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Recognizing New Age Deception
New Age: An ecclectic set of beliefs including metaphysics, eastern philosophies and pagan practices. New Age spirituality is very broad and fluid as it includes practices and beliefs from an endless source of unbiblical and anti-Christian systems.
With the help of modern technology and a more modernized packaging witchcraft and new age practices have become more appealing to the masses and more marketable. Television and radio have given mediums, psychics, and others a large platform with a diverse audience. Television networks show lineups targeting both children and adults are filled with shows about witches, warlocks, psychics, mediums, young witches and are very entertaining. The purpose of these shows is to cause many to become desensitized and to believe its no big deal and nothing wrong with these practices.Today much of the stigma and negativity surrounding new age practices and witchcraft has been successfully removed. This has resulted in caution being thrown to the wind in and out of the church. People across the globe are buying into " new age spirituality" and abandoning salvation and the gospel of the Kingdom, or in many cases people try to merge new age practices with a Christian faith.
Unfortunately within the Christian community there are influential people with large followings that are preaching a "mixed" message. They are mixing the word of God with new age elements. One that is popular is the law of attraction this a concept that is rooted in new age teaching and philosophies. The bible never tells us about laws of attraction but it does say that the just shall live by faith (Hebrews 10:38, Galatians 3:11, and Romans 1:17). Although many things sound good its important to know if it can be found in the word and if it lines up with the written word of God.There are a plethora of things that are causing believers to be deceived. Believers have begun praying to the universe instead of the God who created the universe. This ties into new age beliefs such as pantheism believing that God and the universe are one and the same. For many their language, appetites, and belief systems are being infiltrated and greatly influenced by new age and they are not even aware. Listed below are a few ways that is allowing new age practices to creep into the church.
1. A lack of strong biblical teaching and study is one way that is allowing new age elements to be intermixed in the Christian church. Many churches do not take the time to address what the Word says against these demonic practices. Many believers also fall prey to these things because of ignorance and not taking the time to read the Word of God for themselves. Some people simply do not know but ignorance will not save you from consequences. In other words just because you innocently knocked on satan's door doesn't mean he will give you a pass. Believers have got to become students of the Word. No longer can we go with what sounds good. No longer can we be indoctrinated by social media memes but we must begin to study the Word of God.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.-"2 Timothy 2:15
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2. Curiosity of the supernatural. A lack of supernatrual activity in the church has caused a number of people to seek alternative avenues as they are searching for answers or even supernatural encounters. Some people seek out ungodly sources because they have a desire to speak with and reunite with dead loved ones. Other people seek out new age sources for answers (Who am I? Does So and so love me? etc.,)
"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead."-Deuteronomy 18:10-11
"All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by. That is all they are to you-- these you have dealt with and labored with since childhood. All of them go on in their error; there is not one that can save you."-Isaiah 47:13-15.
3. Pagan practices are a cultural norm. Some people grow up in households or even countries where new age practices are a part of every day life. They might grow up going to spiritualists and participating in pagan rituals. For them it is a part of their culture. So in my cases they mix their culture (pagan practices included) with Christianity. This can be seen in many countries where these practices are so embedded into the culture of the people that even if they are "Christians" seeking out spiritualists and witchdoctors is still the norm. It take strong biblical teaching to show people this error when it is ingrained in their culture.
"For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"- 2 Corinthians 6:14 (b)
4. Many believers see the church as powerless because they have never seen or experienced the power of God's Holy Spirit and the manifestation of His gifts. Where there is no prophecy and divine encounters believers are prone to fall into calling psychics and reading their horoscopes because they want answers that the church has failed to give them. A lot of churches have become like social clubs as they look and function nothing like a new testament church. Without the power of God and demonstration of His Kingdom it causes people to give up and think that there is nothing to God or the faith. In 2017 many people don't expect God to do the impossible anymore. And sadly the world and many in the church are seeking out new age gurus for healing, miracles and supernatural insight for their lives.
"having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." -2 Timothy 3:5
5. Mass deception. Believers are being deceived all over the world. As a collective body of believers we must open our eyes and not be deceived by the tactics of the enemy. We must also make sure we are not only informed but ensure that we are teaching our children so they are not inadvertently introduced to witchcraft via games like Charlie Charlie, Slender Man or crystals, tarot cards, tea leaf reading (divination), horoscopes, ouija boards etc., Witchcraft has always been real but like many other things its no longer hidden and has been packaged to seem harmless. There is no excuse for any bible believing preacher to open their church and pulpit to those walking in darkness. Over the years it has become more and more blatantly obvious that many Christians are mixing new age teachings and practices with the Christian faith. Most Christians will scoff at a witch with a broom and a pot but many will readily accept metaphysics and books such as "The Secret". Preachers of the gospel have begun praying to the universe instead of the God of the universe. People are teaching more about the laws of attraction than biblical faith. Although these things do not sound wicked or spooky they are still a part of new age beliefs and they lead to various forms of witchcraft and ungodly indoctrination.
"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed." - Ephesians 4:17-19
Common New Age Practices and Terminology
1. Numerology
2. Laws of Attraction & The Universe
3. New Age Terminology (vibes, auras, harmony, energy, karma, self-awareness, monism, pantheism)
4. Yoga
5. Psychics & Mediums
6. Eastern Philosophies
7. Burning Sage (to remove evil spirits)
8. Metaphysics
9. Spiritualism
10.Tarot Cards
11. Trying to Communicate with the dead (Necromancy/ seances)
12. Horoscopes & Astrological Signs
13. Becoming one with nature
14. White magic and crystals
15. Hypnosis
16. Magick
17. Higher Levels of Consciousness
18. Astral Projection
19. Feng shui
There are a lot of other things that can be added to this list but that is far too exhaustive for a blog post.
