Profanity, pornography, filthy programs on TV and on movie screens are occurrences we live with on a daily basis. Most of us find it vulgar and offensive. Our children are watching. We want Hollywood to stop polluting our culture.
On the other hand, the New Age movement (NAM) with its Eastern-influenced moral relativistic metaphysical thought systems is a more subtle corrupting force than the “in your face” garbage we’re exposed to by the Hollywood elites.
One of the more popular practices New Agers promote is astrology. Many Christians are now “into” this occult art. Supposed followers of Jesus Christ can tell you everything there is to know about the sign of Taurus, but not a thing about Paul from Tarsus. They’d rather read a book on horoscopes than a book of the Bible.
New Age “spirituality” is corrupting Christians, most of whom have no clue that they’re partaking in sorcery. Astrology, “Christian yoga,” meditation to achieve an altered state of consciousness, calling on angels, and even some of the martial arts, fall into the category of sorcery. Such practices attract a large number of Christians, like moths to a flame.
Is it any wonder there’s a New Age pandemic in the Church?
You’d have to be visually impaired not to notice all the ads p
romoting astrology. Go online and Google “horoscope” and in minutes you’ll have a “personalized reading” by a “famous astrologer.” Horoscope.com claims that it’s “The web’s most trusted and known source of astrology, daily horoscopes, love astrology, Chinese astrology, zodiac signs, compatibility…” You get the picture.
Astrology’s being promoted via email, on computer screens, television sets, newspapers, magazines; even our cell phones are blasted with daily horoscopes. From a Christian perspective much of what NAM espouses is evil. (I’ll explain why in a moment.)
Astrology was birthed in Babylon in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Most false systems of religion had their roots in the land of pagans that worshipped a plethora of phony gods. Astrology was all the rage with the Babylonians, especially amongst the priests who studied the “godlike science” of astrology.
In the Old Testament astrology is mocked. Speaking for the Lord, Jeremiah warned, “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them” (Jer. 10:2).
There are several traditions of astrology. The traditions used by most modern astrologers are Jyotisha (Indian), Chinese, and Western. There are so many traditions and beliefs that I couldn’t begin to cite them all. Many esoteric (mystic) movements have links to astrology. Numerology, tarot cards, palmistry and Kabbalah are a few that are well known. The current trend in the West is “psychological astrology.”
Several years ago I penned “Christian Yoga? C’mon!” A “Christian yoga” teacher protested, “I teach yoga and none of my students have become Buddhists or Hindu’s.” What she failed to realize is that for some people, exposure to yoga, astrology, fantasy games, séances and other seemingly innocent practices lead to greater involvement in a very dangerous world. I replied to the “Christian yoga” teacher that she has no way of knowing what the future holds for those students who were introduced to yoga through her teaching.
How One Becomes An Abomination To God
To avoid getting involved in the myriad of inherent dangers our society offers, you must listen to God! In Deuteronomy 18:9-14 He says:
When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.
More from God in Leviticus 19:
26 You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes…
28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves…
31 Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God…
Moving on to 2 Chronicles 33:6:
And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
Now to the New Testament, Acts 7:42-43:
But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.
Did you notice that God didn’t say “Please”? He said, “Do not.” In other words, No! The Lord was provoked to anger over it. When God is angry, “At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation” (Jer. 10:10).
Christians who dabble in astrology must consider this: If you allow a fortune teller to gaze into a crystal ball, do a psychic reading or read tealeaves, your palm or cards covered with demonic symbols to see what your future holds, God will be angry with you. Also consider this: If you deliberately defy God, He will turn away from you.
Scripture tells us that only pagans practiced astrology. No self-respecting Jew would get involved in something the Lord opposed because they feared He’d strike them dead! For example, when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit — wham! He zapped them both.
But…The Magi Were Astrologers, Right?
Some people argue that the Magi referred to in Matthew’s gospel were astrologers. The Rev. Phil Greetham offers this observation on the Magi:
Some Bible translators such as the New English Bible or its new version, the Revised English Bible, translate ‘Magi’ as ‘astrologer’. Is this a good translation? I don’t believe that it is. It gives the modern reader a totally false picture of what the Magi did. Modern Astrologers choose to adopt a system of prediction, regardless of our present knowledge of science. The Magi, on the other hand, were interested in all verifiable knowledge. Of course they did not have sufficient understanding of the universe to realise fully the links between one event and another. Therefore they saw nothing wrong in bringing together, science, poetry, art and religion to explain and to understand the universe and what was happening in it. To them observing nature – including charting the stars, noting the movements of other objects and making predictions based on the chart, were all one and the same. Today we have a better understanding. Today we would say that observing the night’s sky was astronomy because it was recording observation which could be used to support (or not support) theories to explain what was happening. We would also say that making horoscopes from those observations was astrology because it was responding to a system of handed down ‘laws’. In other words astronomy uses observation to refine ideas, astrology uses observation to respond to fixed ideas. To the Magi, however, the idea that the positions of stars and planets have special meaning was not a fixed idea but one in which they were actively working on. In future centuries, with more scientific information, Magi had to decide whether to continue the search for knowledge and become scientists or to continue to respond blindly to handed down teachings and become astrologers. Therefore our Magi are neither astronomers nor astrologers in the modern sense. Scientific understanding had not progressed sufficiently for them to know the difference between the two. They were ‘searchers of wisdom’. If you must have a translation for ‘Magi’, I think that ‘Wise Men’ is as good as any.” (Source)
So why do millions of people hand over their lives to fortunetellers, even knowing that astrology is bogus and that it’s not supported by the scientific community? Moreover, why are self-professed Christians immersing themselves in occultism? While doing research for this piece several years ago I came across a “Christian” website (thankfully it no longer exists) that offered a forum for the “magickal and mystical Christian”:
Here you will find Christians who study esoteric sciences such as mysticism, Christo-paganism, witchcraft, astrology, occultism, tarot, Western Mystery, Kabbalah, alchemy, divination and shamanism. The forum is a friendly place designed by a Christian mage for magickal Christians. We welcome anyone who wishes to join but please remember this is a pro-magick Christian haven. Negativity has no place here.
This is anything but orthodox Christianity, brethren. It’s nothing more than Satan masquerading as an angel of light! The Bible teaches, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” It does not teach, “Occultism is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
But…Astrology Can Be Scientifically Proven, Right?
Many people argue that astrology can be scientifically proven. Well it can’t. And its provability is irrelevant because the Bible makes it clear that Christians are to have no part in stargazing or, for that matter, any occult practice. No horoscopes, Ouija board games, palm reading, séances or psychics. Tarot cards and casting Runes are prohibited – and so are charms, conjuring magic potions and any other form of witchcraft. Avoid the esoteric Christian movement (mystical branches of Christianity that study the “inner teachings” of early Christianity); stay away from anyone that advocates spiritual astrology, divination, blessings and, finally, those who appeal to angels to intervene on their behalf.
Keep your guard up! Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re going to escape all the temptations that besiege you, because you’re not going to. Don’t get me wrong. If you’re a child of God, Satan can do you no harm (unless God allows it for reasons we mere humans are not privy to). Still, he will do his level best to keep you tangled in his web of deception. Sounds grim, doesn’t it? All the same, it’s true. Satan’s one mean machine, so Christians must be armed to the teeth and prepared to go to battle with the “Prince of Darkness.” There’s only one way to protect against the darts and arrows the enemy fires at you. Put on the full armor of God!
For anyone involved in an occult practice, in obedience to the truth, and to honor God, you must give it up now. Repent of your sins. Ask for forgiveness. God will forgive you because He loves you.
Recommended:
The Occult (links)—On Solid Rock Resources
New Age Movement—On Solid Rock Resources
Learn more about astrology:
Astrology By Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
The “Gospel in the Stars” Theory
Copyright by Marsha West, 2007 (Updated 2015). All rights reserved.
Amen!
In fact, dabbling in the occult opens you up to demonic oppression in the spiritual warfare realm. You become 'cursed' by aligning with things that are an abomination to God. You must repent and turn from it and renounce it competely and seek God in prayer for further protection.
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Blessings!
Thanks, Marsha. This is a thoughtful and well presented post that we desperately need today! The biblical ignorance of the professing church is leading to all kinds of nonsense and the unsuspecting & biblically ignorant have no idea that we wrestle against powers and principalities in high places…they expose themselves to these practices daily and wonder why they fall into depression, have trouble sleeping, can't seem to get motivated, don't feel like reading the Bible today, etc.etc.. I mean, just because a demon has not jumped out of the closet doesn't mean one is not under dark oppressive forces.
I appreciate the research and love of truth from this ministry and its contributors.
Vintage Marsha West!
This has been going on for some time now. Those who would refer to themselves as prophets in the church are nothing more then new age psychics. Slain in the spirit is another practice in the church and it's another new age practice referenced as Reiki or Shaktipat in other religions, psychic healing in the new age. Faith healers use this same tactic to make money from vulnerable people.
Adam, you are correct! Personally came out of a church system where individuals said, "god spoke to me….", "god told me to do this….", "I heard the audible voice of god"….."I visited the third heaven and saw all of those "sinners" down there…." , etc. It was a fundamental Baptist church with an Assembly of God pastor.
I have yet to hear these types say, "god spoke to me and said that I am a horrible gossip and need to repent of my sin," or " god told me that I am obese and need to lose weight because after all, He said my body is the temple of His Holy Spirit, or maybe this "god spoke audibly to me condemning me for falsely accusing someone of something they did not do…and I slandered and lied to others in getting them to hate this person as much as I do."
I, personally did not hear of such things amongst the pentecostals and charismatics in my former church……for God, the Holy Spirit, was working amongst such…..but another spirit was very active.
Thankful we have the very Word of God to test the spirits.
As I'm reading around here I note some troubling similarities and repeated comments. Karen, God spoke to me and He has repeatedly, not to be confused with the still small voice. He told my wife and I to pick up and move to the land He would show us, that it would be a farm, that we are to become Watchmen. God spoke to me at 3am and told me to drive 2 1/2 hours to Chicago, lay my hands on a girl and command that she be healed, the next mornings exrays showed a tumor the size of an orange had disappeared. And if it makes you feel better He also told me to go to my ex-wife and forgive her, among a number of other things He's directed me to do. Sometimes I'm boneheaded and He has to repeat himself.
I see this dichotomy of those who want all experiential stuff and get involved in the Kundalini and demon works, new age, etc and those who are so afraid of anything of the Spirit, if they can't find written down, neatly formed in some man made doctrine based on verse or partial verse. Both are a problem for those who walk fully in Christ.
Karen, your judgmental second paragraph condemns you in a worse way than what you were trying to project. The giftings of the Holy Spirit are still alive today as they were in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles and they are needed, maybe even more so, now in this world's closing moments.
Hi godsfingers-
We are warned in scripture that it is foolish to seek supernatural evidences and experiences over scripture, and satanic power has always been available to those who elevate their quest for miracles over the Word. Even healing power can be of satan, as God allows the foolish to be further led into their own deception. I would recommend Johanna Michaelson's testimony which can be found on youtube.
I would also pray that you will come into the light of the truth with regard to God "speaking to you". God speaks to us through His perfect Word- please test the spirits.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. 1 John 4:1
Hi Toni,
Did you even read what I wrote? I'm warning against those of the experiential and those who inhibit the Holy Spirit under some religious guise of human discernment. Let's be clear, if God tells you to do something miraculous it isn't seeking supernatural evidence it's being obedient. Or are you telling me I went in a demonic spirit And, you are clearly wrong in regard to seeking evidences. Paul admonishes us to earnestly seek, not hide under a bushel or quash in it's entirety, which part of do not forbid did you miss?. How can you test when you don't have the equipment? As I pointed out elsewhere, be careful when you use the term scriptures. The "scriptures" came before the epistles, the Apostles refer to the scriptures in the epistles, and the Bible, as we know it, was compiled centuries later. You make some distinction between the Word of God and spiritual things. Do you miss the fact that the Word of God, the Logos, is living, not dead, yet you relegate it to a book of books and nothing more. Moreover, the raising up of that book is almost idol worship.
You reference Johanna, who my wife and I have referenced repeatedly but she exposes the evil side not a blanket disqualification of anything spiritual.. The problem is that those on the "my bible only doctrine" (which is basically conveniently parsed bible verses) can only argue the us and them camps, with both being void of the Holy Spirit. I've tested the spirit of John McArthur, John Piper, Andy Stanley, etc and the so called "perfect" word ( Sorry, Paul wasn't prophesying the "perfect Bible in 1Cor 13) used by dissecting and parsing to create their false doctrines (this is how OSAS comes about), and I'm afraid that you also may be among them. SO you will be praying that I somehow get covered in darkness to hide what I already know for fact. It is amusing to find that I would be praying for you to see the light of the truth instead of you conveniently neglecting biblical texts.
If you feel a need to discuss this further please go through my blog.
To say 'God spoke to me' is a tip off that the person is speaking outside of God's word, some sort of extra biblical revelation. This is rampant in the Charismatic circles. However, we are commanded not to add to or take from His word. We have the closed canon, and that is sufficient for all God's people.
Those who claim to 'heal' cannot expect anyone to believe them based on mere words. God does heal, miraculously. He heals sinners of their greatest and deadliest disease…..sin. Physical, temporal healing is not what we should focus on, it is the souls of men that we should be concerned with.
As for once saved, always saved…those God elects He does indeed save to the uttermost {Hebrews 7:25}. 'Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ' Phil. 1:6
'And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.' 1 Thess. 5:23-24
Pray tell what is the tip off? And what is the problem with a testimony to a miracle healing? You people are really in the dark. Missionaries and miraculous healings were common until folks from your venue started sending doctors and reliance centered an man made works. Your "closed cannon" doctrines are man made, parsed out of text to support subsequent false doctrines, it's very circular.
You used the word elect up there but what does Jesus say about the elect in regard to pre-trib (sorry I'm pan-trib) in Matt 24:22? "… but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened". That shoots a hole in the theology that the church is removed totally before the tribulation. As for OSAS, in simplified terms, "It is by grace THROUGH FAITH that we are saved" . Faith is ongoing, not some point in your life guaranteeing forever, that's why the epistles repeat not to fall away. Even Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved.". Eternal security starts when you die or are raptured.
You stated that we are commanded not to add to or take from His word. Where? In The Book of Revelation to John we're commanded no to add or remove from the BOOK (there was no Bible yet) and that would be the book he scribed. You see, it's man's abuse of God's Word that puts you where you are, unable to make that next step into the power of God. Not unlike the Pharisees.
Pray tell what is the tip off? And what is the problem with a testimony to a miracle healing? You people are really in the dark. Missionaries and miraculous healings were common until folks from your venue started sending doctors and reliance centered an man made works. Your "closed cannon" doctrines are man made, parsed out of text to support subsequent false doctrines, it's very circular.
For instance for OSAS you just posted parsed thoughts out of text, good for you, deception works great when you want to make your point, but you are still wrong. You conveniently ignore your"closed cannon" text in, say, Colossians 1.21-23 "…yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight", Well glory to God.oops, forgot verse 23 "IF indeed you CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, and are not MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel which you heard…" OH MY! Or Galatians 6.8-9 "The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (not a harvest of crowns, sorry) or 2Peter 1.10-11 "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to MAKE your calling and ELECTION SURE. For IF you DO THESE THINGS YOU WILL NEVER FALL and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom…"
There are a lot of if, and, ors throughout the New Testament but let's boil it down to basics. "By grace are you saved BY FAITH…" You know, the cross doesn't get you to heaven, that only paid the price for ALL sinners (sorry John McArthur, he died for everyone) but it is BY FAITH you are saved. Um, back to Colossians if you continue in faith. And then Hebrews 6 for it is impossible…if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because…they are crucifying the Son of God all over again. So what is faithlessness? Original sin,it goes back to Eve who answered the question "did God really say that" with unbelief and ate the apple.
But wait, Hebrews 6 doesn't have to be a death nell, it has qualifications, just take away the Holy Spirit and His power and giftings and you'll never reach the qualifications laid out ":…have been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the Word of God and the powers of the coming age (notice the coming age thingy here)…". So evil men, by teaching you that the giftings ended think they can keep you from this end.
In 40 years the Bible has never suggested OSAS to me and I never heard of it until recently where someone tried to show me it along with the other false doctrines needed to support it.
Now you make that same claim that God commanded not to add to or take from His Word. Did He really???? You will quote Rev 22.18-19 but what does it say? "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book;if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, And if anyone takes words away from THIS BOOK OF PROPHECY, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this book.". I'll give you a chance to read that over a couple times. John is referencing the book he scribed, THe Book of the Revelation Given to John, not the Bible which won't be compiled for another few centuries. So much for your closed cannon.
Pretty much the whole of your posting and many of the other posters puts you under condemnation for your false teaching, and that is what it is, false, not mislead. I've said before, lose your dispensation, church age, bema seat of judgement, crowns, etc and THEN study the Bible. Without man introducing them, they don't exist…
To godsfingers:
I acknowledge that you seem to warn of some dangerous, experiential new age thinking, however, you also claim that "God spoke to me at 3am and told me"…… and I don't think so.
God supernaturally guides His own, that is for sure, but it sounds to me like you believe you communicate with God in the unique manner of Moses and some of the great prophets and I think you are mistaken. The Holy Spirit is alive and more than active in believers (my wretched heart was miraculously transformed…so I know) but I am deeply distressed by those who claim to be a modern day prophet. The canon is closed for the church age and we have the ALL powerful Word to guide us.
You also say God told you to "pick up and move to the land He would show us"…exactly what happened to Abraham in Genesis 12:1. Test the spirits.
well said toni….
Hi Toni,
I had hoped to spare this posting of the discussion of cannon closed, no further revelation, which is a strong tenet of the anti-catholic doctrine of the post reformation. Twisted minds, in order to create a difference to catholics, developed the man-made, unbiblical and false doctrines of OSAS (eternal security), bema seat, rewards and crowns, dispensation and that the perfection( mentioned in 1Cor 13) has come. If the Perfection has come why are we still here? The "closed cannon" folks are the ones who created a dichotomy to combat the mysticism of catholics and their mary and relics worship. You claim to have some discernment that God didn't speak to me at 3 am, hmmm. And then you parallel me to Moses and the great prophets and your distress. Your prejudgment condemns you speaking something you don't know. Are you also asserting that that the girls miraculous healing didn't occur because it doesn't fit your doctrine? For the record, he hasn't woken me up at 3 am to go lay hands on someone since.
I'm sorry if you don't have that intimate a relationship with Christ that you can't hear His voice, perhaps you need to revisit and check to see if you are one of his sheep. The folks you should be concerned about are your "closed cannon" folks like John McArthur who teaches that Christians can take the "mark" and not be condemned (OSAS) or John Piper and his replacement theology or Andy Stanley teaching that the only thing wrong about his parishioner running off to live with his boyfriend was the act of adultery because he wasn't divorced from his wife yet. Again, your "closed cannon" is bordering on idol worship.
Your doctrine of borne out of fear of the things of God and more so the work and discipline of maintaining that walk. It's easier to create the license for sin in OSAS and ignore or put away the Holy Spirit. As I pointed out, you are only able to argue the two camps, your camp, devoid of the Holy Spirit, vs the Todd Bently's and can't see the real church.
Thanks marsha it was very well presented post.
http://www.questicle.net/2013/09/637-taboo-sixth-…
I replied to the “Christian yoga” teacher that she has no way of knowing what the future holds for those students who were introduced to yoga through her teaching.