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I am a child of God, searching the scriptures daily.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

On Observing a Yoga Class

Today is a new day, Lord, another day to live for you. I know that you are with me and that I will learn something about you and your loving grace today. I know that you have a specific plan for me and I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me into fulfillment of that plan. Please be with me and protect me from harm. In Jesus' name I pray.

— — —

As I waited for the yoga class to begin, I watched people come and go from the large, well-equiped fitness facility that offers top notch weights, treadmills, stair-climbers, exercise classes, swimming and more. Most members entered looking fresh and clean; those leaving appeared red-faced, sweaty and "worked-out."

Often, I've thought of how much I would like to join a gym such as this one, but my present financial situation dictates that I should refrain from doing so. I don't really mind, however, and try to stick to my home-based workout plan of jumping rope, walking, exercise and stretching routines. But, I've not been as faithful to that commitment as I would like and I tend to blame the extreme heat we are experiencing here in Texas. There's always an excuse, isn't there?

But I sat there that day on a mission. My heart had been moved to discover why so many Christian friends of mine are partaking in something I feel should not be taken up by followers of Christ. The practice of yoga (the Hindi word for "yoke") has come to popularity in our culture as more and more Westerners come to  embrace Far Eastern ideas of health, mindfulness and spirituality. Yoga is universally accepted as part of the New Age movement, yet many Christians have determined that the physical routines of yoga might be beneficial and have expressed the idea that the poses (asanas) and breathing exercises can be performed without overtly delving into the spiritual aspects associated with this ancient practice. I've heard some say, "Well, to me the Wheel Pose is just a back bend, to me the Plank Pose is just a push up." These professing Christians seem to strongly oppose the suggestion that, even if they are only doing yoga as an exercise, there are dangers lurking.

The yoga classes offered at this gym (a Christian-based facility) had been described to me as not having anything to do with spirituality. Noting my concern, I decided the only way to judge for myself was to observe one of the classes. When I reflect back on my life before I came to know Jesus, I am forced to admit that I, too, took yoga classes. Back then, I was looking for spiritual fulfillment. I have sat in meditation for long periods of time, trying to empty my mind of everything but awareness of my breath. I wanted to become "one with the universe," "one with my divine inner self." So now, I needed to see for myself if what my Christian friends had told me could be true. I was not sure the class I would be observing was typical of all of the yoga classes offered, however, I felt that by watching a class, the teacher, the students, I would be able to recognize any "new age" threads that might be interlaced in the program.

So, Bible in hand, and prayers for guidance, knowledge and protection said, I wandered down the corridor to join the yoga students that were gathering outside the room where the class would be taught. One of the first people to greet me was the instructor, a lithe, blond woman who seemed to be ten or so years younger than I. I'll call her Mandy.

Mandy was friendly and welcoming as we engaged in small talk before the room opened up to us. She asked if I had ever been to a yoga class before. I told her, "Yes, many years ago." Despite the fact that I was obviously not dressed to exercise, she invited me to participate, advising that I should do only "what you feel you can." I told her I really was only there to observe and I hoped that was alright with her. She said, "Of course."

When we entered the room, I removed my shoes and quickly made my way to the back, where I sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. I watched as fifteen or so ladies and one gentleman entered and milled about, readying their mats, starting to stretch out and get into position. Several went immediately into the familiar cross-legged posture so linked with yoga: the Lotus Pose. A couple of the students were obviously advanced, evidenced by their being able to attain the full Lotus posture with the tops of the feet being placed on the tops of the thighs. Many placed their hands on their knees, palms up, tips of the thumb and the middle finger touching lightly. Classic yoga. The instructor, meanwhile went about adjusting the lights, the fans and starting the soothing, meditative music that regularly accompanies yoga classes. Quietness settled in.

Breathing correctly is very important in yoga for helping one ease into the various stretches and poses. This class started as other yoga classes, sitting quietly for a moment as Mandy instructed the students to let go of their thoughts and worries and concentrate on their breath, breathing deeply from their abdomen and letting their face relax into a smile. After a few shoulder shrugs and basic stretches, Mandy slowly and methodically led the group through various poses, postures and routines, naming them as she went. The names were familiar to me: Monkey; Downward Dog, Walk the Dog, Cobra, Tree, Corpse, and Sun Salutation, the latter being a routine consisting of a series of poses. Sun Salutation was executed several times during the hour. At more than one point, students were instructed to bring their palms together at the "Heart Center" in a Prayer Pose.

Watching the students attempting to get into some of the positions being taught, I have to admit that I thought the instructor should have been paying more attention to how well they were performing. Many of them had body parts in all the wrong positions. Funny, but I was thinking Mandy should either walk around the room and help students to attain the various postures (as instructors I had in the past had done), or have an assistant who could do this for her. As yoga students go, many of these were poor performers, to say that least. But critiquing the class in this manner was not what I was there for. I quickly brought myself back to the task at hand which was to determine how far removed from the original intention of yogic exercise — the spiritual basis for yoga — was this class.

The class continued on for nearly an hour and ended with a series of relaxation poses including the Child Pose and Downward Facing Dog, and culminated in the Corpse Pose where one lays out flat on ones back, arms to the side, palms up, legs slightly spread and feet allowed to naturally fall outward. After a few moments, Mandy instructed the students to slowly come to a cross-legged seated position, concentrating on their breath and relaxing their faces into a smile. She ended the class with a prayer pose, and, as traditionally done in most yoga classes, spoke the word, "Namaste." She then dismissed the class and the students slowly gathered their gear, put on their shoes and headed out.

I went up to Mandy after the class and thanked her for allowing me to be there. She told me that she hoped I would return. I asked her if she would be so kind as to tell me the name of the CD she was playing. She said it was from a two-CD set titled "Zen" and that she had gotten it from Target. I once again thanked her and left the room.

At no time during the class did I hear the instructor say to "empty your mind," though she several times emphasized concentrating on the breath and letting go of random thoughts. At no time did she instruct the class to repeat a mantra, or to sit quietly in meditation. If I did not have any knowledge of yoga from my past, I would say that this was a very relaxing and calming class in which to participate.

But . . . I do have a past with yoga, thus I am compelled to say I felt there were many nuances permeating the instruction that made me uneasy and was glad that I had prayed so hard before going in. I left with a sincere belief that everything about this class, innocent as it seemed on the surface, offered a classic example of the way the Church has allowed secular humanist acceptance of "all being one" — all gods, all views, all paths.

Let me begin with the name "yoga" and protest that if the class is just a stretching and strengthening class, why is it called "yoga?" Why not call it "stretch class" or something else? Why "yoga?" I feel it is because we are forgetting how subtle the adversary can be when getting us to accept anything that has it roots in paganism, idolatry, mysticism, humanism, the occult or anything else that should be unacceptable to true Christians. The following are quoted from an article titled "The Meaning and Purpose of Yoga" http://swamij.com/yoga-meaning.htm:
Like many arts and sciences that are profound, beautiful, and powerful, yoga has suffered from the spiritual poverty of the modern world--it has been trivialized, watered down, or reduced to cliches. The deep and eternal essence of yoga has been misrepresented and packaged for personal profit by clever people. At the hands of some, yoga has been reduced to the status of just another exercise program available on videotape. . . . 
The most important teaching of yoga has to do with our nature as human beings. It states that our "true nature" goes far beyond the limits of the human mind and personality--that instead, our human potential is infinite and transcends our individual minds and our sense of self. The very word "yoga" makes reference to this. The root, "yuj" (meaning "unity" or "yoke"), indicates that the purpose of yoga is to unite ourselves with our highest nature. . . .  
The process of yoga is an ascent into the purity of the absolute perfection that is the essential state of all human beings. This goal requires the removal of our enveloping personal impurities, the stilling of our lower feelings and thoughts, and the establishment of a state of inner balance and harmony. All the methods of yoga are based on the perfection of our personalities and may help to create a new world order. . . . 
Notice: "The very word "yoga" makes reference" to the idea that we can transcend our individual minds.

And did you catch this? "Absolute perfection that is the essential state of all human beings . . . " Huh? I thought we were all sinners and lacking ANY perfection. I thought that Christ was the only "perfect" human! In fact, I know I am right about this.

One of my friends told me, there are "all sorts of yogas." The one he participates in, he said, is a good one, not one of the bad ones. Did you notice that in the third quote above it is stated that  "ALL THE METHODS OF YOGA are based on the perfection of our personalities." All. That means . . . all! Not only Vinyasa, not only Kundalini, not only Bikram or Hatha, but ALL methods. This is revealing.

And then there is the music, admittedly titled "Zen." The following is from my Macintosh computer Dictionary:
Zen |zen| (also Zen Buddhism) noun
a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition.
Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan from China in the 12th century and has had a profound cultural influence. The aim of Zen is to achieve sudden enlightenment (satori) through meditation in a seated posture (zazen), usually under the guidance of a teacher and often using paradoxical statements (koans) to transcend rational thought.
Did you get that? "The aim of Zen is to achieve sudden enlightenment . . . ." Not to just relax, but to "achieve sudden enlightenment." I can assure you, most meditative music used in yoga classes is derived from music composed and performed by musicians that adhere to Zen principles, not to Christian principles. As a Christian, I feel that any enlightenment I receive should come from God, from his Holy Word, not from sitting in meditation or using koans to transcend rational thought. I want my mind focused squarely on God and what he has to teach me.

So what about the postures or poses, asanas. I couldn't help but recall what my friend had said: "To me the Wheel Pose is just a backbend; to me the Plank is just a pushup." O.K. . . . so why not call them "backbend" and "pushup?" Why, when I overheard this friend talking to another about these poses, did they not call them backbend and pushup, but instead called them by their yogic designation? I think this is once again the work of the adversary; subtle acceptance. Named after animals or aspects of human life, yoga poses are symbolic of taking on all of the forms of life and unifying them by giving them expression in our one body. Once again, the idea that all are one.

The use of the term "Heart Center" when performing the Prayer Pose was particularly disturbing as this is reference to the fourth of seven chakras believed by Buddhists and other occult groups to be the sacred energy centers within us that carry us on our journey toward greater awareness and aliveness. They are believed to be power centers within our bodies located along the spine that help to show us the path to enlightenment and integration.

At the end of the class when Mandy said, "Namaste," I could not help but think about the meaning of that word as I had learned it. Within Buddhist practice it is believed that a Divine spark is within each one of us, located in the heart chakra. This is not the same as Christians believing that the Holy Spirit indwells within us. This is declaring that part of us within IS divine. The following is an explanation of the meaning of Namaste http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/822 :

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." 
To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing. 
We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation. 
For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom.
Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow — the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.
Once again, did you get that? ". . . the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart." Another reference to the oneness of everything. 

My Conclusion

I realize that the likelihood of anyone in this class being possessed by a kundalini spirit or any demon is probably nil, but I can't help but believe that if we call something good, even when it is based on pagan or occult practices, we are walking on thin ice. I think of it like this: If I raised a tiger from a cub and that tiger lived with me, slept in my room, walked with me, played with me — surely, I might call it my pet. But the fact would remain that my pet is actually a tiger, a large predatory animal capable of killing me quickly and easily. It might be that that would never happen, but the possibility is very real. In my opinion, embracing yoga in any form is like owning that tiger — extremely dangerous.

My concern is that my friends are fooling themselves when they say "To me . . . ." That expression is prevalent in today's society where moral relativity is the norm. The idea that what is true and moral to me might not be true and moral to you is exactly what secular humanists embrace and promote. The idea that truth and morality can be different things to different people is totally opposite to the teachings of Jesus: there is ONE truth, ONE way, ONE path. 

I must conclude that participating in and promoting yoga for health only contributes to the doctrine of tolerance that is infecting the Church and that it takes us perilously close to apostatical behavior. Another problem I see in the case of my friends is that some of them are leaders in local churches, and that they might prove to be stumbling blocks to people who are considering answering Christ's call or to new Christians who are not yet well established in the Christian faith. Such people may see these church leaders practicing or talking about yoga and conclude that New Age concepts and spiritual practices are compatible with the Christian walk. I pray that those who are taking these classes for health will find better ways to shape and tone their bodies. I pray this for their sakes as well as for preservation of the reputation of the Church.

As always, 
a sister in Christ,
Phyllis

Addendum: Just one more tidbit about the experience of attending that class. As I was leaving, walking amid some of the students, a small lady tugged on my left arm. As I turned to her she asked, "What was your role in there?" Though I was a bit taken aback by her direct stare and brusquely voiced question, I explained that I had just wanted to observe the class. She wanted to know if I knew anything about yoga. I told her I had taken yoga years before and was just curious as to what this class might be like. She smiled. About that time another lady on my right side grabbed my arm and said, "You must come back!" The first lady then said, "Yes, you must come back!" And another woman who was accompanying them said, "Oh yes! You must!" 

It was very weird and I felt uncomfortable. I quickly bid adieu to this trio and, clutching my Bible, made my way down the corridor, out the door and to my vehicle. I was glad to be out of there and said a prayer of thanksgiving to God.  :)





22 comments:

Ivette760brady said...

Thank you for an blog well thought out and well written. Since you have a background relating to this topic, I can sincerely accept your credibility and thus the authority for setting forth your opinion about it.

Ivette Santiago

Unknown said...

Wow, great blog. I have to share that I took a yoga class in college to fulfill a requirement for PE credits I needed to graduate. A young woman who grew up as a Missionary Kid was kind enough to warn me it might be a spiritual problem to take the class. In my immaturity and worldly Christianity (I never learned to discern good from evil where I grew up) I told her it was just exercise. Soon thereafter began a long and difficult journey with many health problems. I didn't pursue yoga beyond that, but I do believe that I took myself out from God's protection and opened the door to a spiritual attack that lasted for many years. I hope that many Christians will open their eyes and see the danger when they read this article. It took me 18 years; don't do the same thing I did. Remember, "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (and also for refusal to receive the merciful warnings of God).

Unknown said...

Phyllis,

I just ran across your blog, from another search I was doing. I just read your entire post and I was so thankful to see you point out the truth as well as you did. You correctly handled the word of truth, sister in Christ! You are absolutely right...we must be vigilant and very careful and I loved your mention of "To me" relativism. SOOOOO TRUE!!!! The enemy deceives people that don't know they are being deceived!! Bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

doohap said...

I really appreciate your taking the time to comment, Ivette. Thank you for respecting my opinion.

doohap said...

Paise the Lord that you came out of that experience! I have read many accounts of others who were not so lucky. Every day I appreciate more and more the life-saving grace God bestowed on me by pulling me out and away from the dark chasms I was exploring before my salvation. Thank you for your kind compliment. May God continue to bless you and hold you close.

Phyllis

doohap said...

Thank you so much, Michael! I am encouraged by your words! May you, too, be abundantly blessed!

tim yakich said...

That was a great article with pertinent information. The only thing that disturbed me was at the end of the article, with your background in yoga and your obvious dedication to following Jesus Christ now, why didn't you warn those 3 women about the dangers of attending such a class, and why didn't you witness to the instuctor? Why didn't you ask to se the manager of the "Christian" athletic club to file a complaint? If you were there to gather information, then why not apply what you had just learned? THAT is what we Christians are called to do.

Anonymous said...

I have sent this to Lightoue Trails

On Observing a Yoga Class

I find it strange that you posted this blog by Phyllis Buckman on your site, giving it a very prominent position. There many, many authoritative books by mature Christians on this very subject readily available without the need for this girl to venture into a Yoga class. One wonders what she said as she prayed for protection before she entered the building? As an aside she asked the Holy Spirit to guide her in the fulfilment of her plan. Nowhere in Scripture do we read of prayer to the Holy Spirit. What do you know of Phyllis Buckman?

If Phyllis had even limited discernment she would have realised that she should not have been there but as she was, one must ask a pertinent question. Did she use the opportunity to witness to anyone that day? The answer would seem to be in the negative.

Can one imagine Paul visiting the temple of Diana to observe and ascertain why so many pagans were attending the temple worship? Scripture clearly commands: Abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thes 5.12)

The reply by Phyllis to a comment on her site perhaps gives us an insight into her thoughts:
Phyllis H. Buckman said...
“Praise the Lord that you came out of that experience! I have read many accounts of others who were not so lucky”.

We do praise the Lord that luck or being lucky forms no part of ones walk with our Lord. Well could the psalmist say “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” (Psalm 31.15)

doohap said...

Tim Yakich and Anonymous,

I thank you both for commenting. Both of you have questioned why I did not witness to anyone, particularly the three ladies that approached me at the end of the session. I understand that you might question me on that, so I will take a moment to answer.

This incident, and the article about it, took place a very short time after I was born again. I was a still "baby" Christian. It had only been few months before that I had realized what a sinner I was and fell to my knees. I know that it was only through God's grace and mercy that I ever arrived at that point and had He not brought me up out of the dark chasm I was floundering in, I would probably still be searching for my "nirvana."

Having been raised Catholic — thus having no true knowledge of scripture — I was still floating on the joy of salvation, but completely untrained as to HOW to witness, HOW to speak out boldly, HOW to stand up for Jesus. I had tried to tell my family and some of my close friends (most of whom were living the lifestyle I had come from) what a change had come over me and how desperately I wanted them to also claim Christ as savior and Lord. Many of them quickly turned on me, some completely walking away. I realize, now that I had gone way overboard in trying "save" them. I knew that I had a lot to learn about how to witness. Having never really studied the Bible I could not quote scripture or even paraphrase in a knowlegable way. So suffice it to say, I was timid and scared at the time, still on the milk, not having been weaned to the meat of the Word.

This inexperience in the Christian walk was also what kept me from being able to address those at my church who were taking yoga. As a brand new child of God, I felt I did not have the "credentials" to speak out against what they were doing; and these people were long-standing Christians, one even being the pastor's wife! Who was I to tell them they were wrong? Perhaps they new more about this "Christian" yoga stuff than I did. THAT is why I went to observe the class. I could not tell them they were flirting with danger if what they said was true, that there was nothing wrong with the yoga class they were taking. All the yoga I had ever been associated with was openly tied to the pagan roots from which it sprung. Here, these long-time Christians were saying this class was different. Who was I do disagree unless I saw it for myself?

Anonymous, I am sorry you feel you need to be so critical, not only of me, but also Lighthouse Research's placement of my piece.

a sister in Christ,
Phyllis

Unknown said...

Hi, I have read "On Observing a Yoga Class". This is the the first article I have read on yoga not being something a Christian should be involved with.

But my concern is, other then the obvious about Christian's being involved in such practices, why isn't the pastor of churches teaching or preaching against this? Why do pastors just let his sheep be involved in immoral practices without telling them its wrong? He is suppose to be the leader, he is to set an example for the church to follow. Not just ignore it and let this go on as if it was right to do. Seems so many pastors these days do not preach the truth, the Bible, Gods Word and teach as God says to teach.

doohap said...

Cathy, we are warned in Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." In these times of the end we are to be especially aware of what is preached and to measure a person by his fruits as instructed in Matthew 7:20-23: "20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

As I have said in my above reply to Anonymous and Tim, I was a very new Christian when I wrote the article. I did not mention it in that piece, but will tell you now that the first inclination I had that something was very wrong in the church I was attending at the time (the church in which I was baptized) when, during a sermon once Sunday morning, the pastor, in urging his congregation to get out an evangelize, told us to join a club, go to a coffee shop, "take a yoga class!" Needless to say, I was stunned, though no one else in the congregation that morning seemed to flinch. This was the first impetus I had to investigate further.

There are pastors out there that are preaching the true gospel, Cathy. Sadly, however, as it has been prophesied, there will be many, many who will fall away from the truth. The church today is greatly infected with false teachers. This is why it IS so important to dive into the word, dear friend. Listen to what your teachers are saying, watch how they are living and judge them by their fruits against the Word of God.

Let me say here, that after the events I have recounted in this article, I did attempt to voice my concern to the elders, the assistant pastor and the pastor himself. There negative reactions to my honest inquiries and the obvious cold-shouldered attitude I encountered there after such inquiries, stunned me. I soon realized that I needed to leave that church and seek another. I have since found a solid, bible-believing, true Gospel-preaching church home. I wish the same for you.

a sister in Christ,
Phyllis

Anonymous said...

Praise the Lord, Miss/Mrs. Buckman,

Your article and observations are more 'timely' than even you might realize, as I've been seeing and hearing about Yoga amongst Christians for a little while now, but some ministries are "shouting the alarm" but it's up to the Pastors (Ministers, etc.) to take heed and 'spread the word' to their congregations about this too.

Last year on a Christian t.v. show called, 'Christ In Prophecy', these same points on Yoga (and now christian yoga) were brought home just as you did here, but it seems so people (Pastors included) feel that yoga is quite 'harmless' and only leads to 'good things', when it comes to our health. On the other hand when I saw Oprah Winfrey go to a 'school' for "young" people, who were lying on the floor in heavy meditation during a 'yoga' session (quite spooky), you knew this isn't something to play with.

So, no matter what anyone else has to say, PLEASE keep on spreading the word, as there will be some who will listen but for those who won't, they'll only be harming themselves. Stay blessed (and please continue to pray for the Catholic community as well, to be delivered?).

doohap said...

Thank you for your comments and words of encouragement. You are correct to say that we need to keep speaking out. Unfortunately, too many have not the eyes to see nor the ears to hear. Blessings to you, my friend.

a sister in Christ,
Phyllis

VoniWyoBear said...

Blessings Phyllis.

As usual, some of our Christian brothers and sisters prefer to find fault. You are precious and I'm sure your growth has been exponential.

Yes, I have heard friends speak of going to yoga too. Always, they are the ones that do not have a good grasp of the Word. Yes, I've tried to warn them, but sometimes they truly do not want to know the truth. I can either 'bash' them or I can walk with them in such a way to eventually steer them in the Right Way.

We have left a church recently that has been moving towards Emerging, but we haven't left our friends. Gradually (over a year now), we have begun to see some awakening as we subtley feed them Truth in small doses.

You, my dear, keep up the good work and keep blogging. You are a light on the hill and God loves you. :-)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this article. My 11 year old grand daughter told me on the way to school this morning that her teacher had her class watching a video called cosmic kids adventure and following along with the yoga poses.I am very alarmed by this. She is a fairly new christian and said she prayed to Jesus before beginning. She didn't feel right about the weird word that the instructor had them say at the beginning. My guess is that ii is the word you were describing in your article. I spoke with her Mom who didn't seem upset like I am. Please pray for my grandchild, Olivia.

Christ4Ever said...

Awesome, blog MSIC (My Sister in Christ) Phyllis!
Came across it from Lighthouse which is one of the sites I've used for keeping up to date on not only the creeping of New Age into the churches, but also Contemplative Spirituality which can easily be another means for allowing such practices to enter.
Don't worry about the folks who refuse to accept what you've by your own experiences prior to being saved and then as a newly born again Child of the Most High have seen to be true. Pray for them, and for your friends as well, who feel the innocence in doing these practices. OT constantly shows that the down fall of Israel was partly due to not only turning away from God, but also incorporating practices from other nations and religions.
For some odd reason many professing believers feel that God has changed from the OT to the NT. Especially when it concerns things they shouldn't being involved with, that "they" feel hurts no one. Same God, never changing. Malachi 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
As you well know, deception comes from many avenues of thought and practices currently winding their ways into the congregations of our churches today. Continue to be on guard, and never allow the nay sayers to silence you. You have a mighty protector (Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.), and guide (John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.) So Stand Strong sister! Psalm 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.
To be a bit more succinct in my praise for you and support for what you've written.
You've done good Phyllis :-)
I will add my prayers to yours for your friends.
YBIC
Nick
DE

doohap said...

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! May God bless you!

Phyllis

doohap said...

How hard it is to watch our children and grandchildren being exposed to such things as yoga, meditation and more through the secular education that we have come to rely on. Would that all children could be homeschooled by loving, Christian parents or that parents could afford to send their children to good, biblically-sound Christian schools.

Yes, I will certainly pray for Olivia and for her mother, that she may be awakened to the danger her child is in and rise to defend her. As a grandmother with children in public schools also, I will hold you, too, in my prayers.

Your sister in Christ,
Phyllis

doohap said...

Thank you, MBIC! :)

You are so kind and generous with your compliments. All glory, however, goes to God for pulling me up out of the mire! Praise The Lord!

Appreciating your prayers for my friends,
YSIC,
Phylis

Can you tell I like your use of acronyms? :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your article Phylis. My husband and I are greatly concerned with how deep into the deception we are. He is a Baptist minister and we have had people leave our church because we vigorously oppose false doctrine and the emergent church. We are in the beginning of "birth pangs" and the great falling away. This was prophesied to occur, but true believers MUST stand firm.

Kiwi4Jesus said...

Excellent article Phyllis!!!!!You have made it easy to understand, you line it up with scripture and you do not personally attack anyone. It would be good if every Christian (and non ) could read this. There is so much compromise and trying to Christianise every pagan activity in these times. Bless you ....

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