Marilyn Ferguson, in her best-selling book, The Aquarian Conspiracy (1980), asserts that we can all soon look forward to a “New Age” of brotherly love, peace, understanding, and harmony in our world. This is supposed to happen when humanity experiences a paradigm shift in their thinking about themselves, God, society, and spirituality. George Trevelyan, founder of the Wrekin Trust (an educational charity), writes: “…to bring about this change in human consciousness, the cleansing of our planet is necessary.” ^[1]

Will this idea of planet-cleansing be the most accepted explanation when millions of Christians disappear in the Rapture of the Church? Will this event be blamed on aliens who “have our best interests at heart”? (For more information on why this theory is not plausible, please read the excellent book by Dr. Hugh Ross – astrophysicist Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men).

In her self-help book, The Secret (2006), Rhonda Byrne applies the New Age teaching of the law of attraction to assure people that if they properly apply the power of thought to their lives, they can achieve health, prosperity, and improved relationships. In her book, she states:

“You are God in a physical body. You are Spirit in the flesh. You are Eternal Life expressing itself as You. You are a cosmic being. You are all power. You are all wisdom. You are all intelligent. You are perfection. You are magnificent. You are the creator, and you are creating the creation of You on this planet.” ^[2]

These statements sound like the lie Satan told Eve in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3:5. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The New Age idea that “thoughts are things” (if you think it, it will happen in reality) is espoused by authors such as Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich (1937) and the book Thoughts are Things by Mulford, Prentice (1908).

New Age teachings of mysticism, special knowledge, divine energy, ascended Masters, and cosmic consciousness are based on Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. Leaders of the New Age Movement whose philosophies incorporate Eastern religions include Madame Blavatsky (founder of the Theosophy Society in 1875), Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science in 1866), L. Ron Hubbard (founder of Scientology in 1950), Paul Twitchell (founder of Eckankar in 1965), Eckhart Tolle (author of The Power of Now), Shirley MacLaine, Deepak Chopra, and many others.

Carlos Castenada (considered one of the fathers of the New Age movement) wrote a series of books based on secrets he learned from a Yaqui Indian shaman. The Church of Religious Science (which I used to be a member of) is a New Age cult based on pantheistic philosophy and the idea of a Universal Subconscious Mind. This cult states that people can become exactly like Jesus Christ when they attain Christ Consciousness. Wicca (witchcraft) is another manifestation of New Age thinking based on pagan rituals and nature worship.

Why are people attracted to the New Age Movement? Do they really believe that crystals, pyramids, meditation, affirmations, yoga, astrology, tarot cards, spirit guides, and channeling will bring them knowledge, happiness, power, and success? Will anyone using these New Age tools get closer to God or become God because of using them? Being or becoming God is what is implied when a Hindu greets someone with the word “Namaste.” Namaste is a Sanskrit word meaning “the divinity in me greets the divinity in you.” ^[3]

Advocates of New Age philosophy believe that traditional religion is not necessary – that people can grow and develop spirituality in many ways. They believe they don’t need God, and they want to be totally autonomous.

Christians rely on a “New Birth” instead of “New Age” thinking and tools to transform their lives. They believe in historical evidence that Jesus Christ was a man living in the first century in Israel who was also Almighty God. They believe that He proved it by performing miracles and being raised from the dead after he was tortured and died on a Roman cross. They believe Jesus did these things to reconcile people to God because He knew there was no way they could do that by themselves. He knew that God requires punishment for people’s disobedience and rebellion. He knew that people could not pay that debt themselves, so He decided to pay their debt for them because He loved them so much. Because Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life, He was qualified to pay the price for humanity’s sins, satisfy God’s justified wrath, and bring people back into relationship with God.

True Christians accept what Jesus Christ did for them, ask Him to come into their hearts, and pledge to follow Him for the rest of their lives. When they do this, they become born-again believers in the God who loves them. They experience the “New Birth” where God makes all things new in their lives (“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17.) This means that instead of utterly relying on their own knowledge, wisdom, strength, and resources, they learn to pray, read the Bible, and become a member of the body of Christ. They receive strength and encouragement from fellowship with other believers in a local Bible-believing Church.

I attended the Church of Religious Science for three years. After each service, people held hands and sang “Morning Has Broken” by Cat Stevens.

It was a moving ceremony, and I thought, “Wow, how happy and peaceful we are singing this song together in harmony.” I see now, after my “New Birth,” that this was a superficial and temporary peace and harmony between people and that this cosmic force, a force like magnetism or gravity, could not help me or answer my prayers.

Christians do believe in a coming new age of perfect harmony and peace on this planet, but they believe it will happen the way God said it will happen, as written in Biblical prophecy. The reason I believe this is true is because I trust the Bible. It has been around for over 4,000 years, and every single prediction has come true. As for the New Age concepts of peace, love, brotherhood and harmony, God said it first, and God said it best in His Word, so why should I go anywhere else for truth?

If you are interested in learning more about the God of the Bible and have questions or would like to share your testimony, please visit my website: https://reasontogether118.com.

References:

1. New Age Spirituality by Pat Collins, published by The Furrow 49, No. 2 (February 1998), pp. 91-97
2. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne 2006, published by Atria Books/Beyond Words; 10th Anniversary page 172
3. “Namaste” https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/the-power-of-namaste

2 Timothy 4:1-5, Romans 1:16-17, 1 Peter 2:22, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 2 Thessalonians 2:8

Summary: God’s Word is truth in a world of contradictions and falsehood. We must, as followers of Jesus Christ, stay firm in what Scripture teaches and demands of us, regardless of what the world, the flesh, and the devil say and do.

The Lord Jesus taught that the end times would be characterized by deceit, hatred of God, lies, malevolence, lack of love, and an intense persecution of believers. False teachers would plague the church (Matthew 24:11-12), and many who claim to be “Christians” will fall away from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4), embracing the things of the world (2 Timothy 4:10). Selfishness and pride would be the foundation of a religion celebrating humanity and the insane idea that we can rid ourselves of God by embracing “science,” “intellectualism,” atheism, and all things repugnant to the message of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:1-12).

Satanism and all types of occult practices have accelerated to the point where more people believe in aliens from space than God Himself. People do not and will not take the time to think about whether or not an issue is true or not, as they have adopted a relativistic mindset that tells them that truth is different for each person and that there are no absolutes in the world. Feelings now override facts, and woe be to someone who challenges this belief.

What I am presenting is obvious to anyone who takes the time and effort to survey the world and its quandaries (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10).

It is all too easy for the earnest followers of Jesus Christ in these last days to throw our hands in the air and say to ourselves that presenting the Gospel to a sinful world is not worth the hassle. We get tired of telling people about the saving grace of God only to face derision, ridicule, hatred, and mockery from those who hear and end up walking away, cursing God as they do so. It is even more frustrating to those of us who are called to preach the Gospel to every living creature (Mark 16:15).

In these final days, fewer and fewer churches will bother to open their pulpits to someone who will preach the Word without compromise or fear of “offending” somebody and end up being called every kind of name or worse (Acts 20:28-32; 2 Timothy 4:3). It is all too easy to want to “throw in the towel” and consign these reprobates and sinners to hell. That option is not found in Scripture. We need to be dedicated to the spread of the Gospel more than ever as the time draws forth for the return of Jesus and the Divine Judgment spoken of in Revelation to come to pass. Our emotions and feelings are not the guides by which to do ministry. Any serious follower of Jesus Christ will be led by the Holy Spirit to go and present the truth of the Word regardless of the circumstances.

The business of the preacher is to declare the truth of God’s Word and the exclusivity of salvation in Christ alone (2 Timothy 4:1-5) without compromise or what people say and think to the contrary (Romans 1:16-17).

The Bible has been around longer than contemporary social opinions and personal feelings. Despite centuries of opposition and attempts to destroy it, the Bible has outlasted every objection, every tyrant’s rage, every religion’s desire to downplay its significance, and every so-called “intellectual” attack on its integrity and inerrancy. The critics become obsolete, yet the Word remains eternal.

The Bible is not a collection of “myths and fables” and certainly not the idea of fallen humanity. Why would anyone in the obvious sinful state in which we find ourselves ever want to write a book that condemns our sins, exposes our wickedness, and declares that we are utterly incapable of redeeming ourselves in our own strength before a Holy God? (Isaiah 53:4-6) Would any kind of “holy book” that we would want to write include the fact that our so-called “righteousness” is no better than the rags that hold together the rotting skin of a leper, or worse? (Isaiah 64:6).

The Word of God, when preached, does not return void (Isaiah 55:10-11). Even if we think that the people who hear it don’t accept it at first, we are to take comfort in the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who will open the hearts of the hearer and open his eyes to the fact that he is a sinner in danger of judgment and draw him to the open arms of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30), who offers salvation to everyone who will come to Him in faith (John 3:16, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 6:23, 10:9-10, 13).

When someone truly repents and asks Jesus to save him, he will gladly obey the commandments of God and desire to live in a way that pleases Him. When we surrender our lives to Christ, we die to self and allow Him full control of everything. We are brought with a price and are now His possessions. Once we are His, He will be with us always and never let us go (Luke 14:25-33; John 10:28-30; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 13:5). This should give us not only comfort but motivation for us to share this with our loved ones and others.

Who wouldn’t want to have this kind of assurance?

Unfortunately, there are those who will reject this offer of mercy and grace and be content with their philosophies and excuses for unbelief (Romans 3:10-18, 23). They reject the only hope that any of us have to escape the approaching wrath of God upon this wicked world, to their eternal regret (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15).

Anyone who hears the truth of the Word and rejects it is without excuse (Romans 1:20-22). We also know that the devil is working overtime to deafen ears and blind eyes to the message of salvation, using every kind of deviance to draw people away from God and join him in hell for eternity (Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15; Revelation 20:10).

65% of professing “Christians” in the United States do not even believe in the existence of a literal devil. Is it any wonder that we see him and his minions shouting for joy at our compromise, doubt, and laziness in not doing as Jesus tells us to do? In spite of this, we are to remain steadfast in our convictions and remain devoted to the truth of the Scriptures and, most importantly, to Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

We need to be bold in these final hours and say to the worldly powers that they have no business telling us what we can and cannot say as the remnant church. Sinners have no business whatsoever trying to bully the remnant church into silence or compromise of any kind. Truth is not welcome in the world, but that does not matter. We are not to fear humanity but to obey and follow the direction of God Almighty, whatever the cost.

Nobody remembers those who duck their responsibility, but the Sovereign LORD remembers those of us who take our salvation and commission seriously and boldly stand for the truth (1 Peter 3:15). Let us be faithful to His commands and of presenting the Gospel to everyone. Time is short, and we need to be about the King’s business.

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com