(For a PDF file of this article, see the very end)
The Church in the United States of America: Salvation, Yoga, Occult, Faith, Evolution, Psychology
If you are a knowledgeable Christian, you know that there is a battle going on all around us. It is between the Kingdom of Light (God, His angels and His children) and the kingdom of darkness (both the angels and the people who are in rebellion against God). The kingdom of darkness is led by Satan (formerly Lucifer – the highest ranking angel).
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
Unfortunately, many of the people in the kingdom of darkness understand the battle better than a lot of Christians. As a result, Satan is able to spread his lies and deception within our churches. We not only welcome his deceit, we welcome his deceivers.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:1-2
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Some of Satan’s deception within the church incorporates various aspects of false-religions (which he tries to substitute for a humble relationship with God). All false religions have one thing in common: They teach that people can ‘achieve heaven’ by self-effort (by obeying, doing, learning, achieving or serving) or that everybody ultimately ends up there anyway. (The definition of heaven varies widely among false religions). The Bible teaches that it is only by God’s grace, mercy and sacrifice that any human will get to Heaven,
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.1 Peter 3:18
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
and that Heaven is a tangible reality with a physical city.
The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. Revelation 21:15-16
While most of the religious deception within our churches (in the U.S.A.) is of the western mindset—people are saved by obedience to laws and/or by doing good things—
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21
eastern religious deception is increasing. The most common form is ‘supernatural power’ disguised as ‘faith in God.’ Some preachers teach that if we have enough faith, our words and our prayers can change our reality (regardless of whether or not God’s will lines up with ours). If we name it and claim it, it will be ours! If we believe, we will receive! If we have enough faith, we will be healthy, wealthy and successful! In more occultic settings, this ability is referred to as the power of the will, the power of positive thinking, positive confession, human-potential, or the power of ki, chi or prana.
In some cases, eastern/occultic deception comes not from the pulpit, but rather from extra-curricular activities. Some churches sponsor classes and activities which include visualization, eastern meditation, guided imagery, hypnosis, and yoga. [Yoga is part of Hinduism. The ultimate goal of yoga—according to Hindus—is a mystical union with god (actually a demon pretending to be a god). Transcendental meditation—part of Yoga—is intended to empty the mind, subsequently lowering a barrier to the spiritual realm, facilitating interactions with spiritual entities (demons). Some yoga postures are designed to restrict blood flow through the body, thus, restricting oxygen to the brain, which assists in achieving the altered state of conciseness sought in transcendental meditation.]
Safe Yoga? Some classes—which people call “yoga”—may be spiritually safe, if they only include stretching, strengthening and relaxing, but, it is doubtful that a Hindu would call this “yoga.” Participants need to be knowledgeable and cautious!
Another problem in our churches today is ‘psychological (anti-Biblical) counseling.’ Much of this demonically inspired pseudo-wisdom comes from the work of Sigmund Freud—an atheist and occultist. Freudian Psychology conflicts with the Bible and is very damaging to people’s relationships.
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1 Corinthians 1:20
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)—who is applauded as having “greatly advanced the field of psychology” was a professing atheist who regularly participated in occultic activities (along with his associate, Carl Jung). Freudian psychology was also greatly influenced by the Theory of Evolution. Building upon the theory (lie) that humans have inherited characteristics from our ‘non-human ancestors,’ Freud developed theories to explain why ‘modern humans’ behave the way we do. (He suggested that if we act like animals, it’s because our ancestors were.)
Christian counselors need to conform their thinking, analysis and recommendations to the Bible and get their guidance from God—the Author of the Bible and the Creator of the soul!
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16
Some of Satan’s deception within our churches has to do with the ‘Theory of Evolution.’ Satan uses this theory—which blatantly contradicts true science, logic and the Bible—to lead Christians to doubt God’s Word.
For an in-depth Biblical, moral, logical and scientific debunking of the Theory of Evolution, read “The Second Most Incredible Book . . .” (available free on this website). For a quick, logical debunking of this theory, read the poem “True Brilliance, Evolution Exposed” (in the section, ‘Poetry with an Attitude’).
Before listing all the ways that ‘Evolution’ contradicts the Bible, take a look at two different views on this theory and remember what you read earlier; ‘Many people in the kingdom of darkness understand the battle better than a lot of Christians.’
God’s view:
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4
An atheist’s view:
“It becomes clear now that the whole justification of Jesus’ life and death is predicated on the existence of Adam and the forbidden fruit he and Eve ate. Without the original sin, who needs to be redeemed? Without Adam’s fall into a life of constant sin terminated by death, what purpose is there to Christianity? None. . . . Christianity has fought, still fights, and will fight science to the desperate end over evolution, because evolution destroys utterly and finally the very reason Jesus’ earthly life was supposedly made necessary. Destroy Adam and Eve and the original sin, and in the rubble you will find the sorry remains of the son of god. Take away the meaning of his death. If Jesus was not the redeemer who died for our sins, and this is what evolution means, then Christianity is nothing!” G. Richard Bozarth, American Atheist Magazine, Feb., 1978.
Remember that Satan’s original attack on humanity was to get us to question God’s clearly spoken word. In the Garden of Eden, he asked “Did God really Say . . . ?”
He said to the woman, “Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1
Here, six-thousand years later, the attack continues. In regard to the Theory of Evolution, Satan asks:
Did God really say that He created the universe in six literal 24-hour days?
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Genesis 20:11
And there was evening, and there was morning–the third day. Genesis 1:13
Did God really say that He created mankind and all the land animals from the dust of the ground—on the sixth day?
The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. Genesis 2:19
God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image,” . . . And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1:25,26,31
Does the Bible really give the genealogical line from Adam to Jesus—who lived two-thousand years ago—which means that the earth is about six-thousand years old?
(Calculation Method # 1). The Bible tells us God created the earth and the universe in six literal twenty-four hour days and man on the sixth day. It then gives the lineage from the first man (Adam) to Jesus Christ (seventy-six generations) who was here in human flesh approximately two-thousand years ago. (See Exodus 20:11, Mark 10:6, Genesis 1:26-31, Luke 3:23-38). This indicates that the earth is only a few thousand years old. If we stretch these genealogies to their breaking point, we may get 10,000 years.
(Calculation Method # 2). Adam was created on the sixth day of creation week. (Mark 10:6, Genesis 1:26-31) / There were 1,056 years from the creation of Adam to the birth of Noah. (Genesis 5) / There were 600 years from the birth of Noah to the flood. (Genesis 7:6) / There are an estimated 1,500 years – based upon 25 generations from Noah to King David of Israel who’s kingdom existed approximately 1000 B.C. (Luke 3:31-36) / There are an estimated 1,000 years from King David to the birth of Jesus (1000 B.C. to 0 A.D.). / There have been approximately 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus (0A.D. to 1998 A.D.) / / Calculation = 1,056 + 600 + 1,500 + 1,000 + 2,000 = 6,156 years.
Did God really say that death is the result of mankind’s sin and that it did not exist before Adam disobeyed?
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— . . . Romans 5:12
Did God really say that if people do not believe the first part of the Bible – (the creation, flood, etc.), that they will not believe the rest of the Bible – (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus)?
If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5:46-47
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. Luke 16:31
Did God really say that His people are destroyed from lack of knowledge?
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6
Did God really say that people will go to Hell for not accepting the truth?
They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:10
As you can see, the Bible and the Theory of Evolution are not only mutually exclusive, they are diametrically opposed regarding the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, while many churches reject this theory in general, they sometimes accept various aspects of it—wrongly assuming them to be true. Therefore, they exalt man’s word (and Satan’s deception) over God’s Word, causing doubt. Not only is the church compromising in this way, we have people—claiming to be Christians—who are profiting from the situation. These people—calling themselves ‘Progressive Creationists’ or ‘Theistic Evolutionists’—claim that the Bible and the Theory of Evolution are both true, but that we have to re-interpret the Bible to make them fit together. Obviously, selling deceptive books and materials to Christians is profitable. They have their ‘Reasons to Deceive.’
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. 2 Peter 2:1-3
So, the battle between the ‘Kingdom of Light’ and the ‘kingdom of darkness’ is raging and it is not restricted to the outside of our church buildings. Christians need to be aware of this and we need to remain on guard.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11
We need to know and trust God’s Word—which is absolutely true, accurate and reliable—and we need to rid our churches of the doctrines of demons and the deceivers who teach them!
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. 1 Timothy 6:20-21
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Download “The Doctrines of Demons” (PDF file)