The Creator God is a Trinity, which is extraordinarily difficult to explain, and though I have attempted to do so many times, I doubt I have ever done it well. 

“Three in one—or—one in three” is little more than a formula, but it expresses what is revealed about the nature of God as found in Scripture. 

In the Hebrew Bible we find evidence for the triune God. In Genesis 1:1-2 we find a significant piece of the puzzle: 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 

The Hebrew word for Spirit of God in the passage above is ruach and can mean wind, breath, or spirit. Dozens of times in the Hebrew Bible ruach refers to Spirit, the Spirit of God. 

In Isaiah 48:16 and 63:10 we find the Spirit differentiated from God yet yet the Spirit is also deity. Here is Isaiah 63:10: “But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.” 

So far we have discovered two parts of the Trinity. It is not much of a stretch to acknowledge that the Creator is God. A bit of a stretch to add the “Spirit” as God also, still you have two gods then. The real trouble comes with Jesus. If He is God, then do we have three gods? How could this be expressed? 

As for a third part of the Trinity, the Son, we find evidence in Psalm 2:7: “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” This Psalm speaks of Christ, the Messiah, and it clearly distinguishes between the Father and the Christ. 

In Psalm 110:1 we have, “The LORD says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” The mystery found here is cleared up by seeing God as a Trinity. 

Already cited is Isaiah 9:6, but because of its direct evidence for the deity of the Messiah, here is the passage again: 

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.  

Isaiah is referring to Immanuel, meaning “God with us,” from his chapter 7 verse 14, the one born of the virgin. Note the titles, “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father,” in Isaiah 9:6, which are used for God alone. 

In the Greek Bible there is evidence aplenty for the deity of the Son, Jesus the Messiah, and thus, the Trinity. In Matthew 28:19-20 we find the three-part formula in the words of Jesus. 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. 

It has been argued that such an advanced statement of the Trinity could not have been original with Matthew but has to have been borrowed from a later period. Yet the manuscript evidence shows otherwise. There is only one textual variant in the above passage and that has to do with the use of “amen” following “age,” is some old manuscripts. That is it. Codices Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Bezae, many old Latin translations, the Vulgate, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Georgian, Ethiopic translations—these support the usual reading without a final amen. 

It is this formula, originated by Jesus Himself, that firmly establishes the doctrine of the Trinity. The Creator alone is not the God of the Bible. The Son alone is not the God of the Bible. The Spirit alone is not the God of the Bible. God is Father (Creator), Son, and Holy Spirit. To leave one out is to miss the mark in defining who God is. It is as one of the ancient creeds puts it: The Three of the Trinity are co-equal, co-eternal, of one will, and of one substance. 

Let us look a little further in the Greek Bible. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). 

The use of the English word “was” is misleading. It is a verb of being, and is a grammatical structure known as subject nominative, and could as well be translated, “In the beginning was and is the Word, and the Word was and is with God, and the Word was and is God.” The sentence could also be expressed as, “The Word was and is in the beginning, the God was and is with the Word, and God was and is the Word.” 

This Word then, logos in the Greek, refers to God. The Apostle John makes this clear: “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). John continues in verses 17 and 18 to make it clear who the Word is: 

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Paul’s testimony 

To prevent this chapter from becoming a tome, only two additional passages will be presented, both from the pen of Paul who in his pre-Christian life denied the deity and messiahship of Jesus vehemently. On a journey to attack Christians in Damascus of Syria, Jesus revealed Himself to Paul. No longer would Paul misunderstand. The original account of Paul’s conversion is in Acts 9:1-19. 

First of all, we examine what is referred to as the “kenosis” of Christ, kenosis meaning self-emptying. 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) 

Then to the Colossian congregation, Paul has a different way of presenting Jesus’ deity. 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20) 

Paul, trained as a rabbi by the renowned Gamaliel, knew that if Jesus was in fact the Messiah of Israel, and knowing that the religious party he belonged to, the Pharisees, had a major hand in putting Jesus to death, then his zeal was in error. 

Over the course of time Paul both studied the Hebrew Bible and learned of Jesus’ life and ministry, preparing him to write the passages presented above. 

One last piece now, and this from John 20:24-29. The main characters are Jesus and one of the apostles, Thomas by name. The scene probably takes place in the Upper Room, that place where Jesus celebrated with His disciples what we call now the Lord’s Supper. 

The first time Jesus appeared, after His resurrection, to His disciples, Thomas was absent. Later, those who had seen the risen Christ told Thomas about it, but he refused to accept their story except he see Jesus alive as well. He said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25b).  

Eight days later, gathered again in the same place, this time Thomas was present. Suddenly Jesus was right there and gave them the traditional greeting, “Peace be with you.” Then turning to Thomas, Jesus invited him to touch the wounds on His body. Jesus said, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (verse 27) 

Thomas then said, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus’ response, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (verse 29) 

For so many the most preposterous thing about Christianity has to do with the Trinity. Think of it, one yet three, three yet one. It makes no sense at all. Even when Christians believe the truth of it, we still we have a certain amount of cognitive dissonance. And this is only natural since the Trinity is ultra supernatural. 

There came a time for me when I stopped fighting myself about it. Okay, I am a Christian and this is what Christians have always believed, so what is the trouble? 

There is nothing in my experience that helps me accept the concept of the Trinity. It continues to be an absurd doctrine. Where I found help was in realizing that I am not the judge of God. I must, will, let God be God though I don’t understand. And why should all that is God be rational to one such as I am, a limited, sinful, ignorant, and arrogant person of rather low I.Q. 

I am among those Jesus referred to in John 20:29: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Astrology falls into the category of fortune telling or divination. The core of it is that the movements and alignments of the planets determine how one is to live day to day. 

Horoscopes, also call astrological charts (see more information about the types in the sections taken from Wikipedia at the end of this chapter) drawn up by astrologers, tell you what to do and not do. Here now are horoscopes for July the 16th and the 23rd. 

First is the horoscope from the Marin County newspaper, the Independent Journal, for the July 16, 2022, for Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 23), no astrologer is named. 

Actions speak louder than words. Be mindful of others and do whatever it takes to make a difference. Setting an example for those around you will discourage people from criticizing or complaining. 

Then from the San Francisco Chronicle, again for July 16 for Libra (Sept 23-Oct. 23). The astrologer is Georgian Nicols. 

The mood of today is completely different, in particular, you want to get better organized and accomplish a lot today. Tonight: Work. 

Here now is a second example: for Leo (July 23–August 22) from the Independent Journal, dated July 22, 2022, no astrologer named. 

You must go it alone if you want to get things done your way. The path of least resistance will tempt you when you know sticking up for yourself is the better choice. Don’t let others limit you. 

The same day, but from the San Francisco Chronical, and the horoscope is by Georgian Nicols, July 22, 2022, and for Leo (July 23–August 22): 

Although you are inclined to work alone or behind the scenes now, today you have strong opinions about banking issues and anything that must be divided. Tonight: Take stock.

Neither set of horoscopes bear any resemblance to each other. And they, the four of them, are so vague, they could be interpreted any number of ways and apply to many kinds of people in many kinds of lifestyles and occasions. And this is the draw, this vagueness—it simply blinds a person to thinking that this whole thing might be phony. 

You will have to take our word for it, but after reading horoscopes in these two papers that come to our house daily, the same disjointedness is repeated over and again. And the concepts are so vague, that if a person committed to following the horoscopes could find ways to say, okay I am paying attention to this sound counsel, they would be blind to the deception. 

Over time, one becomes captive to the daily horoscopes, and a cultic mentality can set in, which is as dangerous as if you joined a Satan-worshiping church. 

Two striking facts 

The first fact is that astrology developed at a time prior to the discovery of Uranus and Pluto. There are nine planets not seven planets, but astrology is built upon seven planets. This is essentially ignored by astrologers and those who read and follow their daily horoscopes. 

Then there is the attempt to say that Jesus Himself endorses astrology. Here is that attempt: (author is unknown) 

Christ himself talked about the importance of astrology when he said in Luke 21:25, “There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars.” Jesus even discusses with the disciples the importance of astrology and how it can be used as a sign of his return. 

The passage appealed to is Luke 21:25-26, which reads: 

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of that is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” 

This statement from Jesus has to do with His second coming at the end of the age, which ushers in the day of Judgment, one single day. And on that very last day of the existence of the universe, even the stars and the moon will be impacted. But it is readily apparent that this is no testimony by Jesus that there is any truth to astrology. 

Let us now take a look at a few biblical passages that speak to the issue. 

Deuteronomy 18:9–12 “Abominable Practices”: 

[9] “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. [10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer [11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, [12] for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. (ESV) 

Acts 16:16–18 “Paul and Silas in Prison”: 

[16] As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. [17] She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” [18] And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. (ESV) 

God, who inspired the writing of the above Biblical material, created humans and knows our frailties and tendencies and how prone we are to being captivated by evil. He is warning us to stay away from that which harms us and takes our attention and dependency away from Him. 

Final Thoughts 

Probably, most people who read their horoscopes do not take particular care to apply it to their daily lives. Perhaps it is nothing more than a custom, something fun and interesting to read but not much more than this. 

However, there are those who are committed to it, believe there is some esoteric substance and power behind it, and attempt to apply it to their lives. 

But it goes further than this; astrology is a door opener to other more dangerous forms of the occult—everything from Reiki, Ancestor medicine, visiting psychics, channelers, mediums, Tarot card reading, and more. They are then vulnerable to being invaded by demonic spirits. In which case, the only hope is to have these evil, demonic spirits cast out of them. And in our day, it is increasingly difficult to find anyone who does this form of ministry. 

Excerpts from Wikipedia 

Wikipedia July 23, 2022 

Some astrologers write personalized horoscopes using a person’s rising and moon sign, while others use the solar house system to make more general readings (these are what usually comprise newspaper columns).137 

How do astrologers predict horoscopes? 

Astrologers print horoscopes in newspapers that are personalized by birth date. These horoscopes make predictions in people’s personal lives, describe their personalities, and give them advice; all according to the position of astronomical bodies. Mar 23, 2013 

Average Salary 

According to the Simply Hired website, astrologists bring home an annual salary of $42,000, as of this publication. Aug 5, 2019 

Where do astrologers get their information? 

Astrology normally takes its data from a chart. This could be the image of the earth and the encompassing heavenly bodies and planets at a predefined time. Apr 16, 2020 

Wikipedia, July 17, 2022 

Astrology is a pseudoscience that claims to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects. Astrology has been practiced since at least the 2nd millennium BCE and has its roots in calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications. Most, if not all, cultures have attached importance to what they observed in the sky, and some—such as the Hindus, Chinese, and the Maya—developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations. Western astrology, one of the oldest astrological systems still in use, can trace its roots to 19th–17th century BCE Mesopotamia, from where it spread to Ancient Greece, Rome, the Arab world and eventually Central and Western Europe. Contemporary Western astrology is often associated with systems of horoscopes that purport to explain aspects of a person’s personality and predict significant events in their lives based on the positions of celestial objects; the majority of professional astrologers rely on such systems. 

Throughout most of its history, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition and was common in academic circles, often in close relation with astronomy, alchemy, meteorology, and medicine. It was present in political circles and is mentioned in various works of literature, from Dante Alighieri and Geoffrey Chaucer to William Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, and Calderón de la Barca. During the Enlightenment, however, astrology disappeared as an area of legitimate scientific pursuit. Following the end of the 19th century and the wide-scale adoption of the scientific method, researchers have successfully challenged astrology on both theoretical and experimental grounds and have shown it to have no scientific validity or explanatory power. Astrology thus 138 

lost its academic and theoretical standing, and common belief in it has largely declined, until a resurgence starting in the 1960s. 

Ancient 

St. Augustine (354–430) believed that the determinism of astrology conflicted with the Christian doctrines of man’s free will and responsibility, and God not being the cause of evil, but he also grounded his opposition philosophically, citing the failure of astrology to explain twins who behave differently although conceived at the same moment and born at approximately the same time. 

The scientific community rejects astrology as having no explanatory power for describing the universe and considers it a pseudoscience. Scientific testing of astrology has been conducted, and no evidence has been found to support any of the premises or purported effects outlined in astrological traditions. There is no proposed mechanism of action by which the positions and motions of stars and planets could affect people and events on Earth that does not contradict basic and well understood aspects of biology and physics. 

From Dr. Christopher S. Baird 

Does the position of astronomical bodies affect a person’s life (beyond basic weather)? 

No. The position and orientation of the sun relative to earth does cause seasons. Anyone who has shoveled snow off his walk in January when he would rather be at the beach can tell you that the astronomical bodies definitely affect our lives. Solar flares cause electromagnetic disturbances on earth that can disrupt satellites and even cause blackouts. The position of the moon causes ocean tides. If you are a fisher, the position of the moon can have a significant effect on your livelihood. The solar wind causes beautiful aurora, and sunlight itself is the main source of energy for our planet. But all of these effects fall under the umbrella of basic weather, not astrology. Astrology purports that astronomical bodies have influence on people’s lives beyond basic weather patterns, depending on their birth date. This claim is scientifically false. Numerous scientific studies have disproven that astronomical bodies affect people’s lives according to their birth date 

Wikipedia, July 16, 2022 

A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person’s birth. The word horoscope is derived from the 139 

Greek words ōra and scopos meaning “time” and “observer” (horoskopos, pl. horoskopoi, or “marker(s) of the hour”). It is used as a method of divination regarding events relating to the point in time it represents, and it forms the basis of the horoscopic traditions of astrology. Horoscope columns are often featured in print and online newspapers. 

There are no scientific studies that have shown support for the accuracy of horoscopes, and the methods used to make interpretations are pseudo-scientific. In modern scientific framework no known interaction exists that could be responsible for the transmission of the alleged influence between a person and the position of stars in the sky at the moment of birth. In all tests completed, keeping strict methods to include a control group and proper blinding between experimenters and subjects, horoscopes have shown no effect beyond pure chance. Furthermore, some psychological tests have shown that it is possible to construct personality descriptions and foretelling generic enough to satisfy most members of a large audience simultaneously, referred to as the Forer or Barnum effect.

A steady stream of “prophets” started appearing, from Sung

Young Moon to David Moses Berg to Jim Jones and more. These

were the big names, the big groups; and there were others.

Kathryn Kuhlman

Kathryn Kuhlman was a lovely, elderly lady in Oakland, who had

a healing ministry popular with the local Jesus freaks. She was sweet

and kind and impossible to disparage, but from a pastoral point of

view, she presented difficulties. Kuhlman was a healer of the old fashioned

kind, and when healing of the body is involved, people flock to

whatever remedy is being touted. Some of the Marin kids in the Bible

studies were driving over to be part of the Kuhlman services. In time,

I made the trip, too.

She had rented out what must have been an old-fashioned movie

theater, and before the scheduled start time, she would walk between

the curtains, peer out at the audience and ask, “Have you been waiting

for me?” The audience would roar back, “Yes.”

Ms. Kuhlman spoke softly, preaching the standard evangelical/

pentecostal line but without much biblical content, and soon, lines

of people hoping to be healed appeared on both sides of the stage.

One by one, they walked or were wheeled to the center of the stage to

receive Kathryn’s healing touch and prayer. Helpers discarded wheel

1 From my point of view, the year was 1970 when the trouble started. The

JPM was still in full flower, but opposing forces had moved in and were winning

victories. I estimate that the awakening that was the JPM ground to a halt in 1972,

though it may have lasted longer in some places.

chairs and pairs of crutches, as loud shrieks of praise echoed off the

walls of the cavernous building. One afternoon as I left for home after

a healing service, I saw people throwing wheel chairs and other stuff

onto a pile of like things outside the back door of the theater.

Kathryn was so warm and loving that one did not want to disappoint

her. If she claimed a healing, then there was a healing. No one

dared to publicly embarrass her. I had studied enough psychology

to know about the placebo effect, and as time wore on I was fairly

sure I was seeing this played out. We were glad to see people healed,

but when the healings wore off, which they most often did, pastoral

chores resulted.

Healing is wonderful, and I have seen people healed, been healed

myself, and watched as my son Vernon was healed on at least two

occasions, but healing began to be a distraction from the core activity

of the Jesus People, which was evangelism. What was occurring without

our full realization was that distractions, if not distortions, were

sweeping into the JPM.

Investigative journalists eventually descended on Kathryn, and

her whole endeavor was discredited. Kathryn slowly receded from

the public gaze; gawk might be a better word. She was a dear old lady

and much loved, and she represented a throwback to the old Pentecostal

holy roller healers I witnessed in Portland as a kid.

Other Questionable Persons

Another “evangelist” who came well before Kuhlman was William

Branham. His only trouble was that an angel, named Emma or maybe

Emily, stood beside him and actually conducted the healing ministry.

Branham admitted to it, and despite the fact that he was killed in an

automobile accident while drunk, a kind of cult grew up around him,

claiming he had been the Messiah or a forerunner of the Messiah. (I

ran into little groups dedicated to him at San Quentin Prison.)

It seemed as though one thing after another was insisting on

attention. Individuals and groups, it occurs to me now, saw what was

going on and jumped onto the bandwagon. David Berg’s The Family

fits this description. Victor Paul Wierwille and his Way International

also fit here. But the healers and the positive-thinking faith people

were whom we encountered most of all.

Through arrangements made by a dear lady in Atlanta named

Cora Vance, I was invited to appear on Pat Robertson’s 700 Club for

an interview. In the small, sterile waiting room before my turn, I found

myself talking with a guy in a light blue leisure suit. His interview with

Robertson was scheduled just before mine, and he asked me what my

“shtick” was. I did not know what he meant, so he explained that he

was known for making legs grow. He said he could do it without fail

and insisted on giving me a demonstration. Sure enough, he declared

that one of my legs was shorter than the other and, boom, he made

them both the same length. I just smiled and hoped he would soon be

called onto the stage.

Prophets and Other Problems

In my view, the most dangerous of all were those who styled themselves

as prophets. It was heady to know a prophet and, of course, to

later be known as a prophet oneself. When we heard the words of

the prophets and prophetesses, we yelled out exclamations such as,

“Wow! Praise God! Hallelujah!” Once a “prophet” is accepted into a

fellowship or church, however, trouble begins to emerge.

My sense of it is that those self-styled prophets had learned from

others how to go about “prophesying” yet sincerely thought their

pronouncements were from the Lord. While praying for a person

who was hoping to receive a word of knowledge or revelation, the

prophet would receive impressions and announce them: “God is calling

you to China.” “You are to marry your boyfriend and stop living in

sin.” “You are being used by God to provide finances for this church,

and you must sell your house and hand over the money to the elders.”

These were typical prophetic words I heard, and some of them came

out of my own mouth. At minimum, I was guilty of giving a platform

to people whom I thought I could trust, whom I thought were genuine

prophets of God, but who eventually proved they were not. It is safe

to say that there was a considerable lack of discernment among the

Jesus People.

Then there were the sexual predators who showed up surprisingly

often. It is too much to go on with descriptions and details, but

I saw it all. There were also thieves, only after money. Cultists hung

about at our meetings, looking for new believers and other vulner

able people, befriending them, chatting them up, and inviting them

to other meetings. I understood then what Jesus said about wolves

attacking the flock. At times, it felt like I was being besieged.

It became increasingly uncomfortable to identify myself as a charismatic.

Yet I had seen what I thought were genuine spiritual gifts,

and I would not let the weird taint the real.

Alongside these difficulties were the disturbing theologies. These

were, in the long run, perhaps more troubling than anything else. I

had personally gotten started in the Christian life embracing Dispensationalism

and had taped on a wall several charts I used to predict

the date of the Rapture.I thought any other viewpoint was complete

liberalistic heresy. We reveled in the thought that, at any moment,

we would be blasted into the air to meet Jesus. We were also getting

ready for the seven years of tribulation—that is, if we got left behind.

We were preparing for a war with the devil and his legions, and those

legions could include anyone, even family, and there was no time to

waste on getting an education, starting a business, or raising a family.

This was not a widespread and commonly held view, but people such

as the Children of God, for example, used this end time scenario to

recruit, motivate, and retain members. It was another kind of high;

it got the endorphins going and put an exciting edge on everything.

The JPM existed alongside the 1960s counterculture revolution,

which was a real revolution sans guns and bombs. The Weathermen,

part of a student activist group centered around the University of California

at Berkeley, the radical anti-war protesters, and others on the

fringe, like the Black Panthers, were taking the law into their own

hands. Rock and Roll had morphed into a different kind of music—acid

2 While I was a pastor at Church of the Open Door in San Rafael, a young man

asked me to prove that there would be a rapture. I said, sure, easy, look here in 1

Thessalonians 4. I looked and looked myself, trying to find proof, but the only way

I could do it was to draw a line between verses 16 and 17 and then invert them. I

saw for the first time that the second coming and the rapture were in fact the very

same event. I was shocked and embarrassed, because I had preached a pre-tribulation

rapture my entire ministry. After a lengthy time of study, humiliation, and

repentance, I had to concede that I had been wrong, but at the same time, I couldn’t

see going over to the “liberal amillenialists.” What I did was announce one Sunday,

from the pulpit, that if anyone could clearly, plainly, show me there was a difference

between the second coming and what we called the rapture, I would give him or her

one thousand dollars. No takers yet.

rock and finally heavy metal—and the relatively mild lusts of young

people were being perverted. Eastern religions and mind altering/

expanding drugs impacted the baby boomers with a vengeance. The

occult arts were out in the open and admired, publicized, applauded,

and approved. Here it was—minds blown out and open, spiritualities

abounding, and power, power, power, at one’s fingertips.

Arrogance Abounded

Arrogance is what I am talking about, and the Jesus People were

also arrogant. I was arrogant, terribly so, and I later had a lot of apologizing

to do. We were Jesus People, we were filled with the Spirit, God

was on our side, and we alone had the “full gospel.”

Another view of our arrogance was that we were not as grace-oriented

as one might expect. The JPM, despite appearances, was really

rather moralistic and legalistic. Yes, salvation was by grace alone, but

unless one repented and believed in Jesus, and even more, had actually

prayed to receive Jesus, then there was no salvation. It was really

that we were in control of salvation and grace was not really grace;

it was, at most, cooperation with God. Jesus died and rose from the

dead, but our job was to repent, believe, and say the sinner’s prayer.

This then carried over into our feelings about ourselves and others. It

was a performance-based gospel we preached, and there was plenty

of room to put ourselves and others down.

Even in our houses, new believers were expected to grow up

quickly, and if they failed to do so, they were often told to leave. The

atmosphere at Church of the Open Door was often the same; people,

including the leaders, were on a short leash. Many of the congregants

were baby Christians, mostly from dysfunctional families and converted

out of all kinds of sin and perversion, just barely rescued from

hell itself—and we were worried about a messy diaper. I carry to

this day a measure of guilt for how I judged people and treated them

rudely when their sin was exposed.

Funny how the truth is right in front of us, yet we fail to grasp

it. The “new birth” is a phrase with a big clue: newborns must grow

up in stages and cannot be expected to be mature adults after a five week

discipleship training course.

Within the Bible’s first prophecy is also the first promise: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). 

The prophecy of the enmity is clear, as is the promise, “he shall bruise your head.” Bruising the head of a serpent means a death blow. At our point in history this promise is partially fulfilled through the victory of Christ on the cross, in which He bore our sin, becoming the sacrifice for sin, forever washing our sin into oblivion. While only partially fulfilled, it is still powerful during this interim period. But then the end will come. 

In a number of places in Scripture, the final and total defeat of Satan and his legions is depicted. Here is one of these: “The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). 

The Promise of the Messiah to Come 

Dipping back into the Books of Moses, we find the promise of a prophet like Moses. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen” (Deuteronomy 18:15). 

What “a prophet like Moses” means is debated. Moses gave the Law of God. And the promised Messiah of 18:15 would likely do something similar. The Law did not bring wholeness and salvation, as we suppose it was meant to do. The Law revealed the impossibility of earning favor with God, since everyone is a law breaker. The coming prophet, meaning one who speaks the Word of God, would bring life, wholeness, and salvation. 

Moses and his Torah, the first five books of the Bible, dating to around 1500 BCE,1 are joined by prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah who lived much later. Isaiah’s date is around 750 BCE and Jeremiah’s about 580. There are many other prophetic messages in the Hebrew Bible, but that is not the focus of this “little” book. 

1 Dates are problematic in regard to the Hebrew Bible. The 1500 BCE is a case in point. Some scholars move it forward to approximately 1350 BCE. Some think Deuteronomy was written later than Moses’ period and serves as a summary of the first four books plus. One need not decide in order to see that Deuteronomy 18:15 contains a promise to come. 

Isaiah’s book is crowded with prophetic images and utterances. The most obvious are found in chapter 53. Here is a short list: 

For he grew up before him like a young plant (v. 2). 2 

He had no form or majesty that we should desire him (v. 2). 

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted 

with grief (v. 3). 

He was despised, and we esteemed him not (v. 3). 

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (v. 4). 

We esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted (v. 4). 

But he was wounded for our transgressions (v. 5). 

He was crushed for our iniquities (v. 5). 

Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace (v. 5). 

With his stripes we are healed (v. 5). 

The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (v. 6). 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth 

(v. 7). 

Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its 

shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth (v. 7). 

By oppression and judgment, he was taken away (v. 8). 

He was cut off out of the land of the living (v. 8). 

Stricken for the transgression of my people (v. 8). 

They made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death (v. 9). 

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief (v. 10). 

When his soul2 makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days (v. 10).

(Soul means human being, human self or person, and is not some kind of spiritual particle or substance.) 

And he shall bear their iniquities (v. 11).

He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors (v. 12). 

Yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors (v. 12). 

Isaiah in chapter 7 speaks of a woman, a virgin, conceiving a son who is Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14).

Then in chapter 9 we find more: 

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. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (vv. 6-7) 

Jeremiah’s chapter 31 looks forward to a new covenant, testament, or agreement that the God of Israel will establish. This rather long passage sums up the prophetic tradition: 

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 his 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 on 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 31:31-34 

There is one more prophetic piece I must add here, and that is from David, who is not usually considered a prophet, but in a number of his Psalms we cannot help but see a prophetic utterance. Note that David lived close to 1000 BCE, at a time when no nation or tribe had developed the form of execution we know as crucifixion, which apparently was developed by the Persians, later refined by the Greeks, then further perfected by the Romans. The reader must keep this in mind as key parts of Psalm 22 appear below.3 

3 King David did not experience any of that which is described in Psalm 22. The accounts of his life are laid out in Samuel and Kings. 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (v. 1) This sentence was spoken by Jesus while on the cross (see Matthew 27:46). 4 

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people (v. 6). 

All who see me mock me (v. 7). 

He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him (v. 8). 

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint (v. 14). 

My heart is like was; it is melted within my breast (v. 14). 

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my gaws; 

you lay me in the dust of death (v. 15). 

For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me (v. 16). 

They have pierced my hands and feet (v. 16). 

I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me (v. 17). 

They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots (v. 18). 

How can we account for this? 

Even a cursory examination of the material above shows that it can be accounted for in only one way: the prophets of Israel accurately pointed to a coming Messiah, and Jesus perfectly met every single prophecy. 

Some will claim the prophetic material was edited after the days of Jesus to match His life story. However, no biblical scholar—Jewish, Christian, Islamic, whatever—can make this claim stick, since the manuscript evidence disputes this and makes it an impossible assertion. 

It is certain that the Hebrew Bible material was published prior to Jesus’ era, and we need only consider the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which sets in stone the books of that Bible and which dates to 180 BCE. 

The thousands of extant copies of the Greek Bible, the Christian testament, reveal no evidence of reading back into the story of Jesus events that mirror the prophecies of the Hebrew Bible. 5 

It frankly requires a very preposterous God to arrange all of what we have considered and seen in this chapter. I know it makes non-Christians uncomfortable, even anxious and fearful to even acknowledge the possibility of the truths examined here. 

The promise maker delivers 

The unknown author of the Letter to the Hebrews starts off his masterpiece with a stunning proclamation: 

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, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1–4) 

The Jewish but unknown author of the piece above captured the spirit of the prophets. He lived through the time of the fulfillment of the first-time arrival of the Messiah. Yes, first time arrival. This Little Book speaks only of the first advent of Messiah. There will be another. 

If what has been presented so far seems preposterous, it will seem even more so to find out there are three aspects, dimensions, or personages of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Chapter 17 from Kent’s book, Pathways to Darkness 

We are starting the remaining chapters of this book with this piece on Medium Tyler Henry, because we believe you will find in it most of the issues that cause us alarm regarding occult spiritual activities in our modern world. 

In the April 3, 2022 edition of Marin County’s Independent Journal was an article about Tyler Henry, who “says he talks to the dead.” The title of Kelli Skye Fadroske’s piece in the newspaper is “Medium has a message: Be Skeptical.” Her email address is kfadroski@scng.com. 

In 2016, Tyler began an E! Television series titled, “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry.” He wanted to advertise his psychic abilities, which he said began when he was ten years old. In the same year he published a “memoir,” Between Two Worlds: Lessons From the Other Side. 

This now twenty-six-year-old has written a book titled, Here & Hereafter. On the front cover is a subtitle which reads, “How wisdom from the departed can transform your life.” Here he presents lessons he learned from thousands of departed persons he has encountered and connected with. He also describes how he regularly practices meditation and trusts in his own “intuition,” which is not described in the newspaper article. However, he admits that “it can be difficult to really get a sense of that kind of inner voice.” 

Tyler relies upon video and audio technology to conduct his readings during the present pandemic, which does not “cause much interference when it comes to communication with those who have crossed over.” 

A medium or a channeler—these titles are very close to the same thing— will enter into a trance kind of state, by means of any number of meditation techniques. This state of consciousness may be referred to as an altered state of consciousness or a shamanistic state of consciousness. And this is what Tyler Henry does. 

We do not deny that he is hearing voices—he is—but the issue is, to whom or what do the voices belong, and what is the substance of these departed or crossed over ones? 15 

Tyler’s techniques have been practiced for many centuries by mediums and channelers, so nothing new here. Contact with loved ones who have died is what Tyler offers, and he is much sought after, and large crowds gather. And it is easy to understand why. The grief process can be devastating, and the chance to speak with a dead loved one is inviting and enticing. Not only comfort is sought for, but the departed can also reveal special knowledge. 

“Is this real?” Is a legitimate question to ask. The medium goes into a trance state, and the best can do so quickly. Suddenly, the voice of the dead friend, brother, sister, child, mother, father, wife, husband, partner, etc., is speaking through the medium’s mouth. The voice sounds just like the voice of the person sought for and can reveal things that only the dead person could possibly know. It is incredibly convincing. And Tyler Henry is very good at it. 

A Challenge 

Reader: you may wonder what is wrong with this scenario or service provided by Tyler and his ilk. Here it is—contact with a loved one, assurance that the departed one is okay, which gives hope that this may be something others can experience as well. The promise of an eternal future existence is right there. 

We challenge you to look at another point of view. 

More than 3,500 years ago, a Jewish leader named Moses wrote the following: 

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 

[9] “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. [10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer [11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, [12] for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. [13] You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, [14] for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. (ESV) ¹ 

1 Also see: Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27; 1 Samuel 28:3,7,8,9; 2 Kings 21:6; 23:24; I Chronicles 10:13; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Isaiah 8:19; 19:3; 29:4.

“Necromancer” and “medium” are terms referring to someone who contacts dead people. This is what Tyler Henry does, but he does not realize that he 16 

is being misled. Not that he is a charlatan, a deceiver, a con man, a cheat; none of these things. What he experienced and thought to be contact with the dead was so overwhelming, real, and powerful that he could not help but get on board. And he sincerely believes he is helping grieving people. 

So just what is going on here? Tyler Henry, and all those who practice the occult art that he does, are actually making contact with demonic spirits whose boss is no less than Satan. In some way or another, Tyler Henry became indwelt by a demon, likely more than one, which made it possible to move into a trance state and make contact with what he thought were actually departed loved ones but were in fact evil spirits doing an impersonation. Who would not be fooled? 

Reader, it is totally legitimate to ask, “Well, how do you know this?” Following are four reasons. 

Four Reasons 

One, the Scripture, and just the Deuteronomy passage is enough, but there is more in the Scripture, and these passages are listed in footnote #1. 

Two, there is an incredible story of a person named Simon, and this account is in Acts 8:9-24. He was a magician who amazed people, but something was very wrong. Check out the passage yourself. 

Three, down through the centuries Christians have cast out demons in the name and power of Jesus Christ. This “exorcizing” (Greek “ekballein”) was a major feature of Jesus’ ministry while on earth. 

Four, during the 50 plus years of ministry so far, we have cast hundreds of demons out of hundreds of people. Find three books we have written on the subject wherever you buy books: A Manual of Demonology and the Occult, Deliver Us from Evil: How Jesus Casts Out Demons Today, and Deliverance Handbook: A Guide to Casting Out Demons for Today’s Christian. 

Kent explains how this came to be: 

My college degrees were in psychology, and I intended to be a school psychologist. During my first years at a theological seminary when I would hear the professors speaking about a devil and demons, I thought to myself, “Well, they just do not understand elements of mental illness.” All this changed when, beginning in 1967, I began preaching Jesus to those of the beat-hip generation in San Francisco’s Haight/Ashbury District. Here many were involved in weird religions, some openly practicing occult arts, and even those who were members of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan. I met LaVey’s teenage daughter, who became a Christian, and on two occasions she took me to meet her father, who was living in an old Victorian house on California Street, painted black. There I came face to face with the presence of evil. No longer could I dismiss the reality I saw in the Bible: Satan and demons were real. 

Then, when Zondervan Publishing House published my master’s thesis, A Manual of Demonology and the Occult in 1973, people came from all over the country and from foreign countries as well, hoping to have demons cast out of them. So many came looking for help that we trained twelve couples to do the deliverance ministry. This ‘work’ still goes on today, but thankfully to a much lesser degree. I think, however, this is about to change. 

The Occult Awakening 

There have been several periods in American history when there was a revival of interest in the occult, with people flocking to seances, fortune tellers, practitioners of various forms of witchcraft, crystal gazers, tarot card readers, mediums, and much more. We are in such a phase again now, but it appears to be far larger than ever before in American history. 

Church attendance is declining sharply, atheism is headed downhill also, but the mediums, channelers, life coaches who use occult approaches (though they say it is all about mindfulness) are on the incline. After all, we are spiritual creatures, and we are attracted to that which is beyond explanation. Directly encountering that which is other-worldly is a powerful magnet. And once a person thinks they are hearing from and communicating with a dead relative, lover, friend, etc., they are likely to be converted through sheer amazement to belief in the veracity of what they have experienced, but it will be an encounter with the worst of all consequences. And what is this? It is dwelling forever and ever in that place where the spirits are, and it is not heaven. 

Unbeknownst to those involved in this practice, that last statement is the whole deal. That old serpent is aggressively prowling about looking to devour as many as possible, and its powers are great, magical, mystical, and ultra-deceiving. Buyer beware! 

Is this real? 

Tyler Henry knows what he is engaged in is real. At this point, however, he does not see that the spirituality he experiences is evil, and by that we mean demonic, powered and directed by Satan. 

A warning must be sounded, and the warning is that mediums like Tyler Henry are involved with demons, which will forever separate them from being with our Creator God, thus bringing more unsuspecting people into the worst possible scenario. 

We are hoping and praying that one day Tyler Henry will be preaching this same message, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, and will warn people away from the demonic practices of the occult and into the praising and rejoicing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bob and Diane Ellison were among the people my age or older

who began to show up at Church of the Open Door in San Rafael.

Although there was a whole pack of young people involved, few

had actual jobs or only had low paying work. What I mean is, for a

church our size, our income was below average. Bob and Diane, to a

considerable extent, made up the difference.

After Bob and I had met and been friends for a while, he decided

to invest in our ministries. I don’t have the details of all he did, but

one thing I do recall clearly is the small farm in Petaluma he bought

for use as a Christian house, in maybe 1972 or ’73. The address of the

little farm was 1399 Springhill Road, Petaluma. Because Bob’s first

wife, then deceased, was named Lydia (and students of the book of

Acts know that Lydia was from Thyatira, one of the seven cities of

Asia addressed in John’s revelation), Bob and Diane named the farm

they bought Thyatira.

From the beginning, Bob involved me in the purchase. We checked

out several places in Sonoma County, but the little farm that had once

grown Christmas trees was the most attractive. Our forays into farmland

searches were also enjoyable, because Bob loved hamburgers

like I do, so when we drove up to Petaluma, we always stopped at

a hamburger joint on Washington Blvd. He could have afforded big

steak houses, but he preferred the old-time little places.

Bob’s parents had been with the Salvation Army, and he learned

the thrift store business from them. Later on, he opened a chain of

stores he named Purple Heart, and they flourished. He was a faithful

tither, and that money was put to many good purposes.

Thyatira had a modest main house of maybe 1,600 square feet,

but its best feature was a nice, big swimming pool. Some of my favorite

photos are of baptisms we held there.

Kenny Sanders was the first leader of Thyatira. The first time

I met Kenny was just after he had come to Berachah House in San

Anselmo. His black hair was matted and covered his face. I walked

up to him and parted the tangled, greasy mop that shielded his face,

and got a look at him. His looks at the time did not give a clue that his

father was in the inner circle of attorneys who worked with Martin

Luther King, Jr.

The farm’s bedrooms quickly received their occupants, and the

group next expanded a tool shed and converted it into a dorm of

sorts. When the Petaluma branch of Church of the Open Door opened

soon after a bookstore, they then needed a parsonage, which the guys

promptly built on the property, mostly through the work of Ken Sanders.

Cliff Silliman ran the bookstore in Petaluma, and it was a place

where the community could drop in and get to know the Jesus People

who had taken up residence in the town. Cliff was always welcoming

and cordial, and although the bookstore eventually proved not to be

financially successful, overall it was a solid ministry.

One of my favorite escapes from the counseling work and pastoring

in San Rafael was to drive north up highway 101 to Petaluma.

I would visit Cliff at Berachah House and then drive over to Thyatira.

Those were some of the most pleasant days of my life. It was so nice to

be in that beautiful country and walk around the farms and plan new

projects. As I write this I find in me a desire to go back and find the

locations of those farms. Perhaps I will someday soon.

I recall days when I would paint on work crews that Kenny and Cliff organized

in order to make money for the parsonage on Thyatira. Kenny learned painting

on one of the work crews I headed in Marin while he was at Berachah House

in San Anselmo. Kenny became an excellent painter. The parsonage was expensive

and nicely built, and we had to raise money for it. Kenny was the first pastor of the

Church of the Open Door in Petaluma, later became a medical doctor, and recently

retired as an emergency care doctor with Kaiser.

 

 Chapter Five 

Since God is the Law Maker, He has the right to be the Judge as well. The preposterous God of the Bible started out by giving one commandment, and when that commandment was broken, judgment followed swiftly. We have been suffering ever since. 

Is it wrong of us to want to judge God, even be angry with Him for what has happened to us as a result? Is the God who judged our ancestors so harshly for breaking one little law a loving God? Is this the profile of a God who demands worship? 

On this side of eternity no one will answer the questions above to any degree of satisfaction. I certainly cannot, and I have puzzled over these issues for decades. I have finally given up trying to judge God and am moving steadily toward realizing, more than ever before, that the God of Scripture is nothing less than absurd—meaning, I now know I have no hope of understanding Him as He truly is. 

More and more laws 

One commandment, then ten He gave Moses on Mount Sinai. Briefly they are: no worshipping other gods, no making of images of other gods, no taking God’s name in vain, must remember to rest on the Sabbath day, must honor father and mother, no murdering, committing adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, or coveting things belonging to a neighbor (Exodus 20:1-17). 

There were plenty more given as time went on, which can be found in the rest of Exodus, then in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Enough to make your head swim. Who could keep them? No one—which makes it clear that from then until now we all are law breakers and essentially condemned as a result. 

After some period, around 1500 BCE, two general statements developed that summarized or encapsulated the myriad of laws. In Deuteronomy 6:5 we find, “You shall 

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you might.” Then Leviticus 19:18 says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” 

That sounds nice, but it actually moved from really difficult to impossible, and no matter how one defines “love,” the skimpiest expression of less than that would make anyone a law breaker, because we are surely not able to do what the Law Maker and Judge mandated. 

Maybe I can keep, or at least try hard to keep, some of the ten commandments of Exodus 20. But the two love commandments? Can I do this? No. 

How does God know when His commands are broken?  

We have numerous sheriffs and cops, and they often catch someone breaking a law. Sometimes they do not. They cannot be everywhere watching and observing everything done under the sun. But the Bible’s God has managed to peer into the hearts and minds of us all, all of the time. How could this be? It is unimaginable that even a Creator God could do this. He would have to be everywhere all the time and recording it all somehow. Do you see why the title of this Little Book is The Preposterous God? 

We have no chance 

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). 

These are the words of Jesus spoken to religious leaders who had caught a woman in the act of committing adultery. She deserved death according to their law. By bringing the woman to Jesus, these righteous men sought to put Jesus on the spot. (Notice the other person, the man, did not appear.) After hearing Jesus say what He did, they walked away. At least, despite the evil intent of their hearts, they knew they were not without sin. 

Only the liar or the deranged claims to be without sin. I often say that an hour does not go by that I have not in some way or another broken a law of God. I am not all that loving, I must admit. I am eager to judge and demean others, even if it is nothing more than a thought that flits through the grey matter. I find that I am biased, quick to assume the worst about someone, and in my conversation hold people up to a false light. Then there are perverse thoughts that flow through my mind on an almost daily basis. 

Sure, I am a decent person, and I hope to do good things. Likely, I am as good as the next person, sometimes even better, but to what effect? 

Look at what we find in His book: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That’s it, and no amount of good deeds will change that. One sin is enough—just like what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden. One little bite, and it was “east of Eden” for them. 

Two chapters later in Romans it gets worse: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). Being sent away from the Creator was a kind of death, the death of being excluded from the presence of God, forever. Not a cessation of life, which would be easy, even acceptable. No, it’s a continuation of being but with an everlasting sentence devoid of any good Presence. 

From death to life 

There is however Romans 6:23b: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No wonder we Christians use the term “Gospel” when referring to the core message of our faith. The word simply means “Good News.” Since the bad news is that we have broken the Creator’s laws and would deserve death, instead He gives us the gift—and notice it is the word “gift” and not “reward”—of eternal life. 3 

One last word on this gifting business, and I do so because it is a point that few are able to grasp, and this is especially true of me. Quoting now from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Church, chapter 2: 4–9: 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one my boast. 

Eternal life means living in the presence of the Creator, a life about which we know very little. But then, it does not really matter now. We will get to that some time in the future. 

The focus of this chapter is on a book by Alana Fairchild titled, Crystal Masters 333: Initiation with the divine power of heaven & earth, Blue Angel Publishing, 2014, and by going to her website, www.alanafairchild.com, it will be plain that she is fully qualified to present crystal healing. She is, however, different from many of those who identify healing with crystals. She connects with crystals via ascended masters. More on this later. 

On the back cover of Alana’s book is the following:

YOU HAVE WISE SPIRITUAL GUIDES FROM THE MYSTICAL WORLD OF CRYSTALS AND ASCENDED MASTERS. THEY ARE READY TO HELP YOU ON YOUR PATH OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH NOW.

Notice the phrase “Spiritual guides” above. Notice also the phrase “Ascended Masters.” These are very real entities, but they are demonic spirits who are under the authority and control of the prince of demons, Satan. Alana is bowing down to the “god of this world” who has blinded the minds of those who submit to these guides and masters (See 2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

On the inside cover of Alana’s book is the following:

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE FROM THE CRYSTAL MASTERS

We, your guiding Ascended Masters, love you without condition

We help you remember and fulfill your divine life mission

We remind you to let go of your doubt and trust yourself completely

We help you remember that you, just like us, are divinity

By use of crystals one can be in touch with divine spiritual entities, and the 128 

reader must ask, what is the nature of these entities? Are they divine, angel like, highly evolved spirits, or something else? Our testimony is that they are demonic spirits pretending to be something divine and desirable. 

And how does it all work, you must ask? Supposedly, it is quite simple. All it takes is obtaining a crystal, trusting in the spiritual power flowing from it, placing it just so, and using your psychic intuition, along with meditation and mindfulness—you are now opened to receive spiritual beings, ascended masters, which are in reality evil spirits. 

We reach to you from within your own heart 

We are always with you, never apart 

We guide you to heal yourself and in doing so, the earth 

You are a sacred mid-wife, helping her rebirth 

Yes indeed, within you now, even at the core, one’s heart. And they will never leave you either. Sounds good? The only way they will leave is if someone who is a follower of Jesus, in the name and power of Jesus Christ, casts the demonic spirits out. 

We speak to you through signs, through intuition and dreams 

We call you to trust in what you feel, all is not as it seems 

We ask you to trust in the divine plan that is at play 

Surrender into it now, let the divine have its way 

The weird cacophony of the demons inside one’s body and brain distorts reality, but one is to trust in the divine plan. It can be said that demons are divine in that they are not human or animal or anything else that is tangible. Demons intend to crush and pervert human beings, since we are made in the image of God. 

It is your job to be all that you can possibly be  To live, to feel all that you feel, to know you are free 

Choose love over fear, we’ll help you if you ask. We are always supporting you in your divine life task. 

Sounds good? Makes sense? It does, but only if one has a relationship with the Lord Jesus, but such is not the case. Instead, it is a relationship with one or more demons. (However many there may be in a person, there is usually one head demon, the first one to enter into a person who had opened up to the demonic kingdom.) 

Over the course of four decades now, we have helped those who have unwittingly involved themselves in occultic/psychic processes and who have sought out deliverance from them. Very often, it is communicated to the one indwelt by demons that they will never leave and that no one can make them leave. This is a profound lie. We have found that, if a person begins to seek help, the demonic attacks pick up steam, since the demons know their time is now limited, and they want to derail the deliverance process. 

Fairchild writes that, to become an ascended master means to agree to be an initiate, and when that happens, one is no longer subject to “the karmic law of rebirth” (p. 11). So, rebirths no longer go on; rather, one exists in a spiritual dynamic able to help others become in tune with psychic therapies, among which are crystal healings. And one of the skills necessary to cultivate is being able to move into and out of altered states of consciousness. She says, “I had been doing it in my spiritual channelling and healing work” and the “healing” part was the use of crystals (p. 12). 

The “channelling” above was something Alana would do for hours at a time while she was writing her book. So, the material in it really comes to Alana via ascended masters. She writes, “It is channelling that has created most of this book, and so obviously I hold it in high esteem” (p. 16). 

Her experience is that not all who channel are in touch with true and mature ascended masters. To assure that she connects with only the purest, she prays, “I call upon the true Ascended Master who loves me unconditionally” (p. 16). 

Crystals and their cleansing 

“How do I work with the crystals?” is a short piece that is most relevant to what we hope to present in this chapter. The whole of it is that crystals have energy in them, and sometimes they need to be cleansed. She writes, “You can cleanse all crystals by visualizing a vibrant violet light, flecked with white” (p. 18). The cleansing removes that which is not pure in the crystal. That which is cleansed is negative energy. And one should not expose a crystal to water or sunlight. 

While cleansing a crystal one can say, “I call upon the beings of unconditional love who can assist with cleansing my crystal and transmuting negative energy into unconditional love. Through my own free will, so be it” (p. 18). 

Crystal Angels 

Every crystal has its own angel, Alana states, and may be called a nature spirit, an oversoul, or deva. “These crystal angels are the spirit, consciousness, wisdom and vibration of the entire crystal ‘species’” (p. 19). And these beings are called upon to perform healings. 

So then, when holding a crystal, one works with the energy of that particular crystal, its angel. And the practitioner calls upon the crystal angel for the healing. And it need not be that the actual crystal be present, since the angel of the crystal will be present. Alana writes, “Through connecting with the angel we can call on the healing energy of the crystal anyway” (p. 19). 

Energy healing is a term that describes working with crystals, it is all about energy, and the vibrations and energy of crystals can be the healing agent. This is the core of working with crystals, and each crystal has different energy. 

This is not dissimilar to Reiki, as it also has to do with moving energy and vibrations around, or releasing energy, or unblocking energy. 

The Crystals 

From page 23 to page 339, Alana describes one crystal after the other, 18 of them. Each section looks like these examples: 

ASCENDED MASTER LAO TZU (Eastern Wisdom) 

ZINCITE (power) 

INITIATION INTO BALANCE 

And 

BUDDHA (Compassion) 

PERIDOT (Increase) 

INITIATION OF THE BODHISATTRVA VOW 

And 

ASCENDED MASTER MOHER MARY (Protection) 

CELESTITE (Serenity) 

INITIATION OF TRUST 

The first line states the name of the personage—each one is identified with a figure in history or fantasy. The second line states the name of the crystal, here Zincite, Peridot, and Celestite. And the third line has to do with the need or act. 

Excerpts from Wikipedia 

Wikipedia, July 4, 2022 

Crystal healing is a pseudoscientific alternative-medicine practice that uses semiprecious stones and crystals such as quartz, agate, amethyst or opal. Adherents of the practice claim that these have healing powers, but there is no scientific basis for this claim. Practitioners of crystal healing believe they can 131 

boost low energy, prevent bad energy, release blocked energy, and transform a body’s aura. 

In one method, the practitioner places crystals on different parts of the body, often corresponding to chakras; or else the practitioner places crystals around the body in an attempt to construct an energy grid, which is purported to surround the client with healing energy. Scientific investigations have found no evidence that such “energy grids” actually exist, and there is no evidence that crystal healing has any greater effect upon the body than any other placebo. 

Where the practice is popular, it fosters commercial demand for crystals, which can result in environmental damage and exploitative child labor to mine the crystals. 

Origins 

In Plato’s account of Atlantis, crystal healing is also mentioned. According to Plato, the Atlanteans used crystals to read minds and transmit thoughts. The first historical documentation of crystals originated from the Ancient Sumerians (c. 4500 to c. 2000 BC). The Sumerians used crystals in their magical formulas. 

Writings dating back as far as 400 BC make observations about the powers different crystals were believed to emit. Often if a negative incident occurred, a specific stone would be used in an attempt to counteract the negative effect. This was done by wearing amulets or other talismans around the neck with specific stones. 

The origins of crystal healing is tied to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, India, Ancient Greece, or Ancient Rome. 

Ancient Egyptians mined for crystals and used them to make jewelry. Crystals or gemstones were also used in practice, for their metaphysical properties. Specifically, they used crystals as aids for health and protection. They often would bury a lapis lazuli scarab with their deceased, with the belief that it would protect them in the afterlife. Additionally, in Ancient Egypt amulets were used to ensure the well-being of the individual. The amulet’s shape, decoration, inscription, color, material, or ritual performed with the amulet dictated its power. Amulets were worn or placed on the body, in the form of stones, piercings, rings, necklaces, or other jewelry. The Egyptians used amulets to benefit their afterlife, often representing an Egyptian deity and their specific powers. Amulets were also placed on mummies or in between the mummy’s bandages, with funerary pieces usually being larger than those worn by the living. In funeral practices they also used headrest amulets, these were full-size headrests placed in tombs to protect the dead, they also symbolized the deceased rising and being revived, and the sun rising between two hills, which 132 

symbolized resurrection and rebirth. 

The Ancient Greeks assigned a multitude of properties to crystals. The word ‘crystal’ is derived from the Greek word “krýstallos” which translates to “ice”. The Ancient Greeks believed that clear quartz crystals were a water that had frozen to the point where it would remain in its solid form. The word “amethyst” in Ancient Greek language means “not intoxicate.” Amethyst was worn as an amulet that they believed would aid hangovers or prevent intoxication. 

Precious stones have been thought of as objects that can aid in healing— in a practice known as lapidary medicine—by a variety of cultures. The Hopi Native Americans of Arizona use quartz crystals to assist in diagnosing illnesses. Both Pliny the Elder and Galen claimed that certain crystals had medicinal properties. In Europe, the belief in the healing powers of crystals (and in particular crystal amulets) persisted into the Middle Ages. The alleged medicinal properties of precious stones, as well as other powers they were believed to hold, were collected in texts known as lapidaries, which remained popular in Medieval and Early Modern Europe until the 17th century. 

Across cultures, different stones can symbolize or provide aide for different things. An example of this is rose quartz. In Egypt, it was believed rose quartz could prevent aging, but the Romans used rose quartz as a seal to signify ownership, while in the Middle Ages it was used in healing potions, today rose quartz is known as the “love stone” and is used to balance emotions and heal anger and disappointment. 

Introduction to the New Age movement 

New Age crystal healing ties to three cultures, British, Indian, and Native American. British culture has a Pagan history which has inspired many people who practice modern-day witchcraft. Indian culture uses crystal healing as a form of holistic healing and is written in the holy texts of Indian culture. 

New-age healing in the Western world has ties to the British, and more specifically paganism. While many people may not want to practice animal sacrifice, modern practices have simplified many ancient rituals and practices, making them more available and attractive to those in Western society. Western astrology is also used with crystals, and ties into modern paganism. Practitioners believe certain stones align with and share properties with certain planets. Using astrological birth charts someone may also use types of stones that are compatible with their star signs. 

In the Vedic texts of Hinduism, specifically the Garuda Purana and Graha-gocara, there is a lot of information about the importance of crystals in Indian culture. In these texts Hindu Demigods trick the Vedic demon Valla into attending a pretend sacrifice ritual and after allowing himself to be tied to a stake, Valla learns the demigods are not pretending and the Demigods 133 

dismember Valla, whose body parts turn into gem seeds which contain talismanic powers, made more powerful the purer the gem. Vedic crystal practices is still alive in modern India and are used by both the older and younger generations. 

Tibetan refugees practicing Buddhism used crystals in meditation as malas, or prayer beads and many other people in Indian culture still use crystal healing when modern medicine does not work or is unattainable. 

Native American culture and crystal healing have been passed down through generations through word of mouth, due to this many traditions and secrets have been lost due to the extinction of many indigenous languages. In native cultures there are two important principals when it comes to crystal healing, meditation, and respect. Meditation varies from person to person but usually includes good thoughts and a healthy mindset when handling crystals. In Native American culture crystals are considered an entity and you must show respect to the stones, you can also show respect to the crystals through respect of the Earth. In native traditions they can use the crystals by wearing them to benefit from healing vibrations, either one at a time or several but the stones should never touch, or tinctures can be made with the stone and water and then administered internally. 

Contemporary use 

New Age 

In the English-speaking world, crystal healing is heavily associated with the New Age spiritual movement: “the middle-class New Age healing activity par excellence”. In contrast with other forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), participants in crystal healing view the practice as “individuated”, that is dependent on extreme personalization and creative expression. Practitioners of crystal healing purport that certain physical properties such as shape, color, and markings, determine the ailments that a stone can heal; lists of such links are published in commonly distributed texts. Paradoxically, practitioners also “hold the view that crystals have no intrinsic qualities but that, instead, their quality changes according to both participants. After selecting the stones by color or their believed metaphysical qualities, they place them on parts of the body. Color selection and placement of stones are done according to concepts of grounding, chakras, or energy grids. 

Crystal healing today is often featured in jewelry and is used side by side with yoga, meditation, or mindfulness. Often people turn to crystal healing when they become dissatisfied with modern medicine and people are looking to revive cultural traditions from older generations. Today the use of crystal healing is typically used by middle and upper-class individuals because they have the time and resources to seek out this type of alternative medicine. More affluent people are also able to afford better quality crystals. 

Chapter 37 from Kent’s Memoirs of a Jesus Freak

Another spiritual leader also had many people fooled about the

real nature of his group besides David Berg and the Children of

God. It has been argued long and hard about which was more

damaging to the Jesus People Movement. My opinion is that the COG

caused the most damage, since the Jones’ business collapsed so completely

and was so utterly discredited, any trouble instigated by them

disappeared rather quickly. And it must be made clear, despite confusion

to the contrary—Jim Jones and The People’s Temple had absolutely

no connection with the JPM.

Jim Jones did not impact my ministry in Marin County until

1972, the year Church of the Open Door was established. We were

a non-denominational, charismatic church built on the ministry

foundation several of us had established in Marin’s towns. I became

aware of Jones from articles in the San Francisco Chronicle, since he

had involved himself in San Francisco politics, a very strange creature

during that period.

Jones began sending buses to our parking lot at Carpenter’s Hall

in San Rafael on Sunday mornings, in order to transport anyone wanting

to come to his services in San Francisco instead of ours. This tactic

revealed Jones’ arrogant and aggressive nature. At first, I did nothing

to stop this tactic, but after hearing reports of what was taking place

at the meetings, I decided to visit The People’s Temple myself and

attended at least two of their services.1

1 I later climbed on board the bus when it pulled into the parking lot and

literally threatened the driver with bodily harm if he ever showed up again. No bus

ever came back, and I am thankful for that to this day, without apology.

What I recount now may seem rather strange; however, many

other people witnessed what I experienced, and over an extended

period of time. Here is what happened: (1) Angel’s wings (or so it was

said) brushed over me; (2) My up-stretched hand was clasped as in

a handshake that could be felt but not seen; (3) I smelled a pleasant

aroma, which Jim Jones called “the sweet savor of the Lord,” wafting

through the air; and (4) Drops of oil fell on my Bible held open on my

lap. In addition, there was a young black girl from Oakland, maybe

aged thirteen, who stood in front of the congregation while the “stigmata”

appeared on her hands and ankles—the places where the

Roman soldiers pounded the nails into Jesus’ body—and blood, or so

it seemed, soaked through her dress at the point where the spear of

the Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side.

After this I understood the attraction; there was a powerful

presence in Jim Jones’ meetings. Despite the spiritual nature of the

meetings, and the enthusiasm, the clapping, dancing, and exuberant

singing, I heard no gospel preached or Bible taught. Oddly, it was also

not the kind of service I would describe as either Pentecostal or charismatic.

After my visits to the People’s Temple, I addressed the San Rafael

Church and made it very clear that it was the devil at work in Jones’

services and definitely not the Spirit of God. The miracles, I declared,

were counterfeit, however real, and the whole purpose was to deceive

and confuse the faithful. I warned as sternly as I could that no one

should attend his services.

When the Jonestown tragedy in Guiana became known to the

world, and for some months after that, I officiated at funerals for some

of those who died at Jonestown. It was then that I was able to make

sense and be certain of what had happened: there was at work at The

People’s Temple the same force at work with David Moses Berg and

COG—a demonic power able to seduce and deceive through counterfeit

signs and wonders. I had felt that same power on the morning

when Ed Sweeney had to pull me away from being drawn into the

COG while listening to a member’s pitch. It was that same pull I had

experienced during the Kirtans at the Hare Krishna temple in 1967.

Now I had seen it at work at The People’s Temple.

A Failure to Discern

I learned a lesson: not all that is spiritual is of the Spirit of God.

Due to the charismatic orientation embraced by most of the Jesus

People, we were not able to grasp this. This failure was likely the

most damaging aspect of the JPM, contributing to its dark side. We

simply did not know that prophecy, healings, and miracles could be

of a devilish origin. I am still working through aspects of this in my

current spiritual walk. I don’t want to assign all signs and wonders to

the nether regions, because I think that during times of awakening,

there are exceptional Holy Spirit gifts given that authentically result

in glory to God. Let me be clear, however, that none of what I experienced

during the Hindu services, or encountered with the young

man on the porch of the former French Embassy in Atlanta, or saw

firsthand at the People’s Temple in San Francisco had anything to do

with the Spirit of God.