Translate

Thursday, May 29, 2008

The New Enlightenment Pt.2



Verse 1:
If you just grasp your mind,
then you ought to be able to speak it with your mouth,
it's yours, it's yours...
Verse 2:
If you can just meditate on it,
and then you've got to focus and concentrate on it.
And then you've got to wait on it,
you've got to wait...
Clark Sisters Name It Claim It ~1982

This was one of the most popular songs during the 80’s. I remember many days listening to it, playing the music and hearing it sung in many congregations. Although I understand the aim of the song, to encourage believers to pursue God and all the he has for you; little did I know that the method was unbiblical. The thoughts proliferated through this song would lay the foundation for many churches that would go on to call themselves Word Of Faith and would also inadvertently open many doors for those who taught "Get what you want and need from the Lord by any means necessary"

Now I want to stop for a minute and reaffirm that I LOVE the Clark Sisters and the body of work that they have traditionally produced and do not intend to make them the poster child(ren) for this sort of practice. I only point out how easily these techniques have infiltrated the camp of the righteous and saturated the children of God with the wrong message, inclinations and even practices.

Unfortunately, many have forgotten the spiritual mandate to seek, focus and concentrate on God and HIS Word and nothing else:
  • Mt. 6:33 ~ "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
  • Lk. 12:30-31 ~ "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

The new consciousness has duped many believers into the practice of focusing in on what you want in an occultic, religious fervor. I have heard preached messages saying,

  • "God can’t give you what you want if you don’t define it, or have a picture of it."

Still others have preached,

  • "If you want a man, not just any man will do. Tell God the height, color, skin tone…let God know what you want."

Many of you have heard similar, and have heard what you thought were scriptural admonitions to follow and pursue your hearts desires. This is the danger of the new consciousness. It is based on self, and selfish desires (no matter how noble) The new enlightenment encourages individuals to find

  • "your truth" and "your God consciousness."

In the new consciousness self desires and personal pursuits replace the pursuit of God and the primacy of HIS will. God is turned to be a force, presence, or enlightenment found "inside of you". Personal achievements somehow are validations of the approval of God. Therefore, the more members, material, and recognition one can amass, the more approval that God has set on an individual, church or even community. In essence, materialism and both human and individual accomplishment becomes the standard whereby others know you’ve arrived or been successful.

Connectedness and ecumenism ultimately means acceptance of all truth and integration of what is Holy with that which is unholy. The object is to confuse, distort and subjectivize truth, and to create a "my truth/your truth" mentality. The result is a dangerous and intoxicating mixture of self-will, erroneous dogma, blind passion and illegible and indiscernible boundaries in which consciousness, feelings and emotives become god, master and director of individual purpose and place.

As stated previously the new enlightenment specifically implores religious eclecticism which tends to use methods of any or all religious systems and beliefs in order to achieve the overarching goal or goals set forth. Primarily rooted in Eastern mysticism, teachers of the new consciousness use thoughts and philosophies that are based on self cognition, identifiable religious and humanistic philosophies such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrians, and various mind cult philosophies. There is a further potpourri of resurrected metaphysical constructs and demonic world mythologies that God has long since rejected over the course of human history that drive the new consciousness.

One of the most startling elements of this cauldron of damnation, is it’s current validation through institutions of higher educational and corporate venues seeking to enhance the diversity of the educational curriculum and productivity of the workforce. Not to paint a broad brush, but one needs only look at many college curriculums called transcendental meditation, metaphysics and advanced mind science to see the blossoming and burgeoning field of mysticism and mind dynamics in operation within the system of higher education. Simultaneously, one only need look at many of the top Fortune 500 companies to see programs such as Imagine 21, Lifespring and other mind occult and metaphysical philosophies in action with sometimes full endorsement of corporate leadership.

This murky mixture of religion and secularism has nurtured the new consciousness and given rise to a resurgence of "repackaged bondage" suitable to subdue the 21st Century mind. This bondage promotes many methods to achieve the higher consciousness, but there is one method in particular that is consistent to a varying degree in many of these teachings and encouragement in both secular, new age and religious efforts. That is the concept of visualization or meditation as a method to achieve human or spiritual potential, goals or success.

As noted in the Clark Sister’s Song:

Verse 1:

If you just grasp your mind,

then you ought to be able to speak it with your mouth,

it's yours, it's yours...

"Grasp it in your mind"..."speak it with your mouth". These are elements of visualization, meditation and pronunciation, which are common metaphysical techniques and which are often used in tandem and combination to produce the desired physical and metaphysical effects.


Verse 2:

If you can just meditate on it,

and then you've got to focus and concentrate on it.

And then you've got to wait on it,

you've got to wait...

Meditation, "focus" and "concentration" or "visualization", then waiting for a manifestation are the encouragements. Once again these techniques are straight of the mysticism handbook and (hypothetically) can open doors spiritually that individuals are not instructed or ready to open.

  • John 10:7-10 ~ "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Pastor Burnett, doesn’t the bible encourage us to meditate? How can you say that I’ve somehow yielded to mysticism? This is what I’ve been taught ever since I’ve been saved.

I will close this segment by saying YES the bible clearly teaches meditation in the following manner:

  • Meditation was to be on good things: Phil. 4:8 ~ "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." "Think" here is a Greek word logizomai which literally means to consider, take into account or meditate on. The key here is that meditation was to be on "thing’ in relatinship to God, not man or self-desires.
  • Meditation was to be on The righteousness of God in relationship to you: Mt. 6:33-34 ~ "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." "Thought" here is a Greek word "merimnao" which literally means concern to promote one’s interest.
  • Meditation was to be upon the Lord himself : Ps. 63:6 ~ "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."
  • Meditation was to be upon HIS Word or HIS Law: Ps. 1:2 ~ "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
    Joshua 1:8 ~ "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

As we note the bible version of "meditate on it" does not include meditation on self, self will, fleshly desires and or material things.

Many have conversely asked, how can God give you anything that you haven’t defined in your mind?

I want to suggest that defining things or knowing what you want is not the issue. The issue is a preoccupation or a spiritual manipulation of reality or natural circumstances. Once again, those are metaphysical practices. To pray, visualize and receive in your subconscious until you can physically almost touch, feel and smell it is an ungodly practice and exactly what the new enlightenment teaches.

Pastor Burnett, the bible teaches us that we should have a "vision". How can we have a vision without visualization?

The bible teaches in Prov. 29:18 – "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

But let’s take a more introspect look at this verse. First of all in context "vision" or "chazown" deals with having a divine revelation or direction towards the Will Of God. The word "perish" simply means to be made naked or exposed.

Putting this all together, we see that the "vision" we are supposed to obtain is one of and from God himself as he has provided direction by his word into HIS will and has nothing to do with "visualization" or focus on what we desire.

In Part 3, I will discuss this and the fallacies of Eckhart Tolle, one of the nations leading "new enlightenment" teachers who teaches that you (the individual) are God and the concept of sin is misunderstood and must be retaught to the world. Mr. Tolle in conjunction with (My Princess) Oprah Winfrey has managed to receive over 27 Million downloads of his teachings on the web. His books are also at the TOP of the New York Times Best Sellers lists and there is seemingly a greater fascination with his convoluted and demonic teachings than anything we’ve witnessed in modern times.

For the average reader this may be challenging, but a challenge that could revolutionize your life.

Deut. 18:9-14 – "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do."

Blessed!

7 comments:

  1. I am so greatful to Eckhart Tolle and Oprah for turning me onto Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and her beautiful book ""My Stroke of Insight"". Her story is amazing and her gift to all of us is a book purchase away I'm happy to say.

    Dr Taylor was a Harvard brain scientist when she had a stroke at age 37. What was amazing was that her left brain was shut down by the stroke - where language and thinking occur - but her right brain was fully functioning. She experienced bliss and nirvana and the way she writes about it (or talks about it in her now famous TED talk) is incredible.

    What I took away from Dr. Taylor's book above all, and why I recommend it so highly, is that you don't have to have a stroke or take drugs to find the deep inner peace that she talks about. Her book explains how. ""I want what she's having"", and thanks to this wonderful book, I can! Thank you Dr. Taylor, and thank you Eckhart and Oprah.

    ReplyDelete
  2. WOW. That's exactly what I'm talking about. In spite of clear information...well, anyway.

    Then please stay tuned, because in my next post I will take apart many of Eckhart Toll's misleadings. I'll also further explain why any rational person should stay away from his teaching and why it is spiritually unhealthy.

    Thanks for taking a look.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Pastor Burnett. Many of the "gospel songs" have betrayed the truth of the gospel. The problem stems from "gospel artists" who write based on their experience while never checking whether their experiences are in concert with scripture. Its a mild form of antinominianism but nonetheless as you have noted, potent in a negative way.

    I cant wait for you to tear a couple of chunks out the Eckhart Tolle lie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. gcmwatch~ "antinominianism"

    My brother said, "antinominianism", THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout!

    Tell the story my brutha...4- real!

    Thanks for the Love my friend, and do a post on "antinominianism" so I can link to it-(LOL)

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This post about Dr. Taylor, and the shutting down of a segment of her brain brings to mind the Scripture: The joy of the Lord is my strength" God does not leave his people maimed, not even in the mind. Also, I think of the passage that warns us that satan comes as an angel of light, and would deceive the very elect if it were possible. When we embrace anything, regardless to how good it feels, or looks, that is not covered by the Word of God, we open ourselves up to demonic activities, and there are some very persuasive demons floting around in the guise of being pure.
    That is one reason, I believe that believers are instructed to examine themselves to see whether or not they are in the faith. A person can never be tempted above anything that is not desirable.
    Satan has more than one way to deceive and destroy

    The Word of God plainly states who the Prince of Peace and the Prince of the powers of the air is. There is a marked difference between the aims of the two.

    The Prince of Peace will not bring brain failure, all it takes to experience Him, is to truly, not half step but embrace the Word of God. He will bring peace in the midst of any storm.

    The Prince of the powers of the air is a deceiver, he will steal kill and destroy anything that has life in as he appeals to the emotions, in a "killing me softly" type of approach. Believe me, anything that is not covered by the Word of God is not worth having, regardless to how good it seems, or who has it. Check the Scriptures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. whomever follows that nonsense presented by troll and evil oprah will fry in hell right along with them...see between the wicked music...satanic secret societies these actors and artist belong to and this control your destiny bs these kats are teaching...the majority of this world will br in hell come end time...obama fits the criteria of the anti-Christ and you fool are ready to believe anything so you can sin...so sad...go to youtube and watch all of g craig lewis' videos and get some truth in your life.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonomyous~ "obama fits the criteria of the anti-Christ and you fool are ready to believe anything so you can sin...so sad...go to youtube and watch all of g craig lewis' videos and get some truth in your life."

    [Now I don't really know if that was just a general comment or a stone that was "throwed"???

    Whatever, All I know is that the only thing that will change this tide is the Spirit of God using everyday soldiers and people to stand up for truth and live right. We're one in the number that will continue to simply say YES Lord. We need more soldiers willing to fight this battle and stand up for truth. God bless.]

    ReplyDelete

I've switched to real time comments for most posts. Refresh your screen if you post and do not see it right away. Please send me an email if you try to post a comment and cannot do so. Dunamis1@netzero.com. Thanks.