The Core Message of the Jesus Freaks

 Chapter 48 

Joyful Noise began singing a song entitled, “One name under heaven whereby we must be saved,” in 1968 or 1969.

1 Not sure, but I may have written this one, or perhaps it was David Hoyt. I have seen the song listed as written by others, but that was typical of the JPM. The authorship of songs, some written by David Hoyt and myself, became common property and finally, when included in music books, would be claimed by someone or other rather than as “unknown.” The index finger pointing upward meant “one way” and is based on John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I believed that then, and I believe it now. 

For the Jesus People, Acts 4:12 said it all: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 

Campus Crusade for Christ’s The Four Spiritual Laws booklet was widely used in street evangelism. Simple and clear, it was perhaps a bit “dumbed-down” from the perspective of a much older Christian. My favorite way to present Christ is called “The Roman Road,” which I still use. It starts with Romans 3:10: “None is righteous, no, not one.” The next stop is Romans 3:23-24: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” It is a short distance from there to 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now a U-turn is required back to 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Often the last stop was Romans 10:9-10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Currently, I go back to 8:30: “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” At the end of this road, there is no dead end. 

The Essential Doctrine 

Our emphasis was not self-improvement; it was not a self-help movement. We were not trying to find ourselves, fix the planet, or foment a revolution. We were not intent on changing the world in a political sense. The bare essential had to do with salvation, which was impressed upon us to be the only thing that mattered, when all was said and done. 

I will never forget the title of one of Bob Hymers’ sermons, “Eternity, eternity, eternity, where will you spend eternity?” Wish I had a recording of it. 

This utterly exclusive doctrine was our banner, even in the midst of a generation that was becoming highly syncretistic, tolerant, and inclusive. The Jesus People were upfront; it was Jesus and Jesus alone who could rescue from an eternity in hell. 

Sociologists have adequately described the 1960s. The size of the counter-culture that was wildly embracing eastern religions and occult practices and concepts was mushrooming. It was cool to be a Buddhist, even cool to stand on a street corner as a Hare Krishna, chanting and begging for money. Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan in San Francisco, was celebrated. Some in the Haight Ashbury looked down on me, because I had not expanded my mind by dropping acid or equivalents. 

I was reluctant to identify myself with a Christian church, since it was not hip to be a Baptist, especially a Southern Baptist, so I referred to myself as a “follower of Jesus.” As the song said, “Jesus is just all right with me.” For others, He was only all right as long as He was simply another in the pantheon of spiritual gurus. But when some of us proclaimed Jesus as being absolutely the only way to the Father, the response could just as likely be a punch in the mouth as anything else. 

I believe I have adequately framed it: Hippie Jesus was tolerated but the Jesus of the Bible was not. Still, the conversions came by the thousands and more than thousands. How could this be explained? It was the power of the Holy Spirit, who convicted the unholy hippies intent on nothing more than sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll of their sin and then powerfully revealed to these blinded and hardened sinners Jesus as Lord and Savior. Now that is a miracle of the first order, while other miracles like healing, words of knowledge, even multiplication of food, simply cannot compare. 

Not all conversions were genuine conversions, of course, but the large majority were, and this is stated on the basis of my personal experience. Having spent my life pretty much in one place for most of the Jesus People Movement and beyond, I have been contacted (mostly through Facebook) by a host of those who were brought to Christ in the JPM, and one of the first statements, whether by phone, email, or Facebook is, “I am still trusting in Jesus.” 

Some described themselves as having made “shipwreck of the faith,”

2 1 Timothy 1:19 is the reference here and some interpret it to mean a loss of salvation. My experience, and other biblical evidence, causes me to think otherwise.even for fairly long periods of time, but God would not leave them as castaways. It is one thing to trip or fall, but it is the mark of true conversion to get back up again and continue along the narrow way. 

Jesus remains, now and forever, the only name under heaven whereby we must be saved. 

Important Theological Terms

Here is 3 and 1/4 pages of theological terms that appear in Paul’s letter to the Roman Church. Very important to grasp what these words mean.

Baptism (Grk. baptizein, “to dip in water”) Initiation into the Christian faith through a worship ceremony in which water is applied by sprinkling (aspersion), pouring (affusion), or immersion while the Trinitarian formula is spoken. Regarded as a sacrament (an outward sign instituted by God to convey an inward or spiritual grace) by most liturgical churches, especially Roman Catholicism. “Believer’s Baptism” is baptism administered only to those who make a conscious profession of Christian faith and who have reached an age of accountability (adulthood). The practice is found in Baptist and other traditions and is considered an “ordinance” (a memorial or act of obedience). 

Romans 6:3, 4 

Blessing: A particular goodness received or given. Liturgically, it is an expression of God’s graciousness and love. 

Romans 4:6, 9; 15:29 

Comforter: (KJV) or Helper (ESV) (Grk. = paraclete, “called to the side of,” “advocate”). Reference to the Holy Spirit, especially in portions of John’s gospel (chaps. 14–16) 

Not found in Romans 

Condemnation: See also Guilt and Judgment. In general, Condemnation means Divine judgment against sin. It does not mean “damnation,” as was often the translation in the King James Version of the Bible. 

Romans 3:8; 5:16, 18; 8:1 

Divine Forbearance: (Grk. anoche, “a holding back”) Patience and self-restraint as a quality of God that should mark the lives of Christians as well (see also Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13). 

Romans 2:4; 3:25 

Eternal Life: Present participation in God’s reign and in the benefits of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:16). After death, it is consummated by life in heaven in God’s presence, which lasts forever. (Also “everlasting life.”) 

Romans 2:7; 5:21; 6:22, 23 

Faith (Grk. pistis, Lat. fides, “trust,” “belief”) In Christianity, belief, trust, and obedience to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It is the means of salvation (Eph. 2:8–9) or eternal life (John 6:40). Faith affets all dimensions of one’s existence: intellect, emotions, and will. 

Romans 1:5, 8, 12, 17; 3:22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31; 4:5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22; 5:1, 2; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 8, 17; 11:20; 12:3, 6: 14:1, 22, 23; 16:26 

Fear of God (the LORD): “Servile fear” of God is based on the treat of divine punishment. “Filial fear” recognizes God’s person as one who is righteous and thus the awe and 2 

reverence which evokes the desire not to offend God. Biblically, “fear” (Heb. yir’ah) means “awe” (Prov. 9:10). 

Romans 3:18; 11:20; 13:3 

Glory: (Lat. gloria) Exalted praise and honor. Glory is an attribute of God. Where God is present is His glory. 

Grace: (Grk. charis, Lat. gratia, “favor,” “kindness”): Unmerited favor. God’s grace is extended to sinful humanity in providing salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ that is not deserved and withholding the judgment that is deserved (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Titus 2:11). 

Guilt: The condition in which one is estranged from God because of sin, which ruptures the divine-human relationship. The experience of guilt that results from breaking a divine law can be accompanied by a sense of shame. 

Heirs: Under the patriarchs the property of a father was divided among the sons of his legitimate wives ( Genesis 21:10; 24:36; 25:5), the eldest son getting a larger portion than the rest. The Mosaic law made specific regulations regarding the transmission of real property, which are given in detail in Deut. 21:17; Num. 27:8; 36:6; 27:9-11. Succession to property was a matter of right and not of favor. Christ is the “heir of all things” ( Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:15). Believers are heirs of the “promise,” “of righteousness,” “of the kingdom,” “of the world,” “of God,” “joint heirs” with Christ (Gal. 3:29; Heb. 6:17; 11:7 ; James 2:5). Ones who receive an inheritance. Used in the Old Testament to designate Israel’s reception of the promised land (Num. 34:2; Deut. 26:1; Ps. 105:11), and in the New Testament for reception of the kingdom of God given to those who are Christian believers (Matt. 25:34; Gal. 5:21; Heb. 1:14). 

Romans 4:13, 14; 8:17 

Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God): (Heb. ruach; Grk. pneuma, “spirit”) The third member of the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit constitute the eternal Godhead. The Spirit inspired biblical writers, makes known the saving work of Jesus Christ, and is God as present in and with the Church. The Spirit acts to incorporate all things into the life of the triune God. 

Romans 5:5; 8:9; 14, 9:1; 14:17; 15:13, 16, 19 

Hope, Christian: The Christian anticipation of the future as the fulfillment of God’s purposes based on God’s covenant faithfulness and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as known by the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. (See also Matt. 12:21; Acts 2:26; 23:6; 24:15; 26:6, 7; 28:20; 1 Pet. 1:3; 

Romans 4:18, 5:2–5; 8:20–25; 12:12; 15:4, 12, 13, 24 

Judgment: The evaluation of one’s guilt or innocence. It is associated in Scriptures with God’s assessments of nations and people. (See also “Condemnation”) 

Romans 2:1–5; 5:16; 12:3; 13:2; 14:3, 4, 10, 13, 22 3 

The Law: Refers to the moral law given by God to Moses to regulate the conduct of the covenant people, as found throughout the Pentateuch. 

Romans 2:12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 23, 25, 26; 3:19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 31; 4:13–16; 5:13, 20; 6:14, 15; 7:1–9, 12, 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 25; 8:2–4, 7, 9:4, 31; 10:4, 5; 13:8, 10 

Immortality: The condition of not being mortal and, thus, of being deathless, undying, or everlasting. Only God is inherently immortal. In Christian theology, those who receive eternal life, and thus immortality, receive it as a gift of God. 

Romans 1:23, 2:7 

Peace: (Heb. shalom, Grk. eirene) Fullness, well-being. Translation os shalom, Hebrew term used for both greeting and farewell with great richness of meaning. It is much more than lack of war and points to full societal and personal well-being, coupled with righteousness and possible only as a gift of God. 

Romans 1:7; 2:10; 3:17; 5:1; 8:6; 14:17, 19; 15:13, 33; 16:20 

Propitiation: A theological term for making atonement for sin by making an acceptable sacrifice. Some English translations use the term (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10) to describe the death of Christ. Some theories of the atonement relate this to God’s wrath. 

Romans 3:25 

Reconciliation/Reconciled: (Grk. katallage, “a bringing together again”) Bringing together parties who are estranged. It is a key image of the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ in death and resurrection (2 Cor. 5:16–21). Christians are to be reconciled with God and with others (Matt. 5:23–24). 

Romans 5:10, 11; 11:15 

Resurrection: God’s raising of Jesus Christ from the dead (Acts 2:32; 4:10; Gal. 1:1). Also, the future rising of all persons prior to the final judgment (John 5:25–29; 1 Cor. 15; Rev. 20:4–15). 

Romans 1:4; 6:5 

Righteousness: (Heb. sedaqah, Grk. dikaiosyne). Biblically the term embraces a number of dimensions relating to God’s actions in establishing and maintaining right relationships. Ethically it is a state of moral purity or doing that which is right (Pss. 96:13; 97:6; 106:3) 

Salvation: (Grk. soterian) God’s activities in bringing humans into a right relationship with God and with one another through Jesus Christ. They are saved from the consequences of their sin and given eternal life. 

Romans 1:16; 11:11; 13:11 

Sin: Various Hebrew and Greek words are translated “sin” with many shades of meaning. Theologically, sin is the human condition of separation from God that arises from opposition to God’s purposes. It may be breaking God’s law, failing to do what God will, or rebellion It needs forgiveness by God. 4 

Romans 3:9, 20; 4:8; 5:12, 13, 16, 20, 21; 6:1-2, 6–23; 7:7–9, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 25; 8:2, 3, 10; 14:23 

Transgression: (from Grk. parabainein) A biblical image for sin as overstepping the boundaries set by God, and thus as the breaking of God’s law (Ex. 34L7; Ps. 32:1; Gal 6:1). 

Romans 4:15; 5:14 

Wrath of God: An expression of the righteousness of God in relation to human sin and its just punishment (Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6). Also called “anger” in the Scriptures (Ex. 4:14; Deut. 29:23). 

Romans 1:18; 2:5; 2:8; 3:5; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; 13:4; 13:5 

ET article on John Wycliffe

Here is a link to an incredible essay that appeared in the current issue of Evangelical Times

Hello everyone, here is a link to an article that appreared in the new issue of Evangleical Times, a great newspaper in England. Over the years it has published around 150 of my essays. It is one of the most important publications in Europe. I have a photo of David Clark, the long time head of it, and Michael Graham, and myself in my office, taken when David visited us here about 20 years ago.

You will enjoy this very important piece. Kent

https://www.evangelical-times.org/celebrating-700-years-since-john-wycliffe/
https://www.evangelical-times.org/celebrating-700-years-since-john-wycliffe/

A Collection of Short Articles

# 1: Is it all about power?

No, it is not all about power. For many who use psychic, mediumistic, and channeling techniques to counsel people it is about helping and encouraging them. Many, if not most, of those who so engage are not aware that they are involved with demonic forces and thereby exposing themselves and their clients to being invaded by these demons. But the number one draw is power—acquiring and accessing power. 

Are most of those involved in psychic therapies women?

The answer is mostly yes. When searching for psychic therapists, one encounters mostly women. And why is this? While this has not been a focus of our research, we surmise that women have a sincere desire to help others, which is built into their nature. It may also be that these women will experience being in a power position in a culture that tends to disempower women. 

Is it all about making money?

Money is certainly involved, and for some who present their psychic services to others, the price tag can be large. Some charge by the minute, others by the hour, and the contact may be in person or over the internet, and payment can be made online. Some psychics earn into the six-figure range.

# 2: The Tipping Point?

Perhaps the most crucial issue is, at what point does demonization occur?

How much exposure to psychic/occult practices does it take before a person is invaded by demonic spirits?

Our own experience with casting out of demons does not help much with this answer. Sometimes merely engaging with friends playing with an Ouija Board for a few sessions is enough.

Other times it seemed to have happened while simply engaging in mild or medium meditation practices. 

Then again, attending and participation in a séance was enough. It could be merely sitting down with a medium who was channeling or gazing into a crystal ball. 

It could be working with a tarot card reader and internalizing the read. 

How little is too much? This is a large question without a definitive answer. 

In the witch’s circle, when spirits of various sorts are asked to attend, or defend, or manifest their presence, then believing in the process and hoping for real contact with the spirit world is more than enough. 

Satan does not play fair. It gives to get, and what it gives is power, knowledge, visions, and the experience and presence of spiritual entities. It is all very real; and few can resist. 

How much exposure does it take to acquire demonic spirits? Tragically, our experience indicates that it only takes a little. 

#3: Where Two or Three? 

The title of the first part of this essay comes from Matthew 18:20. The complete verse reads: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). 

One of the questions that troubles many of us has to do with how is it that demons invade people. We know the why of it—that Satan’s whole purpose is to attack and destroy those made in the image of God. But the exact method of it is a mystery. 

Here is an attempt at providing an answer, although it is not possible to be absolutely certain. 

Could it be that Satan imitates what is written in Matthew 18:20? Two or more believers in Jesus gather for worship, prayer, and praise–and thus the promise of Jesus is that He will be with them, unseen, unheard, unfelt, but nevertheless, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He is there. 

You can see where this is going. Here are some examples, by no means all, of how Satan and his evil spirits are present with people. 

Visiting a medium, a channeler, a psychic 

Visiting a life coach who uses psychic arts like those in this list 

Participating in a séance 

Doing or having a crystal ball reading 

Doing or having tarot card reading 

Playing with an Ouija board

In a meditative process like those used by Reiki practitioners 

With groups of people practicing yoga 

Expecting visions in a sweat lodge 

Trying to listen to Jesus as Sarah Young promotes in her Jesus Calling series 

Looking for answers and visions under the administration of someone working with Akashic Records 

In a wiccan coven, in the circle, where various spirits are expected to attend 

In a drumming group leading to a trance like state 

At a worship experience in a Satanic church 

Reading tea leaves with a group 

Practicing I Ching with a group 

During group or individual hypnotherapy 

In gatherings where people attempt to connect with dead ancestors 

And there are many other events where two or three gather to explore the unseen world, make a connection with the dead, and connect with various spirits. 

Our experience reveals that Satan is a copycat. And a person does not have to believe that there is such a thing as a devil or demons. Satan takes unfair advantage. 

Indeed, where two or more are gathered . . . 

What about those who meditate alone? 

The demonic realm is spiritual and not bound or deterred by barriers or distance. 

When a person learns and adopts serious forms of meditation and is seeking to find that ‘nothingness,’ or peace, or contact with a spiritual realm, then demon invasion is possible. In fact, based on our studies and personal experiences, this may be the dominant way in which people are being invaded by demonic spirits in our contemporary era. 

Jesus taught us how to pray, one way being The Lord’s Prayer, and while we know that Christian prayer is mindful, with concrete content, whether said aloud or to oneself, it is nevertheless talking with God. It is not blanking out the mind, and it does not focus only on breath or a supposed chakra or ridding oneself of an energy blocker in the body, etc. These practices may be refreshing, comforting, and spiritual, but they open a peron to being invaded. 

#4: Meditation at P.S. Alice Austen School, Staten Island, NY 

In the June 27, 2022, issue of The New Yorker, in the “Curriculum Dept” Best Self, is a piece about third graders assembling for daily lessons on feelings at P.S. Alice Austen School in Staten Island. 

“Two years ago, P.S. began to integrate Social–Emotional Learning (SEI), which teaches kids techniques to identify and regulate their emotions, into its academic programs” (p. 14). 

After the pandemic began, the school placed an emphasis on S.E.L., which is now a part of the curriculum in Staten Island and in a thousand other schools. 

Now the mayor, Eric Adams, “leads his staff through breathing exercises and has said that he wants police officers to meditate before and after every shift (“You cannot hate . . . if you meditate!”), has underscored the importance of mindfulness in the classroom. All pubic-school students, he has said, should start their day with twenty minutes of meditation.” 

What’s wrong with this? you may ask. 

It is abundantly clear that meditation practices, with the breathing, so-called mindfulness (mindlessness?), and the repeating or chanting of mantras that most often spring from Hinduism and/or Buddhism, can move anyone into emotional and spiritual danger. And the school kids will have no way out. Likely, parents who did not want their children engaging in this would run into trouble as well. 

Is meditation something that promotes health and peacefulness? Of course, it is said to do so, but we cannot neglect the experience of so many who testify that even rather shallow meditation practices will in time lead to something far deeper, troubling, and even demonic. 

Meditation, simply put, is a religious, spiritual practice. (Yes, many attempt to distinguish between what is religious and what is spiritual, but they are one and the same.) Do you think those who support Social–Emotional Learning would permit the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer, a piece from the Qur’an, or the 23rd Psalm? Imagine, gathering the kids up in order to teach them how to practice Eastern-oriented spiritual rituals, and meditation is a ritual practiced by many religions. 

The third graders have little or no protective devices, and out of fear of being seen as a weirdo, most will fall in line and start trying to meditate. And down the road, that kid’s life will be heavily impacted both spiritually and emotionally. 

#5: Satan is the “god” of this World 

Paul, in his second letter to the church at Corinth, states the following:  

[1] Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. [2] But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. [3] And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. [4] In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [5] For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. [6] For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (ESV) 2 Corinthians 4:1–6 

Especially note verse four, bolded above. The actual Greek word for “god” is theos, as transliterated from the Greek into English. Six other times in these six verses this word theos is used by Paul, and in each of these instances the term refers to the maker of heaven and earth, the true and the living God. Satan is indeed a god, but of this age only. 

Then in verse four, the word for “world” is from the Greek word for “age.” Yes, our beloved English Standard Version of the Bible should have used “age” rather than “world.” 

Satan is a kind of a god, the exact opposite of the God who created the heavens and the earth and who alone will judge the world on the basis of faith and trust in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Yes, Satan is a kind of god, but the worst of the worst. His power and craft are unmatched by anything on the planet. This god can persuade and fool the best of us. The occult arts and psychic therapies are truly miraculous and highly spiritual, yet they are not from the God who created this universe. 

We have not been surprised nor judgmental of those who are lured into the devilish realm. Who has not fallen prey at one time or another? 

What if someone reads this book and suddenly realizes that he or she has been duped, that he or she has become involved in one or another of the psychic therapies and/or occult practices and regrets it? First, discard anything that is associated with the practice or so-called therapy. Then pray—yes, speak to God, eyes open or closed, confess the error, then ask that you be forgiven, ask that you be cleansed of all sin by means of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, shedding His blood to cover your sin, and then express thanksgiving for being forgiven. 

After that is something else we strongly advise. Find a church that preaches and teaches the Bible and that preaches the wonderful Gospel message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Get on the internet, type into a Google or some other search engine, A church that centers on Jesus Christ and His Gospel within 20 miles. Some should pop up. 

Check them out. There are whacky churches out there, and cults, too, but settle on a church that stands firm on The Apostles’ Creed, is trinitarian, and believes there is a heaven and a hell. 

The god of this world will not have the last word. 

#6: Yoga and Zen 

The holy people and gurus of Hinduism value and depend upon trance states. Yoga means “union,” and the union desired is with deity, however they choose to define that deity. Unsurprisingly, that union takes place by means of the trance state. 

Buddhism flows out of Hinduism, so there is considerable overlapping between the two. Our primary focus here will be on Buddhism, but in many ways the two may be considered as one in actual practice. 

In early Buddhist Scriptures, the Buddha explained the Noble Eightfold Way.1 

1 Mircea Eliade, From Primitives to Zen, Harper & Row, New York, 1967, pp. 574- 575. These are right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.2 

2 Concentration is synonymous with meditation in Buddhism.It is this last one, right concentration, where the subject of the trance state surfaces. 

In Buddhism, there are four levels of trance that help a person achieve right concentration. Starting out, when a monk is free from passions and evil thoughts, he then attains to and abides in the first trance state of joy and pleasure. When a monk ceases reasoning and investigation, in a state of internal serenity, with the mind fixed on one point, he attains to and abides in the second trance state, that of joy and pleasure arising from concentration. Abiding in and attaining the third trance state means the monk, with equanimity and indifference towards joy, abides mindful and self-possessed, and with his body experiences pleasure that the noble ones call “dwelling with equanimity, mindful and happy.” Finally, dispelling pleasure and pain, and even before the disappearance of elation and depression, he attains and abides in the fourth trance state, where the monk is without pleasure or pain and is in right concentration. 

It is obvious, therefore, that Buddhist practices rely upon the trance state. It is astonishing to note the process: free from passions – really? No evil thoughts – is this possible? No reasoning or investigation – blind and defenseless is better? Can the mind be truly fixed on one point? Can a person – and is it healthy and right – be indifferent to joy? Is the goal of existence to be without pleasure? To dismiss emotions and reasoning, both key functions of the brain, one would have to literally be outside of his or her mind, and this is, indeed, the trance state. 

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 or relaxing exercise might miss seeing the deeper goals. Serious devotees of both Yoga and Zen 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 many Western proponents of yoga say it is not a spiritual practice, there is no way to eliminate those aspects. The founder of Ashtanga Yoga said, “It will take you automatically into the meditative state, and that’s how it will draw you into the spiritual path.” 

#7: Do Yoga and Zen Practitioners Encounter Spirits? 

While both Yoga and Zen utilize meditation, concentration, and focusing, and while both may use mantras, koans,3 

3 A koan is a riddle without a solution, and, in concentrating on the koan, one’s mind may be altered to the point that a passive state of mind is achieved. 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 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.4 

4 Americanized forms of Yoga and Zen, while not relying upon their traditional forms, may nevertheless move toward entering or attempting to enter into trance states despite the sanitizing of the religious forms. The movement from physical exercise to 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 some occasions the persons are 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.5 

Efforts to achieve an ASC depends largely on the goals of the teacher. 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. 

#8: The work of the Holy Spirit and the Christian worldview 

The Christian worldview, clearly delineated in the Christian Scriptures, is that there is one Holy Spirit. God’s Holy Spirit always points to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit testifies to the fact that Jesus is the promised Messiah of Israel, is both God and man, and that as the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God, He died to make atonement for sin.6 

5 There is a debate among those acquainted with trance states as to whether what is experienced is taking place within the mind or if there is “astral travel” to actual places outside the head or mind. We have no fixed opinion on the matter; both are the result of a demonic deception. We do, however, suspect it is all within the mind. The Holy Spirit’s testimony continues, that on the third day He was raised from the dead, is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. The Holy Spirit brings honor and glory to Jesus, who is Lord of lords and King of kings. And it is the Holy Spirit that indwells all those who are born again—, that is, are converted. 

The gods, goddesses, guides, angels, familiars, and other spirit beings encountered in the trance states are not representatives of the Triune God, but rather they are emissaries of Satan, the devil, who, in his envy of the Creator God, desires to receive worship meant for the Father Almighty alone and attempts to divert it to himself. Behind shamanistic religions like Santería, Wicca, and all spiritual and religious disciplines that depend on the altered state of consciousness, is a dreadful evil presence who seeks to be honored, worshipped, and adored in place of the true and living God. 

6 Sin is a word, derived from Latin but with traces of meaning from other languages, that essentially has to do with guilt, that inner sense of having done something morally wrong.

#9: “Don’t Worry About Me” 

Words like the above, or words similar to these, are often heard by people when a loved one dies. All of a sudden, almost as if a person is in a dream state, the departed one is speaking words that are comforting to hear. Indeed, reassuring words these are, but who or what is behind that voice, that feeling, that thought? 

Are the words actually from the deceased loved one? Most of us would like to know that the departed family member or friend is no longer in pain or discomfort and certainly not in hell. These words are easily embraced, and when they are, other comforting words might follow, with more frequent “communication,” to the point that a relationship starts to develop. And this is not uncommon. 

Much to the disappointment of many, when people die, they do not communicate with the living. We see this in the story of The Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31. There is no contacting the living by the dead. That voice, that contact, might be real, but it is the presence of a demonic spirit that impersonates the dead person. 

The goal of the demon is to build a relationship with the person who has lost someone dear to their heart. Months may go by, numbers of contacts of various kinds may be experienced, and the goal of the satanic spirit is to rattle, confuse, deceive, and of course, invade or possess. 

This is so very common, and many who have pastored churches for long years are able to tell of such events that were revealed to them by parishioners who have come to them for help. 

Our point is: if you are contacted by something impersonating a lost loved one, reject that voice in the name of Jesus Christ. 

#10: Kent’s own findings 

In the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, during the days when, due to the Beatles’ influence, Transcendental Meditation was all the rage, I met many people who became adept at this meditation form. When their normal boundaries and critical defenses of mind and spirit cracked under deep meditation, however, demonic spirits invaded them. Yes, these people opened themselves up to demonic possession. This was often confirmed to me years afterward when people thus affected would arrive at the church I pastored and request deliverance from such unclean spirits. 

Two illustrative instances come to mind. 

On one occasion, a young hippie I met on the street in the Haight stopped me and asked if I could help get voices out of his head that continually yelled at him. We retreated to a little park on Haight Street just east of the main section, and I asked him when the voices started. Having been trained in psychology, I wanted to know if the voices had been around a long time or was it something new – chronic or acute. He told me the voices started, little by little, at his initiation into TM. He said the spirit of the founder of the movement came to him and began advising him on various things, and as time went on, the advice turned into demands and threats. He would try to meditate to block out the voices, but this only served to make matters worse. At that point, sadly, I did not know enough about casting out of demons then to help him. I did pray for him, gave him a New Testament, and urged him to trust in Jesus. 

Years later, in the normal course of doing deliverance ministry, which is the casting out of demons, I encountered something similar. A man who had been initiated into TM described the same experience as the young hippie: the voices, the demands, and the confusion. To the best of my understanding the person was in his right mind. This time we were able to cast demons out of him, and one had the name of the founder of TM. When I later contacted this man, he reported that he no longer felt compelled to meditate and that the voices had ceased entirely. That this occurs may come as a surprise to many; it certainly did to me. Were it not for the possibility of attracting demonic spirits while in a trance state, even if it is thought to be a form of contemplative prayer, I would never have challenged the idea that meditation can lead to an altered state of consciousness. But the fact is, when the walls come down in a deep meditative state, an unwelcome and unwanted invasion is possible, even probable. 

#11: Three Problems Lurking within Christendom 

The following are three ways the Christian community prevents true healing from the demonic: 

(1) By imitating occult practices in the name of God’s Holy Spirit. 

(2) By claiming that Christians cannot have demons, thereby blocking access to deliverance. 

(3) By depending on formulaic, magical methods devoid of the Holy Spirit’s actual involvement. 

(1) Many in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) claim amazing experiences supposedly by the power of the Holy Spirit. They include traveling into heaven to visit God’s throne room and sit on His lap like a child; or hearing the voice of Jesus on demand as on a phone call; or divining the will of God through esoteric methods such as the enneagram; or running through a tunnel of spirit fire; or being overcome by a spiritual presence, supposing it to be the Holy Spirit, that leaves one almost comatose for hours. What is the difference, then, between these activities and those of psychics, the yogis, the tarot card readers, etc.? This is confusing immature or name-only Christians, causing a blurring of the demonic and the heavenly realms. 

(2) Some time ago, a popular leader of a new Christian group of churches claimed that once one is born again, if there are any demons present from the previous life, they must automatically vacate the body and life of this new Christian, since there is no compatibility nor room for both demons and the Holy Spirit. We have done deliverance ministry for decades with mostly Christians who have become aware of the presence of demonic spirits in their life and being, left over from the old lifestyle. They now want them gone, unlike non-Christians, who prefer to bet on power and knowledge outweighing the torment of their demons. What recourse, then, does a Christian have who is convinced that demons cannot be present regardless of the evidence to the contrary? Must he or she leave an otherwise comfortable church community? Or must he or she live in denial? 

(3) Pay a fee and have the “deliverance minister” (also called the exorcist) brandish a cross and recite formulaic phrases over you, perhaps also sprinkling “holy water” on you. Here the difference between magician and priest gets blurred. So do the results. 

# 12: Drumming Used to Enter a Trance State 

Behind right-center field at the baseball diamond at San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, California (San Francisco Bay Area), there is an area where American Indian inmates have a sweat lodge, and from there, during ball games, would issue the sounds of drumming. Once in a while, a player would hit a home run ball into that space, and one of the guys out there in the far outfield would throw the ball back in. 

Kent reports: 

For eighteen years, I coached the baseball team at the prison. We were the Pirates, but then the San Francisco Giants gave us uniforms, and we became the San Quentin Giants. (My book on the 2010 baseball season at SQ written in 2021 is titled, Strike Three, You’re Out! Baseball at San Quentin: The 2010 Season.) And on Saturday games we could see naked Indian inmates roaming about the sweat lodge area and could hear the drums beating. At the time, I thought nothing of it, but my thinking changed as I prepared these essays. 

Plus, for one year, one Thursday afternoon a month, I interviewed Narrie Caldwell via Zoom at the MarinTV studio in San Rafael. She is one of the leading shamans in America, and despite knowing what I thought of shamanism, we were able to respect one another’s views and carry on a lively debate. (Still to this day we keep in touch.) 

An earlier chapter in this book examines shamanism, and drumming and shamanism often go together. Following is a quote from Michael Harner, who is deeply involved in shamanism and all things psychic: 

After having personally practiced shamanism, shamanic healing, and shamanic journeying for more than half a century, I can say that there is nothing I have encountered in reports of the spiritual experiences of saints, prophets, psychedelic drug experimenters, near death survivors, avatars and other mystics that is not commonly experienced when following classic journey methods using a drum.7 

Harner is generally considered the inventor of “Core Shamanism,” in which he strips shamanism of its connections to specific cultures or people groups to allow it to include “an eclectic range of beliefs and practices that involve attempts to attain altered states and communicate with a spirit world through drumming, rattling, dancing, chanting, music,” among others.8 

7 Michael Harner, quoted on the website of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, https://www.shamanism.org, accessed 7/27/2023 Harner is noted for The Way of the Shaman: a Guide to Power and Healing (San Francisco, Harper, 1990). 

Also from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies: 

Core shamanism consists of the universal, near-universal, and common features of shamanism, together with journeys to other worlds, a distinguishing feature of shamanism. As originated, researched, and developed by Michael Harner, the principles of Core Shamanism are not bound to any specific cultural group or perspective. Since the West overwhelmingly lost its shamanic knowledge centuries ago due to religious oppression, the Foundation’s programs in Core Shamanism are particularly intended for Westerners to reacquire access to their rightful spiritual heritage through quality workshops and training courses. 

Shamanic drumming is sometimes described as “a tool that can be used by individuals to attain psychological, physiological and spiritual well-being. . . .” The drum has “the ability to release anger, create joy, alter brain rhythms, induce trance, and create empowerment . . . and a vast range of experiences, from its ability to create euphoria to its deep and sacred power to heal.”9 

8 Wikipedia on “Neoshamanism”, accessed 7/27/2023. 

Shamanistic drumming is considered an ancient healing tradition. It involves connection with and guidance from spirits including ancestors, elders, gods, goddesses, spirit guides, power animals and angels. 

9 from the release notes of The Healing Power of the Drum: A Psychotherapist Explores the Healing Power of Rhythm, by Robert Lawrence Friedman, White Cliffs Media Co., 2000265 

Another book on shamanic drumming is very clear as to the desired result of the practice: 

This empowering book is a call to build relationships with helping spirits. Spirit helpers are the caretakers in the unseen world who want to support the earth and her inhabitants at this time. They are here to teach us how to gather wisdom from the spiritual realms, the natural world, the past, the present and the future in order to give birth to new ways of being. The shamanic relationship between humans and helping spirits supports our spirit’s quest for self-realization. The spirits are here to assist us in doing the principal, unique thing we have come here to do in a way that benefits all living things.10 

The drumming is intended to create or induce a state of trance, otherwise known as an altered state of consciousness. That is unapologetically the goal. The drumming is intended to make one feel either energized or relaxed. Vibrations may be felt in various parts on the body. And here it is said that this connects a person with a higher consciousness where a person experiences their “true self.” Indeed, it is said that shamanistic drumming actually awakens the capability to commune with ones inner-self and experience incredible personal growth. As the quotes from the release notes of just a few books indicate, shamanic drumming is also intended to summon spirits, ostensibly helpful ones. 

At least this is what the proponents say. It is the same story as with most of the spiritual paths and practices covered in this book. The practice induces a trance state, during which demonic entities take advantage of the deliberate summoning of such entities or the person’s lack of supervision of his/her own mind. 

Other quotes we found, which lacked the author’s names are, one, “Continuous fast drumming is traditionally the most common method of eliciting a trance state which allows the participant to experience non-ordinary reality.” And two, “Remember that drumming opens portals to the spirit world, draws spirit in, and opens you up to receive it.” 

The point here is that, and harking back to the previous essay, drumming, combined or not with other things, heat or mind-altering concoctions, are actually a mechanism to become invaded by evil spirits. What appears to be an ancient, and sacred, tradition, which lies at the heart of Indian shamanism, is a pathway to demon possession. 

10 Michael Drake, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, Amazon Kindle Edition, 2014266 

From Wikipedia, July 27, 2023 

Drums – The drum is used by shamans of several peoples in Siberia. The beating of the drum allows the shaman to achieve an altered state of consciousness or to travel on a journey between the physical and spiritual worlds. Much fascination surrounds the role that the acoustics of the drum play to the shaman. 

Soul Confusion

Chapter 27

The March 16, 1999 television chat show, Larry King Live, featured five panelists: Robert Thurman, professor of Buddhism studies at Columbia University; Marianne Williamson, New Age author and spokesperson for the spiritist-channeled Course in Miracles; Rabbi David Aaron, expert on and proponent of Kabbalah, an occult/mystical/gnostic interpretation of Judaism; Deepak Chopra, charismatic spokesperson for a popular version of Hindu monistic thought; and Franklin Graham, head of Samaritans Purse, a Christian humanitarian organization, and son of Billy Graham, the renowned American evangelist. 

One thing they could all agree upon is the idea that human beings have souls, though there were disagreements about the origin, nature, capacity, and meaning of “soul.” Indeed, there is a great deal of confusion when it comes to what the soul actually is. This is an attempt to express the Christian or biblical view of the soul. 

What is the soul?

Though the five spokespersons differed on many points, they seemed to reach a consensus in understanding “soul.” In fact, Deepak Chopra voiced agreement with Graham’s understanding of the soul. We have long heard Billy Graham say words like: “You have a soul, and it will go to heaven or hell when you die.”

Historically, the concept of soul has been around for tens of thousands of years. The “soul” concept had its beginning in what is called “animism,” the idea that in all things lived a spirit or a soul, a spiritual entity that was core to the object. And the object could be a tree, a river, a mountain, an ant, a bear, a rock, a human being—anything at all. 

According to this idea, the human soul is a mysterious, spiritual, and immortal part of the human being that leaves the cold, dead body at death. Those on Larry King’s program who believed in some form of reincarnation were able to agree together about the soul from their own traditions, though they might have used other symbols to express the same thing. 

Confusion concerning the nature of the soul has a powerful influence among the people of Mill Valley where Miller Avenue Church is. Though the doctrine is not biblical and is absent from the teaching of the early church and several successive centuries afterward, the idea that the soul is the focus of evangelistic efforts persists in many Christian traditions. Franklin Graham was concerned about the soul. He should have been concerned about the whole person—body, mind, soul, and spirit. 

So many in our community believe in reincarnation that Graham’s doctrine on the soul would not be troublesome for them. The soul? Well, they say, it needs purifying and experiences endless lifetimes, anyway. These people do not like to think that they will be resurrected to stand before the judgment of God. “My soul” is one thing; “myself” is another. 

Total Resurrection 

The biblical doctrine is one of bodily resurrection, not the floating away of an immortal soul. We are whole, integrated beings, though the Bible writers spoke variously of mind, heart, body, flesh, spirit and soul for the sake of emphasis and illustration. A person is all of these and more, a whole being responsible to God in the totality and indivisibility of his nature. What we are in total will be raised from the dead, either to eternal life in heaven or eternal death in a much darker place. We do not have immortality in and of ourselves. This truth is found in 1 Corinthians 15:53: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (NKJV). 

Soul confusion must be countered by the truth of the resurrection, even if it means parting from long-established ways of thinking and preaching. Let us not give the unconverted comfort by implying that they have only some ethereal soul to be concerned about. 

A Brief History of the Soul 

Animism was a direct fore-bearer of shamanism, which probably developed twenty to thirty thousand years ago in Siberia. At first, as the scholars say, it spread both west and south and east. West into Europe, south into Africa, and east into what is now Alaska, and all the way southward down to the tip of what is now known as Argentina. This last point is clearly seen in the religions of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, which are nearly all based upon shamanism, which involves belief that shamans, with a connection to the otherworld, have the power to heal the sick, communicate with spirits, and escort souls of the dead to the afterlife. The inner dwelling of a soul, completely independent and separate from the body, became and still is a well-established spirituality. 

Probably more Christians than not hold to the idea of a soul that is somehow inside the body and survives biological death. It was a widely held belief in the Graeco-Roman world in the fourth century, which is when Christianity started to incorporate the idea into its theology, and it has remained ever since. Greek dualistic thought posits the theory that the mind, spirit, and soul are good, even divine, counterbalanced by the body, flesh and matter, which are bad, the repository of evil. Therefore, it was the soul that mattered and the soul that needed saving, while the body was simply a temporary prison for the soul. 

Flourishing in the fourth century was a revival of Greek philosophy, mainly dualism of the Neo-Platonic or Neo-Aristotelian varieties.1 

1 Dualism, among other things, viewed the body as bad, even evil, while the mind, spirit, soul, were good and connected to the divine. The body then became the prison house of the soul, which supposedly pre-existed and entered human bodies, transmigrated or left them upon death. The Eastern concepts of karma and reincarnation are dependent upon this understanding of soul.Over a millennium later the reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, both ministers (priests) in the Roman Catholic Church, retained their Church’s doctrine of the soul, despite expounding salvation by grace through faith alone. Only the more radical reformers, the Anabaptists, looked for their theological foundations further back in history before Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354–430), the great Pauline theologian, who incorporated the construct of the separate existence of the soul in the human being. The famous Augustine, one of my heroes of the Church, nevertheless was steeped in Greek philosophy and blended the dualistic concept of the soul into his Christian views. Thomas Aquinas (A.D. 1225– 1274), another great theologian, then included the Greek influenced doctrine of the soul in his Summa Theologica, minus the portion about the transmigration and pre-existence of the soul that was common to Greek philosophy. 

The Christian Protestant denominations originating out of the Reformation inherited the concept of the soul. From Luther comes the Lutheran denominations; from John Calvin and John Knox come the Reformed and Presbyterian churches, followed by the Congregational churches, the Anglican Church, and by extension both American Episcopal and Methodist churches, plus all the offshoots from these denominations. Not all the Baptists, who followed the Anabaptists, rejected the Greek influenced soul view, but many did. Pentecostals and charismatics hold a variety of concepts about the soul. 

Biblical Passages Having to Do with the Soul 

We first encounter the word “soul” in Genesis 2:7: “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” And the reader would be correct in protesting, where is the word “soul?” The version quoted is the English Standard Version (hereafter ESV) and has replaced “soul” with “creature.” And why? Because “creature” is a better rendering of the Hebrew nephesh than soul. The point is that God created a human being. Adam and Eve were actual people. 

The King James Version (hereafter KJV) and older English versions of the Bible translated nephesh as “soul,” and so the term stuck. Furthermore, soul has come to acquire something close to the idea of “ghost,” and not because of anything biblical. And in fact, in Job 11:20 and Jeremiah 15:9, the KJV translates the Hebrew nephesh with ghost. 

In Deuteronomy 6:5 we find the greatest of the commandments: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The Hebrew word for soul here is from nephesh. The point of the commandment, however, means that we are to love God with all of us— all of who we are—and thus the bringing together of three words that were commonly used to describe different aspects or characteristics of all that is human— heart, soul, might.2 

2 Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and inserts the word “mind” along with heart, soul, and strength. See Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27. Thus Jesus interprets the fulfilling of the greatest commandment to include the mind; thus love of God is conscious and thoughtful.

Many Christians, including editors of biblical texts, unreasonably retain how the KJV translated many words, due to the extreme, yet appropriate popularity of that version of the Bible; therefore, the word “soul” pops up frequently in the Old Testament. But it means creature, person, or living being, and it does not refer to something ethereal and separate from a body. It is better said that a human being is a soul. To say a human being has a soul is not a biblical construct. If you disagree, please investigate the issue and do not simply rely on tradition. 

There are literally dozens of passages in the Old Testament where it is clear that the English word soul really means person. For the purposes of this essay, two examples will be given that are characteristic of the lot. The first is from Exodus 1:5, and the KJV is, “And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.” Two times the word “souls” appears, and in both cases the Hebrew word is nephesh. Now the same verse in the ESV: “All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt” (Exodus 1:5). In one instance, nephesh is translated “descendants” and in the second “persons.” The ESV gives the most natural of the translations and is more accurately reflective of the Hebrew writer’s mindset. 

The second example is from Psalm 6:3-4, and the KJV is, “My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.” In both cases soul is nephesh. The same verse in the ESV reads, “My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD–how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.” Nephesh is the Hebrew word translated “soul” in “my soul” and “me” in “deliver me.” In the first instance the ESV translators have the emotional experience of the writer in mind – King David’s emotional state of mind to be exact – and so the term “soul” meets the literary requirement to better convey emotion. In the second instance “me” is more appropriate, as David is directly referring to his person. This second instance from the Psalms illustrates a wide range of translation possibilities, but “soul” speaks to us in a poetic manner. 

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scripture known as the Septuagint, or LXX, is a translation made by Jewish scholars in Alexandria Egypt in the early part of the second century before Christ. In it, psyche is used in place of nephesh in both passages, Exodus 1:5 and Psalm 6:3-4, and this is consistently the case throughout the translation. 

Turning our attention now to the English versions of the New Testament, we see that psyche is sometimes translated “soul.” With the exception of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, the New Testament was written by Jews who inherited the Jewish understanding of the soul. Jews did not believe, in complete distinction from the Greeks, that the soul was anything other than the whole person. Old and even new translations of the New Testament tend to pull toward the KJV and translate psyche as soul. Again, we are looking at tradition. 

Let us consider some examples. One is Matthew 2:20: “Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life” (KJV). “Life” is psyche, so the KJV used the proper word, thus revealing that the KJV translators knew the correct translation. The ESV also has “life” here. We will remember that psyche is the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew nephesh

Matthew 10:28 is a passage that convinces many that there is such a thing as a soul indwelling human beings. “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” The word “soul” appearing twice in the verse, is in both places the Greek word psyche. Here is another example of English translations yielding to the early English versions of the Bible, especially the King James Version. The usage of the word is likely a proverbial manner of speech commonly used and understood in that day, and not to be taken literally. 

Notice, Jesus does not mention the “spirit,” which is the English word used to translate the Greek “pneuma.” This point is important because we can clearly understand that Jesus is teaching that the death of a Christian, by whatever means, will not prevent that Christian from being in heaven after death. In addition, the killing of the body does not prevent a Christian from being with the Lord in heaven because of the resurrection of the body, which will be the reality for all believers in Jesus. It is not a “soul” that gives or guarantees everlasting life, but the new birth given by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Another example is Matthew 10:39: “He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (KJV). “Life” in both places is psyche

Mark 3:4, and the KJV now, is helpful: “And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” Here “save life” uses psyche for life and is the antonym for “kill.” Obviously, Jesus has in mind a person and not a ghost, soul, or something else of an ethereal nature, which, according to some, could not be killed anyway. 

And this is the problem with importing into the Judaeo/Christian Scripture the concept of a soul that does not die or cannot be extinguished. The biblical worldview is resurrection. Jesus was resurrected; even He had no soul that survived the crucifixion. Furthermore, when Jesus cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46), “spirit” in the sentence is from the Greek pneuma and can be translated spirit, breath, or wind. It was essentially an idiom, a statement that would have been well understood by those who heard Him and that meant simply, “Father, as I am now dying I trust in you” – a final confession of faith. 

In the Parable of the Rich Fool Jesus describes a successful farmer who prospers greatly to the point he plows all his gain back into his business and grows increasingly wealthy. This fictional character even boasts: 

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years, relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? (Luke 12:19-20) 

“Soul” in Jesus’ parable stands for the rich fool himself. The farmer is smugly speaking about and to himself. 

Jesus uses, as He often did, the folksy and picturesque communication styles common to that era. And then we consider what it would mean that only an ethereal soul was to be extracted. What about the flesh, the mind, the heart, the spirit? 

Going now to the Book of Acts, chapter 2 and verse 41: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” 

Peter preached the Pentecostal Day sermon in Jerusalem, the first Christian presentation of the Gospel, and 3,000 hearers were converted, and subsequently were baptized. The “those” are referred to as “souls” at the conclusion of the verse. Not sure how souls would be baptized, but no of course, the people who were saved by the power of the Holy Spirit were baptized. This is a rather clear instance in which people are referred to as souls. 

Then a look at 1 Corinthians 15:45. First the KJV: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” Soul is psyche and spirit pneuma. The ESV translates it, “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Adam was a person, not something without a body. Jesus is the last Adam, the one who brought life and not death. 

The passage, Hebrews 4:12, for many seems to seal the existence of a soul apart from a body. 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

The author of Hebrews draws upon three instances in the minds and poetry of people of that era that are so closely entwined that nothing on earth can separate them. Only God is able to do so. Indeed, the Creator God is all powerful and nothing is beyond Him. Point is here that the phrase “of soul and of spirit” does not give credence to the existence of a separate entity called the soul, which most people living in the Graeco-Roman world would have believed in. It was a fitting point of reference for the biblical writer. 

The words of the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:9 “. . . obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” are often cited by those who support the concept of a non-material soul. Peter writing to those who had never had the opportunity to see Jesus in the flesh, said that they still had “the salvation of your souls.” 

We are more than a soul; we are people who are to receive salvation. Our bodies will be changed in an instant and we will be in the presence of God and not just an ethereal soul. 

Another one of the passages often used to support the concept of a soul that is separate and distinct from a person is Revelation 6:9, and this having to do with the opening of the fifth seal: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who have been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.” 

We note that “souls” comes from psyche first of all. These souls are “under the altar.” One might question here: Are souls visible or invisible? The author of Revelation, John the Apostle, could see the souls. Now going on to verses 10 and 11 we see something very interesting. 

They [the souls] cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. 

The souls were given white robes. Do we easily imagine souls wearing clothes? These souls are actual Christians who had been martyred. An ethereal or non-physical entity wearing clothes? 

There is a second passage from Revelation that deserves our attention, Revelation 20:4. 

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

John “saw” these who had died a martyr’s death. By their appearance he knew who and what they were—not floating apparitions with ghostly features, but actual resurrected Christian people.

What I Wish I Had Known Then

Chapter 47 of Memoirs of Jesus Freak

Although awakenings were mentioned in Church History classes at seminary, I did not learn much about them then. I wish I had known that they had beginnings and endings, that they were unusual and not normal, that they were completely a work of a sovereign God, and that they were not always wonderful and joyous events from beginning to end.

Oddly, it never occurred to me that I was involved in an awakening while it was happening. It is not that I was a brand new, right out of the box, Christian. My conversion was in 1963, I had preached occasionally before I got to seminary, was pastor of a church, and had a couple years of seminary under my belt. The trouble was that when the conversions and miracles began, I thought it had to do with my faithfulness and boldness to be a witness. Yes, I thought it had much, though not all, to do with me, that somehow I was specially used of God. The false view I had of myself and what I was seeing made for a kind of personal pride and a judgmental attitude toward others who were not as “sold out for Jesus” as I was. 

“Normal times versus awakening times,” is language I borrow from David Martin Lloyd-Jones and Iain Murray, two of the most knowledgeable people on this sort of thing. They distinguish between the two, emphasizing that most of the time for most Christians, we experience normal times. We plan, pray, and preach for an outpouring of God’s Spirit, but such efforts cannot produce or guarantee it. Charles G. Finney taught exactly the opposite. Due to the seeming success Finney is reported to have had at the tail end of the second awakening in America, 1825 and on, most evangelists who came later tried to copy him. The essence of Finney’s ideas is that revival depends upon Christians. Even in the midst of the JPM, I thought this was correct. Ifsomeone had worded it as, “Philpott, do you think you can force God’s hand?” I would, of course, have said, “No.” The fact is that I was never confronted with such a challenge, so I did not think those thoughts. The prevailing attitude was that people were responsible for revival. 

This leads straight to the question, just who is in charge? On the other hand, who would argue that humans are? The concept of a sovereign God who will do what He will when He wants was essentially foreign to me. I recall an evangelistic campaign by Southern Baptists called, “I Found It.” I was then pastor of Excelsior Baptist Church in Byron, and local Baptist associations all over California were holding Billy Graham-style, evangelistic, outdoor meetings. We pasted “I Found It” bumper stickers on our cars, went door to door, handed out flyers, conducted long prayer meetings with fasting, and promoted the program as best we could. This was in 1968, right when the JPM was under way, and I was fully behind it. The advertising paid off, or rather, it sparked a negative response, as cars started sprouting bumper stickers that read, “I never had it,” “I lost it,” and “I am not looking for it.” The results were rather dismal and disappointing, and we wondered why. 

“The glorious times” were not completely apparent to me during the JPM. My memories of the conversions and miracles are somewhat over-shadowed by the devastation that followed. It is difficult to account for this. Why is it that God would allow for the dark sides of awakenings to compromise the outpouring of His Spirit? Jim Jones, The Way International, The Family, Manifested Sons of God, and many others—what about them? There were also the divisions between those who spoke in tongues and those who didn’t, and between those who submitted themselves to the Shepherding Movement and those who didn’t. 

The wild fire that looked innocent enough at first continues to haunt the Christian community now. It is only when I look back on America’s other awakenings that I begin to understand. Without question, the first two awakenings saw all kinds of serious mischief emerge during them and following them. This is without dispute. 

What Is this Phenomenon? 

There is a spiritual war going on. Whether the devil attacks or counter attacks is unknown. But the reality of the warfare is entirely clear. The same scenario is observed in Scripture. Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Might Fortress is our God,” says it succinctly. Luther, leader of the greatest awakening the Church has ever known in its history outside the Bible, fought the devil and won some battles but lost others. Perhaps what we observe in the JPM is simply how it is in spiritual warfare. 

Another thing I have learned that I wish I had known then: I am vulnerable to deception. I am most at risk when I suppose I am above it all. It is abundantly evident to me that I must keep close to Jesus and His Word. I want to be sure that what I hold to be true is clearly stated in all of Scripture—Old Testament,

1 In regard to the Old Testament, I want to see collaboration in all three of the major sections, Torah, Prophets, and Writings.Gospels, and records of the early Church like Paul’s, John’s, Peter’s, James’, and Jude’s letters. In addition, I value the traditions and consistencies of the Church throughout its history. 

Rightly or wrongly, I am not impressed by those who say, as we often did, that they are “sold out for Jesus.” The Children of God used that phrase a lot and convinced many young Christians that the churches they were involved in were luke warm at best. Members of The Family, on the other hand, were so on fire they left everything behind, sold their possessions, and hit the road to win others. Some of this is biblical, but it was taken to extremes and used as a kind of guilt weapon to upset the lives of vulnerable people. 

I am not going to buy into a claim that God is doing something new in the last days. Prophets are proclaiming new revelations, supposedly confirmed by miracles and success in attracting large followings. We have had enough of the Mohammeds, Joseph Smiths, Russells, David Bergs, and so on. 

Jesus Christ is God become flesh, full of grace and truth. That is enough for us. 

Pentecost or Weeks

The authors’ thesis is that Jesus completed, or fulfilled, Pentecost or Weeks1 in that He sent the Holy Spirit in power and the Church was born on the very day the holiday was celebrated. Is this warranted on the basis of the biblical material itself? 

Christians traditionally speak of “Pentecost” while Jewish people use the term “Weeks.” Here the terms will be used interchangeably. 

Pentecost or Weeks. The transliterated word from the Hebrew is shavuot and means weeks. It is the second of the three pilgrimage feasts, one of the three agricultural feasts, when all male Jews who were not prevented by unusual circumstances should attend the celebration at the Temple in Jerusalem. Most observant Jews would therefore attend the first three spring holidays, since Passover, the first pilgrimage feast, was followed so closely by Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits—all over the course of three days (though Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days and incorporates Firstfruits). 

Deuteronomy chapter 16 records the instructions of only Passover, Pentecost (referred to as The Feast of Weeks), and Tabernacles (referred to as The Feast of Booths) and may be the reason that only these three were designated as the pilgrimage feasts. 

In Exodus 23:16 this feast is referred to as the “Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor,” a term that is a major clue in seeing how Jesus, through the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, fulfilled the long-term intentions of this feast. 

Leviticus 23:15-22 

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you bought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They  shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with pleasing aroma to the LORD. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And you shall make proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. Your shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to the edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the LORD your God.” 

Notes on the passage: 

One. There is no introductory formula for Pentecost as it appears to be connected with Passover and is the conclusion of the spring holidays that begin with Passover. 

Two. Pentecost is a word that comes from the Greek meaning “fifty.” The holiday may be referred to as Pentecost, but the most common biblical term would be The Feast of Weeks. Pentecost would have fallen on the sixth day of the month of Sivan. 

Three. Fifty days after Firstfruits means Pentecost would occur on a Sunday, the day following the Sabbath day. 

Four. The feast was centered on a grain offering, like Firstfruits. On Firstfruits a sheaf of newly cut grain, most likely barely, was waved before the LORD. Then at Pentecost, two baked loaves of bread were waved before the LORD, and most likely the grain was wheat. 

Five. The loaves were baked with leaven within them. 

Six. In addition to the loaves, there would to be a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering. 

Seven. No ordinary work was to be done. Again and again the emphasis is on rest, perhaps the focal point of all the holidays.

Eight. Provision was made for caring for the poor, which was a necessary part of the feast. 

Background material 

Israel, according to many biblical scholars, arrived at Mt. Sinai around the time of Weeks, and thus the feast came to be associated with the celebration of the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. This feast could also then be called the Feast of Revelation. 

The Law given to Israel re-established God’s covenant with His people. In Jewish tradition it is called “the Season of Giving of our Torah.” Though not stated in our Leviticus passage, Pentecost has been considered almost as the birthday of Judaism, because so much of the religion has to do with God’s revelation of His will via Moses to His chosen nation. The rite of circumcision, which was part of the requirements of the Law, was the basis for the covenant God made with His people going back to the time of Abraham. Circumcision was and is important, because it is an affirmation of God’s promises to Abraham and an expression of faith that God will preserve the physical seed of Abraham in spite of all the efforts to destroy that seed. 

The giving of the Law at Mr. Sinai, however, was not without tragedy. While Moses was receiving the Law upon the mountain, the people grew restless and rebellious, and a golden calf, apparently resembling an Egyptian god the people had known during their captivity, was created and worshiped. Judgment soon followed, and “that day about three thousand men of the people fell” (Exodus 32:28). The number three thousand must be remembered. 

Prior to Sinai the people of Israel grumbled and complained. After spending a year at Sinai, receiving God’s revelation, and enjoying His provision, they again set out and again grumbled and complained (see Numbers 11:1-15). It grieved Moses so badly that he wanted to die. In response God instructed Moses to gather seventy men of the elders of Israel upon whom He would place some of the Spirit that was upon Moses and these seventy would help bear the burden of leading the people (see Numbers 11:16-25). “And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied” (Numbers 11:25). Of great significance is the ending of Numbers 11:25, “But they did not continue doing it.” 

But then, when two of the new prophets, Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp and Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ chief assistant, requested that Moses stop them, Moses’ reply was, “Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29). Could it be that the prophet Joel, who would one day speak of an outpouring of the Spirit upon God’s people (see below), saw the significance of Moses’ desire in Numbers and that it informed part of his prophecy? 

The point is that the Law given at Sinai did not and could not change Israel; they would continue to grumble and complain—a rejection of the LORD. There would come something more, a later outpouring of the Spirit. 

Pentecost fulfilled 

By the days of Jesus, Pentecost was a celebration, both of the wheat harvest and the giving of God’s Law to Moses. Jews from all over the Roman world arrived in Jerusalem for the feast. Jesus had already risen from the dead and had made it clear to His disciples immediately before His ascension back to the Father that they were to wait in Jerusalem. Luke described the situation in Acts 1:4-5: 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

The disciples remained in Jerusalem as ordered, but during another post-resurrection appearance the apostles asked Jesus if He was then going to restore the “kingdom to Israel” (see Acts 1:6). These men had seen enough, they had seen the blind and crippled healed, the dead raised to life, demons cast out, food multiplied to gigantic proportions, and realized that even nature was subject to His command. There was no doubt that this young Galilean was none other than the Messiah about whom the prophets had written. 

Jesus responded that it was not necessary for them to concern themselves with times or seasons—not that the kingdom they were looking for would not come—but there was something else awaiting them. He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

And they waited until Pentecost. They were in Jerusalem, gathered together in one place, probably the famous “upper room” where the Last Supper was eaten, when suddenly their world was altered forever: 

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

Acts 2:2-4 

The imagery in these verses comes from the Old Testament. At Mt. Sinai God came down with the dramatic sound of thunder and with the fire of lightning (see Exodus 19). 

The noise in the upper room brought a large group of the pilgrims, devout Jews from all over, apparently to the street outside the home where the apostles were meeting. What they heard was the apostles “telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). Some were amazed; some mocked and thought the men they were hearing were drunk. 

A prophet’s message comes true 

Peter, speaking for the rest, quickly challenged the accusation that they were drunk by quoting from the prophet Joel and essentially saying that what the crowd was hearing was what their own prophet had said would happen. Peter proceeded to quote Joel 2:28-29: 

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 

In Acts 2:17-21 are the words Peter spoke to the crowd that day that included Joel 2:30-32; they are closer to the Septuagint or Greek translation of the Tanakh than the Hebrew. But the essential declaration of Peter is clear—what was heard was a fulfillment of an ancient message from one of the prophets, namely Joel. 

On Pentecost, then, a prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus had spoken several times that when He left, He would not leave His disciples orphans. He would send the Paraclete meaning Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Helper, or more literally, One who would come along side them. The Paraclete being with them was the same as Jesus being with them. Following are some examples of Jesus’ promises to the apostles relating to the Paraclete

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18 

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” John 15:26 

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7 

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14 

The fruit of Peter’s sermon 

In Acts 2:14-36 Luke presents Peter’s sermon that Pentecost day. It is a very Jewish address indeed. The concluding sentence was, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). 

The effect was immediate: “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37). Peter responded with the core message of Messiah Jesus and concluded with words based on the prophecy from Joel: 

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. 

Acts 2:38-39 

The Church, now only minutes old, experienced the influx of about three thousand Jews, along with possibly some Gentile proselytes and God fearers. “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). Remember—at the time when the first covenant was given at Mt. Sinai—about three thousand died. Now three thousand are “added” with the arrival of the second or New Covenant. Not an insignificant detail. 

Two more prophetic fulfillments 

An enormous paradigm shift had occurred. The Holy Spirit had come upon ordinary people, men and women, young and old, and social class did not matter. The promise of a new covenant had become reality, that promise expressed by the prophet Jeremiah many centuries earlier: 

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” 

Jeremiah 31:31-35 

The prophet Ezekiel, in chapters 36 and 37, spoke similarly to Jeremiah. From verse 22 in Ezekiel 36 to the end of Ezekiel 37, the LORD informs Ezekiel there would come a time when He would cleanse His people of their uncleanness. Verse 26 of chapter 36 reads, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Then chapter 37 has the story of the “Dry Bones,” where God revives a valley full of dry bones, the seemingly impossible miracle of restoring Israel. The climax of the story is Ezekiel 37:14: “And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” 

The prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel are one—both point to a time in the future when God will do Himself what the Law could never do, was not intended to do. And it would be then, after sin was forgiven and removed, that God’s Spirit would indwell His people, personally and individually. 

The prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Joel spoke about the cleansing of sin, personal and individual fellowship with God, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the person, or body, of the individual. And this is what happened through the ministry of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross, His burial—these put away sin. His resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit make possible a personal relationship of the individual with God, characterized by the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer. In this way, the believer becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16). 

Pentecost completed 

Embedded in the story of the Feast of Weeks was a promise of a greater harvest and a better covenant. This is what Jesus said would happen. He then completed or fulfilled the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost through the Holy Spirit, that Spirit which would bear witness to and glorify Him. 

Is there a biblical warrant? 

Is it possible to state that Jesus completed, satisfied, and fulfilled, in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit something that God had laid the foundation for in the Jewish holidays and which mark the roadmap of world history? 

These authors say it is so, but there is more. We now turn to the fall holidays to see if perhaps there are any indications that Jesus will one day complete or fulfill these as well. 

Final Note: The Preposterous God: A Summary

The mostly unknown God is preposterous and unimaginable, and thus it is beyond our human capacity to define Him. Yet we read in Ecclesiastes 3:11b, “He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” 

Solomon, the likely author of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible, gives us the above verse in the tenth century before the Common Era. We ask, “What did he mean?” 

We have a sense of what might be referred to as a Godness buried deep within us. Genesis 1:27 contains a staggering revelation: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” 

The Creator God constructed us humans, male and female, and in His image. Thus, one can legitimately say the Creator God of the Bible is both male and female and who implanted the quest to know Him within us, perhaps in our DNA. Quite amazing yet unimaginable! 

Despite an inner awareness of something greater than ourselves, a God concept, this does not give us a revelation of who God is or what God is like. Our understanding is, to say the least, extremely limited. Smart as we are, aware as we are—these only take us so far. Thus, the absolute necessity for revelation. 

God in Person 

Some two thousand years ago, a tried and tested elderly apostle of Jesus wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Was it the author’s intent to remind the reader of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”? (note: the Greek word translated “was” in English can be rendered “was and is.”)

The Word, logos in Greek, is God. God is the Word, a word spoken to us and buried deep within us. For long millennia, the sound of the word was muffled, faint, confused, and illegible. 

Yet we humans searched, and searched hard, to hear the Word. How close we came to an accurate decipher is an unanswerable question. No matter how hard we tried, we could not get there. Therefore, the Word Himself showed up. 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). 

The apostle Paul put it this way: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4). 

This Word gave us this word: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). 

All the foregoing is preposterous, but what would one expect from a preposterous God? 

Who is the Word? What did the Word do? 

“Name” in ancient or Biblical Hebrew has a double component. The name is derived from both who a person is and what the person did. 

For instance, Daniel means “one given by God,” and Daniel was a prophet to the nation of Israel while they were captive to the Babylonians in the sixth century before the Common Era. The name Daniel refers to who Daniel was and what he did. 

Joshua is another example. The name means “Yahweh saves,” and Joshua, Moses’ second-in-command, led the Israelites, the chosen people of God, across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. 

Jesus, the name, is derived from Joshua via several languages, first Hebrew, then Greek, then Latin, finally English. Jesus, Joshua—the names mean that Yahweh or God saves or brings salvation. It was long thought that the Messiah, or Christ, meaning the one appointed by God, would be named Jesus. In the first century of the Common Era, many Jewish mothers named their sons Jesus. 

In the sixth century BCE, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah received a word from God about a coming Messiah: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God come to be with us,” in person. Two chapters later we find, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

This is surely a preposterous God. Yet, a God who speaks the entire universe into existence should be able to pull off such a task. 

Jesus, the son of the Virgin Mary, is this God with us. Paul put it this way: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5). The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:1–2). 

We see who Jesus is. Now, what did He do? “To redeem” goes directly to the doing. Jesus’ death on the cross, prophesied centuries earlier (See Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53), was the substitute for the death that sin finally brings to all. There Jesus took our sin away in a manner we will never completely understand. 

The title Savior means that Jesus takes our sin away and gives us the gift of eternal life. His resurrection seals the work of the Savior. This Savior, this Redeemer, will return at a time no one knows to restore us to fellowship with the Creator God, which is the ultimate intention of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Preposterous but true! 

Christian Mysticism from Pathways to Darkness

This chapter is taken from the book written by Kent and Katie Philpott titled, The Soul Journey: How Shamanism, Santeria, Wicca, and Charisma are Connected. It was published by Earthen Vessel Publishing in 2014. It is predominantly written from Kent’s personal point of view.

What is broadly known as Christian mysticism has existed for many centuries. The mystics’ quest was for “more” of God, to experience Him directly and personally. Within Christian mysticism is contemplative prayer, which is distinct from either vocal recitation of words, mental reflection, or mental meditation on God’s word and its meaning and application. 

Kat Kerr’s journeys into heaven to speak with the Father also fit into the classification of Christian mysticism. Within this chapter are other examples of mysticism, not all of which are or claim to be Christian in orientation: the work of Richard Foster, Mirabai Starr, Richard Rohr, and Sarah Young. 

A Connection with Christianity

Contemplative prayer shares a broad theology common to mainstream and historic Christianity. It may, however, involve certain techniques that result in a state of mind resembling or identical to an altered state of consciousness or ecstasy, which then moves it into a category similar to shamanism, Santería, Wicca, and charisma.

While a doctoral student at San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, California, (Presbyterian), I learned about contemplative forms of Christianity. At first I was attracted to these and read somewhat extensively in the area, even attending retreats where contemplative prayer was practiced. For some reason it never worked with me; in fact, I would engage in rather heated debates with some of the “spiritual mentors” or “spiritual directors” enlisted there. In any case, I learned firsthand what was involved. 

I want to be clear that there is much in what is called contemplative prayer that I value and actually cherish. We are called to love God with all of our being, and the truth is, in our human weakness, we rarely experience a very deep love for God and what He has done for us in Christ. There are times when I long for nothing more than to simply be alone with my Bible, read favorite passages, settle back and think of Him, and pray and talk and reflect. This is normative and healthy. What I am addressing in this chapter is quite different, something that crosses the line, however faint, into an altered state of consciousness. It is that state, often called ecstasy, especially in shamanism, that exposes a person to invasion by entities that are indeed spiritual but not holy. 

Richard J. Foster 

Richard J. Foster is often associated with contemplative prayer. His book, Celebration of Discipline, published in 1978 by Harper & Row, dramatically impacted many in the years after its first appearance and is still widely used in Bible colleges and seminaries around the world. In the year following its publication, it was our primary text for a class called Spiritual Formation, which was part of my doctoral curriculum. Foster divides his twelve disciplines into three categories: Inward, Outward, and Corporate. In the first category, the Inward Disciplines are meditation, prayer, fasting, and study.1 

1 I was much taken by Foster’s work and attempted to explore it to the extent possible and to seriously engage myself in each of the twelve disciplines. I lived with the book for many months. Though I still deem much of the material in the book to fit within a broad Christian and biblical range, I consider that the very first of the Inward Disciplines, “Meditation,” crosses the aforementioned faint line. Let me explain. 

Foster indicates his awareness that Eastern forms of meditation involve the attempt to empty the mind. Then he says, “Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it.”2 

2 Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 15. It sounds good, but is emptying the mind normative for the Christian? In my opinion, it crosses the line and has neither biblical precedent nor warrant.3 

3 By “precedent and warrant” we mean that, for a Christian to engage in such processes, it should be clearly evident that Jesus engaged in such meditation with His disciples, that such is found in the life of the primitive Church and thus recorded in the Book of Acts, and that such practice is mentioned in apostolic New Testament letters. But there is no such evidence and therefore no biblical precedent or warrant for such a practice.Christians should indeed desire the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b) but that does not suggest an emptying of the mind but a transforming “by the renewal of the mind” (Romans 12:2). 

Foster also speaks of the Eastern meditative process of detachment, especially as it relates to Buddhism. He acknowledges that detachment from the confusion of the world around us is not the goal for Christians but that Christians actually go beyond that. He implies that the Christian must go through detachment to reach attachment. Again the difficulty is that many would simply say amen to this without questioning the idea of the Christian need to detach. To me, this is the perfect set up for a significant deviation from healthy and scriptural prayer and meditation. 

Even more problematic is what he says later: “It is wonderful when a particular meditation leads to ecstasy. . . .”4 

4 Ibid., 17. When I first encountered this I was much impressed, but after some attempts at what I thought was “ecstasy,” I gave up and fortunately so. The desire for ecstasy might have led me deeper into an Eastern style of meditation, to the point of going into an altered state of consciousness and thus exposing myself to invasion by unwanted and unclean spirits. 

It is precisely for this reason that the influence of Foster finally aroused my critique. What might seem harmless and even appear to conform to some of the experiences of well-known Christian mystics like John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and others, is in fact extremely dangerous and little different from where shamanism, Santería, and Wicca take their practitioners. 

It gets worse. Here are two sentences from Foster’s book that even more closely resemble the teachings of the religions named above: “All who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord are the universal priesthood of God and as such can enter the Holy of Holies and converse with the living God. It seems so difficult to bring people to believe that they can hear God’s voice.”5 

5 Ibid., 19.

On the one hand Foster expresses the biblical truth that in Christ we are seated with Him in the heavenly places, but he reaches too far in his declaration that we actually ought to hear the voice of God. Granted, there were those biblical incidents where it is reported that people heard the voice of God. These were the prophets and others, like Peter at Joppa in the run-up to the conversion of the Roman Centurion Cornelius, but it is not something found elsewhere in the Bible as a normal and regular spiritual practice. Conversations with various spirit entities are common, however, among shamans, Santerían priests and priestesses, and among witches of neo-pagan religions. This must give one pause. 

It gets even worse with Foster. Still in the chapter on meditation, he speaks of dreams. He teaches that a Christian can invite God to inform us through our dreams. “We should tell Him of our willingness to allow Him to speak to us in this way. . . . We simply ask God to surround us with the light of His protection as he ministers to our spirit.”6 

6 Ibid., 23. 

This is characteristic of Wiccan teaching, not biblical teaching. Nowhere in Scripture is there anything approaching this. It is mediumistic and spiritistic – the province of the occult. 

Foster goes on to say, “After awhile there is a deep yearning within to go into the upper regions beyond the clouds. In your imagination allow your spiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body. Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal Creator. Rest in His presence. Listen quietly, anticipating the unanticipated. Note carefully any instruction given.”7 

7 Ibid., 27.Here Foster seems to promote, regardless of whether only “in the imagination,” out-of-body travel, also called astral projection, definitely belonging to the province of the shaman. 

These concepts are reminiscent of some of the errors found in charisma, in which more and more is asked, even demanded, of God. In charisma, people recently report to be conversing with angels and even Jesus. An acquaintance who is a proponent of having conversations with deity said, “You do not have to read the Scripture anymore, you can go direct.” This connects with shamanism generally, and especially with Santería and Wicca, in my view. 

Beyond Foster 

In the years from 1980 onward, I heard little of contemplative spirituality, and when I did it was from books by those who identified with the Emerging Church Movement, but not always. Though not a large emphasis among Christians, the quest for “more,” a deeper spirituality, was evident. 

Contemplative prayer is closely connected with meditation, but it is not the kind of meditation we find in the Bible, which is focused, alert, and thoughtful attention on God, who He is, and what He has done in His Son, Jesus Christ. In sharp contrast, contemplative prayer encourages an emptying of the mind in order to achieve a light, moderate, or deep altered state of consciousness. 

To do contemplative or centering prayer, one technique is to focus on a word and repeat that word over and over, much like a Buddhist mantra. The word chosen should have spiritual significance or meaning to the one praying. Perhaps one concentrates on a single lit candle or speaks a series of prayers, but the intent is to open one’s mind, soul, and heart to God. Contemplative prayer deliberately encourages the pursuit of a mystical experience with God, and the emphasis is on “experience.”

Mirabai Starr: A Connection with Contemporary Mysticism 

The autumn 2012 issue of Light of Consciousness: a Journal of Spiritual Awakening contains an article by Mirabai Starr entitled, “Contemplative Life.”8 

8 Mirabai Starr is one of the best known and respected teachers and authors of meditation and contemplation today. She has a deep interest in Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, and mystical Christian practices. Starr points out that many of the world’s religions, including Christianity, have contemplative states. Contemplation, meditation, interior prayer, mental prayer, and centering prayer are essentially synonymous terms and describe means of meeting with the “Divine Presence” that Starr writes about. 

It is in such states of consciousness that a person will encounter “otherness,” the place she considers is where the Divine Presence reveals itself. However, that “otherness” is not what she thinks it is. 

Starr then describes a process whereby, in my view, a person becomes invaded by the “divine” presences (earlier, we called them by various terms, including spirit guides, etc.) that show up in the altered state. She outlines three stages of the process: Stage one is termed purgation or via purgativa. This is where a person surrenders and leaves behind whatever god conceptions he or she has. So, the door swings open to whatever is waiting to come in. 

Stage two is via illuminativa, where that which is divine, the divine light, is poured into the now purged, clean, and waiting empty vessel. During this stage the captivation of the one praying or meditating takes place. 

In my view, this is where possession by unclean spirits occurs. 

Stage three is union, or via unitiva. This is similar to the union sought for in Yoga and is the real and actual intent or purpose of Yoga.9 

9 Yoga means union, with the All, the Universe, the One Supreme Being, and so on. Yoga, as only exercise, is Yoga in name only and is usually practiced in the West as nothing more than exercise. Here the self, or what little is left of it, joins with or merges with the One. 10 

10 The “One” can be variously interpreted or understood depending on the religious concepts held by the one meditating.and actually disappears. Starr points out that this is precisely what the Christian mystics were aiming at in their contemplative practices – to be at one with God, to be in union with the Almighty. But, with what were John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila really in touch? 

What they were engaged in, and what Mirabai Starr recognizes in them and advocates, is nothing close to biblical or historic Christianity. 

We humans are basically repelled by holiness, and in a bizarre, even perverse way are attracted to the unholy. Prior to my conversion at age twenty-one, I shied away from Christians, because they seemed to be “holier than thou.” My friends and I embraced darker alternatives that seemed to be more fun. What Starr advocates looks and is spiritual but is not holy. For those who have not been touched by the grace of God in Christ, Starr’s pagan spirituality is oddly attractive. 

One of the chief points Starr makes is that the deep meditative state will change a person dramatically due to the profound spiritual insights thereby attained. 

I agree with her. As mentioned before, when one encounters genuine spirituality, actual and real spirit, one is transformed. That person will immediately abandon strict materialism and gravitate toward the spiritual and the mystical, almost regardless of what religion or spiritual practice is the attraction – Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufism, Santería, Wicca, Charisma, or other. 

This meets my own experience in four decades of work as a pastor of Christian churches. Once again, it is necessary to recognize that much that is spiritual is neither good nor God. 

Satan is the master of deceit; if he is thought of as only evil and demonic, then deception is all the more probable. The demonic kingdom with which we are faced, including “the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (see Ephesians 6:12), will appear grand beyond description. In fact, Satan can have an appearance so attractive, he is referred to as Lucifer, the “angel of light” (see 2 Corinthians 11:14). With such power and confidence that he targeted Jesus Himself, would we not be targets? 

Richard Rohr and Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life 

For many people, the tragedies, traumas, failures, and disappointments common to the first half of life can be a catalyst for change, according to Richard Rohr. Once the idealistic views of life fall away, a person may recognize that there must be more, and this more involves the pursuit of God. His analogy is that rather than falling down when trouble descends, one may fall upward. 

In his book, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life11

11 Falling Upward was published in 2011 by Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint. I was given the book by a friend who had been given a copy of it by a pastor of a large seeker friendly church in Los Angeles. This pastor recommended the book for growth in, Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, speaks to the reality of living in a fallen world and being fallen people. It is the nature of the “path” for falling upward rather than downward that I want to address. 

Clues to the actual nature of the “path” are apparent in the blurbs on the back of the dust cover. They are as follows: Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self, writes, “Falling Upward calls forth the promise within us and frees us to follow it into wider dimensions of our spiritual authenticity.” 

Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity and Naked Spirituality writes, “Richard offers a simple but deeply helpful framework for seeing the whole spiritual life – one that will help both beginners on the path as they look ahead and long-term pilgrims as they look back over their journey so far.”12 

Christian maturity and spirituality. 

Jim Finley, Merton scholar and author of The Contemplative Heart, writes, “We begin to see that, as we grow older, we are being awakened to deep, simple, and mysterious things we simply could not see when we were younger.” 

Finally, from Cynthia Bourgeault, Episcopal priest and author of The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, Centering Prayer, Inner Awakening, and The Wisdom of Knowing comes, “This is Richard Rohr at his vintage best: prophetic, pastoral, practical. A book I will gratefully share with my children and grandchildren.” While each of these endorsements is vague, the implication here is mind expansion of the variety considered in this book. 

Rohr states that his favorite mystic is Lady Julian of Norwich, who lived from 1342 to 1416.13 

12 Brian McLaren is identified as an evangelical Christian and as a leader within the Emerging Church movement. After falling deathly ill, she received sixteen mystical revelations, usually entitled, “Revelations of Divine Love.” She is venerated in the Anglican and Lutheran churches but was not made a saint in the Catholic Church. In her visions she saw God as loving, not wrathful, that all people would experience His love and have salvation (she is referred to by some as a “proto-universalist”), and most importantly, that sin is necessary to enable people to begin to discover the higher way of love. It is easy to see why Richard Rohr would embrace her. 

The Christian mystics, Saints Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, and even Francis of Assisi, among many other less known Christians, focused on turning inward by means of deep prayer, meditation, and contemplation. 

Characteristic of their experiences in such mind states were visions, revelations, and words of prophecy. These were problematic, because they often contained theology that differed, and sometimes markedly so, with Scripture. 

13 From Rohr’s Introduction, xx. 

But the revelations were accepted by some as coming from divine and therefore holy sources and not to be easily dismissed. The appeal of the ancient mystics is currently undergoing yet another renaissance. 

Rohr’s concepts are an excellent example of importing concepts from mystical, even occult-oriented, religions into spiritual practices for Christians. The popularity of this process is partially due to the fact that there are spiritual or mystical experiences connected with such practices that are entirely convincing and captivating. 

In the back of Rohr’s book is a list of related resources and recordings that are published by the Center for Action and Contemplation. The following quote is revealing: 

In January 2008, James Finley and Fr. Richard Rohr gave a conference in Albuquerque, sharing The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha, the distilled essence of Buddhist teaching. In these talks, each Truth was introduced and explored, with emphasis given to the presence of these truths at the heart of Jesus’ call to awaken to God’s presence in every detail of our lives. 

Sarah Young and Jesus Calling: Who is actually on the other end?14 

“Rest in My Presence, allowing Me to take charge of this day. Do not bolt into the day like a racehorse suddenly released. Instead, walk purposefully with Me, letting Me direct your course one step at a time.” “You are on the right path. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way designed just for you.” “As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you.” “You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of today. It is in the present moment that I walk close to you, helping you carry your burdens.” “Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed.” 

The above are but a few of the hundreds of affirming statements Sarah says Jesus spoke to her over the years. It is no wonder her books, principally Jesus Calling (published by Thomas Nelson), have become bestsellers. People who buy her books also read Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and others in the health, wealth, and prosperity genre. 

Young is referred to as a woman of listening prayer. She prays then waits for Jesus to answer. She strongly affirms that He does, yet she says she does not hear an audible voice. She listens then writes or journals what Jesus places on her heart. But at the same time, she claims that what she hears in her heart are the actual words of Jesus. Inexplicably, however, she depends on the Holy Spirit 

14 Sarah Young and Jesus Calling are discussed elsewhere in this book, but her work falls more into the realm of contemplative prayer than charisma. 

to determine if what she hears from Jesus is biblically correct! This is more than just slightly confused and confusing. 

Young wanted “more,” and she wanted it now, on this side of heaven. She knew the Bible was the word of God, but she yearned for more. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was not enough; the Scripture alone did not satisfy; she wanted and needed more. I have noticed that when people want more they will get more, and if they want to hear from God directly they will, sooner or later, hear someone or something speaking. 

Most, if not all, of the “words of Jesus” spoken to Young are directed to her personally. She is instructed to do this and that – trust, know, believe, and so on, all expressed in the first person, “Me,” meaning Jesus. Her devotional books are purported to be a recitation of what Jesus said to her. 

It is difficult to determine if some sort of altered state of consciousness is involved in Young’s praying, but I suspect it is. I have known a number of parishioners who became so totally immersed in deep prayer they would lose track of time and place. I have experienced this myself. This was during a time when I was practicing the techniques taught by Richard Foster in his Celebration of Discipline. Being alone, quieting myself, breathing deeply, tuning out distractions, suppressing worldly concerns, sitting in a beautiful and peaceful place, perhaps with soothing music playing in the background – I could feel myself slipping into a light trance. And when I felt this happen I would become frightened to some degree and pull away. My personal experience informs me of how dangerous it is to put oneself in a spiritually exposed position, straining to listen in order to hear what God might say. 

Young’s Jesus is rather limited in what He says to her. There are continual streams of, “You are on the right path,” “Relax and trust in Me,” “I am with you,” and “Listen to Me.” These words of Jesus are rather imbalanced, however. His messages are encouraging and never otherwise; the pithy little sayings are decidedly skewed to the positive. But Jesus in Scripture is far different from this. A quick perusal in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will make it clear that Sarah’s Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. 

There is no actual Gospel message in what Jesus supposedly says to Sarah Young. This ought to make one suspicious. Not that what Sarah hears is unbiblical, but the whole of it is sub-Christian at best. 

At worst (and there is a worst) is that Young is listening to something or someone who is not Jesus at all but is rather imitating and counterfeiting Jesus. Helen Schuchman listened to the voice of what she thought was Jesus and came up with the Course in Miracles, a clearly mediumistic deception. Is Young following in her footsteps? My view is, yes! 

But the concerns do not stop there. Beyond Young’s descriptions of what she has experienced is her suggestion that others may also hear Jesus calling.  

Sarah’s books have therefore become for some a school for mediums. Naiveté on the reader’s part coupled with intent to deceive on the part of whoever or whatever is speaking to Young is an extremely dangerous combination. 

Sarah Young’s listening prayer presents a slightly different scenario from much of Christian mysticism. She does not seem to obviously seek an altered state of consciousness. However, it is in the listening mode where a light trance state may be entered, even without attempting to do so. Christian, biblically-oriented praying does not involve listening for an audible reply, whether in the open or in the mind. In that restful, contemplative state, the listening for an actual “still small voice” is the locus of concern, especially for those who have practiced going into deep meditative states of mind. The most powerful shamans can move easily into and out of their ecstasy, so that, over time, an altered state may envelope the one praying without intentionality. Again, when one is in such a state and hears a voice, the question must be asked, who is the speaker? 

Summing up 

Contemplative prayer, shamanism, Santería, Wicca, and charisma all have a common denominator, a connection that is the passive or altered state of consciousness, regardless of the means of getting there. While in such states of mind, encountering spirits seldom seems horrific and demonic. Rather, these beings seem benign, majestic, angelic, powerful, awesome, even holy, and therein is their captivating nature. These religious spiritualities bring their practitioners into the realm of beings, entities, and spirits, but they are unclean and demonic deceivers. This, I realize, is virtually impossible to accept for one captivated by spiritual forces. 

The dots are once more connected: the practices encouraged in books like Rohr’s and Young’s lead to the trance state, whether light, moderate, or deep. These states of consciousness, common to forms of Buddhism (especially Tibetan), Hinduism, Islam’s Sufism, Judaism’s Kabbalah, shamanism, Santería, Wicca (and other neo-pagan religious expressions), and charisma open the door to spiritual beings that can be enlightening and powerful but not holy.

The Dark Sides Emerge

 Chapter 46

The terms “Dark sides” and “wild fire revival” are generally synonymous, but I prefer to call them dark sides. They usually, but not always, follow on the heels of genuine outpourings of the Holy Spirit.

The first great awakening, 1735 to 1742, involving Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, the Tenants, and many others, had its dark sides, yet no one denies it was the real thing. The second awakening, roughly 1798 to 1825 or 1835, depending on how Charles G. Finney is viewed, certainly had its dark sides, which can still be felt two hundred years later. The third, from 1857 to 1859 (and some say this one continued through the Civil War), was perhaps the cleanest of America’s awakenings, an assessment I accept. But this fourth awakening?1 

1 In Awakenings in America and the Jesus People Movement, I make the case that the JPM meets the criteria of a genuine awakening was anything but clean, and the dark sides of it continue. I wonder if we have yet to see the worst of it, and this is being written in 2014.

Let me clearly state that I do not delight, to any extent, in the presence of the dark sides. Neither can I close my eyes to them and pretend that they, or some aspects of them, are a continuation of the fourth awakening or even, as some suppose, a fifth awakening or “wave.”

It is difficult to know where to start describing events and how they yielded unwanted results, because the whole business is so complex. Perhaps I saw some of it while still pastor of Church of the Open Door, from which I resigned in 1980, due to my divorce and the events surrounding it. The Sunday morning services changed from a focus on teaching and preaching to music and more music. The “worship” was relegated only to when the praise and worship band was on stage.  

I think it is biblically correct to say that, when the Holy Spirit moves in power, there is no need for humans to add to it. Two or three are gathered, Jesus is present, and that is enough. With just two or three—wherever, whenever, or whoever—miracles might happen. 

As the awakening waned, the desire, or maybe the need to ratchet things up came imperceptively at first, then deliberately. I had no idea how much worse it would become. 

Some Necessary Background 

I had begun studies at San Francisco Law School in 1980, assuming that a divorced pastor had to change careers. I was right in the midst of law school, had already developed a substantial legal support business with a partner,2 

2 This was Terry Cuddy, who spent eighteen years in a federal prison for bank robbery, was pardoned by Jerry Brown during Brown’s first governorship of California, who then proceeded to obtain a license as a private investigator. It was a real Humphrey Bogart kind of operation. I wrote a book about thirty-three of our adventures titled, Serving in Marin (not published yet, but on the schedule). and was ready to get my license as a private investigator, when an old friend, Prince Altom, pastor of what was then called Corte Madera Community Church, invited me to join him. I set the legal business aside to go back into the ministry. The American Baptist Churches of America, the oldest Baptist body in the USA, understood that it is possible to be restored to ministry, and they took a chance on me. In 1984, I began reviving and reorganizing the First Baptist Church of Mill Valley. After ten months we reopened the closed doors of the church under the new name of Miller Avenue Baptist Church. Thirty years later I am still pleased to preach the Gospel to non-believers and the Scripture to believers. 

The Church Growth Courses 

In 1987 the American Baptists asked me to attend a church growth program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. My brother Bruce was a cop in Pasadena (later the chief of police there), and I stayed with him in his home in Glendale, while I attended what I see now as something rather dangerous.3 

3 I realize there are those who will disagree with me on this point, but I must report what I thought both then and now.

The beginning and the advanced church growth meetings were held one year apart, each lasting five days. There I heard John Wimber teach about signs and wonders, and I was absolutely appalled to hear his instructions on how to manipulate a congregation using music, lighting, and other effects, to get people to where they felt the Holy Spirit was visiting them. I also had opportunity to talk with C. Peter Wagner and Charles Kraft, among others, while at Fuller. 

Church growth and church planting was what it was all about. And I do not blame anyone for desiring those things. The JPM was long gone, but the memories of the experiences of it were still fresh in the minds of many. Would we love to see those days again? Any Christian would answer immediately and loudly, YES! 

Human engineering, meaning applied psychology and sociology, was what I was hearing at Fuller. How to get people excited? How to fill the pews? How to meet human needs? On and on they propounded, with apparently little or no idea that a genuine awakening depends on the moving of the Spirit of God. The ideas expressed were all motivated by the notion that proper means could make awakening happen. I saw the error then, and I had not begun to even consider Reformed theology. 

The Emerging Church or the “seeker-friendly” church developed along the lines I saw and heard at Fuller. Meeting needs, reaching people where they are, targeting specific groups, blending into the culture, and becoming as inoffensive as possible was the litany for church growth and church planting. Cultic in terms of recruitment? Yes, I believe so. Full disclosure? No, not even close. If the Gospel, that offending Gospel that calls attention to our lost and eternally dangerous condition, is not presented, then you can expect the full flowering of a toxic, cultic mentality. 

Next came the Toronto Vineyard happening with Rodney Howard-Browne from South Africa. The Laughing Revival, the Toronto Blessing—such a big splash and magnet, drawing local pastors who ran up to Toronto to get the “anointing.” The anointing, the anointing, the anointing—this was it. Power to command even God’s blessing! More, more, and more. 

Then it spread like wild fire and landed where I could observe it, at Bethel Church in Redding, California. I went there to see it for myself. Enough has been written about that and about the Kansas City Prophets, International House of Prayer, and MorningStar in North Carolina. I suppose I would have succumbed to the pull if I had not experienced the Jesus People awakening and learned something of the other awakenings in America’s history. Moving and grooving to the beat, dancing and swaying “in the spirit,” talking to angels, even to Jesus. Frankly, it is not that much different from shamanistic rituals, Santerían bembes, or Wiccan journeys.4 

4 Released by Earthen Vessel Publishing in 2014 was The Soul Journey: How Shamanism, Santeria, Wicca, and Charisma Are Connected. The connection is the trance state or altered states of consciousness, upon which all of these pagan, neopagan, and even Christian-oriented practices or religions depend.

Spiritual Battles 

It is not surprising that the devil should show up. We see this in the Book of Acts. Jesus warned of it. Paul experienced it. John in Revelation predicted it. In a sense, it is business as usual. The enemy rushes to the holy fire to put it out or pervert it. I have in my mind the backfire, set in the direction of a fire out of control. Whatever metaphor is employed, the picture is one of confusion, deception, and error. 

Our God is a sovereign God, and He will do what He will do and allow what He will allow. The enemy is essentially powerless and can only go so far. Christians may pray, preach, and plan for revival and awakening, while at the same time recognize that the mighty wind of the Spirit moves where He will.