Marsha West -- Christians are mixed up

CHRISTIANS ARE MIXED UP - IN MYSTICISM
PART 2 of 2

By Marsha West

September 15, 2007

NewsWithViews.com

Any person who honestly believes "we are one" as do pantheists should consider this: When you die you will become "absolute nothingness." Isn't that comforting?

Christianity believes that the born-again Christian's resurrected body will spend eternity in heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He's the gift that keeps on giving!

Understand that pantheists are not saved. The unsaved are dead in their transgressions and sins. (Eph 2:1) The Bible is crystal clear on who is, and who is not saved: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:15-17).

Jesus said what He meant, and meant what He said. No one who denies that Christ is the one and only way to heaven will spend eternity in His kingdom. And this includes individuals that are held in high esteem like, say, cardinals, bishops, priests, pastors, ministers, elders, deacons and other church leaders. Also included are those who attend church regularly�teach Sunday School--sing in the church choir�lead Bible studies�church empemployees�evangelists, televangelists, missionaries, teachers, writers, singers, musicians, speakers, lecturers, radio and TV personalities or any "spiritual" person.

The plain fact is that historic orthodox Christianity is theistic. A belief in pantheism is found in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and the New Age movement. Moreover, followers of pantheism are likely to put a great deal of importance on personal experience and pay little or no attention to Church doctrines.

Now then, I promised to elighten you on the three steps to get you started in kything prayer. They are as follows:

1. Center yourself in God. 2. Lovingly focus on God or the person or thing you want to kythe with, and 3. Make contact through visualization. (From the book Christians are mixed up�in mysticism Kything: The Art of Spiritual Presence")

Workshops are available for those who wish to learn all the ins and outs of KP. One workshop attendee says, "some people express uncomfortableness [sic] with entering into another's center, but could invite the other person's spirit into themselves." The person's advice? "Do whatever is easy for you. Kything occurs in either form of union.... Invite the giftedness or energy you need to flow through your Kything partner and into you, be open to receive the gift or energy and welcome them in quiet." Kything involves, "focusing your spiritual presence in another person or their presence in you. Kything with another individual allows you to share in their energies and giftedness."

A website that promotes mysticism and out and out heresy, contains the article "The Voice in the Stillness: An overview of some Christian ways of meditation." The person who penned the article makes the following assertion:

"This is an extremely powerful way of sensing your connections to the Lord and to what is known as the 'communion of saints,' the fellowship of all creatures in God."[6]

First of all, the "communion of the saints" comes from the Apostles' Creed, which is a Catholic doctrine "containing in brief statements, or 'articles,' the fundamental tenets of Christian belief."[7] According to the Catholic encyclopedia the clause refers to the "spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth." The meaning of "communion of the saints" is that the "saints" (all Christians) are a single body who fellowship, partnership and share in the well-being of all believers.

The writer then says,

"Once contact is established, you might dialogue with the other. For instance, if you're kything with a holy person or with Christ, 'talk' with him and listen to his responses. Remember that although imagination is the vehicle, it does not in any way mean that the contact is not 'real.'"

Not only can you enter into a spiritual relationship with our Lord, you can kythe with another human being -- or your pet Pomeranian! Kyther's say it's even possible to kythe with an individual who is unknown to the person initiating the kythe. I am not making this up, folks. "Christians" actually participate in this lunacy.

According to the Bible's teaching on spirits, the "contact" and "dialogue" is with none other than demons. So what's being touted here is occultic channeling/mediumistic practices that are forbidden by God! (Lev. 19:31, Lev 20:6, Deut 18:10-11, 1 Chron 10:13, Jer 27:9-10, Acts 16:16-24, & Rev 22:15) Those who kythe are inviting demon possession! (This does not apply to a true born-again Christian, as followers of Jesus Christ cannot be demon possessed or "demonized." But Christians who engage in mysticism can open themselves up to demon oppression. On the other hand, unbelievers can be, and some actually are, demon possessed.)

But enough about demons. On to the abovementioned Enneagram.

You ask, "What in blue blazes is the Enneagram?" In short, it's a form of modern psychology that categorizes people into nine basic personality types. The concept is rooted in several teachings such as the Seven Deadly Sins and the Kabbalah. Supposedly the Enneagram symbol, the enneagon, dates back to Pythagoras or even earlier, and is based on Sufi mysticism. This alone should be a red flag for Christians!

Using the Enneagram while engaging in KP can be done with "any other person, present or absent, dead or alive, whose Enneagramic reading 'moves against your numerical arrows'. The key is to 'let your center find itself within the person with whom you are kything' and to 'Picture yourself within the [other] person.' An alternative form of Enneagramic kything is to 'invite the other person's spirit into themselves.'"[8]

Recently on Oprah and Friends, Dr. Oz Mehmet talked with Father Richard Rohr about "helping people find deeper spiritual enlightenment by gaining a greater understanding of their personality through the Enneagram personality system, an ancient tool that explains how human personality works."[9]

The Enneagram is just more New Age rubbish. And hopefully Christians who tune into Oprah's TV and radio programs won't buy into the lie. (To read more about the Enneagram go to link.[8])

A few months ago Oprah promoted "The Secret." Author Rhonda Byrne claims "The Secret is so powerful that it can change the course of your life." Basically, the big secret is the ridiculous notion that there's a "law of attraction." How does this so-called law work? Simply ask for what you want, believe it, and you'll receive it. For the pessimist who's resigned that nothing will ever change, nothing ever will. Because of Oprah, untold thousands of undiscerning Christians went out and bought the DVD and the tie in book. Now they're championing "The Secret." Some Christians don't have the sense God gave a gnat. By watching Oprah they're been lured into New Age spirituality and they don't even realize it.[10]

Now, I realize unregenerate people won't be convinced by my argument against mystical experiences and they'll continue to do as they please, even though some of the things they do displease God. My question for the professing Christian is once you choose to involve yourself in mysticism, where are the boundaries?

It's wonderful to "feel" closer to God, especially if you're going through a rough time of it. But engaging in meditation is just plain wrong! As I've pointed out, God opposes any involvement in mysticism -- He even calls it evil. And by the way, Christians should be very weary of trusting their "feelings" and "experiences." Can you really trust your emotions?

Christians are called to obedience. Meaning, they must keep God's commandments whether they like it or not. The reward in keeping His commandments is that you can know that you know Him. "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Sam 15:22).

So heed what the Lord says and stay away from any form of Eastern mysticism. Don't go there�even if all your friends are ddoing it�even if Oprah advocates it�even if you find -- "deeper spiritual enlightenment." It doesn't matter if you're "connecting with God on a deeper level." Stop it! God says no! You must do everything He asks of you because you belong to Him now. You were bought with a price and redeemed from the pit of hell. He is your Lord and Master.

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You want to experience God? Here's how: "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." � 1 John 33:24

Click here for part -----> 1,

Footnotes:

1, Christian yoga? C'mon! By Marsha West
2, Biblical Meditation By J. Hampton Keathley, III, Th.M.
3, Kything - Answers.com
4, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Stanford University website
5, A Nature Meditation By Robert Elias Najemy
6, The Voice in the Stillness: An overview of some Christian ways of meditation -- The Wild Things of God website
7, Apostles' Creed - Catholic Encyclopedia
8, Gurdjieff and the Enigmatic Enneagram By the Reverend Ed Hird
9, Finding Spiritual Enlightenment Original Air Date: July 30, 2007
10, Is Oprah Peddling Snake Oil? By Marsha West

Additional Reading:

1, Life in a Secular Culture By Rick Wade
2, Answering the Big Questions of Life By Sue Bohlin

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Marsha West is the Founder and Editor of the E-Mail Brigade News Report, an online news report for conservative people of faith. Marsha is a freelance writer specializing in Christian worldview. She is a regular contributor to NewsWithViews.com, Alainsnewsletter.com, CapitolHillCoffeeHouse.com, plus her commentaries appear in MichNews.com and bibleteacher.org.

Marsha is also designer and webmaster of a Christian apologetics website, On Solid Rock Resources. She is currently writing a series of children's books for homeschoolers. Marsha and her husband reside in historic Jacksonville Oregon.

E-mail:�EMbrigade@aol.com

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I must admit I'm mystified (pun intended) as to why so many Christians are choosing to leave the narrow road Jesus spoke of and follow Oprah down the broad road that leads to destruction.