Have you ever known someone that is more concerned with the next move of God or wave of the Spirit rather than reading , understanding, and applying the principles of God into their daily living. I do, there are numerous charismatic signs and wonders chasers being deceived in the Body of Christ and in the Church today. I can compare it to a surfer trying to catch the ultimate wave, going from beach to beach in search of the ultimate wave but never finding it. The search for the next wave in Charismatic circles has led believers down a path away from Jesus instead of towards Him.
Many have having fearful days because of the prophecy that is being fulfilled before our eyes. We don’t talk about this fear, because we fear looking like immature believers, or unspiritual. I wanted to cover this topic in this video and to let those who are having some fears that our God is with us and will not leave us alone during these hard times.
OK, this might be a bit controversial, as I’m going to challenge a charismatic shibboleth…
I have had a blog entry in preparation for a couple of years now on the meaning of “word of knowledge”, as I am not sure that the what charismatics tend to use this phrase to mean is what Paul means when he uses it. Many charismatics use “word of knowledge” to refer to supernaturally obtained knowledge about a person. For example, when Jesus says to the woman at the well, “you have five husbands”, this would be seen as a “word of knowledge”. Personally I think that this would more naturally be called a gift of “prophecy” (Gk: propheteia) or even “revelation” (Gk: apocalypsis).
What’s more, there are some concerns I have with the way this gift is used. Very often it takes the form of announcing a specific fact about a non-specific person in a meeting. In other words, it starts with “there is someone here who…”. Now all the examples of “words of knowledge” that can be found in the Bible were directed specifically at the person they relate to. This meant they could be tested, at the very least by the recipient of the word of knowedge. And where Christians use any spiritual gift, that gift should be tested.
I think this non-person-speicific approach can result in “words of knowledge” that are very vague and therefore can be seen as a risk-free form of prophecy, where there is no come-back if it misses the mark. I sometimes hear what I call “words of statistical probablity” e.g. “there is someone here with a bad back” in a room of 500 people. People argue that it causes faith for healing to rise in the hearers. I would say that I have spoken to many for whom this type of utterance leads to skepticism. I have seen non-Christian magicians wow gullible people with probability tricks – “does the name ‘Steve’ mean anything to you?”. I’m not saying that God can’t give a specific prophecy without telling the prophet who it is for, but it just strikes me as out of keeping with the biblical precedents we have.
Anyway, I am not convinced we have enough exegetical material to know exactly what Paul means when he talks about a “word of knowledge”. It is only mentioned briefly in passing (1 Cor 12:8), and not given a definition. The Greek word for “knowledge” (gnosis) could refer to natural knowledge – the type you get by studying and learning, but also could refer to supernaturally revealed knowledge (hence the “gnostics”).
So which is it? Let’s survey the places the word occurs in 1 Corinthians to see whether it refers to knowledge obtained by natural means (i.e. being taught), or by supernatural revelation.
1 Cor 1:5 in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge – probably natural knowledge
1 Cor 8:1 we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. – again probably natural knowledge
1 Cor 8:7 However, not all possess this knowledge. – again natural knowledge (also 1 Cor 8:10,11)
1 Cor 12:8 to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit – the verse in question. not enough information from the context to decide
1 Cor 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. – could be either in this context.
1 Cor 13:8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. – OK, now we have the feeling that Paul can use “knowledge” to refer to some kind of supernatural revelation. Surely we will not all be ignoramuses in heaven.
1 Cor 14:6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? – I’ve seen lots of attempts to differentiate between these four terms. I have no idea who is right. Here’s my suggestion. Paul is saying: “revelation or knowledge … in other words … prophecy or teaching” i.e. revelation is another word for prophecy and knowledge is another word for teaching. Its only a guess though.
1 Cor 15:34 For some have no knowledge of God. – this is talking about personal knowledge rather than factual so doesn’t help us
I won’t bore you with all of Paul’s other uses of this term (and there are a lot), but suffice to say that on the whole when “knowledge” refers to knowledge of factual information rather than personal knowledge of God, its source seems to be through natural means. So someone teaches us doctrine, or we study the scriptures ourselves, and we come to have knowledge – knowledge of the truth about God, about doctrine, about the mystery of salvation. In other words, with the exception of 1 Cor 13:8, it seems Paul does not usually use knowledge to mean “something that I didn’t learn from any person or book – God dropped it into my head”. Prophecy or revelation are the words to describe that. What’s more, the knowledge Paul is usually talking about seems to be doctrinal in nature – which again is out of keeping with the idea of facts about people being the normal content of a “word of knowledge”.
So on balance I am tempted to think that the gift of knowledge refers to some who has a working understanding of the Bible and a good grasp of theology, who edifies the church by explaining things to people, whether it be one on one, in a small group context, or in a teaching ministry. They bring a “word of knowledge”, by applying that knowledge in a way that teaches people, and gives them insight to see and appreciate how the Bible applies to them, and to understand God and the gospel better. This is not a dry intellectual gift – the Holy Spirit is impressing these truths on them as they study the word so they can share them with others.
What prompted me to finally post about this was that I listened to Mark Driscoll preaching on 1 Cor 12 (listen here), and he takes a similar line, arguing that the person with this gift is a “book geek” who loves to study and research, and is over the moon at the arrival of a new parcel from Amazon. People with this gift assimilate loads of information and like to hear all sides of an argument. They become a “google for Jesus” as people come to them to ask difficult questions and they love to explain what they have learned in a way that is accessible. Although its a long sermon, its well worth listening to. He also explains in it that his position on the gifts is that he is a “charismatic with a seatbelt”, and his definition of how you know whether you are in a charismaniac church is hilarious (11 minutes in to the sermon). The discussion of the gift of knowledge is towards the end of the sermon.
Anyway, whatever the gift of “knowledge” really means, I like the idea of studying to be a “google for Jesus”. I think that kind of describes a lot of Christian bloggers – theology book lovers who are looking for people to share what they have read with.
Spiritual Abuse Survey: Is YOUR church a safe place?
Take the survey from wickedshepherds.com and see!
Here is a questionnaire to determine just how healthy your church really is. To find out how well it ranks, answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions:
•Does your church tightly control the flow of information within its ranks?
•Does the head of your church, along with the other “leaders”, use public shaming as a method to gain the compliance of followers?
•Does the head of your church and his “fellow elders” appear to be intolerant or consider it evil persecution when criticized or questioned?
•Are you discouraged to associate with former members, being warned that they are “evil” or “defiling”; a “danger to your spiritual welfare”?
•Is leaving your church to join another church that “is not approved by the elders” equal to leaving God?
•Do you fear being rebuked, shunned, or ignored for expressing a different opinion?
•At church, is there a sense of control, rather than support?
•Is there a relentless obsession of reminding the sheep of “who’s in authority”?
•Are you told not to ask questions as to why others have left? Are you told to accept the statements that the “elders” give you?
•Are books, tapes and CD’s, speakers, music, etc., carefully controlled to keep only the belief structure of your church before your mind?
•Is there is a relentless campaign to keep you around the activities of your church, expecting you to be at all the stated meetings, except if providentially hindered? And if you are absent, is your spirituality and dedication sometimes questioned?
•Is the concept ever so subtly present that, “when you please the “pastor”, God is pleased and when your “pastor” is not pleased with you, God is not pleased with you?
•Is there present, the breaking of even the closest family ties, to “guard” the flock?
•Is there the constant using of guilt and shame as tools of control?
•Is there present at your church the encouragement of the members to spy and report on each other, lest sin be found in the midst?
•Is there present at your church the dominant climate of fear in the group – fear of failing to keep one of the rules, and fear of being held up to public humiliation and rejection?
•At church, are the normal lines between what is private and what is public knowledge broken, and members confess the most personal, and the most minor sins, as the conscience is being surrendered to the “leadership”?
•Are many (if not all) of the results from voting at “congregational business meetings” announced as….. “it is unanimous!”?
•Is questioning condemned as “whispering, back- biting, vicious slander, gossip, nit picking, signs of a proud rebellious spirit, being disaffected and divisive?
•Are those who dissent publicly punished? Are their reputations murdered by veiled, or not so veiled “revelations” of “sins”; past and present, as confidentiality is broken for the benefit of the leaders?
•Is there a misplaced loyalty from Jesus and God onto the leadership, which is idolatry?
•Is there harsh preaching and full of condemnation for your failures and are you deliberately being kept wounded and off balance by the haranguing and condemnation from the pulpit?
•Is “Persevere or be damned” and “listen to YOUR elders; obey YOUR elders”; “submit to YOUR elders” preached over and over again?
•Is paranoia the “very air you breathe”? Paranoia of falling from grace; thinking for yourselves; breaking the many unspoken rules as well as the clearly spelled out expectations of the leader?
•Are you becoming paranoid – carefully watching your every word and even gesture, lest someone report your faults?
•Does a code of silence reign at your church? Is no one to divulge the business of the church, or the faults of the leadership?
•Do the spiritual leaders at your church seem to give you the impression that either covertly or overtly, they have the right to tell you how you should manage your own family; presuming that they know your own family better than you know yourself?
RESULTS
If you answered “no” to all of the above questions, your church is relatively healthy. If you answered “yes” to a quarter or more, your church is showing signs of being unhealthy. If you answered “yes” to half or more, your church is very, very unhealthy. If you answered “yes” to three-quarters or more, your church is an authoritarian cult.
The Loaded Language Of The Prophetic Movement
Article By Keith fromhere
“I want to begin this post by stating clearly that this is not going to be a theological discussion per se. It is primarily going to be the discussion of a sociological phenomena that has been observed through the study of prisoners of war and those involved in cult movements. This post was prompted by the nearly universal lack of reasoning and independent thinking skills of those who continue to post on the blog in favor the modern prophets. This is one of the many parallels between the modern prophetic movement and the world of the cults.
I am convinced that one of the primary reasons for this is the continual use of “loaded language” within the movement.
For those who may be unfamiliar with this term, please allow me to give a very brief and extremely oversimplified history. Robert Lifton did extensive study on the “reprogramming” techniques used by the Chinese on prisoners of war and other political prisoners. He identified several key elements that were nearly universal that were able to bring about “thought reform”. Later, Margaret Thaler Singer, Steven Hassan, and Ronald Enroth built on and modified Lifton’s model as they noticed many of the same techniques being used in cults and spiritually abusive groups to bring about a “group think” among their adherents.
One of these techniques is the use of “loaded language”. Loaded language involves a couple of practices. First, it involves the use of words and phrases that become a unique language to the members of the group itself. (See the IHOP glossary of terms at http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?id=26446for an example. This is only a partial list.) These catch phrases or slogans are laced throughout the teaching ministry of the group.
This language is difficult for those outside the movement to comprehend. In fact, I would submit that many of the members themselves would have an extremely difficult time giving any precise definition to these catch phrases as well. But it goes further.
Loaded language also has a thought-terminating effect on the individuals who use them. Much like the defeaters that Drew has dealt with in previous posts, these phrases do not allow the users thought processes to progress any further. They are a type of mental boundary. They provide easy, simplistic answers to issues and questions. The main purpose they serve within the group is to stifle thoughtful inquiry. These cliche’s become so ingrained in the adherents mental processes that they are accepted without question or reservation and are advanced in knee-jerk fashion when any challenge to the group’s belief arises.
I have become convinced, primarily through the different members of the prophetic who have posted on this blog, that the prophetic movement abounds with this thought-terminating, loaded language. Let me give some examples.
Immediately when someone outside the movement asks where a particular practice is found in the Scripture the loaded language kicks in.
“This is part of the new wineskins that God is bringing forth in this generation.”
Or simply,
“God is doing a new thing.” (Or some variation of the same statement.)
Press further and begin to point out that a particular belief or practice is unknown in church or Biblical history or is contrary to the character of God and you get more loaded language.
“God can’t be put in a box.”
“God is tearing down the religious spirit.”
“You are stuck in your tradition.”
Dare to challenge a particular leader or call into question their doctrine and one runs into more loaded language.
“We are not to judge.”
“Why are you coming against him?”
“Love covers but judgment uncovers.”
“If it is not of God it will fail but if it is of God you can’t stop it.”
“Look at the fruit.”
“Touch not my anointed.”
“Truth is a person, not a doctrine.”
“Jesus is more important than doctrine.”
Ask them to evaluate their seeming out of control behavior and you get….
“God offends the mind to reveal the heart.”
“God doesn’t want us living from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Push too hard and the ad hominem attacks begin.
“You have a jezebel spirit.”
“You have a religious spirit.”
“Satan is the accuser of the brethren.”
I could go on longer but you get the idea. There is a definite “group think” and “group speak” within the prophetic movement. The real issue to note however is that these phrases have VERY LITTLE REAL MEANING AND VIRTUALLY NO SUBSTANCE BEHIND THEM. Their sole function is to keep the person in the movement from taking a serious, thoughtful, reflective look at what they are involved in. It’s like mental insulation or blinders.
The real damage from loaded language, other than the fact that it keeps the user in the group, is that it stunts the adherents reasoning abilities. The person using the loaded language actually believes he/she has given an answer to the question raised! Whereas they have really never dealt substantively with the issues.
As an interesting side note, while the group member staunchly proclaims his freedom, his thinking has actually become very rigid, i.e. “Everything our group does is automatically ok. Anyone who disagrees is a devil.”
These cliche’s must be challenged. It is important to try to force the members past the slogans to actually thinking for themselves again. When this is done, the member may experience a “crisis of faith” in which he actually becomes open to looking at the Scriptures without the grid of the group.”
A LIST OF NEW WORLD ORDER EVENTS IN THE YEAR 2000
MINI-DESPATCH, February 12, 2000.
From W.B. Howard, editor of Despatch magazine.
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Year 2000 Calendar of Events
This calendar represents only a partial listing of the most significant one world events scheduled for next year. New events may be announced. (Permission to copy this calendar and the attached letter is granted and encouraged.)
December 24, 1999 – December 31, 2000: “Holy Year 2000”
Where: Rome, Italy
From Christmas 1999 to 2000, the Vatican is expecting millions of tourists to visit the basilicas of Rome in celebration of Catholicism’s Great Jubilee. Throughout the year, a multitude of events and announcements will take place. There will be interfaith meetings promoting religious unity, as well as proposals to eliminate world debt through new economic structures.
December 31, 1999 – January 2, 2000: “72 Hours”
Where: Global
“72 Hours” is an interfaith bridge building project of the United Religions Initiative – the UN associated world interfaith body. Throughout these 3 days, groups of people from around the world will engage in inter religious peace and unity initiatives.
December 31, 1999 – January 1, 2000: “Millennium Celebrations at the Great Pyramids of Giza”
Where: Egypt
This massive celebration, involving many of the world’s top political and economic leaders, will feature a spectacular multimedia sound and light show designed to welcome in the “golden age” of the new millennium. To cement this New Year’s Eve party, a gold covered capstone will be air-lifted and placed on top of the now-capless Great Pyramid of Cheops, symbolizing the dawn of the new occult order. This event hicks off the Millennium Symposium.
January 1-3, 2000: “Millennium Symposium on Great Challenges of Our Time”
Where: Egypt, Great Pyramids of Giza
The Millennium Symposium is a three-day event sponsored by UNESCO and produced by the Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations IJniversity. During these three days a host of speakers and workshops will focus on the upcoming global changes facing humanity, including issues of world governance, the creation of a global sustainable society, and the shaping of new planetary security strategies.
January 25,26: “North American Regional Hearings for the Millennium”
Where: Chicago, IL
Convened by the Gorbachev Foundation’s State of the World Forum at the behest of Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations. This Chicago based event will focus on “Strengthening the U.N. for the Challenges of the 215′ Century. ” The goal of the event is to provide direction and prepare for the up-coming UN Millennium Assembly.
March: “Pope John Paul II Trip to the Middle East”
Where: Israel & Other Nations to be Announced
This historic event will publicly place Pope John Paul in an unprecedented position of influence within the Middle East peace process. Vatican officials have already met with Palestinian and Israeli authorities to work out the details of the Pontiff s visit. The Pope’s mission: to bring peace and religious unity to the region and the world.
March 20: “World Citizenship Day”
Where: San Francisco, CA
On the first day of spring, the Association of World Citizens will host the first annual world citizenship event, which is intended to foster planetary allegiance and promote global government. As San Francisco was the founding city of the United Nations, so too it will be the home city of this expected-to-be annual world event.
March 24-26: “United Religions Initiative European Conference”
Where: Budapest, Hungary
The URI European Conference will be held with the aim of furthering the URI global interfaith program. It will pave the way for bold new religious initiatives to be presented later in the year.
April 3-7: “First Global People’s Assembly”
Where: Apia, Samoa
Hosted by the Samoa United Nations Association, this event is intended to regionally pave the way for the UN Millennium Assembly.
April 22: “Earth Day 2000″
Where: Global
“More than 300 million people in 150 nations are expected to participate in the largest Earth Day ever. It will also be the 30th anniversary of Earth Day.” Thousands of local and regional events are being planned to honor “Earth” at this time.
May 22-24: “Millennium International Children’s Conference”
Where: Eastbourne, United Kingdom
Organized by the United Nations, this global event is expected to bring together one thousand children to participate in discussions on “Sharing the Planet,” “Water is Life,” and other earth centered themes. Participants will approve an environmental plan of action to be presented to governments and people worldwide.
May 22-26: “NGO Millennium Forum”
Where: New York, NY
Non Government Organizations (NGOs) from around the world will gather at the United Nations to strategize for the Fall United Nations Millennium Assembly. The NGO Millennium Forum will seek to establish a new world vision and a global decision making process.
June 1-October 31: “Expo 2000”
Where: Hannover, Germany
This international conference will analyze the progress of the United Nations Agenda 21 program for world change. It will examine the Agenda’s affect on global society and determine what new steps need to be taken.
June 26: “United Religions Initiative Global Assembly”
Where: San Francisco, CA
This “Global Assembly” will witness the signing of the official URI Charter. It is anticipated that 60 million signatures will be obtained from people around the world in support of the URI and its Charter, leading to the birth of the United Religions Organization.
July 23-25: “FutureFocus 2000: Changes, Challenges & Choices”
Where: Houston, TX
This annual meeting of the World Future Society will examine the latest developments and trends shaping the new world civilization. Recommendations will be given.
August 24: “Meta-Nation 2000”
Where: Denver, CO
Meta-Nation 2000 is a “citizen initiative” aimed at establishing a “meta-nation” in which all of society can live and work in the new millennium. Towards this end, a “Constitutional Convention” is planned to be held in Denver to form a “space governance entity” and to raise massive private funds to accomplish this feat
August 12-15: “Humanity 3000 Symposium”
Where: Seattle, WA
“This will be an international symposium of approximately 100 of the world’s most prominent scholars, scientists, philosophers, humanists, historians, technologists and futurists, who will be brought together in the first of a series of international symposia. ” The purpose of this symposium is to review and identify the most important factors that affect global society and develop ideas and methods to address these issues.
August 28,29: “Millennium Summit of Religious Leaders”
Where: New York, NY
World religious leaders will discuss and celebrate global interfaithism in light of the new millennium.
September “Middle East Peace Signing”
Where: Israel
This is the month that a comprehensive peace agreement is to be signed, moving the entire region, specifically Israel, to embrace proposed dispute settlements. President Bill Clinton has already “vowed to do everything he can to broker a comprehensive regional settlement by the time he leaves office. ” Keep watch as the continuing bid for Israel and the city of Jerusalem unfolds.
September 5-9: “State of the World Forum”
Where: New York, NY
Gorbachev’s State of the World Forum, in conjunction with a host of UN agencies, will convene its annual gathering of world leaders to correspond with the UN Millennium Assembly. Discussions will focus on the future of the United Nations and increasing its authority through world law.
September 6: “United Nations Millennium Assembly and Summit”
Where: New York, NY
One of the most important events of the year. Thousands of leaders from around the world will gather in New York City to take part in the UN Millennium Assembly and Summit. It is at this point that solid new directions on the implementation of global government are expected, including possible UN Charter revisions. It is hoped that a parallel People’s Assembly (a People’s World Parliament) will become a permanent feature at the United Nations, where Non Governmental Organizations from around the world would have a voice in the creation of a new world civilization.
December 1-6: “Social Transformation In The Asia Pacific Region”
Where: University of Wollongong and the University of Newcastle, Australia
This conference, organized by the Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies and UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations Programme, will be aimed at globalizing and transforming the world’s geo-political regions. The producer of this event, the American Council for the United Nations University, is working in cooperation with Egypt’s United Nations Resident Coordinator, the World Future Society, the Millennium Society, the Smithsonian Institute, Futures Group International, Cairo University, and the UNESCO Regional Office. Funding for the event is coming from General Motors, The Foundation for the Future, the Alan F. Kay and Hazel Henderson Foundation for Social Innovation, Deloite & Touche, the United Nations University, and the U.S. Army Environmental Policy Institute. Event speakers include Ismail Serageldin, VP of the World Bank and Chairman of the World Water Commission; Hans van Ginkel, Undersecretary General of the United Nations and Rector of the UN University; and Kennedy Graham, Director of the United Nations University International Leadership Academy.
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Calendar prepared by
EIope For The World
P.O. Box 899
Noblesville IN 46061-0899
317-290-HOPE (4673) http://www.garykahorg
What is ‘New Age’ Religion, and Why Can’t Christians Get on Board?
Barbara Curtis
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
If you haven’t run into it before, it would be hard to avoid it now. Oprah’s rolling out the red carpet for the New Age: a weekly online class with New York Times bestselling guru Eckhart Tolle and a daily broadcast with Marianne Williamson, whose Course in Miracles was beckoning seekers thirty years ago when I was tripping through the wonderland of discovering my own divinity and wielding the powers of the universe to create my own reality.
Ah, but I didn’t know Jesus back then – that is, I didn’t know him as the Son of God. I knew him only through my guru, who taught that Jesus was a great spiritual master and who blended quotes from the New Testament with quotes from the Bhagavad-Gita to produce a spiritual foundation for people like me – too hip, too cool, too sophisticated to tie themselves to the narrow-minded thinking of Christianity.
As someone plucked out miraculously from the New Age, I can only hope that Christians who love and trust Oprah will not blur the lines of their faith. Oprah has stated that though she was raised as a Baptist, she no longer believes that Jesus is the only way to reach God. It sounds so much more rational and compassionate, doesn’t it?
Why can’t we all just get along?
There are questions we don’t have the answers to. And there are questions that are not seeking an answer, but rather opening a door leading to “a wider path” – questions like the one posed long ago: “Hasn’t God said that you could eat of every tree of the garden?”
The New Age is based on concepts that sound almost irresistible. Like Eve, some hear the spiels of modern gurus like Tolle and Willamson and begin to think the faith of their fathers is too rigid, too narrow – that God would never impose an “irrational” boundary between us and “full knowledge of the spiritual realm.”
Sometimes the lie creeps in subtly as Christians begin to research natural or holistic medicine – alternatives which can be very God-honoring but for years were shunned by Christians, thus becoming New Age territory by default. Or a doctor may recommend yoga or meditation to reduce stress. No matter how uplifting and innocent some New Age practices appear, Christians need discernment in these areas, just as at the seashore they need to know where the undertow begins.
The more we understand the distinctions between New Age religion and Christianity, the less vulnerable we are ourselves and the better able to address the confusion of people who may be – as I once was – earnestly seeking the truth.
What exactly is the New Age? Impossible to narrow down, the New Age is actually a vast smorgasbord of beliefs and practices. Each New Ager fills his tray with whatever assortment fits his appetite. All is liberally seasoned with self-centeredness. It’s really a Have-It-Your-Way religion – thus its modern appeal.
Although there are many branches of New Age thought – ranging from meditation to firewalking – they stem from an ancient stock. The roots of the New Age tree spread around the globe to India. One might think that the desperate, degraded human condition of a land dominated by Hinduism would speak louder than words about the truth of the religion. But New Agers seem blind to the contradiction.
Instead the typical New Ager believes:
God is in everything (pantheism)
All things are one (monism)
Man is God
Mind creates reality
One’s own experience validates the truth
New Agers do not believe in evil. Therefore, they do not accept man’s problem as separation by sin from God. Instead, they believe that each of us has forgotten his or her own divinity. Therefore, the New Age solution is to seek “higher consciousness” through meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, diet, crystals, channeling. spirit guides, and more. Each of these diverse practices has the same purpose: to awaken the god in man.
While these practices may seem too far out to pose much of a threat to those abiding in the truth, Christians need to be on guard. In the past twenty years, New Age influence has been steadily creeping into our culture in schools, corporations, and doctors’ offices. Since Star Wars, movies have become dominated by New Age spirituality. Reincarnation, karma, the cosmic consciousness – all these once obscure ideas have become commonplace.
A true understanding of New Age practices makes one thing clear: Eastern practices cannot be blended into Christianity to produce something better. New Agers are Universalists, believing that all paths lead to God. They fault Christians for being intolerant and narrow-minded. But God’s word anticipates this: “Enter the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13, NIV)
The good news is that, in a way, the New Ager’s broad acceptance holds the key to getting him back on the straight and narrow. Most New Agers hold Jesus in high regard, believing Him to be a great spiritual teacher, or guru. Many study the words He spoke, although they put a different spin on them.
How can we reach those under such subtle deception? The answer is Jesus Himself. Since Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” He Himself can be the common ground on which the New Ager and the Christian can meet, though one stands in darkness and one in light.
Here is a five-step approach to discussing Jesus with new Agers:
3. What did Jesus say about other spiritual paths?
“No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Jesus was either who he said He was or He was a fraud. Given His claims, we can’t logically believe he was only a great teacher, for He would have been teaching falsehood rather than truth (this is an argument by C. S. Lewis).
5. Jesus alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
New Agers are in a lot of confusion. That’s because they haven’t found the Truth, but only what fits into the spiritual perspective they have constructed. As in the Garden of Eden, the lie has never changed.
But neither has the Truth. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results from sharing with New Agers. In many cases – like my own – when they finally come to Christ, it’s because God had been planting seeds and watering for a long time. Just keep praying and loving and sharing the words of Jesus (from experience, I’d say they really won’t hear much else).
And remember, God loves New Age seekers too!
Barbara Curtis, now a prolific Christian writer, was a New Age seeker for seven years before learning the truth about Jesus Christ in 1987. She lives with her husband Tripp in a rapidly-dwindling nest with 6 of their 12 children in Waterford, Virginia
The New Age Movement (NAM) is both a religious and a social movement. In fact, Western culture is currently experiencing a phenomenal, spiritual, ideological, and sociological shift. It is a religious world view that is alien and hostile to Christianity. It’s a multi-focused, multi-faceted synthesis, in varying degrees, of the Far Eastern, mystical religions, mainly Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Western Occultism, adapted to and influenced by Western, materialistic culture. It sometimes appears in secularized forms.
Prominent expressions of the NAM were carried on into more modern times in Europe and America by Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), transcendentalists like Thoreau, Emerson, and Wordsworth (early 1800s), and Theosophy introduced by Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) (The New Age Rage, pp. 22-24). The decade of the sixties witnessed a revival of Eastern mysticism as traditional values were being challenged. Zen, Carlos Castañada, the Beatles, Transcendental Meditation, and yoga all became popular.
The New Age Movement consists of an incredibly huge and well organized network consisting of thousands of groups, trusts, foundations, clubs, lodges, and religious groups whose goal and purpose is to prepare the world to enter the coming “Age Of Aquarius.” A small sampling of only a few of the organizations involved would include: Amnesty International, Zero Population Growth, California New Age Caucus, New World Alliance, World Goodwill, The Church Universal and Triumphant, The Theosophical Society, the Forum, Planetary Initiative for the World We Choose, the Club of Rome, Church Universal & Triumphant, Christian Science, and the Unity School of Christianity. This list, by no means all inclusive, demonstrates the diversity of organizations operating in economic, political, and religious spheres of influence.
The New Age movement is not a unified, traditional cult system of beliefs and practices, even though its roots derive from Eastern religions and the occult. It has no official leader, headquarters, nor membership list, but instead is a network of groups working toward specific goals. One of its main goals is to bring to the forefront a one-world leader who is called “The Christ” or “Maitreya.” Nevertheless, it is estimated that there are millions of worldwide followers of various New Age practices and/or holders of one or more of the major beliefs of the New Age.
The NAM has gained significant influence, affecting almost every area of the culture — sociology, psychology, medicine, the government, ecology, science, arts, education, the business community, the media, entertainment, sports, and even the church. The movement expresses itself in widely divergent and various mutated forms, from the blatantly obvious to the subtle. It is expressed in organized religious forms such as Christian Science, Unity, and even forms of Witchcraft. Yet, it shows up in secular forms as well, in various human potential seminars, and much in between, i.e., transcendental meditation, some alternative holistic health practices, and certain curriculum in public (and private) schools.
The book Networking lists over 1,200 organizations, centers, cooperatives, groups, communities, and networks in fields ranging from health care and spiritual growth, through politics, economics, and ecology, to education, communications, personal growth, and intercultural relations. There is hardly any area of human interest that does not have some people somewhere exploring it from a New Age point of view. Due to the lack of a central organization and the diversity of emphasis adhered to by the various New Age groups, there are literally hundreds of publications. Some popular publications and journals are New Age Journal, Body Mind Spirit, Yoga Journal, Gnosis, East West, Noetic Sciences, and Omega.
The major goal of the New Age Movement is to bring peace to the world upon entering the Age of Aquarius. This will be accomplished primarily through the leadership of “the Christ” (also known as “Lord Maitreya”), who will supposedly come to teach us to live at peace with each other. Some of the other stated goals of the movement are to establish a World Food Authority, World Water Authority, World Economic Order, and an entirely New World Order. It should be noted here that one of the requirements for a person to enter the New Age is that he or she will have to take what is known as a “Luciferic Initiation,” a kind of pledge of allegiance to the Christ of the New Age and to the New World Order. The primary goals of the movement then, are to prepare the world to receive the Christ and to enter the Age of Aquarius, thus establishing the New World Order.
The New Age Movement professes a broad-minded openness to all religions, but its basic underlying philosophy represents a carefully calculated undermining of Judeo-Christian beliefs with various combinations of gnosticism and occultism. [Gnosticism is an ancient world-view stating that Divine essence is the only true or highest reality, and that the unconscious Self of man is actually this essence. It is through intuitional discovery, “visionary experience or initiation into secret doctrine” (not the plenary revelation of propositional truth in the Bible), that man becomes conscious of this true Self (Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 10, 1968, p. 506; New Bible Dictionary, J.D. Douglas, ed., pp. 473-474).] It bears a remarkable resemblance to the apostate world religion that H.G. Wells claimed as his own and predicted would one day take over the world. It also fits the description of “The Plan” for establishing the new world government that is described in various psychic communications from alleged E.T.’s and ascended masters. There is one more connection: the New Age Movement fits the description of the Antichrist’s religion — a rejection of the Judeo-Christian God and the declaration that Self is God. (Source: The Seduction of Christianity.)
Douglas R. Groothuis, author of Unmasking the New Age and Confronting the New Age, identifies six distinctives of New Age thinking: (1) all is one; (2) all is God; (3) humanity is God; (4) a change in consciousness; (5) all religions are one; and (6) cosmic evolutionary optimism. Norman Geisler details 14 primary “doctrines” of New Age religions: (1) an impersonal god (force); (2) an eternal universe; (3) an illusory nature of matter; (4) a cyclical nature of life; (5) the necessity of reincarnations; (6) the evolution of man into Godhood; (7) continuing revelations from beings beyond the world; (8) the identity of man with God; (9) the need for meditation (or other consciousness-changing techniques); (10) occult practices (astrology, mediums, etc.); (11) vegetarianism and holistic health; (12) pacifism (or anti-war activities); (13) one world (global) order; and (14) syncretism (unity of all religions). [HJB]
The New Age also encompasses a wide array of notions: spiritualism, astrology, bioenergy, Chi energy, chakras, nirvana, Christ-consciousness, Native American Spirituality, Prajna, out-of-body/near-death experiences, reincarnation, and the occult disciplines, as well as unorthodox psychotherapeutic techniques and pseudoscientific applications of the “healing powers” of crystals and pyramids. Some commonly used New Age terms are: guided imagery, reincarnation; positive thinking; human potential; holistic; holographic; synergistic; unity; oneness; transformation; awakening; networking; communal sharing; one-world/globalism/new world order (i.e., one language, one government, one currency, one religion); cosmic consciousness; etc. (See New Age Dictionary below.)
It is important for Christians to recognize even the most disguised forms of the New Age Movement. Some New Age practices are: rebirthing; inner healing; biofeedback; yoga; I Ching; reflexology; black and white magic; fire-walking; trance-channeling; therapeutic touch; transpersonal psychology; witchcraft; parapsychology; Magick; Tai Chi; Shamanism; hypnotherapy; acupuncture/acupressure; TM; martial arts; Zen; Relaxation; Erhard Seminar Training (est); Silva Method (formerly Silva Mind Control); visualization; etc. Some prominent New Agers are: Alice Bailey, Alvin Toffler, Dr. Barbara Ray, Benjamin Creme, Levi Dowling, George Trevelyan, Fritjof Capra, Abraham Maslow, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Ruth Montgomery, Shirley MacLaine, J.Z. Knight, Marilyn Ferguson, David Spangler, Jeremy Rifkin, Norman Cousins, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, John Denver, George Lucas, and Norman Lear.
Many New Agers attach great importance to artifacts, relics, and sacred objects, all of which can be profitably offered for sale: Tibetan bells, exotic herbal teas, Viking runes, solar energizers, colored candles for “chromotherapy,” and a plethora of occult books, pamphlets, instructions, and tape recordings. Crystals are the favorite New Age object. These are not only thought to have mysterious healing powers, but are considered programmable, like a computer, if one just concentrates hard enough. Other New Age objects would include the rainbow; butterfly; pyramid; triangle; eye in triangle/pyramid; unicorn; Pegasus (winged-horse); swastika; yin-yang; goathead on pentagram; concentric circles; rays of light; crescent moon; etc.
New Age music is a term applied to the works of various composers and musicians who strive to create soothing audio environments rather than follow song structures. Born of an interest in spirituality and healing in the late 1970s, it is often used as an aid in meditation. The defining features of New Age music are harmonic consonance, contemplative melodies, nonlinear song forms, and uplifting themes. New Age performers may use traditional ethnic, acoustic, electric, or electronic instruments, or even sounds from nature. New Age music is meditative, almost invariably instrumental style with roots in Oriental, jazz, and classical music; often derivative, New Age compositions can sound like minimalist music or like lush evocations of the natural environment. Prominent New Age musicians include electronic-music pioneer Brian Eno, multi-instrumentalist Kitaro; solo-piano artist George Winston, vocalist Liz Story; harpist Andreas Vollenweider, and electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.
Athletes are using guided imagery. Graduate schools of business are invoking Zen, yoga, and tarot cards in teaching courses on creativity in business (e.g., Stanford Graduate School of Business). Stock market gurus employ Fibonacci numbers and “wave theory” in their forecasting, both based upon astrology. Even some churches teach that the best way to get to know God is to visualize Christ, ignoring that visualization is a powerful occult device. (Visualizing an entity, even God or Christ, ultimately puts one in touch with a masquerading demon.)
In summary, the term “New Age” is an informal term derived from astrology, which indicates that this earth, if not the cosmos, is on the verge of an evolutionary transition from the Piscean Age (rationality) to the Aquarian Age of spirituality, bliss, and harmony of all things. Even though it is undergoing a significant revival, the “New Age” is hardly new. In fact, it is very old. A better term would be the “Old Occult.”
Keeping in mind that the myriads of New Age groups are quite eclectic, drawing from several religious traditions mentioned earlier, the following is a general description of the more prominent unifying themes of the NAM. i.e., the highlights of what New Agers believe concerning their source of authority, God, Christ, sin and salvation, good and evil, Satan, and future life:
1. Source of Authority. New Agers claim no external source of authority — only an internal one (“the god within”). They believe the individual is the standard of truth, saying that “truth as an objective reality simply does not exist” (Shirley MacLaine, It’s All in the Playing) (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; Matt. 5:18).
[HJB]
2. God. New Agers confuse the Creator with His creation and think that God is part of creation, not separate from it. They borrow from Eastern religions the belief in monism — that “all is One” — only one essence in the universe, everyone and everything being a part of that essence. Everything is a different form of that essence (energy, consciousness, power, love, force). But the belief in monism is really Hinduistic pantheism (all is God). New Agers view God as an impersonal life force, consciousness, or energy (M. Ferguson, Aquarian Conspiracy, p. 382; S. Gawain, Living In the Light, pp. 7-8) (e.g., the “Star Wars Force”), rather than a Person. They believe that every person and thing is “intertwined” with God (evolving spiritually to the state of “the Christ” being), and use Luke 17:21 (“the kingdom of God is within you”) to support this idea (despite the fact that “within you” in this passage means “in your midst”). They claim every human has a divine spark within him because of being part of the divine essence. The state of God is called by various terms among different New Age groups, i.e., God-consciousness, Universal Love, Self-Realization, the I AM, Higher Self, Brahman, Nirvana, etc. New Agers are obviously part of a religion of idolatry and self-worship.
[HJB]
3. Jesus Christ. A major idea in New Age thinking is that of the “Christ Consciousness.” In other words, Christ is an office rather than an individual, such as Jesus, whom Christians know to be THE CHRIST. This idea of “Christ Consciousness” asserts that Jesus was not the only Christ, but that He equipped Himself to receive the “Christ Consciousness” (i.e., He was a great “spiritual master” who attained Christ Consciousness), as supposedly also did Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed. [This is an old occult Gnostic teaching which stems from the ancient Babylonian mystery religions. New Agers also reinvent the historical Jesus by claiming that he spent 18 years in India (during His “silent years”) absorbing Hinduism and the teachings of Buddha.] New Agers believe that Jesus received the Christ Consciousness at His baptism, and that it left Him at His crucifixion.
4. Sin and Salvation. There is no place for the concept of sin in the New Age. There can be no sin because there is no transcendent God to rebel against. There are no rules or absolute moral imperatives. New Agers have a “New Thought” view of sin, which knows nothing of a representative man (Adam) by whose sin all men sinned. Nor does New Thought teach that there is any original sin, but that man’s true essence is divine and perfect. Indeed, it finds nothing which is of the nature of sin. Instead, it speaks of “troublesome desires” which appear to be natural human impulses which direct men from consciousness to their identity with God, and, therefore, are troublesome but hardly sinful. Since New Agers believe that each person is god, thereby having endless potential for self-improvement, sin is denied as the Bible defines it (man being inherently sinful and utterly depraved — Rom. 5:12). Sin is merely ignorance of one’s “inner divinity.” Because sin does not exist, there is no need for repentance or forgiveness, and Jesus did not die for our sins. They think that any perceived lack that man might have is merely a lack of enlightenment, thereby eliminating the need of salvation or a Savior. [In fact, salvation is not even an issue for New Agers. The soul is part of the universe and never dies. It is reborn or reincarnated in different physical bodies in a succession of future lives. The good or bad “karma” earned in the present lifetime determines one’s subsequent incarnation. Humans should seek to progress to higher states of consciousness and higher planes of existence. There are many different paths to the goal of spiritual perfection. No one path is the only correct path. The assumed cycle of reincarnation and karma presupposes a salvation by works, contrary to the principle of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9).]
5. Man’s Destiny. The salvation of the world depends upon human beings. When enough people harmonize their positive energy and turn their thoughts to peace, the world will be cleansed or negative elements and New Age ideals will be realized in an era of spiritual enlightenment. Since man is intrinsically divine and perfect, his only real problem is ignorance of that fact. Man has a perception of finiteness which is, in reality, an illusion (Ken Keyes, Jr., Handbook to Higher Consciousness, pp. 125-29). Salvation in the New Age is for man to become enlightened through experiential knowledge (gnosis). New Age groups offer various occultic techniques to enable individuals, and ultimately the world, to evolve into this oneness (unitive) consciousness (James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy: An Experimental Guide, pp. 243-60). These techniques may include altered states of consciousness (often transcendental meditation), yoga, crystals, channeling (spirit guides), psychics, past-life therapy, acupuncture, etc.
6. Good and Evil. Mimicking the Eastern religions, New Agers distort the distinction between good and evil. They believe that because “all is One,” ultimately there is neither good nor evil. They think that a person can transcend his consciousness and go beyond the bounds of moral distinctions, so that even murder sometimes becomes an acceptable way of serving one’s gods (e.g., Charles Manson). [HJB]
7. Satan. The traditional view of Lucifer as the devil or Satan is clearly absent in New Age literature. Rather, he is described as a mighty being of light and the “Ruler of Humanity,” as Alice Bailey, foundational apostle and leading writer of the New Age Movement, puts it. As to the history and achievements of Lucifer, Benjamin Creme, a leading lecturer and proponent of the New Age, says, “Lucifer came from the planet Venus 18.5 million years ago; he’s the director of our planetary evolution, he is the sacrificial lamb, and the prodigal son. Lucifer made an incredible sacrifice, a supreme sacrifice for our planet.”
8. Future Life (Reincarnation). New Agers believe in the ancient [Hindu] Eastern religious concept of reincarnation — that through a long process of rebirths, man can eventually reach spiritual perfection (cf. Heb. 9:27). New Agers often place animal rights above human rights, because many New Agers believe animals are reincarnated souls. They also teach the Hindu principle of “karma” — that what a person sows in this life, he will reap in the next life in his reincarnated state. This belief in reincarnation has led to believing in the power of “spirit guides” or “channels” — those who allow spirits from another dimension to speak through their bodies. [HJB] These entities always seem to repeat the three-fold error: (1) There is no death, (2) man is god, (3) knowledge of self is salvation and power (Brooks Alexander, Spiritual Counterfeits Project). New Agers misrepresent church history, the doctrines of Christianity, and often twist Scripture to support the idea that original Christianity taught reincarnation. They wrongly argue that the early church suppressed the doctrine and censored its teaching (Kenneth Ring, Heading Toward Omega, p. 158).
Endnotes
“Old Occult” — The New Age Movement is a modern revival of very ancient, divergent, religious traditions and practices. The actual original root is squarely centered in Genesis 3:1-5, and reverberates throughout the movement’s continued historical expressions. In the original lie, Satan questions God’s word, His authority and benevolent rule (v. 1), disputes that death results from disobedience (v. 4), and claims that through the acquisition of secret or Gnostic wisdom man can be enlightened and can be “like God” (v. 5).
Many of the occult practices and beliefs revived by the modern NAM were a part of very early pagan cultures. Many practices common to the NAM, such as witchcraft/sorcery, spiritism, divination, (clairvoyance; seeing the future), necromancy (consulting the dead), and astrology, are clearly and strongly condemned in Scripture (Deuteronomy 18: 9-17; Isaiah 47: 9-15). These and other occultic practices were spread through the ancient magic and mystery religions of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and most notably, the Assyrian-Babylonian culture (Ancient Empires of the New Age, pp. 15-62). Noting the scope of its continuing presence, the Bible informs Christians of Babylon’s eschatological implications. The lie of Genesis 3 is significantly developed in Babylon (Isaiah 47) and continues to its ultimate state of development, revealed as Satan’s one-world system at the end of the age (Revelation 17-18).
Three major world religions whose beliefs and practices are entwined with the NAM are Hinduism, a product of 5,000 years of development, Buddhism, circa 560 B.C., and Taoism, circa 500 B.C. (Eerdman’s Handbook to the World’s Religions, pp. 170, 221, 252). Another prominent occultic influence in Europe was Druidism, the religion of the Celts, which extended from 300 B.C. into the middle ages (Ibid., pp. 114-19). [Return to Text]
Reincarnation — Christians should be able to demonstrate that the Bible does NOT teach reincarnation. When Jesus calls John the Baptist “Elijah,” He is clearly speaking metaphorically. Luke 1:17 demonstrates that John was filling the office of Elijah, fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6. In fact, Elijah was seen with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-3. The meaning of the resurrection is the opposite of reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27; 1 Cor. 15:12-28). Point out that if God is an impersonal force, then love and forgiveness are not possible. These are personal attributes as opposed to impersonal karmic law. Fundamentally, intercessory prayer is absolutely necessary. The battle for the souls of men is won through God’s grace, intervening and drawing them to Himself. [Return to Text]
This video and this article have the same name but are from different sources. The video IS a must see. It is 120 minutes in length but well worth the time.
By George Stamm
Global Warming or Global Governance
If you were to ask ten people on the street if mankind’s activities are causing global warming, my guess is that a majority would say yes. In fact, a Gallup poll conducted July 23-26, 2007 found that 63% believed that global warming is caused mostly by human activities. But is this perception of global warming based on fact or just misguided opinion?
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). These organizations shared the 2007 Noble Peace Prize with former Vice President of the United States Al Gore. These two U.N. organizations form a scientific body given the task of evaluating the risk of climate change caused by human activity. In 2005 the IPCC released a report saying that since the mid-twentieth century, the surface temperature of the earth has been rising steadily.
Mr. Gore and his colleagues at the IPCC maintain that there is an increase in global average temperatures, due to man-made intervention resulting in a “greenhouse effect.” They also say that natural phenomena, such as solar variation, combined with volcanoes, had little effect on global warming from pre-industrial times until 1950, and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward.
These conclusions have been endorsed by at least thirty scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. However, there are many scientists, some who have served on the IPCC panel, who have voiced disagreement with many of the findings of the IPCC. One noted biologist and ecologist Dr. Michael Coffman, Executive Director of Environmental Perspectives, Inc. and CEO of Sovereignty International, said in his presentation, Global Warming or Global Governance, “The global warming climate change issue is so important that people on both sides of the issue, including policymakers should be fully informed before policy is actually formulated. Tragically, that’s not happening in the global warming issue.” Coffman further says that what is being proposed by Al Gore and his colleagues is that man is primarily causing a global warming effect, but there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary put forth by prominent scientists from around the world.
What Does the Scientific Evidence Show?
There is evidence that many parts of the globe have experienced record cold temperatures dating back over one hundred years. According to Professor Tim Patterson, of the Dept. of Earth Sciences at Carlton University, “Many things we thought we knew about the climate system just a few years ago are now proving to be uncertain or quite mistaken.” Also, Dr. Robert Balling, Former Director of the Office of Climatology at Arizona State University, “It’s become quite news worthy to go out and tell people that we are about to have an apocalyptic climate change. And the moment you make that announcement, it’s easy to go around the world and find things to support that viewpoint.” Dr. Vincent Gray, chemist and one of the original chief IPCC researchers, says “The IPCC is a political organization setup by the UN to provide evidence to support the framework convention on climate change; it’s entirely political. They made up what they were going to do beforehand and choose whatever science they (IPCC) could find to support their theory.”
According to Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb) on the Foreign Relations Committee, “This cuts at the heart of national sovereignty of the U.S. We would be saying that we would allow an international body to come in and dictate to our industries, our businesses, our people, what they can do and what they can’t do; the use of what energy, the sources of energy, the cost of energy, etc.”
These concerns about the policymaking of such international organizations like the IPCC have led many to question whether this is an issue of global warming or global governance.
The major premise of “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore is that carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas that drives the temperature of the earth.” According to scientific data studied by scientists such as Dr. Ian Clark, “Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) lags behind temperature changes in history by 800 years; CO2 doesn’t cause temperature change.” And according to Professor Tim Ball, Dept. of Climatology at the University of Winnipeg, “Based on the evidence of ice core studies at the polar ice caps, it shows that CO2 follows temperature, not the opposite. So the fundamental assumption of the whole theory of climate change by human intervention of CO2 emissions causing temperature changes is wrong.”
Dr. John Christy, Atmospheric Physicist at the University of Alabama and leading author of IPCC report now says “human intervention accounts for a small fraction of CO2 of the atmospheric gases in the atmosphere; that water vapor accounts for about 97% of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. CO2 accounts for 1.9%. Therefore, man is responsible for less than 3% of all greenhouse effect in the atmosphere globally.”
Also highlighted in Al Gore’s “an Inconvenient Truth” presentation is a temperature study report using the MBH Report of 1998, showing significant temperatures rising in the last century like never before in history. What Mr. Gore’s presentation does not show is that the MBH report, named after the authors, Mann, Bradley, Hughes, was wrong and incomplete according to another report that was subsequently released revealing flaws in Geophysical Research Letters by Professors McIntyre and McKitrick in 2006.
In August, Khabibullo Abdusamatov, a scientist who heads the space research sector for the Russian Academy of Sciences, predicted long-term global cooling may be on the horizon due to a projected decrease in the sun’s output. There have also been recent findings in peer-reviewed literature over the last few years showing that the Antarctic is getting colder and the ice is growing, and a 2006 study in Geophysical Research Letters found that the sun was responsible for up to 50% of 20th Century warming. According to data released on July 14, 2006 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the January through June Alaska statewide average temperature was “0.55F (0.30C) cooler than the 1971-2000 average.”
A Need for Clear Thinking
“My concern is that we may be moving away from an irrational lack of concern about climate change to an equally irrational panic about it,” said Daniel Botkin, president of the Center for the Study of the Environment and professor emeritus in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at U.C. Santa Barbara. He is the author of Discordant Harmonies: ANew Ecology for the Twenty-First Century. “Many of my colleagues ask, ‘What’s the problem? Hasn’t it been a good thing to raise public concern?’”
According to Botkin, “The problem is that in this panic, we are going to spend our money unwisely, we will take actions that are counterproductive, and we will fail to do many of those things that will benefit the environment and ourselves. For example, right now the clearest threat to many species is habitat destruction. Take the orangutans, for instance, one of those charismatic species that people are often fascinated by and concerned about. They are endangered because of deforestation. In our fear of global warming, it would be sad if we fail to find funds to purchase those forests before they are destroyed, and thus let this species go extinct. At the heart of the matter is how much faith we decide to put in science, even how much faith scientists put in science. Our times have benefited from clear-thinking, science-based rationality. I hope this prevails as we try to deal with our changing climate.”
Global Warming Hysteria and the Role of Al Gore
So what is behind the hysteria to promote global warming as a reality?
Matthew Vadum, Senior Editor and former CRC research fellow, veteran journalist and editor of “Organization Trends and Foundation Watch” spent seven years at the Washington bureau of “The Bond Buyer,” a daily Wall Street financial newspaper.
In a commentary on April 1, 2008, Mr. Vadum said, “Co-founder of IPCC Al Gore is trying to be a climate change profiteer. Essentially, he wants to make a fortune by creating a new market for a product that he is attempting to create by legislative fiat. If he succeeds and carbon emissions trading comes to the United States, Al Gore will be uniquely positioned to cash in. He’s made sure of that.”
According to Vadum, “Gore himself is chairman and founder of a private equity firm called Generation Investment Management (GIM). He says the London-based firm invests money from institutions and wealthy investors in companies that are becoming environmentally friendly, to use green parlance. GIM appears to have considerable influence over major carbon credit trading firms: the U.S.-based Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and the U.K.-based Carbon Neutral Company (CNC). CCX appears to be the only firm in the U.S. that claims to trade carbon credits. As a politician, Gore speaks warmly of transparency. But as GIM chairman, Gore has not been forthcoming. Little is known about his shadowy firm’s finances, where it gets funding and what projects it supports.”
As reported in the August 2007 issue of Foundation Watch (“Al Gore’s Carbon Crusade: The Money and Connections Behind It,” by Deborah Corey Barnes), with help from friends at Goldman Sachs, including U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and the investment bank’s former CEO Hank Paulson, Gore has created a web of organizations to promote the so-called climate crisis. Meanwhile, Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection is pushing for tougher environmental regulations on the private sector. It wants “cap-and-trade” legislation enacted so that companies will be forced to lower their greenhouse gas emissions and buy carbon credits. Untold billions of dollars could be generated in a brand new U.S. carbon market. When Gore’s potential for immense profits is factored in, the $300 million outlay for ads (some of which is likely to come from donations to the Alliance’s “We Campaign”) seems like a drop in the bucket. If Gore can keep up the pressure for carbon emissions restrictions, he could end up a very wealthy man.”
Why does Al Gore use this Madison Ave. means to instill fear to ratify the Kyoto Protocol of the IPCC to impose international solutions to stop global warming?
Don Young of Alaska, Former Chairman of the House Resource Committee, says that the environment is being used as a power struggle, to cause the U.S. to submit to a one world government. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md) US House of Representative says he’s troubled that there is a tendency now to submerge the sovereignty of the U.S. to the will of the United Nations Organizations.
Bill Clinton appointed a long time friend and colleague Nelson Strobridge “Strobe” Talbott, as a personal advisor on foreign policy, particularly in connection with Russian policy. Talbott also served at the Yale Center for Studies in Globalization. Talbott also wrote an article in Time magazine in July 20, 1992 called “The Birth of the Global Nation.” In this article Talbott predicted US relinquishing its authority to a single global authority. For that he received an award from the World Federalist Association, a group committed to world government, as well as a congratulatory letter from Bill Clinton.
As Phyllis Schlafly, President of Eagle Forum, a conservative activist group in US since 1967, said concerning Strobe Talbott, that he knew that Americans would never vote for a world government, so instead Talbott and others like him, talk about global governance, a global village, a global economy. They talk about reforming the UN and expanding NATO. Their answer always lies in more international agencies such as the IPCC wielding more control and power over U.S. citizens. And all of these international agencies are gaining their controls and powers from the UN, an international agency with its own agenda and not always in the best interests of the U.S.
Schlafly further contends that “The consensus in Kyoto as outlined in the IPCC report will bind America to reduce energy consumption by 25%, which will have a devastating effect on the American standard of living and the U.S. economy. It will continue to drive more industries out of America for a more global economy.”
The record shows that presently $4 Billion per year is being spent on global warming research. Much of the funding for these research projects have been put together by “Public-Private-Partnerships” composed of multi-national corporations and NGO’s promoting the one world government concept. Since none of these entities are elected, there is little to no accountability to the electorate of the U.S. These partnerships then are free to impose their will on people with no punitive measures. Partnerships like this, which Al Gore is part of, have given them the platform to introduce such entities as the IPCC and the Kyoto Protocol on environmental studies as a stepping stone to control the national and local economy of the U.S., such as the carbon tax put before congress at this time.
Is Global Warming Being Used to Impose Global Governance?
This is the essence of Global Governance and strategies for a New World Order. Perhaps this is what people like Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank had in mind when he introduced the new business organization “Association of American Free Trade Agreements” before President Bush in 2006. The AAFTA is a separate “non-government” entity to develop a common market and common deregulations for the benefit of the multi-national corporations involved; all sanctioned by top government officials and all supporting and promoting the IPCC Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially nations like India and China. This has resulted in many of the business entities realizing profits as high as 45% while wages for average Americans have dropped significantly.
This information is in the public domain and begs the question; is Global Warming an established fact as some globalists promote or does the evidence indicate that globalists are using tools like the IPCC and global warming to impose global governance in the U.S.? Let the reader decide.
Gary Kah had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home, by his immigrant parents, and remembers praying at the early age of four. He accepted Christ as his personal Savior during a Jack Van Impe Crusade. Shortly after that, Gary was greatly impacted as he began to understand what really happened during World War II. Hearing war stories from his father, who fled both the Nazis and Communists as a young boy in Yugoslavia, Gary couldn’t understand why most Christians did nothing to stop the atrocities. As a sixth-grader, he remembers silently promising the Lord that if something like this were to ever happen in America, he would take a stand against it, whatever the cost.
He met his future wife, Audrey, while they were both students at Anderson University. Graduating Magna Cum Laude with majors in Economics, Business Administration and German, Gary’s main focus was International Marketing and Economics. Gary and Audrey were married after graduation, and soon afterward moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where Gary was offered a position as a European and Middle East Trade Specialist with the Indiana Government. This position enabled him to travel to more than 20 countries worldwide and to work closely with U.S. Embassies and top government officials in the area of export promotion.
As Gary traveled worldwide, he soon began to witness events that appeared to be leading to a one world government. He quickly identified that there was a definite plan in place to unite all world governments into one. This emerging one world government, he discovered, was being referred to as: The New World Order. He observed that, among the circles that were working toward this goal, there was much occult activity. This stretched to many U.N. Officials, U.S. Government leaders, bankers, and even “religious” figures.
Gary was feeling an intense burden to do something to warn people of these unfolding events. In the summer of 1984, Gary’s ministry began in earnest. He started by addressing small church groups and then was invited to share on some radio programs. His outspoken style about his beliefs finally led to an ultimatum that forced him to choose between his calling and his career. So, in May, 1985, after one last trip overseas to the Soviet Union and China, Gary resigned from his job.
In 1987, Gary was invited to join the World Constitution and Parliament Association, one of the organizations involved at the forefront of promoting the world government agenda. During the next four years he obtained detailed documents which demonstrate that the move toward a one world government is very real and active.
Since then, he has been speaking and writing to all kinds of audiences, informing them of the soon-coming, prophecy-fulfilling one world government and other kinds of conspiracies. While this cloak-and-dagger style of prophecy-watching may not be for everyone, Gary Kah handles himself with a lot of finesse and very little smoke and mirrors.
His book, En Route to Global Occupation (1992), has a message that is crucial to the political, economic and spiritual future of this country. It is the result of more than seven years of research and is filled with documentation proving that the drive toward a one-world government is real.
In 1997, Gary believed that God was leading him to write a book that chronicled the past, present and future of the one world movement by examining the lives and plans of the 20th century’s top New Agers and how certain unbiblical Eastern teachings are influencing Christianity today. His book, The New World Religion (1999), has influenced many Christian believers to be more discerning. It has also been instrumental in leading numerous New Agers to accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior.
This book differentiates between authentic biblical Christianity and the occult teachings of the “New Age” by explaining the religious underpinnings of this dangerous movement. It discusses the spiritual forces behind those pursuing world government and the concurrent plans for a one world religion. Key to understanding these implications is grasping the truth of the facade of global unity.
Over the years, Gary has received several awards. He was honored with the Governor’s Commendation for outstanding service to the State of Indiana. Later, he received the Meritorious Hoosier Award, from the Indiana Secretary of State. Anderson College recognized him with The Anderson College Wall Street Journal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Economics. Kah was named among the “Who’s Who in the Midwest” and also among the “Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America.”
While Gary Kah’s beliefs have long been on the fringes of acceptable prophecy teachings, he is rapidly becoming highly respected as society clearly moves toward the one world government that Kah has been predicting. Many people have yet to embrace the conspiracy views that Kah holds, but, because he is so well-respected, most will not discount them completely. Keep your eye on Kah while he keeps his finger on the pulse of the world.
IN THIS VIDEO: Gary Kah, author of “En Route to Global occupation”, tells us about 3 meetings of the UN and global powers that happened in 2000 that began the “unveiling” and public implementation of the New World Order. Then Gary tells of about 20 meetings among the power elite that have happened, or will happen, in 2008 uniting the world Economies, Religions and abolishing national boundaries and sovereignty. WLECOME TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER.
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“What,” says Satan, “do you hold to these denominational creeds? Sensible men are
getting more liberal, they are giving away what does not belong to them—God’s
truth; they are removing the old landmarks. Acts of uniformity are to be repealed,
articles and creeds are to be laid aside as useless lumber, not necessary for this very
enlightened age; fall in with this, and be an Anythingarian” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“To answer objections, is an endless task; it is like trying to empty a flowing fountain with bottomless buckets.” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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