible teaching is next, the Bible

Exposition, followed by a second hymn, and then the

sermon is preached. The Bible teacher and the sermon

preacher may be the same person or two different

people. The teaching and preaching may have a similar

theme or they may not. Some Sundays a general

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For Pastors

invitation to prayer for any reason at all is given, prayer

for conversion, healing, anything at all. A final hymn

serves as a benediction. The entire service will last an

hour and fifteen minutes to and hour and a half. The

sermon and Bible exposition occupy about half that

time.

The service will look different from time to time,

and I am generally willing to make changes. Someone

asks, “How about this?” I will say, “Okay, let us try

that.” People will say, “I wish we could change our

worship service.” My response is, “Okay, what would

you like to change? “Things can be changed around a

bit, but most changes are basically superficial.

Sometimes the announcements are cut out, another

hymn is used, or a couple more choruses are sung, the

offering is moved to the beginning or the end, more

people are involved in the service—small changes

really. There is nothing special or sacred about sticking

with a particular order of service. The order of worship

currently being used is unchanged for at least four

years. For most Christians the structure of the worship

service is not a great concern; it is the content that

matters.

We now have, as of February 2000, a Sunday

evening worship service and we call it “The Old-Time

Gospel Hour,” with all apologies to Jerry Falwell. It

begins at 6PM, we sing the great hymns of the Church,

preach a strong gospel message, then as many as are

up for it, drive over to a local fast food restaurant. This

is my favorite service though I put my best effort into

the Sunday morning worship service. The evening

service, however, allows people who would never be

able to attend a morning service, for whatever reason,

to hear the gospel preached. I wish I had begun it long

ago.

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The Worship Service

The public prayers in the worship service are

traditional and important especially the pastoral prayer,

which is prayer for the overall concerns and needs of

the congregation. In years gone by this was often a very

long prayer, but most are considerably shorter. In any

case, public or corporate prayer must be given great

attention. Everyone should be able to hear it, and it

needs to be sincere and serious. The congregation

needs to hear the great concerns of the people of God

being lifted up to heaven. Often I have felt unworthy,

discouraged, even upset, but when I pray I attempt to

put these aside and avoid praying according to my

feelings.

The public reading of Scripture is critical; it should

be read with all that is due the Word of God. Everyone

should be able to hear the words, and they are best

spoken somewhat slowly and with emphasis. It is not a

dramatic reading that an actor might make, no, but the

best the reader has should go into the reading. Perhaps

this is the only time during the worship service when

people will hear from God. To readers I suggest:

prepare, read loudly (best not to depend on a

microphone), and read so that people can tell the Bible

is being read. Sometimes I have heard people read the

Scripture in the same way they might read an

advertisement for soap. Much the same can be said for

the sermon, which should be delivered with all the

intensity and strength we have.

Sunday school—we do not have one but I want to

include a suggestion here that has worked for me and

may work for others who do not have a Sunday school

either.

Most everyone knows what “home-schooling” is.

Well, I have simply applied this to the Sunday school.

When a family with kids comes along I inform them

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For Pastors

that we do not have a regular Sunday school but that

we will help them home-Sunday school their own kids.

At some point we will make this an established ministry

of Miller Avenue complete with materials, meetings,

and so forth. It is an excellent way to incorporate people

with children into the small church when there is no

Sunday school in place. And it is quite biblical, too,

and may be even better than the typical Sunday school

model.

Rather than include a separate chapter on

“fellowship” I thought it best to say a word or two on

the subject here. One, provide as many opportunities

for fellowship as possible. Two, make special efforts to

include new people and help them to feel comfortable.

There will be cliques and this is not altogether a

bad thing. Cliques can not be helped. Over the course

of time a small group of people that regularly meets

for whatever purpose will become something of a

clique. But it does not have to be a closed group. And

this is the key—closedness—whereby new comers are

rejected. As long as new people are welcomed,

incorporated into the group, then this is a healthy

fellowship.

At Miller Avenue we have a light lunch or

sometimes simply coffee and tea after the Sunday

morning service. For a half-hour or more we sit around

and talk together. After the Old-Time Gospel Hour

on Sunday evenings we go down to a local fast food

place and spend more time together—simply being

together—where there is no agenda or topic or plan.

Then the Tuesday night Bible study is low-key and

there is plenty of time to just talk together. Everyone

in the church is not part of the more intimate fellowship

times, but they are available for those who desire it.

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The Worship Service

My job is to provide the opportunity; I can not force

people into fellowship.

         

Outline an order of worship you would use if you could.

Which is your favorite part?

  Do you think you could bring it to reality?

  How might you help a parent organize a home-

Sunday school?

 Third Eye Awakening

This material is also found in Psychic Empath: 5 Books in 1. 

Our own comments are in this font. 

The third eye is a spiritual concept associated with enlightenment and direct communication with a higher plane of existence—this is the practical definition of the “third eye” as understood by those who embrace it. 

The third eye has been a mystical concept for centuries, yet it is uncertain as to its origins. It is said that it does not involve magic but is entirely natural. The Ajna chakra is the same as the third eye, located between the eyebrows, in the pineal gland. It is part of being human, yet it is little used. And anyone can open their third eye, and this can be achieved by means of devotion, willpower, and meditation. 

Third eye power has been mostly possessed by yogis, psychics, and fortune tellers in the past, but now is open to more and more people. Indeed, the occultists and spiritual masters have called it the “seat of the soul.” “If you meditate and open your third eye then you can get insights, prior warnings of danger, and a high level of intelligence” (p. 406). And the key word is “meditate.” The third eye awakens the inner self. 

Meditation, and here it means more than mindfulness, is a movement into a passive or shamanistic state of mind. It is an opening up to outside spiritual forces or entities, which are actually demonic and evil spirits. Christian prayer is the opposite; it is mindful and conscious focus on God with the full presence of heart and mind. It is a looking to Jesus who loves us and hears our words. 

Chapter 1: What is the third eye? 

The third eye is said to be about the size of a walnut, located in the brain. The third eye is said to be “the window to our inner selves, our soul, and our connection with the energy and power of the universe” (p. 407) . To grasp this, one 79 

must think of your inner self as a ball of energy that moves or drives the body forward, the energy that connects us with the energy of the universe. 

The third eye is said to be the pineal gland, which is a small organ located at the very top of the spine as it enters the brain. From a Google search is found the following definition: “The pineal gland is a small, pea-shaped gland in the brain. Its function isn’t fully understood. Researchers do know that it produces and regulates some hormones, including melatonin. Melatonin is best known for the role it plays in regulating sleep patterns.” 

It is supposed that the pineal gland creates or causes hallucinations, and DMT or dimethyltryptamine within this gland will assist a person to move into a trance-like state along will receiving vivid imagery. 

Those who value the experience of the third eye understand that the mind and body are only temporary, while the real essence is the inner self, or spirit, or soul, which after death are joined together with the energy of the universe. 

“Our time here on earth could be made so much happier and healthier by following the guidance of our inner spirit. Getting connected with our third eye is the key to all of it” (p. 409). 

Chapter 2: How to Open Your Third Eye 

“Opening your third eye takes time and practice. While you may have an experience, such as during meditation, where you feel a huge rush of awakening, it will not be fully awakened by one experience” (p. 410). 

Meditation is a good way to open the third eye, but there are other methods that can be used. One important process is to silence your mind. And it is by means of such silences that the third eye can be opened, and other psychic abilities are realized. 

Another way to open the third eye is to practice “tuning in” and this by either feeling or hearing something coming from your intuition. It is said that “where your attention goes, energy flows” (p. 411). You must intentionally listen to your third eye and your intuition, and when this is done, they will continue speaking to you. 

Then it is good to explore one’s natural creativity; it must be remembered that the third eye is also your “mind’s eye” and is the seat of your imagination. 

Of course, you must be grounding yourself, and when this happens, you will be taken into the spiritual realm. Here you are working with your root chakra, and this is done by meditating on this chakra, which will center one into the center of the Earth. 

Exercising your third eye is also essential, and a good way to do this is by meditating on all the chakras. A way to do this is to lie down and meditate, imaging your chakras one at a time, and imagining each one becoming brighter, even glowing.80 

One may also use dream work. To do this, after dreaming write them down and interpret them on your own, or purchase a dream interpretation journal. 

Another great way to play with your third eye is to let your imagination flow, and this while in a meditative state. Also helpful is the let your intuition guide you, and this will allow you to receive mental downloads, which will be filled with information. 

Last, the final best way to exercise the third eye is to strengthen your psychic abilities. 

Much of what this has to do with is entering into the passive, shamanistic, or altered state of consciousness, and yes, we say this over and over. A common method for doing this is meditation, achieving an “open” mind, and the open mind will then be invaded by spirits, evil spirits, who disguise themselves as benign knowledge sources. There are many ways to enter a meditative state, and it can be very spiritual, very exhilarating, and very deceiving. It is a sure mechanism to demonic possession. And it may be many years before a person recognizes the true nature of what has taken root in them. 

Chapter 3: Techniques to Awaken the Third Eye Chakra 

It is recommended that a person chant “OM” in order to awaken the third eye chakra, and this process is rather complex but involves finding a quiet place to be alone, light candles, lie down on the floor, close the eyes, relax, begin deep breathing, focus on the third eye, flow with your body’s energy, begin looking for a vibration or tingling between the eyebrows, do not focus too hard, just remain vacant and let things take their course. Then focus on the vibration between the eyebrows, and let it shift to the throat, especially the larynx. Also keep the eyes closed and be aware of any light or colors between the eyebrows. This may take a number of attempts to open the third eye. And the whole key is learning how to meditate, which is to be able to stop the mind and be open to the vibrations, colors, and the movement of energy. 

The author(s) of this section go on to provide another way of awakening the third eye. These are briefly: relax the mind and the body, develop a habit of meditating, and open the intuitive part of the brain. 

Another way of describing the above is that it is a technique on how to enter into a passive, altered, or shamanistic state of consciousness. And it is here that demonic spirits are able to enter into the mind and body of the meditator. This is the connection to the occult world, where there is in fact access to power and knowledge. Indeed, it is mesmerizing and life altering. The author(s) state that using the third eye does not mean developing magical powers or becoming a psychic, which is simply false. This 81 

is exactly what happens—one enters the psychic world. And yes, there are magical powers and psychic knowledge there, the age-old trap. 

After opening the third eye, unusual experiences will follow, some of which may be pleasant but others not pleasant. Also, one can “see” through the third eye, and one can sense, see, and visually interpret the energy that is present, even energy in people around them, both good and bad energies. 

Chapter 4: Guided Day Meditations to Waken the Third Eye 

This chapter is essentially a replay of chapter 3, but here are the steps: 

Choose a location, and with an intention, do some stretching first, adopt the best position for meditating, relax, breathe, empty the mind, access the third eye, work on experiencing your third eye, maintain focus on the third eye, and “get out of the meditation slowly.” In doing so one will be more sensitive to spirits and may even see them from time to time. One will feel divine inspirations, feel great potential, and have joy and experience a healthy life once one is connected with the spirits. 

Here we see how one becomes indwelt by spirits, and these are always and nothing other than unclean or evil spirits. 

There is only one Holy Spirit, The Spirit of God, and all others are unholy spirits or demons whose head is Satan. And the Holy Spirit points only to Jesus Christ, both to who He is, the Word become flesh, and what He has done, die on the cross bearing our sin, then being raised from the dead, and ascending to heaven. 

The question is asked, p. 435, “Is it possible for anyone to activate the third eye chakra?” The answer, of course, is yes, and activating the third eye is a spiritual process and not a religious one. A person can belong to any religion and still activate the third eye, because it can be achieved by means of meditation. 

At our Miller Avenue Baptist Church, we have a Gospel Meditation printed in the bulletin every week, which is an outline of the passage that will be presented at the time of the sermon by one of the pastors. It emphasizes the main point of the Biblical passage that is the subject of the sermon. It does not involve any form of mindlessness or mindfulness. It is active mental attention to the words God has given us in His Word. 

The pineal gland, according to those who assent to such psychic topics and practices, is where the third eye is located, and which is said to be in the middle of the brain, or the Ajna chakra. This gland is said to be the “anchor of the soul” (p. 435). It is said to regulate sleep cycles, sexual maturation, and vital hormones. Trouble is, this gland becomes calcified over the years and the third eye helps to decalcify it and thus opens up the mind.82 

Chapter 6: Psychic Abilities 

The author(s) state that there is nothing supernatural about psychic abilities; they are all natural and will function properly when the chakras are strong and healthy (p. 445). 

The following are the basic psychic abilities. Clairvoyance is the most common psychic ability, and this has to do with “clear-seeing.” For example, this will help locate lost items or see different places and dimensions. Pyrokinesis is another ability, and it has to do with controlling fire. Telekinesis is the ability to move or influence objects with the mind. Micro TK has to do with the outcome of randomness or odds, like influencing coin flips, heads or tails. The Macro TK has to do with moving things with your mind, like a coin or even a television set or a car. Hydrokinesis is the ability to control water. Clairsentience is the ability to feel subtle energy or feelings. 

Divination is a very common practice and is used by dowsers and in the tarot cards. The tarot cards are a way to communicate a message that can be understood, and here one’s intuition is involved. So then, when a card is chosen, it is necessary to relax and clear the mind and allow your intuition to take over. Another form of divination is done by using a pendulum. 

Chapter 7: Psychic Awareness 

The standard definition of this is “the understanding of human consciousness and the full potential of the mind when it is applied to everyday life” (p. 454). It has to do with understanding the silent Spirit and the mind’s power that lies within a person. This gives us insight into our mind’s power. 

Chapter 8: Exercises for Awakening Your Inner Spirit 

One of these is through the guided practice referred to as yoga. Also, Tai Chi may be used to awaken the Inner Spirit. 

Chapter 9: Pineal Gland Activation and Chakras 

The pineal gland, located in the middle of the brain at the location of the Anja chakra can be activated by doing the following: First, close your eyes and focus on the center of your brain, then make contact with it. This gland is very powerful and is “the seat of the soul” (p. 460). 

Then second, one must breathe into the pineal gland and fill it with divine power. Energize, charge, and activate it, and let it know that you want to connect with it, and then you will become one with your greater self, which is the eternal light inside you. 

It is said that there are seven major chakras, which are all aligned along 83 

the centerline of the body. The first is the “root chakra,” at the base of the spine. Then the “sacral chakra” just above the root chakra. Next is the “solar plexus chakra” just above the root chakra. Then next in line is the heart chakra, next the “throat chakra.” Above this is the “third eye chakra,” and finally the “crown chakra” at the top of the skull. 

Chakras have no scientific support or proof, only a long history based on early Hindu teachings. One of the dangers of psychic ‘therapies’ is that they cannot bring real healing and are no substitute for psychological and medical science. Not only are psychic techniques false, they also open a person up to invasion by demonic spirits. 

Jesus said that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). Likewise, where two or more are gathered practicing psychic therapies, etc., then there is also the presence of the demonic. And it is here where so many are invaded by demonic spirits. We wish it were not so, but it is the truth. 

******* 

Excerpts from Wikipedia 

Wikipedia, accessed January 29, 2022 

The third eye (also called the mind’s eye or inner eye) is a mystical and esoteric concept of a speculative invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, which provides perception beyond ordinary sight. 

In Indian spiritual traditions, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. 

The third eye refers to the gate that leads to the inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. In spirituality, the third eye often symbolizes a state of enlightenment. The third eye is often associated with religious visions, clairvoyance, the ability to observe chakras and auras, precognition, and out-of-body experiences. People who are said to have the capacity to utilize their third eyes are sometimes known as seers. 

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the third eye is said to be located around the middle of the forehead, slightly above the junction of the eyebrows, representing the enlightenment one achieves through meditation. Hindus also place a “tilaka” between the eyebrows as a representation of the third eye, which is also seen on expressions of Shiva. Buddhists regard the third eye as the “eye of consciousness”, representing the vantage point from which enlightenment beyond one’s physical sight is achieved. 84 

In Taoism and many traditional Chinese religious sects such as Chan (called Zen in Japanese), “third eye training” involves focusing attention on the point between the eyebrows with the eyes closed, and while the body is in various qigong postures. The goal of this training is to allow students to tune into the correct “vibration” of the universe and gain a solid foundation on which to reach a more advanced meditative state. Taoism teaches that the third eye, also called the mind’s eye, is situated between the two physical eyes, and expands up to the middle of the forehead when opened. Taoism asserts that the third eye is one of the main energy centers of the body located at the sixth Chakra, forming a part of the main meridian, the line separating left and right hemispheres of the body. In Taoist alchemical traditions, the third eye is the frontal part of the “Upper Dan Tien” (upper cinnabar field) and is given the evocative name “muddy pellet”.

Twenty

Church Structure

“I am absolutely meetinged out. Meetings, meetings,

meetings! Is that all you do is have meetings?”

Would you, pastor, have to answer, “Yes”?

         

Every church need not be run like Miller Avenue

Baptist Church. Of course not! However, our

structure forms the basic illustration for this chapter,

because I think it is a workable structure for a small

church.

The thesis for this chapter is: the church structure

should be simple enough that distractions from the

primary goal and mission of the church are minimized.

We have one single board, a church council,

consisting of nine members. I am a permanent member

of the church council. The other eight members serve

for three years at a time and then must be off for one

year. And they must be nominated and approved by

the congregation. We meet once a month; we will skip

a month now and again (usually in August and

sometimes in December).

The church council functions as the church

administrator, the clearing-house. The council does the

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Church Structure

“dirty work”. Everything is on the basis of consensus;

no vote is taken. Issues are debated until a resolution

and/or consensus is reached.

We do have a budget committee that meets for

about two hours a year to prepare the budget, which

then goes to the church council, which then goes to

the congregation.

There are four quarterly congregational meetings.

At the third quarterly meeting the budget is presented.

If and when it passes it means that the pastor and staff

are hired for another year. Of course, I can be fired at

any time, but generally it is understood that when the

budget is passed the pastor’s salary is approved. I can

count on another year then unless something truly

atrocious occurs. And it is always possible to be

terminated and I’m going to address that issue in

another chapter.

The simpler the structure the less time will be

spent keeping it all in place. Once a number of

committees have been established, the following will

be “forever” coming up:

1. Attending committee meetings.

2. Replacing members who have fallen aside,

moved, changed church membership, or whatever the

reason.

3. Settling disputes between committee members.

4. Interpreting the decisions of the committees to

the rest of the congregation.

The personal politics, the personal petty politics,

involved in on-going committees and boards can be

more than a pastor would ever want to be involved in.

I simply have no committees.

In our constitution various committees are

described and can be staffed if necessary. (A copy of

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For Pastors

our constitution can be emailed to you by request at

either kentphilpott@home.com or earthenvessel.net.)

If I were to be terminated, a pastoral search committee

would have to be selected. On paper we have that

committee, but it is not staffed. If we need a building

committee to investigate repairs then that committee

can be created. But to maintain committees can be,

and usually is, an unpleasant and unnecessary

experience!

Let me illustrate our church structure with our

Saturday Lunch. The people who run it are the people

who participate in it; they are the ones who actually do

the work. Problems they encounter are worked out

internally, and if this proves impossible, they are taken

to the church council. Furthermore, there is no

oversight committee for the Saturday Lunch, the

Divorce Recovery Workshop, or the Parenting

Workshop. There is no committee that oversees the

San Quentin or television ministry. There is no

oversight committee except the church council.

I doubt I would be able to fit into another church.

I have no desire to pastor any other church. If Miller

Avenue fired me and another church wanted me, I

would have to tell them that they would have to

dissolve every piece of their church structure and adopt

a simple church government. I would not administrate

the committees, boards, and so forth.

The pastoral ministry has one great responsibility

and that is to preach the gospel to sinners and saints

alike, and to do so we must keep ourselves free of all

other entanglements. And there are entanglements,

entanglements, and entanglements! In Acts 6 is the

story of the apostles’ problem administrating

distributions to widows. They selected others, the first

deacons, to do the job so they could focus on praying

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Church Structure

and preaching. It is wise to apply Acts 6 as widely as

possible.

         

  If you had your druthers, how would you set up a

church in terms of structure?

  What changes would you make to the structure you

are presently working with?

Here is a section of my book Pathways to Darkness, the Akashic Records has never flourished but there are yet some who have been taken in by this very demonic spirituality. Kent

 Akashic Records

In this chapter we review How to Read the Akashic Records: Accessing the Archive of the Soul and its Journey ¹ 

1 Linda Howe and Juliette Looye, How to Read the Akashic Records: Accessing the Archive of the Soul and Its Journey, (Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2009, 2010). 

The author is Linda Howe with Juliette Looye. This book was recommended to us by a woman who makes her living by helping clients learn how to access the Akashic² 

2 “Akasha” is a Sanskrit word and means primary substance, that out of which all things are formed . . . it is the first stage of the crystallization of spirit. Records. She views her work as spiritual therapy. 

Our comments will be noted in this font. 

Here is the introduction to Linda Howe’s website that deals with the Records: 

The Akashic Record is a dimension of consciousness that contains a vibrational record of every soul and its journey. It is completely available everywhere. Location and time do not affect the Record. Human beings have been interacting consciously and unconsciously with this body of energies throughout history. These interactions have been both deliberate and accidental. Referred to in virtually every major traditional religion as the Book of Life and the Book of God’s Remembrance, this body of wisdom has been an ever-present source of spiritual support for people including those in our Western Judeo-Christian tradition. 

The Record is an experiential body of wisdom, insight, guidance, and healing information. This collective of spiritual consciousness is best revealed through a spiritual means. It is not a body of thought that can be linked with the mind through mental discipline (like visualization), although thought is included with the Record, as is emotion. The access of the Record can not be achieved through emotional or sensational means, though for many, the experience of the unconditional love of the Record 63 

can be very emotional. Essentially, the most efficient and effective means to spiritual consciousness is through spiritual action. 

For centuries, the Akashic Record has been the exclusive domain of mystics, scholars, and saints. Rightfully so. Infinite power and wisdom are available in the Record, and they have been entrusted to those well-prepared for the responsibility of deep knowing. In the U.S., it was through the work of Edgar Cayce in the early to mid-twentieth century (“The Sleeping Prophet”), that Akashic Records readings became a familiar practice in the movement of consciousness development. Today, the Records are no longer the exclusive domain of saints, scholars, and mystics. The collective consciousness of humanity has been growing, evolving, and maturing. 

In this time of great change, the availability of the Record is shifting. The light of the Spirit is pouring into human consciousness at an unprecedented rate. This light infusion is causing radical upheaval in all areas of life for the purpose of bringing us into the highest possible alignment with the Divine Reality. One of the great tools for the development of our consciousness is the Akashic Record. 

It all began when Linda Howe, at age twenty-eight, attended a Renaissance fair where a tarot reader looked at her cards. This experience gave her a desire to bring others the kind of help that came to her by means of tarot. Indeed, she writes, “I wanted to be a professional tarot card reader” (p. xxii). 

At a later point, she then began taking classes in shamanism at the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. She turned from the tarot to offering shamanic healings. This was followed by a desire to access both knowledge and power that could be simply and easily acquired. This led her to the Akashic Records. Soon she felt a significant “shift” and realized that this was where she needed to be. 

Linda connected with a woman, Mary Parker, who had received a “sacred prayer,” which served as an “access code” to the Records. This “prayer code” was something she recited and which then enabled her to enter into, experience, and exit the Records. This was the pathway for Linda to become certified to teach the Akashic Records by means of using the sacred prayer. At a later date, Linda received her own sacred prayer directly from the Records, and it is found in several places in her book. 

In her classes, where she teaches others how to enter into the Records, she uses a “meditation” in order to “facilitate this shift in consciousness” (p. xii). “The Pillar of Light” meditation is similar to a number of exercises designed to open oneself up to a shamanistic state of consciousness and involves properly sitting in a chair, mind clearing, breathing techniques, and so on, all to achieve a new consciousness or reach a spiritual plane. 

Chapter One is titled “An Introduction to the Akashic Records.” Linda begins 64 

by describing what the Akashic Records are. She writes, “The Akashic Records are a dimension of consciousness that contains a vibrational record of every soul and its journey. This vibrational body of consciousness exists everywhere in its entirety and is always completely available and in all places. As such, the Records are an experiential body of knowledge that contains everything that every soul has ever thought, said, and done over the course of its existence, as well as all its future possibilities” (p. 3). 

Indeed, the Records is a collection of all that a “soul” has experienced in past lives via reincarnation and even includes what will happen in future existences or lives. It is by working through this special and sacred knowledge that a soul is able to be healed from damage experienced in both former and present living experiences. 

In the process of accessing or opening the Akashic Records, a person moves from a “state of ordinary human consciousness to a state of Divine universal consciousness in which we recognize our Oneness with the Divine at all levels. This state of consciousness allows us to perceive the impressions and vibrations of the Records” (p. 4). 

In footnote #2, Akasha is described as the so-called primary substance, which Linda describes as “energy in its first and earliest state—before it has been directed by our individual thoughts and affected by our emotions in this lifetime” (p. 5). She then quotes passages from the Bible to support her theory. The first is from Psalm 56:8–9 where is found the phrase “your record.” The second is Psalm 40:7–8, “in the volume of the book” supposedly is a reference to the Records. Then Hebrews 10:7 and the phrase, “what is written of me in the volume of “The Book.” Fourth is from Psalm 139:16: “all were recorded in your book.” Last is “the book in which men’s actions, good and bad, are recorded, the Book of Life” from Revelation 20:1–2. Her last effort is a quote from “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ.” 

Yet still in the first chapter, Linda explains that the “Akashic Records are governed and protected by a group of nonphysical Light Beings called the Lords of the Records.” These “beings ensure the safety and integrity of the Records. They determine not only who can access the Records but what information they can receive. The Lords of the Records work with the Masters, Teachers, and Loved Ones—who serve as the interface between the Akashic and earthly realms by ‘downloading’ to the Masters, Teachers, and Loved ones the information that they will relay during each Akashic reading” (p. 6). 

It is explained that the Lords of the Records and the Akashic Masters are nonphysical beings, but some of the Teachers and all of the Loved Ones have previously existed as humans on earth. 

No one will ever see the Lords of the Records nor the Teachers and Loved Ones as they existed in human form, but it is possible to experience their 65 

“energetic presence.” However, “the Masters, Teachers, and Loved Ones prefer to remain anonymous so that we will learn to rely on the energy of the Records rather than on specific identities in the Records” (p. 7). 

A basic and core understanding of the Akashic Records is the doctrine of reincarnation and that all “souls” are eternal. Also, it is understood that the Records “hold the archive of each soul as it has existed from lifetime to lifetime as different human beings on the earth plane while evolving throughout time and space” (p. 7 and 8). 

Linda tries to ‘de-religionize’ the Records, teaching that any religion or spirituality may make use of them. We have also found that this concept is embraced even by those sitting in the pews of Christian churches. Those who identify with Hinduism, Buddhism, and any and all occult-oriented spiritualities may indeed incorporate the Records into their thinking and experience without much sense of contradiction. However, no biblically oriented Christian would ever do so, except under a cloud of confusion and deception. 

Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) gave out daily Akashic Records readings, more than fourteen thousand of them, which are yet accessible. Besides Cayce, others engaged in occult-oriented spiritualities also intersected with the Records. Now, the Records are seeing a revival across America. 

Linda Howe subscribes to the “Pathway Prayer Process” as a means of access to the Akashic Records. “While some people use prayers to access the Records, others gain access through hypnosis. Still others have been able to tap into the Records by using the symbols of the healing practice known as Reiki” (p. 12). Also, some are able to do so by means of various meditation practices and other forms of consciousness development. 

We would agree, based upon our own experience, that these people are accessing “something.” But what is that something? Almost any form of meditation that moves a person into what may be known as a shamanistic or altered state of consciousness may be wide open to demonic deception. There is a spiritual presence and power in the occult world, and in practices like the Records and Reiki, but it is not holy; rather, it is devilish, which may not be apparent for a long period of time. 

How can we speak in this very dogmatic manner? The answer is simply that, over the years, we and many others, have cast demons out of those who have engaged in such practices, despite how very sincere and dedicated they may have been. Entering into the so-called “meditative” state actually opens up a means whereby demonic spirits enter in, and these disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Yes, there is the element of power and knowledge, the cornerstones of the devilish kingdom, 66 

but the end is worse than imaginable. 

Linda, on page 14, notes that there are not many books written about the Akashic Records, and she states that her book is one of the first of its kind. 

Today channeling of various sorts, psychic therapy, maneuvering energy, tarot card reading, astrology, etc., are growing in popularity. In fact, there are multitudes of people who make a living applying these esoteric forms of healing. These people have learned how to “channel” the energies they encounter “to move through our bodies, hearts, and minds” (p. 15). Those in Linda’s field “channel energy and information directly from the Akasha, not from entities or personalities from other dimensions,” which she believes is a far better and safer mechanism. 

Linda’s book is designed to use the Pathway Prayer Process to ”Access the Heart of the Akashic Records.” This is the primary reason for the writing of her book. She then asks the reader, “Why use a prayer to access the Akashic Records?” Her answer is, “Since they exist within the realm of spirit, they are considered a ‘spiritual’ entity, so this particular domain of consciousness is best accessed and achieved through the spiritual action of prayer” (p. 17). 

Perhaps it is here where some are lured into using the Records, since it appears to be religious, with an emphasis on prayer and meditation. That old enemy, that lying serpent, that master of disguise, has made good use of the Akashic Records. 

From our personal perspective, we can see why occult/spiritual practices are growing in popularity. For several decades past and perhaps many decades to come, there has been a downturn in Christianity of all forms— Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, and other. During such periods, something always comes along to feed the spiritual need, since we are all made in the image of God and are at our core hungry for what is authentically holy and spiritual. Eagerly waiting is a clever substitute, unhappily a demonic one. Of course, atheism satisfies some, especially if it can be linked with charitable causes. We would be atheists ourselves, if we were not Christians, but atheism does not fill the need for most of us. 

On page 31, Linda Howe explains the core dynamic behind engaging with the Akashic Records: “The first thing that will happen while you’re accessing your Records is that while you speak the Opening Prayer, you’ll shift out of your ordinary human consciousness and into the Divine universal consciousness.” 

This is exactly what happens to a person who carefully attends to the Pathway Prayer Process. 

And just what is the “Divine universal consciousness?” It is direct contact with the demonic kingdom ruled over by Satan itself. It is very spiritual, 67 

having direct contact with evil spirits, who will not usually be experienced as evil, and which are not in some other worldly realm, but are actually resident within that person. It is called “demon possession.” This is clear from the Scripture, has been so understood by Christians of all stripes down through the ages, and is widely known today. 

Does Linda Howe know what we are talking about? Yes, she does, as evidenced on page 32 in her strict denial of this possibility. She writes, “At this point, you may be wondering if any ‘negative’ energy or ‘dark’ entities can enter your consciousness or attach to you while you’re in the Akashic Records. My answer to you is no–unequivocally, unmistakably no.” 

Shamans, in their trance state, believe they leave the body and travel to the lower or upper word to do their work, perhaps retrieving a “soul” from the lower world and transporting it to the upper world, usually for a fee. But they have gone nowhere—it is all in their minds. It is the same with the Divine universal consciousness—it is all in the mind. Yes, a person entering this consciousness by means of the Pathway Prayer Process will “see” things in their mind’s eye. Linda writes, “You may see colors, auras, or energy fields, images, symbols, or shapes or ‘streaming video’ of a particular event” (p. 34). 

Such things may be seen but they are demonic illusions intended to convince the person so possessed to think something far different. And these events, as we have found so many times, are sufficient for evil spirits to capture their prey. 

Supposedly, by means of the Pathway Prayer Process, one may read his or her own Akashic Record or the Records of other people. There is a caveat, however, as Linda makes clear: “When opening another person’s Records, you must have his or her consent” (p. 66). And this is possible, says Linda, by following directives explained on page 48, which has nothing to do with contacting that person in real time. 

Then, even more remarkably, one can read the Records of animals or pets, as Linda assures those who have had strong attachments to deceased pets. Not only that, but the Records of public monuments, buildings, parks, cities, towns, or areas of land can be read. And more, also the Records of a company or a department within a company can be read. For those who use their craft for others, as counselors or chancellors, etc., they may obtain a patient’s or client’s Records as well. 

It is even possible to heal your own past lives in the Akashic Records, since the Records have a record of all our lifetimes, a search may be made to discover how things went badly in previous lives, and these traumas can then he healed. But this can only be done with the “permission of the Lords of the Records who then allow the Masters, Teachers, and Loved Ones to share information that we are ready to hear” (p. 135). 68 

At the conclusion of her book, Linda lays out what she calls the “Absolutes,” which are “absolutely true of absolutely every soul, absolutely all of the time.” They are: 1) There’s always more than meets the (human) eye; 2) We are all One; 3) Everything and everyone is Divine; 4) Everyone is always in active pursuit of peace; 5) Reincarnation is not about “good” and “bad” lifetimes, and 6) Karma is not about reward and punishment. 

In closing out this piece on the Akashi Records, we want to make clear that we have found practitioners, professional or not, who have committed to the use of the Records, to be sincere and loving people, who mostly desire to help others and heal themselves from whatever trauma they are experiencing. We are friends with some of them who make their living using the Records. Our prayer for them is that the Holy Spirit of God will open their eyes and that they be freed from the enemy’s grasp. 

******* 

Excerpt from Wikipedia 

Wikipedia December 21, 2021 

In the religion of theosophy and the philosophical school called anthroposophy, the Akashic records are a compendium of all universal events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future in terms of all entities and life forms, not just human. They are believed by theosophists to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence known as the mental plane. There are anecdotal accounts, but there is no scientific evidence for the existence of the Akashic records. 

Thirty

On Helping Others

“Hello pastor, my children and I are at the Fireside

Motel and we are stuck. We’re trying to get to my

parent’s home in Portland and the car won’t work. We

haven’t eaten in two days and we’re out of money. Can

you help?”

“Kent, I need about $400 to pay the rent. I’ll be

glad to do some work around the church if I can have

the money.”

“Pastor, my neighbors are out of work and their

kids need food money. Do we have a benevolence

fund?”

Every pastor is familiar with requests like those

above. For the small church pastor, especially, these

are some of the most agonizing of all situations.

         

The subject of this chapter is how giving might be

a blessing and a ministry, not a curse. Here are a

few ideas on helping others.

Miller Avenue Baptist Church is located on Miller

Avenue in Mill Valley, one of the main streets of our

town (about 13,000 people). It is a busy street and I

keep the front door open. I open it up in the morning

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For Pastors

and I close it in the evening. Anyone may come in and

pray and read the Bible. There is a small table in the

foyer with a rack that is generally filled with free

literature along with some Bibles.

Our building is small. My office can easily be seen

from the foyer; it has the word “Pastor” over the door.

The result is people will occasionally knock on my

office door hoping to receive some kind of assistance.

In times past we had a pastor’s or benevolence fund.

We put $50.00 a month into it. By the end of the first

week, generally, the fund was exhausted. If the church

committed $500.00 a month to a benevolence fund,

the money would be gone in a very short time.

Let me illustrate why I feel a benevolence fund is

problematic. The given: $50 (or whatever) to give out

each month. A person asks for some help because they

are in desperate trouble. The $50 is now gone. The

treasurer will not replenish the fund until the first part

of the coming month. Then another person comes in,

someone in the church for instance, and now the pastor

has to report that the money is gone. What suspicions

or feelings of rejection might be generated in the mind

of that member of the church family?

Our church council gives me permission to give

up to $100.00 away without their approval if there is a

genuine need. (I recently exceeded that amount and

got into some trouble.) But I do not like to have such

authority. It is so difficult to determine the authenticity

of a situation since there usually is no time or reliable

means to make inquiries. And certainly, there is no way

to run all of the requests for money though the church

council. If the council investigated all the requests for

benevolence, there would be little if any time left for

other matters.

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On Helping Others

My solution is to only give my money away. I

generally have a five or ten-dollar bill, or maybe even

a twenty-dollar bill, in my desk that I can give. It is

very hard for me to give tithes and offerings to people

who could just as easily be telling me a story. But I will

give a little of my money away.

And I give it away; I do not make a loan. Giving a

loan, particularly to somebody in the church, is a first

class mistake! People, now in debt, have a cloud and a

burden hanging over them. Additionally, people who

get themselves into financial trouble often have that

need exist for quite some time—it is rarely a onetime

fix.

It has been my unhappy experience that a debtor

will leave the church with nothing more than a note

saying they will pay the money back as quickly as

possible. I’ve had that happen enough that I learned

not to loan money. When money is handed out to meet

a need, it should be a gift, whether the money is given

to a person in the church or to a stranger who knocks

on the door.

I don’t mind giving away a five or ten-dollar bill.

And I’ve heard everything: transmission broken down,

engine blown up, electricity turned off, no food in the

house, operation desperately needed, severe toothache,

on and on. My money is not going to make much of a

difference in such a case. I do have a list of

organizations, public and private, that may be able to

provide additional assistance. But I do not make a

judgement on the worthiness of the need. Even when

I think I am being taken, I will often hand over a fivedollar

bill.

Sometimes I must simply say to a person in need,

“I wish I could help”. And I mean those words; I wish

I could fix the world and make all the pain and suffering

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For Pastors

go away. I am doing little more than taking note of the

person’s need and expressing the desire that if I could

I would do something to alleviate the problem.

I set aside roughly $50.00 a month of my own

money that I use for either offerings (giving to people

who ask for it) or I will buy things so I don’t have to go

to the treasurer all the time. Very few people know I

do this, but it has served me well for 15 years.

My favorite way of helping others is to do practical

things. Later I suggest that pastors have a pickup truck;

indeed, one of my specialties is moving and hauling

things with my truck. Sometimes a seemingly small

thing can be a great blessing. I recall a person who

needed to take dozens of plastic bags full of garbage

and other debris to the dump. The job, completed in

an hour, turned out to be a great time of fellowship.

Experienced pastors understand the “ministry of

presence”. Being there, only being present, is

sometimes the entire ministry that is needed, or

wanted. In my earlier years I was a persistent advice

giver. Now my aim is to avoid giving advice even when

it is asked for. All my supposed wisdom and profound

insight may serve only to get in the way and obscure

issues. My concern is to listen and reflect back what I

hear. Pastors are not therapists or social workers though

we dabble in both; it is better to be a loving and caring

friend who can lift needs up to the throne of God in

heartfelt prayer.

We will not be able to fill every need. The reality

is we may not be able to help even in desperate

situations. After we have done all we can we may yet

feel like we’ve failed. Hardly a week goes by but I am

confronted with a sense of inadequacy in the face of

human need. I can’t sell the building nor move

everyone into the parsonage. I am learning to face my

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On Helping Others

limitations and, at the same time, not succumb to guilt

or despair. We will always have the poor and hurting

with us, and we will do our best for them, as we are

able.

         

It is probably clear that I am far from an expert when it

comes to human need.

  Do you have ideas on how to strengthen this chapter,

perhaps some ideas on dealing with a sense of failure

and inadequacy when we have no resources?

Twenty-nine

On Being a Counselor

“Kent, remember what I told you about my mother.

You’ve got to promise me that you will never tell

another living soul. I’ll just die if you do.”

“I assure you, I will never mention it to anyone,

not even my wife.”

(One month later.)

“Kent, now my husband knows. You must have told

him because no one else knew. How could you? I’ll

never trust you again.”

         

My college major was psychology. I left a graduate

program in counseling to attend Golden Gate

Baptist Theological Seminary. It seemed natural

enough to combine pastoral ministry and counseling;

I perceived of myself as a pastor/counselor.

Following my involvement in the “Jesus

Movement” I developed a counseling ministry, in the

70’s particularly, called the Marin Christian Counseling

Center. Christian counseling was a subject of great

interest during that particular time and, of course, it

continues to be. As a pastor with counseling skills I

thought I would be able to help people overcome

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For Pastors

emotional and spiritual based problems. For ten years

I spent four days a week with as many as six, seven,

sometimes eight appointments a day. All kinds of

people made appointments—people in the church,

people outside the church, Christians, and non-

Christians. I never charged a penny.

People would reveal their innermost secrets, deep

dark stuff, sometimes details of their lives they really

hadn’t intended to divulge; it would just come out. Too

often I would know way too much.

During the counseling process itself revelations of

past events did not seem to pose any threat. However,

I now had information that might prove damaging

should it get out. Even the closest relationships are

subject to strain, and sensitive, personal information

disclosed in a counseling situation may be problematic

once the strength of the counseling bond diminishes.

This is especially applicable for pastors who do indepth

(more than simple pastoral ministry) counseling

with members of the congregation.

I have discovered that when people go through a

life crisis and disclose intimate details of their lives,

though it seems okay at the time, when the crisis is

past, they may be embarrassed and uncomfortable in

the pastor’s presence. It may even be necessary for the

person to find another church. This has happened to

me more than once. Therefore, I have determined not

to be a counselor or confessor if I can avoid it.

People will confess their sins and if such repentance

arises naturally out of the Holy Spirit’s conviction, well

and good. But to set oneself up as a qualified counselor,

one ready to hear and handle the deep, dark,

complicated things—I think this is a mistake for the

pastor.

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On Being a Councelor

We are called into the pastoral ministry not into

the work of the psychotherapist, analyst, or counselor.

When, however, someone lays a problem before me

and asks for advice or counsel I respond, “I am not a

counselor, I am not a therapist, and I receive no

compensation for counseling.” (I ought also to disclose

that I have neither a license nor malpractice insurance.)

It is not unusual for a person who is not a member

of my congregation to offer to pay me for my time. My

answer is: “There is no charge. If you want to make a

donation to the church, you can.” And I will only say

that if absolutely pressed. I prefer that no money

change hand at all.

Pastoral ministry is what I will do, however. I can

tell a person what the Scripture says about a particular

issue, I can pray with and for somebody, I can relate

some of the things I have learned in my life and

ministry, but beyond that I hope not to go. I will listen

carefully, I will actively share what I feel is helpful,

and I may be able to recommend someone who would

be better qualified and trained than myself.

And so it is that I don’t want to know too much

about an individual. I want to be the pastor/teacher. I

do not want to be the counselor. Pastoral psychology

and counseling are taught in our seminaries and Bible

colleges and I am not saying that is an error or wrong.

I’m saying simply that as a pastor I would rather not

engage in it.

As I have already stated, I get to know more than I

ever wanted to know acting as a counselor, but

secondly, it is an extraordinarily time-consuming

process. Not only does counseling require large blocks

of time, it is emotionally draining as well. To hear of

the pain, suffering, and grief of others is a difficult thing.

What is it that is said, “Psychiatrists have the highest

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For Pastors

suicide rate of any profession.” Whether this is true or

not I don’t know, but I know there is an incredibly

high attrition rate for people who engage in

psychotherapeutic work.

The job of the pastoral minister is to preach the

gospel and help those who are converted to grow up

into the stature of the fullness of Jesus. And people

are to work out their own salvation with fear and

trembling. I don’t want to have a person develop a

relationship with me that they really need to have with

Jesus. I would rather have them view Jesus as their

counselor. Jesus is the Counselor, the Advocate, the

Paraclete, the One who comes alongside to help. I

would rather see an individual develop a strong

devotional life and learn to trust the Lord to be their

counselor. I am then free to be the pastor/teacher.

         

  Do you want to function as a counselor?

  Do you perceive a difference between pastoral

counsel and the counsel of a licensed therapist?

  Have you experienced the betrayal of confidence?

 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.