The following
is a sample chapter from Should You RUN From Jesus Always? Available
on Amazon (click here)
(Note, this page is modified from
the book chapter so as to make it a stand-alone web article.)
SPOTTING
NEW AGE TEACHING
Before
getting any deeper into Jesus Always we should take a few moments to learn some
of the characteristics of New Age teaching. Knowing these characteristics will
help you identify books, videos, and other materials that contain New Age teaching.
What Is New Age?
In his book A Time Of Departing, Ray Yungen
defines New Age as:
The Age of Aquarius, supposedly the
Golden Age, when man becomes aware of his power and divinity. Ray Yungen,
A Time of Departing, 2006, page 204
This sounds like a fad
from the 60s that has come and gone. But dont be deceived. New Age
spirituality is bigger than ever, and it is everywhere. Ray Yungen writes:
Christian Yoga, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, the silence,
sacred space, and contemplative prayerdo any of these sound familiar? If
you havent heard of them yet, chances are its just a matter of time
before these terms start showing up in your church. Ray Yungen, A Time
of Departing, 2006, page 204
Author and speaker Warren Smith
was deeply immersed in the New Age Movement. At the height of his involvement
with New Age:
the Lord intervened. He exposed the
darkness that was actually behind the deceptive peace, love,
and light of our New Age/New Gospel teachings. By the time it was
all over, it was clear to us that all of our New Age beliefs had been founded
on half-truths and lies. - Warren
Smith, blog post
In his book False Christ Coming,
Does Anybody Care? Warren describes the Jesus of the New
Age Movement::
The New Age Gospel teaches that when humanity
collectively accepts and experiences itself as being part of Christ and a part
of God, we will not only save ourselves, we will save our world
With new
revelation often accompanied by direct personal spiritual experience, people
are taught that because they are a part of God, they are actually at-one
with God and all creation. Warren Smith, False Christ Coming, Does
Anybody Care?, 2011, Pages 13 & 14
New
Age teaching and spirituality is growing in our churches, it is moving into
our schools. I regularly receive flyers from organizations that train teachers
in how to use New Age techniques. They dont mention the phrase New
Age, but they offer training in New Age practices such as Yoga &
Mindfulness for Kids (from an organization known as PESI), and Calming
The Overactive Brain (offered by the Institute For Brain Potential).
So
what does this have to do with Jesus Always? Ive reproduced the
front of a brochure from PESI to the right.
The word Yoga means
unity. Yoga is a practice that is at the core of Hinduism (New Age). It is the
way to achieve unity with the Hindu Gods. Notice how Yoga is described in this
flyer as being: a wonderful introduction to present-moment awareness and
introduction to present-moment awareness and mindfulness. This describes
the New Age spirituality that we'll see in Jesus Always. Key New Age practices
to look for include:
Present-moment awareness: this
means to not think about the past, nor worry about the future, but to focus on
the present.
Mindfulness: focusing on being calm in the present moment,
and accepting your feelings and whatever you are experiencing.
Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose,
in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. - Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder
of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts
Medical Center
Oneness with god: this is commonly manifested
in what is called Practicing the Presence (of god). Practicing the Presence, or
sometimes it is just referred to as the Presence (with a capital P)
involves sitting quietly, often whispering a simple word or phrase to help you
empty your mind and experience the presence of god. As you calm and empty your
mind, the god who is within you (oneness with god) may be experienced.
The
Silence: this refers to emptying your mind of all thoughts; to suspend
thought through word repetition or breath focusinward mental silence. Tilden
Edwards called this the bridge to far Eastern spirituality.2
Repetition
/ Breath Focus: these are two of the most common practices used to help empty
your mind. Repetition refers to repeating a single word or phrase. This might
be the name of Jesus or a phrase such as I love you Jesus.
Throughout Jesus Always you will encounter exhortations to pray short prayers
such as these. Breath focus means to slow and control your breathing, often
by saying one word or phrase as you inhale, and another as you exhale.
Look
for these practices, or variations of them, in Jesus Always. Youll
find them throughout the book. None of these are biblical. None of these are in
scripture. We never see Jesus, nor any of the apostles
nor in fact anyone
in scripture practicing any of these techniques.
Do
they work? Yes they do. You can do these things and feel very spiritual, and
feel very close to god. You can do these things and feel good
calm and relaxed.
But they are not biblical. So why do they work?
Remember what scripture
says, the true battle is not happening in a realm you can see. We are in a spiritual
battle.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
You are in a battle against spiritual forces
of darkness, and they will do whatever it takes to draw you away from the true
Jesus Christ
such as making you feel good when using practices that open
you to demonic influence. Demons have the ability to calm you, to give you peace,
and make you feel spiritual and close to god. Using the practices
described in this chapter opens people to demonic spiritual forces, not God.
Do
you remember what scripture says happened to the man who was cleaned out and left
empty? He was in the condition New Age practices strive to achieve
empty:
Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless
places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, I will return to
my house from which I came; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept,
and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more
wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that
man becomes worse than the first.Matthew 12:43-45
What
should he have done after the unclean spirit left? Filled himself with scripture.
We are to fill ourselves with Gods word, leaving no room for demons, or
even fleshly thoughts.
What should you do when you encounter someone
teaching the practices identified in this chapter? Or when you encounter a
book or DVD promoting these practices? Run! New Age practices are very
dangerous. Dont get anywhere near them. Dont let them into your life.
Tightly shut and lock the door to your mind and feelings, and turn to the true
Jesus in scripture.