By Eddie Smith
Beware of the wave of new-age occultism which is overtaking America. People like Oprah, reared in a Baptist church as a child, are diving mindlessly into the polluted waters of the occult, and most don’t even know it.
With Oprah’s embracing of the movie and book “The
Secret,” she is now producing a satellite radio series on miracles. But don’t think for a moment it relates to the miracles of the Bible. In fact, it overtly and quite clearly denounces biblical truth. It is another expression of the occult.
Oprah personally pastors more people than any other American pastor. Twenty-two million people are in her congregation five days a week! Yes indeed, what she believes and “preaches” does make a difference! For far too many, her word is “gospel.”
Sadly, too few have ever heard the true gospel, even
coming across America’s Christian television networks which tend to focus on little more than financial prosperity and fund raising.
Each of us needs to be able to spot the occult. Almost weekly people write to Alice or me and ask us what we think about…
First, let me assure you, what Alice Smith or I think about
anything doesn’t establish truth! Scripture does. These people want us to make a list of things they should avoid. We won’t. Why?
There are many reasons. One is because any list we could compile would be obsolete in a week. Evil, like a chameleon, continually changes colors and forms in order to deceive. There are tens of thousands of false religions and cults around the world. While many people are devoted to
ancient religious traditions, others are devoted to religions that didn’t exist six months ago!
You need not depend upon our list. The Holy Spirit, who
lives in you, has been given to “guide you into all truth” (John 15:13). You should learn to rely on Him and the Scriptures.
The U.S. Treasury Department doesn’t train its agents to spot fake bills by immersing them in the study of counterfeiting–it teaches them to spot real currency. Their agents will know so much about genuine currency that they will immediately recognize a counterfeit bill the moment they see one.
Your job is not so much to be able to quickly recognize the occult, but to know the truth of God so well that when TRUTH is absent, you know it!
Occult things don’t merit our attention. “Have nothing to do
with the barren unprofitable deeds of darkness, but, instead
of that, set your faces against them; for the things which are done by these people in secret it is disgraceful even to speak of” (Eph 5:11-12, WNT).
There will be times in your walk with God when you must draw aside and pay attention to the evil that is affecting your life and your home. Nevertheless, that will be temporary, primarily to purify yourself or to prepare for warfare prayer. Otherwise, Christ alone should be your focus! “I desire you to be truly wise as to good, but simple toward evil” (Rom 16:19, LITV).
To be sure, some Christians are called of God to study these things, but they do so with His direction and according to His will.
If you want to know more about an issue, all you need is a
computer connected to the Internet. If you don’t have one, go to your local library. Use a search engine like www.google.com, and key in your element of interest. Believe me, you will be quickly overwhelmed with information.
A lady called to ask me why I disapprove of the children’s game Pokemon and it’s accompanying accessories. I told her to search for it online. She was amazed that by following those instructions, within two seconds she had the option to browse through over 8,000,000 sites with references to Pokemon. Many sites have multiple pages. She wouldn’t finish reading that amount of information in 10 lifetimes! But it doesn’t usually take more than a glance at a few sites to identify an occult connection.
[Note: Just because you read it on the Internet doesn't make it true. Look for multiple confirmations from trusted sources.]
A cult is an individual or group with any philosophy or activity that refers to accessing or relying on forces, spirits, powers, energies, etc., other than the Holy Spirit. Anything that offers you spiritual enlightenment apart from God’s Word. Anything that tries to convince people that they are basically good and that they need trust nothing but themselves. Anything that presents eternal salvation from sin apart of Jesus Christ, His cross, and a necessary rebirth.
Example: Reiki
On a Web site promoting the occult healing Reiki I find: “Reiki is one of the few healing modalities that is used for self-healing and for the healing of others. In Reiki, students receive *atunements* which *empower* them to do Reiki. The attunement is a *spiritual process* where *healing energy* is *activated* and *enhanced.*
From that one sentence I have identified six terms that in this context should be red flags to those seeking truth.
1. Students receive “atunements?” From who?
2. These attunements “empower” them? Whose power?
3. Is a “spiritual process?” What spirit?
4. “Healing energy?” Who or what produces the energy?
5. Is “activated?” Who activates it?
6. And “enhanced?” Who enhances it?
Reiki is a method of healing being taught today in many
American universities. Doctors and nurses are being trained to use it along with their other treatments. And they do.
Reiki is a process of the laying on of hands, using 12-15
hand positions to connect and channel the “infinite energy.”
“Oh, you may call the infinite energy ‘God,’ if you like,” we’re told. “Whoever or whatever you know it to be, is fine.”
SAYS WHO!! What blasphemous insanity that is!?
News Flash! God HAS a name. And He elevates His name above all others. We don’t have the option of calling Him whatever we please; i.e. “our higher power,” or “the universal creative energy.” He’s more than a force, He’s a living person!
= The Chinese know this “universal energy” as “chi.”
= Eastern Indians know it as “prana.”
= The Japanese know it as Reiki (ray-kee)
“Rei” means higher intelligence, the universal mind, all knowing; and “Ki”–means life-force energy. These two work together to help the body to restore to wholeness based on its vibration or subtle energy need. (”The Secret” is about how to manipulate these energy vibrations in order to “design your life” and “get what you want.” My steps are “ordered by the Lord” (Psa. 37:23).)
Reiki claims four million practitioners worldwide and Westerners are falling for it lock, stock and barrel.
How can people believe this? How can some Christians willingly open themselves up to such demonic entities? It’s due to two things.
First, there is enough truth in most cults to convince the
unsuspecting. Or as Hillary Clinton says, for them to “suspend their disbelief.” For example, the five “Harmonious Principles of Reiki are:
1. Just for today, do not worry
2. Just for today, do not anger
3. Honor your parents, teachers and elders
4. Earn your living honestly
5. Show gratitude to every living thing
I buy numbers 1-4, but not number 5. I can’t imagine why I should show gratitude to an earthworm or a mule (both living things).
The second reason the occult enjoys such success, even among church goers, is that the average church member couldn’t express the gospel message if their life depended on it. They hardly know the Bible at all. Because they don’t know the genuine, they are easy prey for the counterfeit.
May God help us.