In his book “Preparing the Way,” Cal Pierce, the Founder and Director of the Healing Rooms International, gives his autobiographical story of how the Healing Rooms began.  He describes a series of “meant to be” amazing “coincidences” and a number of prophecies that directed him to “re-dig the wells of healing” that John G. Lake, a famous “healer,” had started in the early 1900’s.    He gets so caught up in these experiences that he doesn’t seem to give any thought to testing the spirits like we are instructed to do in 1 John 4:1. These amazing “meant to be” experiences become a theme throughout his entire book.

If you have read any of former New Ager Warren Smith’s books or heard his testimony, you will understand how these types of “meant to be” experiences are very common in New “Age” Spirituality. Satan is capable of orchestrating these “meant to be” experiences.  So these amazing coincidences can’t be automatically assumed to be from God.  It is essential to test these experiences against  Scripture.

Cal states that after many years of attending church and being a self-described “bored” member, something happened that changed his life forever.  One night in 1996, a couple from his RV group told him what was happening in some meetings that his new pastor Bill Johnson and a Vineyard pastor were conducting in the area churches.  People were “falling down, laughing, shaking, and crying.” (Pierce 33)

After a short discussion, he and his wife decided they wouldn’t be attending those meetings.  But by May of that year, Pastor Johnson called for a special meeting for all of the leadership of the church.  Although Cal wasn’t happy about it, he was required to go since he was a member of the board.

At the meeting, after they had sung several  worship choruses, Pastor Johnson stood up and raised his hands to Heaven and said “Come Holy Spirit!.”

“The next thing I remember,” Cal states, “is that wave after wave of fire began to course through my body.  The flames seemed to be going deep into my bones and that made me want to run or jump or shout or scream or all of those things at once.  But I couldn’t move.  My feet were stuck to the floor, as if they had been glued there.

Within what seemed like a few minutes, I heard Michelle’s [his wife] voice.  She was pulling on my sleeve, trying to get my attention.  ‘Honey’ she was saying ‘the meeting’s over, and everyone’s gone home.’  I had no idea what the meeting had been about, but I somehow knew that I would never be the same again.

I tried to move again, but couldn’t.  It took two strong men to pull me loose from the floor that night, and from then on the change in my life was so great that it was like the difference between night and day.” (pg 34)

This experience isn’t something that can be confirmed by Scripture.  Something to keep in mind is that in Paul’s discussion of the Gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14:32, he makes it clear that the “spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophet.”  The Holy Spirit never takes control over our body so that we become powerless to control anything that we are doing.  Not being able to move or do anything for a period of time would not be caused by the work of the Holy Spirit.  It would contradict clear teaching in Scripture.

Cal goes on to state that somehow the old Cal Pierce had died that night and “all of his plans and desires died with him.” (pg 35)  He suddenly had an inexhaustible desire to study everything he could get his hands on about spiritual growth and especially regarding “revival” and healing.  [Nothing about studying the Word of God?]

Cal’s wife, Michelle, hadn’t become involved in everything that he had.  She didn’t outright oppose what he was doing, but she wasn’t too excited about it either.  He states:  “I could sense her reservations when I announced to her one day that we would have to scrap all of our plans for the future.  There would be no early retirement and no “RV”ing.  That lifestyle no longer interested me in the least.”

So, he didn’t expect her to understand when he announced his decision to take a trip up North for a few days.  For reasons that he indicated were not totally clear to him, he decided to take a trip to Spokane, Washington.

When he announced in his Sunday School class where he was planning to go, one of the ladies spoke up.  She said that she had recently read a book by Ken and Gloria Copeland about John G. Lake, and that he was from Spokane and was also buried there.  Cal then realized that months earlier he had read the same book, but had forgotten about it.

Driving the 10-12 hour drive from Redding to Spokane, he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind that he was “going to the city where John G. Lake had been used so mightily by God.” (pg 47)   He remembered that John G. Lake had “experienced a hundred thousand documented healings in only five years of ministry, and this resulted in Spokane being officially declared the healthiest city in the world.” (pg 47)

[NOTE: This is stated in numerous sources on the internet and in books, but to my knowledge, so far no actual documentation has ever been given for these healings nor has a copy of the official statement been produced.]

Cal planned to do a number of things while in Spokane.  He wanted to see the building where the miracles happened; he wanted to see the tabernacle where John G. Lake had ministered; and he wanted to see the home where he lived.  He also wanted to see his grave, and decided to start there first.

Once he arrived in Spokane, he stopped at a convenience store and bought a map to see where the cemeteries were located.  He found that there were three large ones and many little ones.  He decided to just pick one, and you guessed it, he picked the right cemetery on the first try.  At the cemetery’s visitor center, he asked for the location of John G. Lake’s grave and was told that his was the most visited of any grave site in the city.

Once he found the grave, he laid down on it and began to cry out to God.  “God, bring up the anointing of this man to me.  Let it rise out of his bones.  I want to walk in the same power that he walked in.  I want to see the miracles that he saw.” (pgs 48-49)

[NOTE: This is something called “grave soaking” and is practiced by the youth from Bethel Church where Cal Pierce came from and whose pastor is Bill Johnson.]

After visiting John G. Lake’s home and tabernacle, Cal went to the location of the old Rookery Building where John G. Lake’s healing rooms had been located.  The original building had burnt down, but had been rebuilt.  He went up to the third floor where he remembered the healing rooms were originally located.  He spent quite a while praying as he walked up and down the hallways.  He states:  “The enemy was there too.  He said to me ‘What are you doing here?  You’re no John G. Lake.’  I knew that was true so I went back out to the grave site to pray some more.” (pg 50)  He spent three more days in Spokane praying and then went home.

After several more trips to Spokane, Cal and his wife moved to Spokane.   Cal indicates that they weren’t sure why God had sent them there, but they were determined to find out.  For a year and three months Cal continued to visit the grave of John G. Lake once a month.  He and his wife tried out a number of churches.  In each church they visited, they asked people if they knew about John G. Lake.  Cal claims that many had heard of him and that they all had been praying that the same anointing and healing would come to Spokane.

Cal was certain that God had brought them to Spokane for a purpose, and finally he felt prompted to do a 40 day fast.  During his fast, he claims that the Holy Spirit led him to a passage in Genesis regarding Isaac and how he re-dug the wells that belonged to his father Abraham, and that he renamed them the same names they had before.  The wells were then restored.  Cal believed that this meant he was supposed to “re-dig the wells of healing.”

His book then flashes back to describe how others had “prepared the way” for the healing rooms.  The “meant to be” experiences then go into faster-than-light speed.

Others Prepare the Way?

In August of 1996, two men by the name of Timothy Johnson and Tom Bensen attended a meeting in Spokane conducted by a “prophet” named  Bob Jones, (pg 65) who had prophesied that a new healing anointing would begin outside of the City of Spokane, it would be brought into Spokane and then it would finally go out into the whole world.

So Tim and Tom came to Spokane to prepare for it.  Over a period of 18 months they made a number of trips to Spokane.  They too were “led” to the grave of John G. Lake to pray and to the site of the Rookery Building.  They also conducted several 40-day fasts during that time. They claimed that the Holy Spirit had told them that he was sending them there to “prepare the way for healing.”

After seeing a brochure that Cal had sent out, Tim called Cal and told him he had heard about what he was doing.  Cal states “This was amazing.  These men didn’t know us, and we didn’t know them, yet God had dealt with each of us separately concerning the exact same burden.” (pg 67)

Tim then told Cal that Bob Jones said that while he was preparing for meetings in Spokane, he could see in the spirit realm “a huge python over the city.  He was given the authority to strike the Python behind its head with a sword, but he couldn’t kill it.  The Lord told him that the local church would have to do that.  He then struck it in its reproductive organs so that it could not reproduce before the church got united enough to kill it.” (pg 67)

He also saw an angel that God sent over the area who was tattered because of an intense battle between him and the demonic forces.  Bob Jones declared “God’s people needed to unite in intercession, so that no more angelic forces would be sent to the area.” (pg 67)

Tim goes on to state that after the conference before he went home, he was led to go to the grave site of John G. Lake to pray.  He claims that “the Lord spoke to me and said ‘I will restore the healing anointing that was on John G. Lake.  It will start in Spokane and spread like wildfire across America from here.  Revival in the Northwest will also begin in Spokane.’  I sensed that the roots of the huge pine tree over the grave were flowing down into the bones of the man of God and bringing up strength for a new generation of healing ministries.” (pg 68)

Then, Tim said that he was blown away when he heard that Bob Jones was also led by the Lord to go to the grave of John G. Lake and pray.  He (Bob Jones) too stated that the Lord had revealed to him that “the tree growing down into the grave was a prophetic sign from God that He would revive the anointing that had been over his servant.” (pg 68)

Tim asked God if it was time for them to go to the city, and He said that it was.  Tim asked Tom to go with him.  They decided to pray about it and if God confirmed it they would go the following Saturday.

Tom started praying and he claims the Holy Spirit instructed him to “Go into the garage and get the staff  you cut in the Redwood forest…bring it into the house and write on it ‘My Name is Elohim.’” (pg 69)  Tom followed the instructions and then called Tim who amazingly was sitting at his own kitchen table with a staff that he had just finished writing the names of God on.

They took the staffs with them on their trip to Spokane.  They went to the Rookery building and walked around the area praying.  They claim that as they passed through a food court on the other side of the street, they ran into a demonic force that almost knocked them down.  Tim states “I seemed to be suddenly overtaken by a magnetic field, and I had the feeling of static electricity around my body.” (pgs 69-70)  Tom felt it also and asked Tim “What is this?”

After walking to another part of town, they came back to the same area and felt the same thing they had before.  Tom believed that they had encountered a prince of demons over the city who seemed to be boasting “This is my city and I will not be brought down.” (pg 70)

Medical Lake Healing Water?

On New Year’s Eve of 1997, Tom and his wife invited some “prophetically gifted” friends to their house for prayer.  After their prayer time, Tim slept over at his house.  The next morning, Tom and Tim were discussing a dream that Tom had concerning the coming revival in Spokane.  Tom states that he heard over and over again a word from the Lord about “a lake of medicine.” (pg 70)

The two of them got out a map of Spokane to look for anything like that. They couldn’t find anything, but when Tom’s wife, Betty, found a better map, they were amazed to discover that just outside of Spokane there was a small town called Medical Lake.   Tom states “We wondered if this is what Bob Jones’ prophecy had meant  that the revival of healing would start outside of Spokane?  Would it come from Medical Lake?” (pgs 70-71)

They looked it up on the computer and found that

“Medical Lake was also the name of a small town, five* miles outside of Spokane, on the shores of Medical Lake.  The lake was discovered by a French Canadian sheep herder by the name of Lefevre.  In the early 1800’s**, he had gone to the lake one day to bathe and was immediately*** healed of his advanced rheumatoid arthritis.  He had named the lake in French, and his name translated to Medical Lake.

Local Indians had also discovered the medicinal and curative powers of the water of Medical Lake.  They had built steam baths around the lake where they poured the water over the hot rocks and breathed in the resulting steam.  They also claimed many healings from its use.

The water of the Medical Lake was found to be high in mineral content, so that when it was boiled down, it left a salty residue.  The Indians carried these salts to distant tribes who could not reach the lake and many of them likewise claimed healing from the use of salts.” (pg 71)

*Actually it is 15 miles not 5
**Actually it was the late 1800’s
***Records say “was almost completely healed”

This is where they stop regarding the history of the lake.  The moment I saw the name Medical Lake in Cal’s book as I was reading it for the first time, I just about fell off of my chair.  My jaw dropped open, and I thought “You have GOT to be kidding?”

Medical Lake is my home town.  In 1972 when Medical Lake celebrated it’s 100 year anniversary, they put out a paper with a lot of information about the history of Medical Lake.  I was in 5^th grade at the time and became very interest in it at that point.  I have read a lot about the history and have collected information regarding it over the years.

As I read the history that Tom was reciting, I noticed something very disturbing.  He stopped after delivering the information about the lake having natural healing powers.  As I read through the rest of the book and have also searched the Healing Room websites, there is absolutely NO information regarding what happened after that.  This is something that anyone can easily find by going to the Medical Lake website.

“From the 1880’s to to the early part of the century, Medical Lake remained a flourishing town and popular vacation destination, and boasted a growing community.  The lake, however, was dredged of most of its minerals deposits over the years and people began to wonder if the lake ever had the ability to heal its users.  The lake showed the effects of the adjacent land developments.  Algae blooms destroyed everything, except for the lake’s recreational value.” (History)

It goes on to state that in 1964, the City installed a sewer system.  The lake could not recover to its pristine state because the lake quality had been so severely degraded. It got so bad that fish could no longer survive in the lake. In 1977, the phosphorous levels were greatly reduced when treated with liquid alum.  Then in 1986 “an aerator was installed in the lake to increase oxygen levels and decrease algae blooms.” (History)  This improved the lake quality so that it could once again be used for recreational use.  The lake no longer has any natural healing properties.  It also should be noted that it NEVER had any SUPERnatural healing properties.

Why did they not fill us in with the rest of the details?  This becomes very misleading. Most people reading or hearing this information wouldn’t be the wiser.  It would be logical for them to conclude that the water STILL has healing properties.

Another issue is that this story written in the book about the circumstances surrounding the discovery of this information is significantly different in an audio presentation by Cal Pierce.   It is natural through each telling of a story to include some details that weren’t included before, or leaving out details that had been included at other times.  However, the story in the audio presentations gives an entirely different story that contradicts the details in this book. (Pierce, Audio file)

After the story of Medical Lake, Tim goes on to recount other stories to Cal.  “In April of that year the Lord impressed us again to undertake a long fast.  He was about to send us back to Spokane.” (pg 71)

Tim and Tom didn’t know what all they would be doing, but they felt that God was telling them to “speak a word of release” over the city.  They went to Spokane to end their most recent 40 day fast.  As they drove into the city, they noticed how many hospitals and clinics there were.  They observed that the city that (allegedly) had once been declared “the healthiest city in America” was now obviously a place of much sickness.  [NOTE:  Again, that declaration has never been documented to my knowledge.]

They were determined to find out more about the “demonic force” that they encountered on the previous visit.  When they approached the same food court again, they felt it as before.  So they went back to their hotel room and asked God what they were up against.

Tom found the story of David and Goliath in his Bible and read it out loud.  Then Tim said to read it again slowly.  The second time they both felt that Holy Spirit was telling them that “it was the spirit of Goliath that had spread intimidation over the city of Spokane and prevented the healing anointing from flowing back into it.” (pg 72)

A few minutes later they decided to go to the Mall.  On the way, they saw a billboard that said “Burger Hut:  Home of the Goliath Burger.”  They felt that this was God confirming what they had felt the Holy Spirit was telling them.

That night, God told them to go to the city of Medical Lake for the first time.  So they went there the next morning.  They “prayed around the lake” and were led to put their staffs into the lake water to “trouble” the water.  They were sure that as soon as they put their staffs in, there was a “stirring of the waters.”  Tom wept as the Lord “showed him that the healing water of the lake [The natural healing properties had been gone for a very long time] would not just be for Spokane, but for the healing of the nations.” (pg 73)

As a “prophetic act” they took five gallons of water from the lake and then poured it into the Spokane River where the river would carry it into the city.  As they poured the water into the river, “Tom was overcome with emotion and declared ‘This Healing will flow to all the nations of the Earth.’” (pg 73)

While they were eating at a restaurant that evening, they sensed that they had one more thing they needed to do– “Prophesy to the giant spirit over the City of Spokane the next day, and then we would be free to go home.” (pg 73)

Then they overheard some ladies at another table speaking about some local meetings.  They spoke to them and found out that they were Spirit-filled Catholics.  Tim and Tom had heard of Spirit-filled Catholics, but had never met any before.

The ladies said that they were from Montana and had come to Spokane to attend a healing conference at Gonzaga University, and this was to be the final night of the conference where there would be “a special prayer for anointing and healing.”

Tim and Tom decided to go.  At the end of the service, they lined up with others who were waiting to be anointed by the priests.  “As they laid hands on all of us, people went down under the power of God in every direction.  There were bodies covering the entire floor of the auditorium.  Tom and I were drunk in the Spirit and felt ready for our most important work the following morning.” (pg 74)

There is nothing in Scripture that describes this phenomenon.  Even at Pentecost, there is no description of people being “slain in the Spirit” and covering the entire floor of the Upper Room.  If it were going to happen, you certainly would expect it would have happened then.

The next morning, Tim and Tom parked at the old Rookery Building (where the original healing rooms of John G. Lake had been located).  They stood facing the building and with staffs in hand they “spoke forth the word of Lord against the enemy that bound the city.” (pg 75)  Then they struck their staffs seven times on the pavement.

As they were leaving, they saw a sign two blocks down that read “David’s Pizza”  They took that as confirmation from the Lord that the giant would fall.

Six months later, the Lord told them to go to the Catholic Church in Medical Lake.  They didn’t know if there was one there or not, but “something was troubling their spirits.”  They had begun another 40 day fast, and during that time Tom asked a friend if she knew anything about a Catholic Church in Medical Lake.  She found that not only was there a Catholic church there, but it held healing meetings twice a month.  Tim then called the church and asked when the next healing meeting would be conducted.  He was surprised to find out that the next one was going to occur on the fortieth day of their fast.

A few days before they went to Medical Lake for the healing meeting, Tim states that the Lord had given him a special verse and told him that it was for a Catholic priest at Medical Lake.  They had planned on first getting a room in Spokane before heading to Medical Lake for the meeting, but the Lord told Tim that he should go to Medical that night even though it was getting very late in the evening.  Tim claims he didn’t say anything about it to Tom, but that 20 minutes later, Tom said “I think the Lord is speaking to me about going to Medical Lake tonight.” (pg 76)

They arrived at Medical Lake at 9:30 p.m.  and found the Catholic Church.  Everything was dark, but they found an apartment attached to the building.  The priest, Father Tom Mele, answered the door.  Tim and Tom sat down with him and told him how they had been led to his front door.  After they told most of the story, they informed him that God had given a message to them for him.  After giving him the message, he got an amazed look on his face and went to another room, and when he came back he had a card in his hand.

Father Mele then said that this was the 20^th anniversary of his ordination as a priest.  He had become a priest because of a promise that God gave him which he had written down on a postcard.  He handed the card to them and to their amazement it was the same verse that they had given him.

That night, they stayed in a motel closer to Medical Lake, and the next day they went into town.  It was the last day of their fast and Tim was hungry for a hamburger. They decided to go to the place that had the Goliath hamburgers.  Tim told Tom “I wouldn’t be surprised if “Goliath Burger” is shut down.”  As they were nearing the place, they couldn’t believe their eyes, “The concrete structure had been demolished, and all that was left was a pile of rubble.”  They claimed that God told them “What you see here in the natural is what took place in the Spirit.” (pg 78)

They then went back to the Rookery Building and found that the “horrible power” they had felt before was now gone.  Tom states “Because we couldn’t eat Goliath burgers to break our fast, we settled for David’s pizza instead.  It was delicious.” (pg 78)

[NOTE: Unless they were on just a partial fast, this would have made them very ill, you can’t go from eating nothing for days to eating a pizza, because the digestive system has shut down.]

At the meeting that night at the Catholic church in Medical Lake, they were given a copy of a book that had the 150 year history of the church.  A quote from a minister in the book stated that “Medical Lake in the state of Washington is a modern-day Pool of Bethesda.” (pg 35)

[NOTE:  Notice how it only says “a minister” this gives the impression that the statement about Medical Lake being a “modern day Pool of Bethesda” applies to the modern time this book is being written in, but the “minister” they are referring to is Rev. Jonathan Edwards,  who wrote “An Illustrated History of Spokane County” published in the year 1900!]

They later discovered that the Pool of Bethesda mentioned in the Bible is located right outside of a Catholic church called “St. Annes.”  They were excited to realize that the name of the Catholic church by the “modern-day pool of Bethesda” was also called “St. Anne’s.”

After one more fast and one more trip to Spokane, Tim and Tom felt that the Lord told them their part was finished.  As Cal Pierce listened to the stories Tim and Tom had been telling, he said “I felt like my hand had accidentally been stuck in a light socket. God was doing something powerful!” (pg 79)

This chain of “meant to be experiences,” and amazing “coincidences” just keeps going and going.  I can see how these stories could be convincing to anyone who puts a lot of stock in amazing experiences.  “How could it not be the work of God?” they would think.  However, how can any of this be verified?  It is just hearsay.  The stories being told by Tim and Tom are especially suspect because the same stories are told so differently in Cal Pierce’s audio presentation regarding “Preparing the Way.”

The Saturday night after Cal’s phone conversation with Tim, Tim called Cal again and asked him, “What did you do?”  Cal thought he was asking about the day of prayer that they had just completed, and he started to tell him about it, but Tim interrupted and said “No, I mean what did you do after I told you about Medical Lake?”

Cal told him that he couldn’t stand to wait any longer to investigate this mystery so he drove out to Medical Lake and brought some home with him.  Tim then told him, that was what he needed to hear.  Cal was fulfilling the prophecy by Bob Jones so that “the anointing for healing would start outside the city, come into the city, and then go around the world.” (pg 79)

As I stated earlier, Medical Lake is my home town, and this sounded absurd to me, then I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  Cal stated “In our Healing Rooms, we keep a vase containing water from Medical Lake.  We have come to call it ‘firewater’ because when we touch people with it, they say it feels hot to them.  It isn’t hot in the natural, but it apparently is in the Spirit.  We anoint those who come to our Healing Rooms with oil,* as the Bible teaches, but when we do conferences, we impart with Medical Lake water.” (pgs 79-80)

*They don’t use olive oil like they did in Scripture.  They have their own oil that is made from almond oil.  They mix it with Frankincense, Myrrh and Cinnamon. (pg 133)

If I had only been reading this about a place I knew nothing of, I would just think that this was a little bit strange.  But since this lake had been in my own backyard so to speak, it felt like someone came into my house, took water out of my toilet, and began anointing people with it as some kind of healing water.

Re-digging the Wells

Cal now goes on to describe in detail what happened that Saturday during their day of prayer.  It was May 29, 1999.  More than 100 people responded to the invitation to attend.  As a group they first visited the grave site of John G. Lake, then the Lake home and the old tabernacle. They then finished the day at the Rookery building.  Cal hadn’t leased the rooms yet, but the owners of the building let them use some rooms for the special day.

Everyone formed a “human chain of prayer” that moved in an out of the four rooms and in and out of the hallways.  At one point, Cal said he “went down the line, anointing each person in the chain with water from Medical Lake.  Many of them were slain in the Spirit.” (pg 83)

Three rooms had brown carpet, but the fourth room had a silver carpet.  This later came to be known as the Silver Room.  When he got into the Silver Room, he saw that everyone was on the floor.  So he anointed them where they were.  Cal recalls that a couple of days later, a woman sent him a letter.  She said that she was the first one in the Silver Room.  As soon as she entered she fell to the floor and couldn’t stand back up.  Then everyone that came into the room after she did, also fell to the floor, because “the anointing was so powerful.”

Again, as I stated early on in this article, I Corinthians 14:32 states “the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet” so if something is forcing you to do something such as causing you to fall on the floor, it cannot be the Holy Spirit.

Later, Cal carried in some boxes and after sitting them down, he went into the Silver Room to see what the lady had been referring to.  He claims that when he went through the door to the Silver Room, “it was like going through a curtain of anointing.”  To make sure he wasn’t imagining it, He states that he did this over and over again for about 20 minutes—stepping into the room then out of the room, and it would happen each time.

The next day, when he moved in some more boxes, he asked God “What is it that makes the anointing so powerful in that room?”  He said that the Lord answered him “I left an angel in that room, and he has been waiting now for eighty years for the rooms to be reopened for prayer.  As long as my angel is there, this healing anointing will pour out from this place and will go around the world.” (pg 84)

[NOTE:  Keep in mind, this building is not the same building that John G. Lake’s healing rooms were in, that building burnt down, and a new building was built in its place.]

In an audio presentation given by Cal Pierce while he was still writing his book, he indicates that this angel from the Silver Room goes with him when he goes out to conferences.  He recounts a story where He and Bill Johnson did a conference in Brunswick, and they did a week’s worth of taping on Sid Roth’s Messianic Vision radio program.  Sid Roth told Cal—

“You know, I’ve heard of this angel in the Silver Room.  I’ve heard that it goes out with you when you go out to do these conferences.  Can it be on assignment?”

Cal responded, “Well, I don’t know, maybe.”

When the taping was over, Cal went up to his room to put his card in the door.  He states that “I heard a voice down the hallway saying ‘Reverend, your room is ready.’

“I turned and looked and there was two cleaning ladies about halfway down the hallway.  I said, ‘how did you know I was a Reverend?’

The lady said, ‘Well I saw you leave this morning, I told my friend here when you left that, that’s a preacher, and my friend said, “Well, how do you know that?”’

And I said, ‘Well, because I saw the angel leave with him this morning.’”

Cal then states: “I had never seen the lady before and she had never seen me before, I don’t even know if she is a Christian.” (Pierce, Audio File)

Cal goes on to state “After the Healing Rooms were reopened, more than six hundred pastors would make their way into that room, [the Silver Room] and each time we would ask them what they felt.  Invariably they answered ‘The Presence of Angels.’” (pg 85)

In a book called “The Physics of Heaven” there is a chapter written from an interview of Cal Pierce where he talks about another angel that came to him after a meeting. Cal states:

“As soon as the session ended, I looked up to see an angel standing right in front of me.  I’m not an angel type of guy, but suddenly there was an angel speaking to me saying, ‘I’m sent by God to answer your question about the energy crisis.  I am the energy angel.’  All I could think was, ‘What on earth did I have for breakfast?'”

He goes on to tell how the angel gave him the blueprints for a “water car” and showed him how energy could be produced with water and light.  It was a nice day outside, so Cal asked the angel if he wanted to take a walk.  The angel answered “I’ve been walking with you for 30 years but you just didn’t know it.”

Does Cal ever test the teachings of these angels?  Does he even question that they could be something “other than” an angel of God?  Paul states in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that even “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

Spirit guides, who sometimes appear as angels, often as beings of light, or even as Jesus himself, are very active in New “Age” Spirituality.  For more information see “Whatever Happened to the New Age? Parts 1 and 2,” and “Spirit Guides Coming to a Church Near You.”

The Reopening of the Healing Rooms

After the day of prayer, they began to recruit and train a group of people who would serve in the Healing Rooms.  Cal taught five classes which covered the following instruction:  [NOTE: Remember I’m just quoting him, I don’t necessarily agree with anything and/or everything in the list]

• The provision of divine healing as part of our Salvation
• God’s many promises concerning healing for His people
• The special anointing that empowers us to minister healing
• Roadblocks to healing—things that get in the way of a person’s receiving God’s promises
• The Spiritual authority we have as Spirit-filled believers
• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit that seals us and enables us to flow in God’s power

Finally, they studied the process they felt led to establish for the Healing Rooms. (pg 87)

On July 22, 1999 the Healing Rooms were officially opened.  Cal states that the process that they established for the Healing Rooms worked very well.   “We would have a small team, usually with three members, to pray in each of the Healing Rooms.” (pg 91)  One person acted as the leader, and the other two would follow his or her lead.  When sick people arrived they would be met in the reception room and given forms to fill out much like at a doctor’s office.

In addition to the person’s general information, there were two boxes to check:  “Are you born again?” and “Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?”  There was also a space to describe their physical issue.   The information sheet was given to the next available team to be prayed over.  As they did this, they were seeking God for a particular healing strategy.  Cal continues:

“They would soon see the person, but only after the explosion of anointing that came through their prayer time together and only after they had some confirmation about how to proceed with the ministry to that person.  In this way, the ministry would never become just another routine.  Each sick person was a new challenge, and we were determined to find God’s unique answer for each one.” (pg 92)

He claims that the healing team became very gifted regarding this.  As they all prayed six to eight hours a day in the Healing Rooms they began to experience all nine gifts of the Spirit.

“Even though our particular gifting was the gifts of healing, all of the gifts were there, available to minister to the sick. Many of the team members began to speak out words of knowledge, as the Spirit revealed something about the sick person or the sickness involved and what was necessary to overcome it.  This proved to be a powerful ministry tool.”  [emphasis mine]

In the Healing Rooms official instruction book “How to Minister to Specific Diseases,” it states on a page right after the introduction:

“Information for this book has been gathered through many thousands of prayer sessions in the Spokane Healing Rooms.  Scriptures are given on each disease as the Holy Spirit directed our team.

Root causes to sickness have been known by the medical industry for decades.  We have identified spiritual root causes by interviewing those prayed for.  Certain symptoms of sickness have similar root causes.  We simply have linked those which are most common root causes to specific diseases.  Our goal is to bring an awareness of what those root causes are, and how to minister healing.” (Healing Rooms)

This appears to be the “ministry tool” that is being referred to.   It is interesting how they go from root causes to sickness that the medical industry recognizes to support their position, but then they do a kind of  “bait and switch” saying that they have identified spiritual root causes.  [I doubt the medical industry would agree with that.]

Everyone should understand that correlation DOES NOT prove causation.  This kind of research would need to be done under very strict guidelines and a controlled environment to prove anything.  Even if these root cause were actually shown to be associated with these diseases, who is to say that the so- called “root causes” aren’t the resulting behaviors and issues caused by the disease?

Here are some of the examples of the so-called “Root Causes” they list in the book:

Alzheimer’s:  Self-hatred, self-rejection, shame and guilt
Arthritis:  Usually involves bitterness from unforgiveness toward others or yourself
Autism:  Can be Generational.*  Rejection, rebellion, anger, self-hatred, spirit of fear, deaf and dumb spirit, and self-condemnation
Cystic Fibrosis:   Inherited disease.  Fear and anxiety problem.  (What!?)
Diabetes:  Extreme  rejection and self-hatred coupled with guilt.  Can be inherited through an unloving  spirit from parents or grandparents.  Could be a generational curse.
Hypoglycemia:  Worry, fear, fear of rejection, not trusting God, self-hatred; could be hereditary.
Parkinson’s:  Unresolved rejection, self-rejection, abandonment, hope deferred.
Stroke:   Could be generational.  Stress, anxiety, and anger.  Self-rejection, self-bitterness, self-hatred.
Varicose Veins:  Internalization of hurts that are caused by anger and resentment.  Usually inherited.

*Later in the book it indicates that what they mean by “generational” is that it is a generational curse.

Then they list the root causes for a number of different types of Cancer:

Cancer:  Can be deeply rooted bitterness, anger, guilt, and self-hatred.  Can be generational.
Colon Cancer:  Bitterness, slander, possibly generational with division making—contention.
Liver Cancer:  Lusting after a female, mentally or actually.  Often involving pornography, fornication, drugs and/or alcohol addiction.  Also bitterness.
Breast Cancer:  Conflict and bitterness between the female and her mother, sisters, or mother-in-law.
Ovarian Cancer:  Woman’s hatred for self and her sexuality and self-bitterness
Uterine Cancer:  Bitterness and self-bitterness; promiscuity and uncleanness
Hodgkin’s Disease & Leukemia:  Deep rooted bitterness coming from unresolved rejection by a father
Prostrate:  Bitterness, unforgiveness toward males in the family, fornication, fear.

Then the procedures for healing from the various diseases are given.  This is for cancer:

• Re-establish Christ’s redemption from the curse
• Lead them to forgiveness and repentance to the Father for wrongly discerning the broken body of Jesus (Taking the bread in doubt and unbelief)
• Deal with any deep emotional hurts through forgiveness and repentance
• Take communion with them, if possible, rightly discerning what Jesus did on the cross.
• Bind and cast out the spirit of cancer
• Command the cells to function normally
• Command healing to all organs and tissue effected by the cancer

The Expansion of the Healing Rooms

Cal Pierce began receiving invitations to teach conferences on healing.  Eventually he was doing two each month. To each conference he indicates that he takes with him some Medical Lake water and uses it to “impart the healing anointing to the Body of Christ in each place.” (pg 104)

Also, Healing Rooms began to be opened in many places in the United States and in other countries.  Because of this, they started an organization called “The International Association of Healing Rooms.”  They began doing a bimonthly training program at the Spokane Healing Rooms.

Cal tells of two important visions he had about the healing ministry in the end times.  He believes that they are being fulfilled by the Healing Rooms.

His first vision came to him on his first trip to Spokane.  He claims he saw “a giant lying in the valley.  His head was in Spokane, and his feet extended all the way to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, thirty miles away.” (pg 107)  He saw cobwebs and thin looking cords covering the giant similar to the story of Gulliver.  The giant looked like he had just been born there and grew to maturity, but had never moved. He could move, but he didn’t because he didn’t think he could.  There was no way that the flimsy looking cords could have held him down if he had tried to move.

Cal states “I sensed that the giant I was seeing was the Church, not just in Spokane, but around the country.  If we could just get all of the parts moving together, nothing could hold us back.” (pg 107)

The second vision came to him just before the Healing Rooms opened.  He was driving across the Maple Street Bridge.  As he looked over the city he saw that it was dark.  Cal states that God showed him that “the enemy had held God’s people captive too long.”

He then began to see flashes of light and “in the Spirit” he was raised up to about the same height as the mountains around the city and could see for great distances.  There were white horses at the outskirts of the city in every direction.  The might army of horses moved in unison and the pounding of the hooves shook the ground.  Lightning was flashing from their swords.  “Suddenly, the windows of Heaven began to open, the sky rolled back, and I was looking into the heavens.  A voice like a roaring lion came from Heaven, saying ‘Let my People go.” (pg 108-9)

Cal believes these were confirming the prophecy given by Bob Jones, “that the healing anointing would begin outside the city of Spokane and then go out from there around the world.”  He believes that “the greatest move of the Holy Spirit the world has ever seen is about to take place through the Church, through the army that God is calling together and raising up.” (pg 110)

Can you lose Your Healing?

On page 125 of Preparing the Way, there is a statement regarding healing that says this:  “Many people lose their healing because they turn their attention from the seed of God’s promise and concentrate on their circumstances or symptoms.  Pain, for instance, is a terrible distraction.”

In the back of the healing instruction manual “How to Minister to Specific Diseases” it has an article called “How to Keep Your Healing.”  It misapplies the parable of the sower which speaks of the different types of people who hear the gospel and how they respond, to being about how we are healed:

“When we receive the Word on healing and are prayed for and a healing takes place, we receive it with joy, but it must become firmly rooted in us because the devil will always try to inflict us with the very same symptoms to change our minds.  Verse 21 says because of the Word, this affliction will be brought against us once again to cause us to fall away. [Say what? Matthew 13:21 says this?]

The devil will once again bring the symptoms of the sickness to try and convince us that we are not healed.  This is a lying vanity.  The root meaning of a lying vanity is something that comes against you to change your mind.  If the devil can cause us to look at symptoms instead of God’s promise, he can convince us to believe his lie.  When we focus on the symptoms, pain or whatever it is, doubt and unbelief come to our mind and this gives entrance for fear to re-establish the sickness.  We must keep our heart and mind fixed upon God and His promise.”

Is this Scriptural?  Misapplying Scripture doesn’t count.

1.  Anyone who seriously studies the Bible would come up with some very quick responses to the idea of “losing your healing.”  First of all, there is absolutely no account in the Bible of anyone ever “losing” their healing.  In about 99% of all accounts the healing took place immediately. The 1% were Naaman in the OT (2 Kings 5:10-14)  and the blind man who saw “men as trees walking” in the NT (Mark 8:22-25).  In 100% of all accounts the healing was permanent!

2.  The information regarding “keeping your healing” puts all of the responsibility on the person being healed.  If the person isn’t healed, then the people in the Healing Rooms praying for them can just say, well sorry, we did our part, you just didn’t have enough faith to keep your healing.  There are a number of healings in the New Testament where no faith at all was required from the person being healed.

–The lame man at the “Gate called Beautiful” was just looking for a handout when Peter said “Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:2-8)

–The widow from Nain and her dead son.  No faith was required of him or his mother.  Jesus saw them, had compassion and raised her son from the dead. (Luke 7:11-15).  All accounts of the dead being raised required no faith from the person being raised.

–The Centurian’s servant. (Luke 7:2-10)  No faith was required of the sick servant.  He was healed because of the Centurian’s faith.

3.  Jesus made it clear that the disciples did not need to “increase” their faith.  He said that all they needed was faith the size of a mustard seed and anything would be possible. (Luke 17:5-6).  It is not the size of the Faith that matters because it is not source of the power, it is WHO you have faith in that has the power—God!  Trying to drum up enough faith is trying to obtain your healing through your own efforts, it is your own “works.”  We are not healed by our efforts, God is the one who heals us.

If a person has the same symptoms he or she has NOT been healed.  No healing in Scripture indicated that the symptoms came back.  The blind man who was healed didn’t go around with a daisy in his hand pulling off the petals saying “I can see!”  “oh, now I can’t”  “I can see!”  “Oh, now I can’t” fluctuating according to his belief or lack of belief.

It is identical to the concept of “positive thinking” in which you have to keep believing or the symptoms will return.  It reminds me of Gilligan on the old show “Gilligan’s Island” where Gilligan has a pair of wings on that he made and he is hovering in thin air until the Skipper says “Gilligan, you can’t fly!” and Gilligan says “I can’t?” and then falls to the ground.

When God heals you, you are healed!  Satan cannot do anything about it. Nothing in Scripture indicates that Satan can make you have symptoms so that you will believe you’re not healed.

Also, there are no instructions for lengthy investigation and procedures to accomplish healing in Scripture.  There was no “healing manual.”  Jesus simply said “be healed” and they were healed—the Apostles said “be healed” and they were healed.  Being God, the Holy Spirit knows the cause “if any” of any disease, he doesn’t need us to help him out.

The only instructions given is what it says in James 5:14 where it states:  “Is any sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

Notes:

History. Welcome to the City of Medical Lake. Medical-lake.org. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://www.medical-lake.org/community/history.asp

Franklin, Judy and Ellyn Davis.  “Chapter 9.”  The Physics of Heaven.  Double Portion Publishing, 2012. Print.

Pierce, Cal. Preparing the Way:  The Reopening of the John G. Lake Healing Rooms in Spokane, Washington.  Maryland: McDougal Publishing, 2001. Print.

Pierce, Cal. (Audio File) Preparing the Way: The History of the Healing Rooms. NCSanDiegoHealingRooms.com. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.   http://www.ncsandiegohealingrooms.com/about-us/history

Healing Rooms. How to Minister to Specific Diseases. nd. Spokane: Healing Rooms Ministries. Print.

The teaching of Scripture is against both total separation from the local church and separation by forming strictly Hebrew Christian congregations.  The local church must be composed where possible of both Jewish and Gentile believers working together for the cause of Christ. — Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum

In Ephesians 2:15-16 Paul said that Christ made it possible, through his death on the cross, for the Jews and the Gentiles to join together into “One New Man.”  They joined together as a singular, never before existing entity, one body–the body of Christ.

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;  for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

However, Christ’s Ekklesia  (The Greek word usually translated “church”) has been divided for various reason starting as early as the 2nd Century A.D. where the increasingly Gentile-dominated church began to insist that Jews must renounce everything Jewish to become a believer.  In essence the Gentile church was attempting to turn Jews into Gentiles.

This is an impossibility because according to the scriptural definition of a Jew you must be a physical descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.    This should not be confused with Judaism which is the religion practiced by Jews.

Likewise, the scriptural definition for a Gentile is anyone who is NOT a physical descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Gentiles practice many different religions and have many different ethnicities, but it is their non-Jewishness that makes them “Gentile.”

This attempt to turn Jews into Gentiles forced those Jews who refused to follow this unscriptural practice to segregate into “Jewish believer only” congregations and were subjected to persecution by their own Christian brothers and sisters in Christ.  With few exceptions this continued throughout the past 2000 years.

The teachings of Covenant Theology in its three forms:  PostMillennial, Amillennial and PreMillennial, all three versions of Covenant Theology reflect the belief that the Jews as a nation have been replaced at some point in time.  Central to this belief is that there has been, is, and always will be ONLY one people of God.  In other words they believe that the Nation of Israel and the Ekklesia of Christ cannot coexist as separate peoples of God.

Covenant Theologians read the Ekklesia back into the Old Testament into the Nation of Israel.  They believe that the Nation of Israel was a manifestation of the Ekklesia in some form and then when Christ came, the nation of Israel no longer were the people of God.  In essence, they teach that the People of God have always been the Ekklesia, are the Ekklesia and always will be the Ekklesia of Christ.

On the surface this seems plausible, however, under further examination, this proves to be a wrong assumption.

What is the definition of “ekklesia”
The Greek word “ekklesia” which is often translated “church” in the New Testament, means “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into a public place–an assembly or any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously.”¹

In Volume Four of Dr. Norman Geisler’s “Systematic Theology” he states:

“In classical Greek, ekklesia referred to an assembly of any kind, religious or secular, lawful or unlawful.  The Hebrew words qahal and edhal, often translated as ‘ekklesia’ in the Greek Old Testament, meant a gathering or assembly such as Judaism eventually had in the synogague²

The Greek word ekklesia occurs in the following scripture passages:

• The word is used in Acts 19:32,41 of an assembly (ekklesia) of Diana worshippers.
• It is used in Acts 19:39 as a “lawful” assembly (ekklesia) or court which could be gathered to hear the matters against Paul.
• It is used in the above referenced passage (Acts 7:38) by Stephen referring to the assembly (ekklesia) of Israelites in the wilderness, who as a nation (not individually) were the people of God.  (See: The “Church” in the Wilderness)
• In the Septuagint (LXX–Greek translation of the Old Testament) it is used of the Israelites in one big group and sometimes of specific smaller groups.  Throughout the Old Testament there was always a remnant that were truly the people of God while the rest of the nation were not.
• In the LXX it is used in 1 Samuel 19:20 of an ekklesia of prophets.
• In the LXX it is used in Psalm 26:5 for an ekklesia of evil doers
• And finally in the New Testament it is used to refer to a specific ekklesia, The Ekklesia belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Matthew 16:18.

Due to the above, just because the Greek word “ekklesia” is used doesn’t automatically mean it is referring to the Ekklesia of Christ which is a specific ekklesia.

The Ekklesia belonging to Christ
The first mention of Christ’s Ekklesia is a quite famous passage in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus states “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter (a stone), and upon this (large) rock I will build my church (ekklesia); and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

This is a specific ekklesia, Christ’s Ekklesia.  It is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Jesus as the chief cornerstone.  (Ephesians 2:20).  This could not have existed before Christ.  Jesus states–future tense–that He WILL build His Ekklesia.  It is important to note that He also does not say that this would be adding to something that already existed.

According to 1 Corinthians 12:13, this Ekklesia is made up of believers ONLY who are baptized by ONE Spirit into ONE body.

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into ONE body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many.”

As indicated in Ephesians 1:19-23, the resurrection was a prerequisite for the existence of the Ekklesia.  He became the head of the Ekklesia by virtue of His resurrection

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.  Which He wrought in Christ, when he raised Him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly place, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, built also in that which is to come.  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church (Ekklesia), which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”

The modern day division of the Ekklesia
Although understanding our Jewish Roots is a beneficial and even essential, there is a difference between understanding our Jewish Roots and going back(wards) to our Jewish roots.  Understanding our Jewish Roots builds up the church and helps to unify it, but going backwards divides it in two.

Unfortunately, many who began with a love for the Jewish people and both a desire to understand their Jewish Roots and fellowship with Jewish believers gradually move from this scriptural pursuit and begin to adopt nonscriptural doctrines and practices.

As stated earlier, Covenant Theology teaches  that the Ekklesia of Christ has always existed as the People of God.  However now the reverse is being taught by many (not all) messianic groups & organizations, Jewish Roots teachers and Two-House proponents.  Like the Covenant Theologians they teach that there has always only been one “People of God,” however in contrast to Covenant Theology they believe it always has been, is now, and always will be Israel.

The single characteristic common to both Covenant Theologians and many Messianc/Jewish Roots/Two House teachers is that they DO NOT believe that the Ekklesia of Christ is a separately entity.

But as shown earlier, the ekklesia is indeed a separate entity which began after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The resulting situation amounts to the opposite of what occurred in the 2nd century Gentile dominated church, these groups insist that Gentiles need to become like the Jewish Messianic believers, or in the case of Two-House teaching, that Gentile believers actually ARE descendents of Joseph and Ephraim, if not physically, at least in a spiritual sense.

Eventually, many of these believers voluntarily segregate themselves from other believers by  attending Messianic Congregations only, and distancing themselves from anything relating to what is often referred to as the “Gentile Church.”

The majority of believers attending those Messianic congregations are Gentiles with just a small percentage of Jewish believers.  In his book “Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity:  A Loving Call to Unity,” Stan Telchin, a Messianic Jew and retired pastor of 14 years states:

“As reported by almost all who have experienced these (messianic) congregations, the overwhelming majority—sometimes as much as 85 to 90 percent of the attendees—are Gentiles.” ³

In his book, he relates a number of testimonies by people who have attended Messianic Synagogues attended by large numbers of Gentiles.  He states that based upon what he had observed over the years in Messianic congregations, “God’s love and grace are secondary to the emphasis upon Jewishness.”⁴

He also quotes a woman who had attended a Messianic Synagogue for over two years with her Jewish husband who states:  “Week after week I would anguish over the emphasis on Jewishness rather than “Jesusness.” ⁵

Although the Gentiles joining with some Jewish believers can be seen as a step in the right direction these groups still have gone off in an unscriptural direction.   Some of the Gentile believers in these groups feel that to be a Gentile is to be a second class believer.  Many seem to be so enamored by the symbols, customs, celebrations and all that is part of Judaism that they as Gentiles are jealous of the Jews and want to become like them.

Provoke to Jealousy?
In direct contrast, Romans 11:11 states that “Salvation has come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them (the Jews) to jealousy”   Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum explains that the Greek word “parazelao” which is translated “provoke them to jealousy” is a combination of two Greek words “para, meaning “to come alongside of” and “zelos” meaning “to cause to burn, to seethe, to make red hot, to flame, to envy.”

“The picture is that the Gentile Christian is to come alongside a Jew (para) in daily contact and to live such a life and be such a witness that the Jew will begin to burn with red hot envy (zelos) so that he will want the very thing the Gentile Christian has:  The Jewish Messiah.”⁶

The Solution—True Unity
By dividing the body of Christ into two, the Ekklesia has lost spiritual blessings, fellowship with Jewish believers, doctrinal unity and possibly even effectiveness.

In his book “Hebrew Christianity,” Dr. Fruchtenbaum lists a number things Christ’s Ekklesia has lost because of separating the body of Christ in two and should become a part of the Ekklesia once again:

1)  The ability of the Jewish believers to contribute to the growth of the church through the use of his or her spiritual gifts.

2)  The ability to educate the Gentile believers in their obligation to the Jew and Jewish missions.

3)  A Jewish perspective on scriptures. There are many passages of Scripture which are peculiarly Jewish and which only a person with a Jewish background would be able to explain, such as the two cups mentioned in Luke 22:14-20 in connection with the Passover.  His very presence is a witness to the Jewishness of the Christian faith, of the Scriptures, and of the Savior.

4)  The Jew in the church can be the discerner between the teaching and mores in the church that are truly scriptural and those that are not.  He can be the one to distinguish between what is biblical and what is really a product of Gentile culture.

5)  The Jew can stem the tide of anti-Semitism by teaching what God feels about one’s attitude to the Jews and by teaching the church how to receive the Hebrew Christian and be sensitive to his problems as new believers.⁷

Jesus never intended for His body to be divided into two halves.  He defines His desire for true unity in John 17:17 when He prayed “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.”

The Apostle Paul also describes this unity in Ephesians 4:1-13

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation (calling) wherewith ye are called…Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace—

–There is one body
–One Spirit
–One Lord
–One Faith
–One Baptism
–One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all…

And he gave some, apostles, and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.“

Who knows how history may have been changed in the last 2000 years by a united Ekklesia of Jewish and Gentile believers serving Christ as one body, the One New Man energized by the Holy Spirit, equipped with the Word of God and proclaiming the Gospel  to the world.   It’s not too late to start now!
____________________________________

Works Cited

¹“ekklesia.” def 1(c).   BlueLetterBible.org. Web. http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1577&t=KJV

²Geisler, Norman.  Systematic Theology:  Volume Four – Church, Last Things. pg 17.  Minneapolis:  Bethany House. 2005.  Print.

³Telchin, Stan.  Messianic Judaism is not Christianity:  A Loving Call to Unity.  pg 70.  Michigan:  Chosen Books. 2004.  Print.

⁴ibid, pg 84

⁵ibid, pg 85

⁶Fruchtenbaum, Arnold.  Israelology:  The Missing Link in Systematic Theology.  pg 639.  California:  Ariel Ministries. 1989. Print.

⁷Fruchtenbaum, Arnold.  Hebrew Christianity:  It’s Theology, History & Philosophy.  pg. 96.  Texas:  Ariel Ministries. 1983. Print.

GO TO: Kingdom Now? Part I;  Kingdom Now? Part II

As discussed in Part II, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) has been dubbed the “largest religious movement you never heard of,”¹  and David Barret, the author of World Christian Encyclopedia indicates that “Not only is the New Apostolic Reformation the largest of the four non-Catholic megablocks, but significantly, it is the only one of all five megablocks that is growing faster than Islam.”²

Bolstered by the conviction that they have an “urgent mandate from God to actively engage in transforming society,”³  it is not likely that they will just fade away if ignored.

The Great Commission Redefined by the NAR:  The Cultural Mandate to Disciple all “Nations.”

C. Peter Wagner, the founder of the New Apostolic Reformation, and many others involved, think that many Bible scholars through church history have misunderstood the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:”  (KJV)

C. Peter Wagner believes it is not about making disciples of individuals.  It’s about transforming nations and societies from the top down at a national level, through the seven mountains which he refers to as –“seven supreme molders of culture—namely religion, family, government, arts and entertainment, media, business, and education.”⁴

C. Peter Wagner has taken one definition of the English word “nation” that references a social entity including the political system and the territory it occupies, and has ignored the definition of a multitude or group of individuals that make up an ethincity.  Even then, his definition is only viable in English, if the word is taken out of the context of the Matthew passage.

The Greek word ἔθνος  (ethnos), refers to the individual people who make up the nation and is where we get the English word ethnicity.  The Blue Letter Bible gives the primary meanings as “a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together as in a company, troop, or swarm.   A multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus such as the human family.”⁵

So in this passage, “nation” does not refer to a social entity, but the individuals who make up the society.

A better translation of the word “teach” in this passage is “disciple” since the Greek word is actually μαθητεύω  (mathēteuō) which means to “make disciples” by teaching and instructing them.  How would you make a disciple of a nation as a single entity?  Additionally, reading this passage in context, it continues:  “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  How would you baptize a nation?  In context, it is clearly speaking of the individuals that make up a national group.

The International Standard Version (ISV) gives a translation of this scripture passage which is an excellent representation of the actual meaning of the Greek text:

“Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve com­manded you…” (ISV)⁶

Strategic Spiritual Warfare

C. Peter Wagner teaches that there are three levels of spiritual warfare:

1.  Ground level spiritual warfare which is casting out demons from individuals.

2.  Occult level spiritual warfare which is not confronting demons directly, but by dealing with the organized occultic activities that are found in Witchcraft, Voodoo, Wicca, etc.

3.  Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare, which is the highest level dealing with confrontation of territorial principalities that control entire communities, ethnic groups, religions, and nations.⁷

The third level which is Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare is one of the primary tools the NAR employs to achieve their perceived mandate to “disciple all nations” resulting in Social transformation.  They believe that the principalities and powers of darkness often take the form of territorial spirits who are assigned to keep entire geographical areas, social spheres and cultural groups in bondage to evil.⁸

They appear to believe that there are demons for anything and everything.  According to C. Peter Wagner, one such demon that needs to be cast out is “The Spirit of poverty, a demonic agent of Satan, intent on preventing the people from enjoying God-given prosperity.”⁹

C. Peter Wagner believes that since the early 1990s God has been promising a “great transfer of wealth” through his modern day (self-appointed) Apostles and Prophets.  He is convinced that “a significant reason why we have not yet taken any of our cities for God is that we have not had enough money at our disposal.”¹⁰

He believes that the demon called “Mammon” is one of the highest ranking demonic powers to thwart Christians from shifting from poverty to prosperity and that he uses four subordinate demonic spirits in his attempt to entrap believers:  The Spirits of Greed, Covetousness, Parsimony (stinginess) and Self-reliance. (Just to be clear, he isn’t speaking allegorically!)¹¹

As indicated in Part II, this great transfer of wealth is planned to occur when the NAR takes over the “Mountain of Business.”  In turn, this wealth obtained will be used primarily to conquer the “Mountain of Government,” along with the other five mountains.

A Government controlled by the NAR?

C. Peter Wagner believes that the NAR can reach their goals through the Democratic process and he rejects the idea of a theocracy which means “Rule by God.”   His understanding of a theocracy is when the state or government owns and runs the churches such as implemented by Constantine, the Anglican Church and Islam with the belief that those in power are put in place by “God” (whatever the definition) and ruling on his behalf.

He does not mention what he thinks about a “theonomy” as described by the Reconstructionists, which means “God’s Law” as in “the Law of God, or Biblical Law, as codified in the Old Testament should be instituted as the law of the United States and every nation on earth before the return of Christ.”¹²

In addition to rejecting a Theocracy, he also rejects the idea of the “Rule of the Church” or Ecclesiastical rule which would entail a church-run government—in other words, the church would actually be the government.

Instead, C. Peter Wagner believes that “the best form of human government before Jesus returns is not theocracy, but democracy.”¹³

“In a democracy, while there is no established religion, religious people can be elected to office as freely as can non-religious people, and they can also rise to the highest and most influential positions in the other six non-governmental molders of culture.¹⁴  [The previously mentioned seven mountains]

Taking dominion comes about by playing by the rules of the democratic game and, fairly and squarely, gaining the necessary influence in the seven molders of culture to ultimately benefit a nation….¹⁵

The rules of the democratic game opens the doors for Christians, as well as for non-Christians who have Kingdom values, to move into positions of leadership influential enough to shape the whole nation from top to bottom.”¹⁶

The difference between this and the church being the government becomes a matter of semantics, because if the church or any religious organization took control over all the mountains of influence, it would amount to the same thing that he calls the “Rule of the Church” — the U.S. being governed by a church or a religious organization, in this case, the New Apostolic Reformation.

It is interesting that he includes “non-Christians who have Kingdom values.”  It is doubtful that an unregenerated, unbeliever could have “Kingdom” values in the true sense of the word because as 1 Cor. 2:13 states “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”   Not to mention the fact that the Apostle Paul sternly warns against being unequally yoked with unbelievers.”

Could what C. Peter Wagner and the New Apostolic Reformation are describing be considered making (or some would say remaking) the U.S. a Christian Nation?

What is the definition of a “Christian” Nation?

The assertion that the U.S. was founded as a “Christian” nation has been proclaimed for many years.   But what is the definition of a Christian nation, and do we really want the U.S. or any country in the world to be a so-called “Christian” Nation?   Whose version of a “Christian” nation would we choose?

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ who believes that God came in the flesh, died for our sins, and rose again on the third day–a new creation, a child of God.   A nation cannot actually be a “Christian” in the scriptural sense.  It is the individuals that make up a nation that are Christian.

If you ask a Roman Catholic, what would their definition of a “Christian” nation be?  If you ask a Southern Baptist, what would their definition of a “Christian” nation be?  If you asked a Lutheran, a Quaker, or someone from any specific denomination, would you get the same definition?

If you asked a Reconstructionist, you would get a very specific definition of a “Christian” nation.  A nation ruled solely by the Mosaic Law, including Capital Punishment for Homosexuality, Adultery, and possibly even Sabbath breaking among a host of others.

What is the New Apostolic Reformation’s  definition of a “Christian” nation?  It is the Christians and Non-Christians with Kingdom values controlling the seven mountains of influence to mold the society into their version of God’s Kingdom on earth.  Once they have control over these mountains, their self-appointed, mutually affirmed Apostles and prophets will have authority over the rest of believers as the primary church government and their word will be taken as the Word of God.

Whose version of a “Christian” nation do we really want?  Do we really want someone’s or some religious organization’s version of a Christian nation?

The true Kingdom of God, the Kingdom from Heaven, the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, and the yet future Millennial kingdom where the Messiah himself will rule with a rod of iron over the entire world, will be inaugurated by the 2nd Coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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¹Berkowitz, Bill. 01 March 2010 Web. 8 October 2010  http://www.alternet.org/

²Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 23-24.  Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print.

³Ibid.  Pg 11

⁴Ibid.  Pg 12

⁵“Ethnos”  def. 1-2.  Blue Letter Bible.  Web.  7 November 2010
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1484&t=KJV

⁶Giacumakis, George and William P. Welty.  Editors. The International Standard Version.  10 Oct. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. http://www.isv.org/index.htm

⁷Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 126-127.   Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print

⁸Ibid.  Pg 127

⁹Ibid.  Pg. 185

¹⁰Ibid. Pg. 181

¹¹Ibid.  Pg.  190

¹²House, H. Wayne and Thomas Ice.  Dominion Theology:  Blessing or Curse?  An Analysis of Christian Reconstructionism. Pg 27. Oregon: Multnomah Press, 1985.  Print.

1¹³Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 14.   Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print

¹⁴Ibid. Pg. 15

¹⁵Ibid. Pg. 18

¹⁶Ibid. Pg. 15

GO TO: Kingdom Now? Part I

As discussed in Part I, although the Kingdom of God clearly has a present and continuing spiritual aspect, scripture still consistently describes a future kingdom on Earth which will be inaugurated by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

This Dispensational, Pre-millennial belief is that the Millennium will be inaugurated at the 2nd Coming of Christ, and that He will set up the Kingdom and reign for an actual duration of 1,000 years.  (Rev. 20:2-7)

In direct contrast, Post-Millennialists believe the Kingdom of God must be built by believers, and that Jesus cannot come until the Kingdom has been firmly established by the end of the Millennial period.  The Millennial period started with the first coming of Jesus.  It will possibly have an indefinite period of time near the end where there will be a kind of utopia here on Earth, which will culminate in the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ.

Foundational to Post-Millennial, Dominion Theology is the belief that the mandate given before the Fall by God in Genesis 1:28, which commanded Adam and Eve to subdue the Earth and have dominion, became operative again after the first coming of Jesus Christ, and that “the urgent mandate of God for the Church is to actively engage in transforming society.”¹

Brief History of the Post-Millennial/Dominionist view

There isn’t much support for the post-millennial view until the dawn of modern Reformed theology.  The early supporters of this view are A. A. Hodge (1823-1886); B.B. Warfield (1851-1921), A. H. Strong (Baptist, 1836-1921), and Loraine Boettner (1932-2000).²

The primary modern foundation for postmillennialism is the Reconstructionist Movement  begun by R. J. Rushdooney (1916-2001).   In the 1980’s, H. Wayne House and Thomas Ice wrote a book refuting much of the Reconstructionist teachings entitled “Dominion Theology:  Blessing or Curse?  An Analysis of Christian Reconstructionism.”  This book comprehensively discussed the Reconstructionist Movement.

In the Preface, Thomas Ice states:

“After fourteen years of study it is my belief that there is not one passage anywhere in Scripture that would lead to the postmillennial system…I believe they have an agenda, such as politics or social reform…Most are attracted to dominion theology through the back door, rather than through the front door of Biblical study.  They are arriving at these views not from the study of Scripture, but by the romantic attraction of changing the world.  We must let Scripture set the agenda.”³

This is true of a number of subsequent groups which have come up with their own version of Kingdom Now, or Dominion Theology–The Latter Rain in the 1940s, the Manifest Sons of God (basically a spin off from the Latter Rain), and Shepherding in the late 1960’s/early 1970s. But the most recent is significantly eclipsing all of them by the sheer numbers of adherents and concentrated social and political action—The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).

The New Apostolic Reformation

Dubbed the “largest religious movement you never heard of,”⁴ the New Apostolic Reformation is a name coined in the 1990’s by C. Peter Wagner who believes we are in the Second Apostolic Age that began in 2001.  This was preceded by the 1970s when the body of Christ began recognizing the gift and office of intercessor,  and in the 1980s began to affirm the office of the Prophet.  Then finally Mr. Wagner states:

“The decade of the 1990s saw a beginning recognition of the gift and office of apostle in today’s Church.  True, many Christian leaders do not as yet believe that we now have legitimate apostles on the level of Peter or Paul or John, but a critical mass of the Church agrees that apostles are actually here.  For example, at this writing, the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA), over which I currently preside, includes over five hundred members who mutually recognize and affirm each other as legitimate apostles.”⁵

(We will have to take C. Peter Wagner’s word for it that the ICA includes over five hundred members, because at this time, you have to become a member to see who the other members are.)⁶

In scripture, the foundational apostles had to fit specific criteria as described in Acts 1:21-22.  Nowhere in scripture does it allow for self-appointed foundational Apostles.  Affirmation by other people does not make it true.  In a sense, those who are “sent out” as missionaries could be called apostles, since that is the basic meaning of the Greek word ἀπόστολος (apostolos), however, these are claiming to be foundational apostles at the level and authority of Peter, Paul or John.

The Seven Mountains of Influence

The NAR focuses on the spheres of influence which some in their movement call the Seven Mountains, or as C. Peter Wagner calls them “seven supreme molders of culture—namely religion, family, government, arts and entertainment, media, business, and education.”⁷

It may seem like a pretty impossible task that the NAR could reach their goal of taking over the seven mountains.   However, they believe that if they succeed in first taking the Mountain of Business, which controls the money, the finances will become available to topple the other six.

“As long as the business mountain is held by enemies of the gospel, funding for the other mountains will always be constrained, and any efforts to advance the Kingdom of God will be hindered.  Imagine God’s people reclaiming their cities and government, in the arts and entertainment, in the media and education, in the family, in religious influence, but only limited by their imagination, and not by a lack of finances.  It’s possible, but first we must take back the mountain of business.  God’s move to take this mountain back has already begun.”⁸

As another leader in the NAR, Lance Wallnau, indicates, it wouldn’t take a majority to control these seven mountains and states: “It only takes 3-5% of a population to form a tipping point that creates a culture, because the minority occupying the high places are stronger than a majority that are irrelevant.”⁹

C. Peter Wagner points out that the NAR is by no means a minority in the five megablocks of Religion:

“David Barrett, one of our most respected researchers and author of the massive World Christian Encyclopedia, has divided world Christianity into five ‘megablocks.’  The largest is Roman Catholicism, with over one billion members.  However, of the four non-Catholic megablocks, the New Apostolic Reformation (which Barrett calls Neo-Apostolic, Independent or Postdenominational) is the largest, with over 432 million adherents, compared to smaller numbers for the Protestant/Evangelical, Orthodox and Anglican megablocks.  These Neo-Apostolics comprised only 3 percent of non-Catholic Christianity in 1900, but they are projected to include almost 50 percent by 2025…

…Not only is the New Apostolic Reformation the largest of the four non-Catholic megablocks, but significantly, it is the only one of all five megablocks that is growing faster than Islam.”¹⁰

If this is true, the New Apostolic Reformation appears to be a force to be reckoned with and should not be ignored.

Could it be, that while our eyes have been focused on Islam, worrying about their influence, we could be ignoring a much greater threat–a relatively large minority in control of the United States and other countries, enforcing their man-made version of the Kingdom of God?  We’ll explore that issue in Part III.

GO TO PART III: Kingdom Now? Part III
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¹Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 11.   Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print.

²Geisler, Norman.  Systematic Theology:  Volume Four – Church, Last Things. pg 551.  Minneapolis:  Bethany House. 2005.  Print.

³House, H. Wayne and Thomas Ice.  Dominion Theology:  Blessing or Curse?  An Analysis of Christian Reconstructionism. pg 9. Oregon: Multnomah Press, 1985.  Print.

⁴Berkowitz, Bill. 01 March 2010 Web. 8 October 2010  http://www.alternet.org/

⁵Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 26.  Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print.

⁶ International Coalition of Apostles. Web. 10 October 2010  http://www.coalitionofapostles.com/

⁷Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 12.  Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print.

⁸ “7 Mountains of Culture.” youtube.com Web.  10 October 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xges7mFi6iY&feature=related

⁹ Wallnau, Lance. “Seven Mountains” Youtube.com. Web. 9 October 2010   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwjBei4-HU4&feature=related

¹⁰Wagner, C. Peter. Dominion!  How Kingdom Action Can Change the Word.  pg 23.  Michigan:  Chosen Books, 2008.  Print.

Although the Kingdom of God clearly has a present and continuing spiritual aspect, scripture is still abundantly clear that there will be a future literal kingdom on Earth.  The Dispensational, pre-millennial view is that the Millennium (sometimes referred to as the Messianic Kingdom) will be inaugurated by the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ will rule this Kingdom with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15); It will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4); and it will fulfill the Davidic Covenant, an unconditional covenant which is  dependent only on God’s word and faithfulness, nothing else.

The Davidic Covenant

The Davidic Covenant was promised by God through Samuel in 2 Samuel  7:8-16 “…And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.”  The same event is also recounted in 1 Chronicles 17:2-15.

The land covenant is also fulfilled in the Millennium  where Israel will be given the entire land of Canaan, not just the small portion they have now. “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession: and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:7

God’s promise to David is confirmed in Psalm 132:11 where He states: “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.”

This is of course speaking of the Messiah, who was to descend from David. Jesus is now sitting at the right-hand of the Father, but God has promised that he will sit on the throne of David.

God confirmed his covenant with David a second time in Psalm 89:3,4 “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations.”

In Luke 1:32,33, which is frequently quoted on Christmas cards, the promises of the Davidic Covenant are again confirmed: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Jesus did not fulfill this promise at His first coming, but he will at His second Coming.  This is not speaking of “reigning in our hearts” as some would argue. This is speaking of the Messiah reigning on a literal throne, in a literal kingdom on earth.

A Future Kingdom indicated

A number of passages in the New Testament allude to a future earthly kingdom either directly or indirectly:

In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells the disciples the parable of the Nobleman who went on a journey because “they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.”

In Matthew 20:20-23, the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus to  have her two sons sit on his right and on his left in the kingdom.   Jesus didn’t deny that there would be a future kingdom where this could literally occur, but he did tell her that it wasn’t up to the Son, but the Father, as to who would occupy those positions.

In Matthew 8:11 Jesus tells the Pharisees  “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”

In Luke 22:30, Jesus told the twelve disciples “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

At the Lord’s Supper,  Jesus said,”Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14:25

In Acts 1:7, the disciples asked Jesus “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”  Jesus didn’t tell them that there wouldn’t be a future kingdom, but that “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

The PostMillennial View

A diametrically opposing view to Dispensational Premillenialism is Covenant Theology Postmillenialism which teaches that the millennium isn’t a literal 1,000 years, but a long period of time that began with Christ’s first coming, and ends with Christ’s second coming.  A variation of this, is that late in the end of this aforementioned period of time is a golden age which would be more specifically referred to as the millennial period.

The term Postmillenial means that the 2nd coming of Christ doesn’t inaugurate or begin the millennial period as in Premilleniallism, but that the second coming occurs AFTER the millennial period.

This millennial golden age is believe to be, instead, inaugurated by the Church as the Church gradually takes over more and more of all areas of influential areas of society which includes religion, family, arts and entertainment, education, government, media, and business.

One of the most influential modern postmillenialistsis is R. J. Rushdooney (1916-2001) who started the Reconstructionist Movement .  Rushdoony’s basic view is that “the Church will conquer the world with the gospel ‘from pole to pole’; that will result in ‘a long and glorious reign of peace’ during which time the government of the world will be ruled by the law of God and, after all this, Christ will return.”¹

Rushdoony gives a course of action for the church to accomplish this in a seven point program:²

1.  The family must be strengthened in its religious and economic life.

2.  The Church is the “Family of God” this means that “the Church should minister to the spiritual and material hunger and thirst” of all of Christ’s people.³

3.  Christian schools, colleges, institutes, and training centers need to be established in place of the “godless education” which Rushdoony sees as the “mark of apostasy.”

4.  Political activism towards making the state again a Christian state, whose actions conform to the law of God.

5.  Create professional organizations  for Christian doctors, lawyers, and other professionals to “further a theologically sound view of their profession.  This will also mean Christian hospitals, rest homes, old folks’ homes for those without families, and much, much more.”⁴

6.  Study every kind of calling from the perspective of Biblical faith and law.

7.  “The sciences are to be seen, as everything else, as an areas of calling in which knowledge and dominion under God must be furthered.”⁵

Postmillennialism  believes it is a moral imperative to make an aggressive move to takeover any and all areas of private and public life for the Kingdom of God’s sake.  It’s view that moral and spiritual progress is inevitable between Christ’s first and second comings where the world will become more and more “Christianzed” flies in the face of the many scriptures regarding apostasy before Christ returns such as   Matthew 24:3-14; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and Luke 18:8 where Jesus exclaims “Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”⁶

As we look at the world around us, it appears that world is plummeting down the road of apostasy, not toward a Christian utopia run primarily by the Church, and based on the Law of God.  Perhaps that is why there has been a relatively recent surge of aggressive Postmillennialism to attempt to turn it around, not being discouraged by the apparent downward trend, but actually energized by it.

GO TO PART II:  Kingdom Now? Part II
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¹ Fruchtenbaum, Arnold.  Israelology:  The Missing Link in Systematic Theology.  pg 22.  California:  Ariel Ministries. 1989. Print.

² Ibid.  pg 23-24

³ Ibid.  pg 23

⁴ Ibid. pg 24

⁵ Ibid. pg 24

⁶ Geisler, Norman.  Systematic Theology:  Volume Four – Church, Last Things. pg 551.  Minneapolis:  Bethany House. 2005.  Print.

It is possible that you are a dispensationalist and don’t know it.  If you’re like me, I’ve been taught the essentials of dispensationalism all my life without knowing exactly what the term itself meant. Hopefully, by the end of this discussion you will have a better understanding of Dispensationalism, and you may be able to determine if you are a dispensationalist.

What is a Dispensation?

The central idea of the word dispensation is that of managing or administering the affairs of a household.¹  A dispensation is NOT a time period.  If things stayed the same and never changed, it would never have been associated with a time period.  However, since throughout time, circumstances have changed, and therefore, God’s instructions have changed, so then a particular dispensation becomes associated with a particular period of time.

The number of dispensations and how they are divided up varies, but a common division is as follows:

1. The dispensation of Innocence.  A dispensation that was in effect from the creation to the Fall.

2. The dispensation of Conscience. A dispensation that was in effect from the Fall until Noah.

3. The dispensation of Civil Government.  A dispensation that was in effect from Noah until Abraham.

4.  The dispensation of Promise or Patriarchal Rule.  A dispensation that was in effect from Abraham until the giving of the Law.

5.  The dispensation of the Mosaic Law.  A dispensation that was in effect from the giving of the Law until the 1st coming of Christ.

6.  The dispensation of Grace.  A dispensation that was in effect from the 1st coming of Christ to the 2nd Coming of Christ.

7.  The dispensation of the Millennium.  A dispensation that will be in effect from the 2nd Coming of Christ until the beginning of the Eternal Order at the end of the 1,000 years.

Some dispensations can be divided up into smaller dispensations, and they can be given different names.  However, one thing is clear, there are dispensations and they are governed by different  overarching themes.

The Matter of Carryovers

There is also the matter of “Carryovers” during the transition from one dispensation to another.  Each dispensation commonly includes:

Certain ordinances that were valid and continue to be valid in the new dispensation.  A good example is the command to not eat blood first given to Noah (Genesis 9:4), then to Moses (Leviticus 3:17) and was even carried over into the so-called dispensation of Grace at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29).

Other regulations that were valid until then are annulled and do not continue into the new dispensation.  An example of this is the freedom to eat any meat, which is actually a reversal back to a previous dispensation where God commanded Noah to eat “every moving thing that liveth” (Genesis 9:3).

New principles not valid before are introduced in the new dispensation.  The Mosaic Law is a dramatic illustration of this.  A large portion of the Law introduced new principles.

Promises given in one dispensation are carried over and fulfilled in another dispensation.  Many of the promises to the nation of Israel, to Abraham and to David are yet to be fulfilled, but will be fulfilled during the Millennium.

Some things instituted in one dispensation may be elaborated or modified in a later dispensation. An excellent example of this is the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus takes the written laws one step further–not only is it wrong to murder, but if you hate, you have already committed murder in your heart.

In summary:  “Dispensationalism views the world as a household run by God.  In His household-world God is dispensing or administering its affairs according to His own will and in various stage of revelation in the passage of time.  These various stages mark off the distinguishably different economies in the outworking of His total purpose, and these different economies constitute the dispensation.  The understanding of God’s differing economies is essential to a proper interpretation of His revelation within those various economies.”²

The Sine Qua Non of Normative/Classical Dispensationalism

According to Dr. Charles Ryrie, there are three Sine Qua Non aspects of Dispensationalism–which means they are aspects that are absolutely indispensable or essential to Dispensationalism.  These are characteristics of what is considered Normative or Classical Dispensationalism.

1.  The consistent literal or plain interpretation of scripture based on the plenary (inerrant) inspiration of the scriptures using a Historical-Grammatical method of interpretation.  The term “literal” is sometimes ironically taken too literally and then made fun of–you don’t really believe God has feathers do you?  (Psalm 91:4).  A better term would be understanding scripture in the plain or normal meaning as opposed to allegorizing it.  This is taking God’s word at face value—God says what He means, and means what He says!

A literal interpretation of scripture isn’t solely the domain of Dispensationalism, others non-dispensationalist including Covenant Theologians take a large amount of the scripture literally or plainly, but it is the consistent use of a literal hermeneutic that defines Dispensationalism.  Not just for historical and doctrinal passages, but for prophetic passages as well.  Covenant Theologians allegorize most of prophetic scripture and the promises of the unconditional covenants, especially if it relates to the nation of Israel.

2.  The distinctness of Israel and the Church (the Ekklesia of Christ) grows out of a consistent, literal hermeneutic.   The church is a separate entity (separate from the nation of Israel) and is made up of Jewish and Gentile believers only.

God has separate purposes, and separate destinies for Israel and the Church.  A consistent literal or plain understanding of scripture makes these distinctions.

3.  The underlying purpose of God in the world—the glory of God.  Although salvation is a primary theme of God’s purpose in the world which brings glory to Him, it isn’t the sole purpose of God in the world.  It is only one of many.

In summary:  “The essence of dispensationalism, then, is the distinction between Israel and the church.  This grows out of the dispensationalist’s consistent employment of normal or plain or historical-grammatical interpretation, and it reflects an understanding of the basic purpose of God in all His dealings with mankind as that of glorifying Himself through salvation and other purposes as well.”³

Additional Defining Characteristics

Another defining characteristics of Dispensationalism is the literal fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament covenants and prophecy.

Taking these at face value using a literal interpretation leads naturally to the literal fulfillment of the promises given in these covenants.  Many of the promises included in these covenants are yet to be fulfilled and are part of Eschatology–end time prophecy that has not occurred as yet.

The 1,000 year reign of Christ in the Millennium will be the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.    Everything that God promised to Abraham, to David and to Israel through the prophets will be fulfilled during the Millennial period.

Taking prophecy at face value leads naturally to a literal 1,000 year period where the Messiah will come to earth, set up His kingdom and rule with a rod of iron from the throne of David.  This is a pre-millennialism.

The pre-tribulation Rapture is part of the normative dispensational eschatology although it isn’t essential to being a Dispensationalist.   It is derived from a literal interpretation of scripture and is based on the distinction between Israel and the Church and the teaching regarding the immanency of the return of the Lord.

Dispensationalist checklist:

Are you a Dispensationalist?  If you completely agree with the first item on the checklist below, you are a dispensationalist, because everything that follows flows naturally from a consistent, literal, plain and normal interpretation of scripture.

I agree with the three “Sine Qua Non” of Normative/Classical Dispensationalism:

__ I use a consistent, literal, face value method of interpretation and understanding the entire Word of God including prophecy.   In other words—“God says what He means, and means what He says” so I can take what He says at face value.

__ I believe there is a distinction between the Nation of Israel and the Church (The Ekklesia of Christ)

__ I believe the underlying purpose of everything is for the Glory of God.

I also agree with most or all of the following:

__ The Premillennial view of the 2nd Coming of Christ which inaugurates the 1,000 year literal reign of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) with a rod of iron on the throne of David.

__The literal fulfillment of prophecy including Eschatology (the fulfillment of prophecies in the end times)

__The literal fulfillment of the promises in the covenants to the Nation of Israel

__ The Pre-trib rapture of the body of Christ

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¹ Ryrie, Charles C. Dispensationalism.  Pg 30.  2nd Ed. Chicago:  Moody Publishers, 2007.  Print
² Ibid, pg 34-35
³ Ibid, pg 48

In a previous article entitled “Whatever Happened to the New Age, Part I,”  I showed that many famous New (Age) Spirituality writers claim to receive their inspiration or works directly from Spirit Guides:

• Alice Bailey, occultist and New Age Matriarch, who some credit with coining the phrase “New Age,” and of which the New (Age) Spirituality leaders reference quite often, had a spirit guide called Djwhal Khul (DJ).
• Helen Schuchman transcribed “A Course in Miracles” as dictated by her Spirit Guide–an inner voice which identified itself as “Jesus.
• Barbara Marx Hubbard transcribed her book “The Revelation:  A Message of Hope for the New Millennium” from her Spirit Guide–an inner voice which identified itself as “Christ.”
• Neale Donald Walsch wrote an angry letter to God and was amazed when “God” immediately answered his letter by speaking to him through an inner voice which resulted in his book “Conversations with God.”
• Ester Hicks bases her best selling books on translations of thought she claims she channels from a group of non-physical entities called “Abraham.”
• David Spangler wrote many New Age books including “The Birth of a New Age” which he said was a compilation of channeled transmission he received from his disembodied spirit guide “John.”
• Bernie Segal, an author and leader in the New (Age) Spirituality, claims to have a spirit guide named “George” whom he met the very first time he meditated.

Spirit Guides, which in scripture are described as “familiar Spirits,” are a common factor in New (Age) Spirituality practices.  Many times these Spirit Guides are acquired through Mystical Meditation either purposely, or unexpectedly.  Communication or the use of familiar Spirits is forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:10-11 “Therefore shall not be found among you any one … (who is) a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard…”

• Consulter of familiar spirits – communicator with fallen angels or demonic entities in the spirit world.
• Wizard – one who has supernatural knowledge which is attained through communication with familiar Spirits, a “knower.”

Familiar Spirits are simply demonic entities which commonly  manifest themselves as “angels of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) and are believed to be beneficial and benevolent by those involved with them.

Another method of acquiring Spirit Guides is through another New (Age) Spirituality practice—Reiki (pronounced Ray-key) a form of energy healing.  It incorporates the assistance of Spirit Guides, whether the practitioners choose to acknowledge them or not.

One Reiki practitioner was a Reiki Master before he finally discovered that he had Reiki guides.   He first met one of them through a meditation session.  He then created a meditation specifically designed for each Reiki practitioner to find and communicate with the Spirit Guides assisting them in the Reiki sessions:  “In all my Reiki courses, I offer a simple meditation for students to meet their Reiki guide. I am pleased to say that nowadays most do.”¹

Although the most frequent definition given of the word “Reiki” is “Universal Life force,”  Reiki practitioners give a variety of explanations:

When seeking a definition from a more spiritual context, we find that Rei can be defined as the Higher Intelligence that guides the creation and functioning of the universe…Ki is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. Ki is flowing in everything that is alive including plants, animals and humans.²

In Japan, the word Reiki is not commonly associated with Dr. Usui’s healing system at all, but is simply a generic word that refers to the occult, to healing, or to things relating to spirit.³ [Emphasis mine]

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy.”  So Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.”⁴

The last definition is from Reiki.org, a website called “The International Center for Reiki Training.”  In another section called “Developing Your Reiki Practice” it states:

“…There are higher sources of help you can call on. Angels, beings of light and Reiki spirit guides as well as your own enlightened self are available to help you. They can help you develop your Reiki practice by directing clients to you and assisting with treatments…⁵

Origins of Reiki

According to an online medical-dictionary:

“Reiki was developed in the mid-1800s by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese scholar of religion. According to the story that has been passed down among reiki teachers, Usui was a Christian who was intrigued by the idea that Christ could heal sick people by touching them with his hands. Searching for clues that would explain the secrets of healing with hands, Usui made a long pilgrimage around the world, visiting many ancient religious sects and studying ancient books. Some reiki teachers claim that Usui found clues leading back nearly 10,000 years to healing arts that originated in ancient Tibet. During his intense studies, Usui claimed he had a spiritual experience, which enabled him to heal with his own hands by becoming aware of and tapping into the universal life force.”⁶

When Dr Mikaeo Usui died, his power was transferred to one of his students.  Many Reiki Masters are able to trace their Reiki “lineage” back through the various masters to Dr. Mikao Usui himself.

What is a Reiki Treatment?

A Reiki treatment is usually performed by the practitioner holding his or her hands a few inches above different areas of the body, holding each position until they sense it is time to move to the next position.  The traditional Reiki hand positions (especially in the West) cover all the important major chakras and many acupuncture points.   Chakras are part of the eastern religions such as Hinduism and addressed in Yoga and Mystical Meditation.⁷

During a Reiki treatment some feel as if there are more hands on them then just the practitioners hands or sometimes feel that the practitioners hands are over a different area of the body than they actually are. This common occurrence is called “Phantom hands.”

There are four Reiki symbols used by many Reiki practitioners and one of them is used to perform Reiki treatments over long distances.

“This symbol broadly means, having no past, no present and no future. Another way of interpreting this symbol is saying, “The Buddha in me contacts the Buddha in you”. The Reiki distance-healing symbol is used to send Reiki energy from one place to another. The Reiki practitioner is in a particular place and from there he sends the Reiki energy to another place. When you use the Reiki distance-healing symbol time and distance have no meaning. Most Reiki practitioners believe that the distance-healing symbol is the most helpful and powerful symbol of Reiki. Using the symbol gives the practitioner access to the life records or “Akashic Records”, of a person…⁸

The attention to Chakras, the involvement of Spirit Guides, New (Age) Spirituality practices, Mystical meditation and many Eastern religion practices all add up to something a believer should not be involved in.

Reiki for Christians??

The term “laying on of hands” is used to describe Reiki and also another energy healing technique called Therapeutic Touch.  Many, including Dr. Usui who founded Reiki, have the belief that energy healing is what Jesus used to heal people and is the same thing as having the “Gift of Healing” spoken of in scripture.⁹

But the power of God resides in God Himself, His power does not exist separate from Himself so that everyone can somehow tap into it and use the same power.  Jesus had the power to heal (just as he was able to forgive sins) because He was and IS God.

The Gifts of the Spirit are given and operated through the power of the Holy Spirit.  There are no instructions whatsoever that indicate the Gift of Healing can be transferred from one person to another or that it requires a number of different hand positions to balance life energies.  It is given to specific believers by the Holy Spirit.

A Nitrous Oxide Boost to Reiki

On January 9, 2010, Dr. Mehmet Oz told 2 million viewers to “try Reiki.”  Dr. Oz’s wife, Lisa, is a Reiki Master who called Reiki “my favorite treatment that could change the future of medicine forever.”¹⁰

Regarding this TV program, one Reiki website, The Reiki Digest” stated:

“As word spread via the Internet across the global Reiki community, web traffic here at The Reiki Digest increased tenfold, and hundreds of new readers subscribed to our email edition. To accommodate the many inquiries coming in from people seeking Reiki treatments, training, or more information, we set up a free referral service to help clients and students find qualified practitioners.”¹⁰

Dr. Oz is one of three doctors chosen (the other two are Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman) to give health advice to the thousands of Christians who are or will be participating in the Daniel Plan, a year-long program to lose weight and to get healthy that was kicked off in January 2011.

Undoubtedly, these doctors have a lot of excellent medical advice, however, interspersed with all of the good advice are New (Age) Spirituality techniques such as Yoga, meditation, and energy healing (Reiki)

In the first interview of Dr. Amen for the Daniel Plan, he stated “There is a meditation exercise from Harvard–It’s not religious at all, it’s called the ‘relaxation response.’  Take a big breath, blow it out.  Every time you breath out, say the word ‘one.’  Do it for 10 minutes, you’ve got all these thoughts coming into your head.  Imagine a big broom–sweep them away.”

The instructions given are the exact ones given for any form of Mystical Meditation–Relaxing, slow methodical breathing, repeating a single word over and over again (it doesn’t matter what word you choose), doing this for at least 10 minutes a day, and clearing your mind of all thoughts.  You’ll find these basic instructions for any form of Mystical Meditation you hear about including Contemplative Prayer.

Thousands of Christians are and will become involved in the Daniel Plan and trust these three doctors to help them.  The fact that no warning was given as to the dangers of mystical meditation in this first interview with Dr. Amen is disconcerting and may indicate the acceptance of other New (Age) Spirituality practices such as Reiki later on.

The mystical practices have already entered the church through other avenues, but the influence of the Daniel Plan if not handled properly, has the potential of opening up a floodgate.

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¹http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Do-Reiki-Healers-Channel–reiki-Guides–/177437
²http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/whatislg.html
³http://lightworkers.org/blog/48134/reiki-a-woking-definition
⁴http://www.reiki.org/FAQ/WhatIsReiki.html
⁵http://www.reiki.org/reikipractice/practicehomepage.html
⁶http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/reiki
⁷http://www.reiki.nu/treatment/chakra/chakra.html
⁸http://www.indobase.com/reiki/info-for-practioners/reiki-symbols.html
⁹http://www.christianreiki.org/
¹⁰http://reikidigest.blogspot.com/2010/01/try-reiki-dr-oz-tells-millions-on-tv.html

As discussed in Part 1 of this series, the New (Age) Spirituality which is “paganism (the occult) in modern dress” continued to grow through the 1990’s and has became even more prominent during the first decade of the 21st century.  It currently can be found in the work place, hospitals, public schools, prisons, on television, in bookstores, and as we will be discussing, it has been welcomed by the church with open arms!

In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul took it for granted that the people of Corinth were not ignorant of Satan’s devices. Sadly that can’t be said of many believers today.  The discernment skills of many believers are either very weak or nonexistent.  The combination of a profound Biblical illiteracy and lack of a literal hermeneutic, i.e. “God says what He means and means what He says,” has left the church wide open for New (Age) Spirituality deception.

Spiritual Discernment and the Mature Believer

Both Hebrews 5:14 and Ephesians 4:14 describe the discernment skills characteristic of a mature believer.  Specifically, Hebrews 5:14 describes a mature believer as one who through practice has exercised vigorously their faculty of the mind for perceiving, understanding, and judging to discern both good and evil—truth and lie.

Although there is a specific gift of the Spirit given to some called “discerning of Spirits,” as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:10, the discernment skills referenced by both Hebrews 5:14 and Ephesians 4:13, 14, are characteristic of ALL mature believers.

Jesus declares in John 17:11, “Thy Word is Truth.”  Mature believers use objective reasoning skills to compare unfamiliar or new teachings and practices with the Truth of God’s Word to prove all things.  The word “prove” as used in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 means:  to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), to recognize as genuine after examination.

As mature believers, let’s examine some of the main forms of New (Age) Spirituality which have crept into the church.

“Christian” Yoga?

Mystical Meditation is the foundation of New (Age) Spirituality and has entered the Church in two main forms.  The most transparent of which is called “Christian” Yoga.   The word “yoga” comes from the Hindu Sanskrit root “yuj,” which means “to join” or “to yoke.”  The question then comes to mind, what is the practitioner joining with?

“Traditionally, yoga is a method joining the individual self with the Divine, Universal Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness. Physical and mental exercises are designed to help achieve this goal, also called self-transcendence or enlightenment.”¹

This “joining” is becoming one with the divine and becoming enlightened to the fact that you ARE divine–self-realization.  All creation is God (Pantheism) and God is in all creation (Panentheism)—God is everywhere and is IN everyone.

Some supporters and promoters of “Christian” Yoga claim they only use the physical exercises (as in the Hatha form of Yoga).  Their intentions are to worship God not the Hindu gods so they have no problem with “Christian” Yoga.

However, Hatha Yoga concentrates on the Yoga positions called Asanas.  In Hinduism everything is god.  Each position is representative of a different being of creation.   Hinduism teaches that the creative force that runs through all creation is called Kundalini.

The Sanskrit word Kundalini means the curled one, and is referenced as Kundalini awakening or the awakening of the serpent power (Kundalini Shakti).

Jean Lim, author/speaker and expert on the supernatural states:

“Yoga is actually a form of spiritual exercise, and those who practice Yoga will be filled with the spirit of Yoga, which is the spirit of the serpent…I don’t think we can separate Yoga, the practice of Yoga, from the spiritual into just a form of exercise, because every form of the Yoga movement derives from the serpent and there is a root behind it, so when a person practices Yoga, they actually are inherently bowing down to the god of the serpent.²

God commands His people to not bow down or worship any other god in Exodus 34:14.  The Israelites are warned in Joshua 23:7 that when “ye come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear [by them], neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them”

“Christian” Yoga is as incongruous as “Christian” Ouija.  Intent doesn’t matter.  You wouldn’t use Yoga to worship the true God anymore than you would use an Ouija board to speak to Jesus Christ.  Both are an entry point into the spirit world that opens the door to spiritual deception.

There are many Believers who understand this concept and do not have anything to do with Yoga.  However, they may have fallen for something even more deceptive.

Centering / Contemplative Prayer

The terms Centering Prayer and Contemplative Prayer are becoming well known in Christian circles.  For the most part, these terms have been used interchangeably.  However, Centering Prayer appears to be the methodology which creates the “spiritual” environment for Contemplative Prayer which is defined as contemplating God with the soul, NOT with your mind or rational thought.

Centering Prayer/Contemplative Prayer was brought into the Roman Catholic Church in 1977 by three trappist monks:  (Abbot) Thomas Keating, William Meninger, Basil Pennington.  This was in response to Vatican Council II’s call for “the revitalization of the path of contemplative prayer”

These three joined with ecumenically oriented Catholic theologians, an Eastern Zen master who offered retreats on Buddhist meditation and a former trappist monk who taught transcendental meditation.  Together they created “centering prayer.”

In the forward to the book Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality by Philip S. Romain, Thomas Keating (the most famous of the three trappist monks) wrote:

“Reading the Christian mystics from the perspective of his [Philip St. Romain] own experience of kundalini energy, the author sees many examples of its working in the lives of Christian saints and mystics. Since this energy is also at work today in numerous persons who are devoting themselves to contemplative prayer, this book is an important contribution to the renewal of the Christian contemplative tradition. It will be of great consolation to those who have experienced physical symptoms arising from the awakening of kundalini in the course of their spiritual journey, even if they have not experienced it to the fullest extent described by the author. His [Philip St. Romain] compelling testimony is a powerful affirmation of the potential of every human being for higher states of consciousness.”³

Read the Full Text of Forward

Although its proponents will argue against it, Centering/Contemplative Prayer IS most definitely a form of Eastern Meditation, i.e. Mystical Meditation.  Below is a comparison between what is taught by the New (Age) Spirituality and the method of meditation that is taught for Centering/Contemplative Prayer:

As you probably noticed, the steps taken are identical.  Both use the same method to induce an altered state of consciousness – void of thought, just contemplating spiritual truth in an experiential fashion and accepting it as truth without discernment.  This is a spiritually dangerous condition.  The door to the spiritual realm of intense experience becomes the basis for truth instead of the Word of God.

Be Not Deceived

Each Believer has the ultimate responsibility to use his/her discernment skills and not be deceived.  However, the shepherds of the flock such as Pastors, Bible teachers and Christian leaders also bear responsibility for teaching the whole counsel of God and warning of false doctrine.

In Paul’s farewell instructions to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:27-31, Paul declared “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.

Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”

May all pastors as shepherds of the flock of Jesus Christ follow Paul’s example, and may we as Believers practice our discernment skills and heed Jesus’ warnings to “be not deceived.”
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¹ “Yoga Definition” Answers.com. http://www.answers.com/topic/yoga
²Matrisciana, Caryl.  Yoga Uncoiled Part III http://www.radiofreechurch.com/topics_display?page=31&sort=alpha
³Philip St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality: A Path to Growth and Healing, pp 7
New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company, 1994

During the 1980’s, Bible believing pastors, teachers, and watchmen for “The Faith” stood up and began to prevail against the New Age Movement.

By the mid 1990’s, it appeared as if the church assumed the threat had passed. It was as if a veil of deception enveloped the church to hide the truth – not only had the New Age Movement NOT faded away, it was spreading exponentially into the very fabric of society.

Ray Yungen, author of “A Time of Departing” describes this New (Age) Spirituality as “The Invisible Denomination.”¹   It has been hiding in plain sight for over two decades.    It is time for the Church to remove the veil of deception and see this New (Age) Spirituality that has permeated evangelical denominations, Bible schools, seminaries, Christian publishers and also the teachings of respected Bible teachers.

Paganism in Modern Dress

Walter Martin evaluated these practices in his 1989 book “The New Age Cult” in which he states, “The New Age Cult is a revival of this ancient occultism.  It holds historical ties to Sumerian, Indian, Egyptian, Chaldean, Babylonian, and Persian religious practices.”²

The following occult practices (among others) are described in Deuteronomy 18:10-11:

Divination – a “catch all” name for using any method to discover details of what is happening around you or to learn what will happen in the future by any means other than through God himself, who alone knows the beginning from the end
Enchanter – another name for a sorcerer, one who practices the arts of magic of all kinds–magical remedies, potions, drugs and hallucinogens to see into the future.
Witchcraft – “the craft” or WICCA, includes sorcery and the worship the mother Goddess, nature, trees, etc.
Charmer  – binds something physical with the spiritual–charms, amulets, something worn or carried on one’s person (i.e., good luck charm or religious article supposedly with a supposed blessing attached)
Consulter of familiar spirits – communicator with fallen angels or demonic entities in the spirit world.
Wizard – one who has supernatural knowledge which is attained through communication with familiar Spirits, a “knower”.
Necromancer – one who attempts to communicate with the spirits of the dead to acquire knowledge or to ask for assistance in some way by praying to anyone other than God Himself

New (Age) Spirituality includes the practice of many of these things; most notably consultation with and channeling information from familiar spirits, called “Spirit Guides.”

Common New (Age) Spirituality Practices

There is one key practice called “Mystical Meditation” from which certain beliefs emerge.  Mystical Meditation is an essential part of New (Age) Spirituality, as well as other Eastern religions, mystical sects (i.e., Muslim Sufis and Jewish Kaballah), and the occult (i.e., Satanists and witchcraft).

There are a multitude of variations of Mystical Meditation.  Some are given specific “brand names,” such as, Transcendental Meditation and Silva Mind Control, but they commonly share the following characteristics:

1.  Comfortable Positions (i.e., sitting, laying down or an accepted Yoga position) to maintain a relaxed physical state without distraction.

2.  Methods of concentrated focus (i.e., rhythmic breathing, maintained visual contact on a single object,  or silent word repetitions) often accompanied by specific types of soft music, assist the practitioner in reaching an altered state of consciousness in which the mind is cleared of all conscious thought.  This state of consciousness has often been referred to as “The Thin Place” — a state of mind in which the physical and spiritual worlds meet.

When the practitioner experiences random thoughts, he reacquires the altered state quickly by returning to the focus method.

At this point, the practitioner may “experience a sense of unity with all creation.”  Many attain new knowledge or understanding, become “enlightened,” and may also experience various physical sensations.  It is important to note, as discussed earlier, that the Hebrew word for “Wizard” means  “a knower.”   This practice is wizardry.

Channeling from Spirit Guides

During meditation, practitioners are often instructed to use visualization to connect with their Spirit Guide(s).   Others may be instructed to await the appearance of a Spirit Guide in either human or animal form.  Some choose religious personages, including Jesus, admired historical figures, angelic beings, or a “more successful self” created in parallel reality to teach how to become more successful in life.

Many famous New (Age) Spirituality writers claim to receive their inspiration or works directly from their Spirit Guide(s):

Alice Bailey, occultist and New Age Matriarch, who some credit with coining the phrase “New Age,” and of which the New (Age) Spirituality leaders reference quite often, had a spirit guide called Djwhal Khul (DJ).
Helen Schuchman transcribed “A Course in Miracles” as dictated by her Spirit Guide–an inner voice which identified itself as “Jesus.
Barbara Marx Hubbard transcribed her book “The Revelation:  A Message of Hope for the New Millennium” from her Spirit Guide–an inner voice which identified itself as “Christ.”
Neale Donald Walsch wrote an angry letter to God and was amazed when “God” immediately answered his letter by speaking to him through an inner voice which resulted in his book “Conversations with God.”
Ester Hicks bases her best selling books on translations of thought she claims she channels from a group of non-physical entities called “Abraham.”
David Spangler wrote many New Age books including “The Birth of a New Age” which he said was a compilation of channeled transmission he received from his disembodied spirit guide “John.”
Bernie Segal, an author and leader in the New (Age) Spirituality, claims to have a spirit guide named “George” whom he met the very first time he meditated.

The New (Age) Spirituality is not just a fad practiced and believed by a minority.  It has entered society today through many different avenues.

The New Spirituality/Occultism in Post-modern Society

Following are some of the areas in which the New (Age) Spirituality is accepted in society today:

Meditation in the work place
A number of corporations (i.e., Apple, Google, McKinsey, Deutsche Bank, Texas Instruments, AOL, Yahoo!, Raytheon, Nortel Networks, Medtronic’s, Viacom International Inc., and Monsanto) provide meditation training to reduce stress and increase productivity. [As of 2008 when this was originally published]

Napolean Hill & A Positive Mental Attitude
Napolean Hill, author of the famous book “Think and Grow Rich,” credits his foundational teachings of the success, motivation and positive mental attitude books, courses and seminars to the teachings of disembodied spirits who called themselves “Ascended Masters.”  Apparently Mr. Hill earned the right to reveal a Supreme Secret to others, “You have been under the guidance of the Great School…now you must give the world a blueprint…”³  Millions of business people, including Christians, have taken these courses and seminars not realizing that they are being taught “doctrines of demons.”

Reiki in the Health Care System
The ability to heal came to Mikao Usui during a spiritual experience on a sacred mountain. The ability was called “Reiki” (Ray-key).  According to the American Hospital Association, Reiki is being offered in a growing number of hospitals within the U.S.

A Reiki.org article entitled, “Developing Your Reiki Practice” clearly identifies the practice:

“Sensing the presence of spiritual beings, feeling their touch, knowing they work with you. Being raised into ever greater levels of joy and peace by simply placing your hands on another. Watching your life grow and develop as your continual immersion in Reiki transforms your attitudes, values and beliefs. Sensing that because of your commitment to help others, beings of light are focusing their love and healing on you and carefully guiding you on your spiritual path…”⁴

Meditation in the Prison System
The Dharma Foundation is a nonprofit organization which produces a newsletter about meditation for those who are in correction facilities.  Volunteers from their organization work with programs such as centering prayer, Zen meditations, and conflict resolution.  They assert that 85% of inmates who have practiced substantive meditation never return as repeat offenders.

In an online presentation of the Dharma Seeds Foundation, it states:

“For any human to transform into the natural spiritual creation they are, they first must accept their own salvation from lower self towards the true SELF. Once they have done this they can then incorporate their own spiritual upbringing…”⁵

Meditation in the Public School System
The children in the Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse in Detroit meditate for ten minutes twice a day.  The University of Michigan followed 140 of the school’s 10-14 year olds and reported the children were more connected, happy, satisfied, peaceful  and calm.  Their studies indicate that children who meditate do better in school than those who do not.

The so-called benefits of meditation practices can be found in many websites.  An example from a Health & Yoga website:

“Though meditation is usually recognized as a largely spiritual practice, it also has many health benefits. The yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in management of life threatening diseases; in transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning programs, in perceptions and communications beyond the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in management of lifestyle and future world problems.”⁶

If all these results come from mystical meditation, then how could God possibly object to it?  Scripture, especially Deuteronomy 18, does not allow for a “if it feels good, do it” attitude.

We as Christians should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices and should recognize when these practices creep into our lives and our churches.  However, repackaging New Age fundamental practices with Christian words has allowed an unsettling infiltration of both.

GO TO:  Whatever Happened to the New Age? Part II
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Works Cited

¹ Yungen, Ray. A Time of Departing  pp. 9. 2nd Ed. Oregon: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2006.
² Martin, Walter.  The New Age Cult. pp 15. Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 1989
³Hill, Napolean.  Grow Rich with Peace of Mind.  pp.  158-160. Ballantine Books, 1967
⁴ Rand, William Lee.  “Developing Your Reiki Practice” http://www.reiki.org/ReikiPractic /PracticeHomepage.html
⁵ Dharma Seeds Foundation, Inc. http://st-raphael-monastery.org/dharmaseeds/pdfs2008BOA%20presentationPDF.pdf
⁶ Health & Yoga.  http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/meditation/objectives.html