How Should Christians Respond When the Church Moves New Age?
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The Christian community finds itself at a significant junction.
- Adversity and persecution are on the rise.
- The Ten Commandments are considered hate speech.
- Pro-life and moral purity is misogyny.
- If you believe marriage is between one man and one woman you are homophobic. Christianity is believed to be in tolerant, hateful, and the source of all kinds of evil.
How should Christians respond?
We must respond exactly as the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy.
1. Stir up the spiritual gift that is within you.
2. Do not give into a spirit of fear. Seek God daily for a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit power, love, and disciplined thinking.
3. Secure faith in your heart. Do not permit doubt to plague your mind and emotion.
4. Hold securely to the Word of God as the foundation of your faith.
Read my post: 4 Anchors in the Midst of Cultural and Political Storms
One of the major voices in the Christian church and a very popular keynote speaker at conferences for pastors, encourages pastors to stop saying, “The Bible says.”
There is a significant flaw in Christianity, he declares, that for centuries people have believed the Bible is the foundation of our faith.
He boldly proclaims, “It never has been.”
This movement is bringing about serious compromise in the teaching and preaching of the Word of God. Many are “unhitching” from the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments.
The Apostle Paul firmly believed the Holy Scriptures to be the foundation of the Christian’s faith (2 Timothy 3:13-17). Jesus clearly taught His disciples the Word of God was the anchor of their faith.
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in my Word, you are my disciples indeed. You shall know the truth and truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32 NKJV).
“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me” (John 14:23-24 NKJV)
Jude, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ wrote, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4 NKJV).
He was concerned men claiming to be great teachers, prophets, and apostles would arise teaching new revelation and doctrines contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
Another major voice in the Christian church has published a book encouraging believers to explore New Age practices.
They are told to search into spirit guides, the teachings of shamans, and spiritism.
Believers are challenged to not limit spiritual reception to just the things you have read in the Holy Scriptures. There is so much more to be received.
When a believer stubbornly holds to only the written Word of God, they have chosen a very narrow bandwidth from which to receive.
There are thousands of spiritual signals that can be received, when one is open to more than just the limited version found in the way they have previously heard God’s voice, that is His Holy Scriptures.
Is this accurate spiritual instruction?
Should a believer, without reservation or question, open themselves to spiritual resonance, new thought patterns, or emotional impressions?
God has clearly warned against looking to New Age spiritism, seeking spirit guides, searching out shamans and the practice of spiritists.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 18:10-13 NKJV also see Leviticus 20:27).
Every spiritual impression we receive; every prophetic word; every fresh new insight that is given, must be judged by the one source of truth, the Word of God.
It never grows old.
It never become outdated.
God is not writing some new revelation.
It is only a fresh revelation of that which He has already given.
“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”
Why are many in the western church now turning to the very things God calls an abomination?
I believe it is for the same reason King Saul turned to them.
Saul had disobeyed God on multiple occasions, out of insecurity, low-self-worth, and outright stubbornness. The Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul and he was being tormented by demonic spirits.
Initially, a shepherd boy and musician, named David, would come and play music and sing Psalms and the evil spirits would depart.
Later, when David became a great military hero, Saul drove him away. He could always turn to Samuel, the prophet of God, when in desperate need.
The prophet passed away.
King Saul was in a desperate situation.
He turned to God and sought Him earnestly. “The Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.”
What did the king do?
He turned to spiritism (1Samuel 28:3-14).
Has the church in the USA become so lukewarm and backslidden God is no longer speaking to her through the Holy Spirit?
Have the pages of the Holy Scriptures become so familiar they are now worn out and no longer life-giving?
Is God no longer speaking through the verses of His Word to heart of the Christian leaders?
Into this spiritual vacuum, are they turning to the New Age, seeking spirit guides, exploring shamans and spiritist?
I truly believe this to be the case.
I know, they are held high as great spiritual men and women with a mighty word from God.
Really?
A word from God?
Have we not come to the very time spoken of by the Apostle Paul?
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…” (1Timothy 4:1-2 NKJV).
It is time to awaken child of God.
We must not be led astray by teachers and preachers; no matter how popular, how large their congregation or television ministry, or how influential their ministry.
If they are teaching contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
If they are teaching a low view of the infallible Word of God.
If they are encouraging you to “unhitch” from portions of the Holy Scripture, it is exactly what the Apostle Paul declared to the believers in Galatia.
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV).
We must love the Word of God, honor the Word of God, and allow the Holy Scriptures to speak to our heart daily.
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You…Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:11, 105 NKJV).
“…for you have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psalm 138:2 NKJV).
“It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail” (Luke 16:17 NKJV).
Read more of this series on my daughter’s blog: A Little R & R
More on this topic:
What Happens When the Church Chooses Deception
What Happens When the Church Rejects the Truth of God’s Word?
This Is What Happens When a Culture Rejects God’s Word
One Shocking Way Our Culture is Mocking God
4 Powerful Ways to Avoid Strong Delusion
How to Escape the Delusion in the Church
6 Things to Do When Your Church Is in Delusion
Three Ways to Spot Apostasy In a Church
What Happens When Pastors Compromise the Truth
How Christians Can Be a Powerful Light in a World of Darkness
Who Determines What is Truth?
Choosing to Believe a Lie
5 Serious Dangers Found in the Church Today
How This Culture of Deception is Leading To the Antichrist
How Should Christians Respond When the Church Moves New Age?
Moral Relativity Is Making the Church Irrelevant
Why the Church Must Not Accept Gender Dysphoria
Does the Church Have a Hearing Problem?
Beware of This Seductive Spirit in the Church
Moral Relativity Is Making the Church Irrelevant
When Foolishness Becomes Wisdom
The Authority of a Disciple of Jesus Christ
The Word of Truth That Will Set This Generation Free
Pastor Dean Sermon Archives Episode 10 – How a Christian Can Guard Their Heart
Pastor Dean Sermon Archives Episode 15 – Jesus’ Disciples Must Stand Fast in a Culture of Delusion
Pastor Dean Sermon Archives Episode 17 – Jesus Redeems a Fallen Culture
A Truth You Can Trust
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 49 – Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Demons
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 50 – Characteristics of the Current Western Culture
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 51 – Revealing the Real Cause of Violence and Crime
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 52 – A Hidden Cause Impacting Our Culture
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 53 – The Hidden Cause of Global Warming
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 54 – When the Light of Truth Goes Out
Foundational U Podcast: Ep. 55 – What Now for the Disciple of Jesus Christ?
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