Kabbalah

Read an excellent article by Adam R Holz in the Plugged In mag. I condensed the info down into a cheat sheet so we can remember it.
Popularized by: 13th Century Jew Named Moses de Leon
Texts: The Zohar (23 volumes) & the Tora (first 5 books of the O.T.)
Claims: Zohar calims secret almost magical insights into reality can be unlocked in the Torah.
Providing the true names of everything, including angels ,demons ,& God
Promise : Mastery over natures elements. Such knowledge was traditionally reserved for Jewish men 40 or older with rigorous theological training. In 1971 Rabbi Philip Berg's second wife, Karen, suggested that Kabbalah's wisdom should be available to everyone.
This made the Berg's very wealthy.
New Approach : Instead of making people study the Zohar's many writings the Kabbalah centers sell the multi-volume work as a magical talisman for $415. By simply moving your eyes or fingers over it's Hebrew text it supposedly open your mind to a New Age connection with the Light.
Plus a belief in the healing power of Kabbalah water for $3. a bottle
Plus the red string bracelet for $26. The bracelet is made in China but is supposedly blessed by rabbis in Israel. It supposedly wards off the evil eye of enemies

Yoga & the New Age

Read an excellent article in Oct. Focus on the Family mag. by Susan Graham Mathis I condensed the info into a cheat sheet so we can remember the facts more readily.

Yoga : claims to be a stress relieving relaxation exorcize which is true but it soon escalates into transcendental meditation ;chanting ;breathing ; finding the god within yourself.

Ultimate goal : to become one w/ god ; but god is just a cosmic force not a supreme person.

New Age Teachings : No longer believe in sin ; simply achieve higher consciousness

Thru meditation become divine ; apart from God.

If you feel something is true ,it is true

Trust your instincts & feelings ; the intellect is too limited

You become free by reuniting w/ the god within yourself

there is no real evil ; only ignorance

there is no redemption from sin ; only enlightenment

there is no supreme being or creator ; only a cosmic force

meditation is emptying the mind of thoughts to become enlightened

God is within yourself

Salvation is not recognizing your sin ; but raising your consciousness level to inner divinity

All religions are the same

Biblical Teaching : Biblical meditation is not emptying the mind but engaging the mind to focus on God & Bible truths.

Sin is a reality & must be repented of ,confessed to God & forsaken

God reaches down to man w/ grace & forgiveness thru the blood of Jesus sacrifice

Bible warns that dabbling in spiritual world is off limits & can lead to contact w/ the demonic

Bible teaches contacting any spiritual force other tham God is dangerous

New Age : Offers a gratifying sense of spirituality without making any demands of obedience.

Makes no requirements of morality

Uses Christian jargon while rejecting spiritual truths of scripture

Introduced in schools thru gym class or free library time

Promoted in many TV shows & mivies such as Star Wars (the force be w/you)

Satan masquerades as an angel of light

New Age Activities : meditation ; yoga ; transcendental meditation ; chanting ; channeling ; higher self teaching ; dream work ; tarot cards ; re-imaging ; guided imagery ; crystals ; angel contact ; soul brightening ; tai chi ; aligned energy fields ; past-life therapy ; horoscopes ; astrology ; reincarnation ; psychic powers ; necromancy (communicating w/ the dead) ; spiritual messengers (guides) ; sacred psychology ; rebirthing ; lifr force teachings ; higher consciousness ; universal mind ; karma ; Silva Mind control ; hypnosis ; drug use ; aura detecting ; Mother earth worship ; divination.

Other names & forms of New Age : Cosmic Humanisn ; Zen ; Relativism ; Spiritism ; Taoism ; Gnosticism ; Theosophy ; Monism ; Scientology ; Wicca ; Ancient folk religions ; Animism ; Nature worship ; Pantheism ; Neopaganism ; The Goddess Movement ; Kabbalah

Scientology

Read an excellent article by Adam R. Holz in the Sept. Plugged In mag. I condensed the info into a cheat sheet so we can share w/ others who may be caught up in this false doctrine.

Founder : L. Ron Hubbard (writer of fiction stories before founding Dianetics)

Based on : Book entitled "Dianetics : The Modern Science Of Mental Health"

Premise : Based on connections between mind,body, life, & reincarnation

Took psycho-therapy & added a spiritual dimention.

Based on Auditing which is a combination of confession & psychotherapy which a trained therapist helps someone address traumatic memories.

Central teaching : the spiritual nature within called a Theton is immortal & has been reincarnated thru countless past lives. Not only do traumas of this life need to be purged ,but the residue from pasr lives also must be cleansed.

Autiting Process : Relies on a machine called an E-meter. Similar to a lie detector it supposedly helps you become cleared of negative memories called engrams.

These negative engrams keep you from reaching your full potential.

Scientologists who progress thru this expensive series of audits are recognized as Operational Thetans or OT's

After the audits are accomplished there are eight more rungs on the Scientology ladder to climb granting power over matter, energy ,space ,& time.

Advanced Thetons: Will learn Hubbard's beliefs about the origin's of the universe.

A galactic tyrant named Xenu who lived 75 billion years ago murdered billions of people on earth by chaining them to volcanoes & nuking them.

Hubbard believes the microscopic remains of Xenu's victims have settled in our bodies & need to be purged out an elaborate physical & dietary regimen

Cost : Total cost of progressing to the level of a revered O.T. VIII is about $380,000. They expect you to get a lone or empty your retirement if necessary.

John Wesley's More Excellent Way

Today I read quotes from John Wesley.

From his sermon The More Excellent Way it says

"From long experience & observation I'm inclined to think that whoever finds redemption in the blood of Jesus, has then the choice of walking in the higher or lower path.

I believe at that time the Holy Spirit sets before him the "More excellent way" and invites him to walk therein; to choose the narrowest path in the narrow way; to aspire after the heights and depths of holiness, after the entire image of God.

But if He does not except this offer, He declines into the lower order of Christians.

He still goes on in what may be called a good way, serving God in His degree and finds mercy at the close of life, thru the blood of the covenant." But he doesn't experience the more intimate fellowship of holiness and closeness he could have had.