"MAN"UAL TRANSMISSIONS, SHIFTING AND THE NEW SPIRITUALITY

It appears that the proponents of the New Age have "shifted" to a new identity called The New Spirituality or The New Christianity. They appear to be identical in their underlying philosophy and spiritual practices.

As a spare bus driver for the past 1o years, I have spent many hours with my hand on the gear-shift of a manual transmission. I was thinking several days ago that it was a good analogy to the spiritual shift that is taking place across the globe. Comparing the differences between a manual transmission and an automatic one, I observed that it is something I have to physically accomplish by the power of my own arm if I want to get the bus moving or change to a different gear. With an automatic transmission, the motor does this on its own at the appropriate time if things are working as they should. In the New Spirituality, the "evolution/awakening" to the next stage in the spiritual realm (the new heaven via an altered state of consciousness, and the new earth via global unity according to Eckhart Tolle, Oprah and their New Age friends) is taking place "MAN"ually, being powered by man rather than the Holy Spirit. (Now, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, following the 1000 year reign of Christ - the one and only Christ - but it will take place in God's own time and be accomplished by Him, not us). As a biblical Christian, we rely on the Holy Spirit to empower us to move in the direction we ought to go. The New Spirituality teaches that we are the makers of our own destiny, placing us in the position of God, and promoting the "divinity of man". Doesn't the lie that we will be like the Most High originate from the serpent, the devil, when he enticed Eve to disobey God in the Garden of Eden? Instead of Eve going to Adam and the two of them going to God to understand the deceitfulness of Satan's character and proposal, they simply took matters into their own hands, disobeyed God and as they say, the rest is history. Satan continues this very day to entice people to disobey God, appealing to our inherited sinful nature to take things into our own hands. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be sure we are walking in step with the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Word or we too can be deceived.

Here is a look at the "New Christianity" from a blog by the same name:

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Basic Concepts of the New Christianity

1. The New Christianity (NC) presents concrete solutions to the problems of life, and concrete methods for living it. The NC seeks to clarify and explain Christian teachings.

2. The NC encompasses religion, psychology and philosophy.

3. The ultimate goal of the NC is Union with God in this Lifetime. (aka, Heaven, from “The Kingdom of God is within you”, aka Enlightened Freedom from Suffering)

4. Union with God requires control of the thought-waves in the mind.

5. Repeat: Union with God requires control of the thought-waves in the mind.

6. Everything in the Bible, and everything that Jesus Christ taught-as well as every other TRULY highly evolved spiritual leader-concerns the issue of obtaining control of the thought-waves in the mind.

7. In our current state, we do not have control over our own thought-waves. They are controlled by external stimuli and rooted in the events of our individual pasts.

8. Our thoughts lead to words, and our words in turn lead to our actions. Our actions, when repeated, become habits. Our habits become our character, and our character ensures our destiny. Thus, our thoughts-which our not “our own”-control our destiny.
9. The thoughts we plant today are the seeds of our futures. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

10. Thus, we are chained and imprisoned by our thoughts: this is Hell.

11. We have the ability to become free from those bindings-to change our thoughts-and the suffering it causes: this is Heaven or Union with God.

12. The NC is concerned solely with breaking free from these bindings. Whether one “believes” in Christ or not, everyone can benefit from the methods of the NC, as the NC contains psychological truths which are universal and objective in nature.

13. Before one can break free from one’s bindings-escape from Hell-one must learn what those bindings are. Thus, the first exercise of the NC is to “Know thyself,” from which the practice of Watchfulness, or Witnessing, is derived. This directive is all over the Bible and all over spiritual texts of any sort, including Jewish, Hindu, Islamic and Buddhist teachings. The importance of this cannot be understated. (Note that the term Witness is used here in a completely different way than is commonly understood. This term will be more fully discussed in a later posting, but it is the opinion of this writer that common use of the term has arisen due to misunderstanding of its true intent.)

14. The Commandments and the Seven Deadly Sins are merely examples of common ways that human beings allow their thoughts to be controlled. They are guidelines to help one see one’s thoughts.

15. Unfortunately, in a way, the word “Sin” has itself become a sin in the sense that the word itself conjures up automatic thoughts and feelings of guilt, repulsion, judgment and/or condemnation. Some people can become stuck at these very points-thus, the teachings about sin have had the exact opposite of their original intention by imprisoning instead of showing the path to freedom.

16. The NC does not condemn nor judge “sinners”. To do so is to violate many, many passages of the Bible. Further, those who condemn and judge others reveal their own sins, for “The faults one finds in others, are the faults one has oneself.” This is a universal law. Use it when observing your own thoughts, and you will start to become free.

17. Among other things, The Devil is the personification of the Ego. It is the ego that must be subdued, controlled, destroyed. The Bible and other spiritual texts address ego issues such as self-image, pride/humility/vanity, greed/covetousness, and anger, over and over again. Many such negative thoughts originate in the ego.

18. Opinions and beliefs are dangerous when one’s self-image becomes too heavily invested in, too attached to, those opinions. This includes the beliefs in one’s religion, including Christianity. This means that one’s religion can be a source of imprisonment, the very thing religion is intended to help one escape from.

19. The NC teaches methods of obtaining control over one’s own thoughts. These methods are scattered throughout the Bible and many other texts. For some reason, these methods have been lost and are not practiced by the majority of Christians. These methods include, first and foremost, the concept and practice of Watchfulness or Witnessing, from which all other practices derive, Christian meditations, Christian mantras, prayer done correctly, and affirmations, as well as other methods.

20. Religion should not function to control one’s thoughts, but should show how one can control one’s own thoughts. Religion should not tell one what to do, but should show people how to find out for themselves what to do. Religion should not label, condemn and divide, but should deconstruct, value and unite.

(Emphasis is in the original source)
Source: http://www.newchristianity.typepad.com/

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Doug Lester, author of a website called The Essentials of New Christianity gives this definition:

This New Christianity is a spiritual renewal that will reclaim the essence of Christ’s life and teachings. For many of us the path of Jesus has been a way to awakening deep spiritual truths. As we have grown the church has failed us in its inability to move past the Old Testament war God into a relationship with the God of Love, the Source, the God of Creation, the Divine that all people of faith seek to experience.

The shift to a New Christianity does not necessarily mean that we need to abandon the organized church. It does mean that we need to move beyond rote practices and weary metaphors in order to connect powerfully with the divine energy in and around each of us. For some of us we will need to leave or at least take a sabbatical from organized Christianity in order to find our own connection with the divine through Jesus Christ.

As a Christian leader with a thorough understanding of the Christian life and a deep love for the Creator, I am developing a spiritual understanding that integrates Christ’s life and teachings with eastern energy practices that allow me to continue to deepen my connection with the divine.

(Emphasis is mine)
Source: http://www.newchristianity.ca/About/WhatisNewChristianity/tabid/56/Default.aspx

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Please note in the above quote that this new form of Christianity (with its New Age terminology) is about experiencing God. It appeals to the flesh and uses "eastern energy practices". What we have here is syncretism, which Scripture warns us against in both the Old and New Testaments. This from a man who claims in his online biography to have "a thorough understanding of the Christian life", and a long history within the Christian church. What in the world is happening to people? Deception and apostasy, as it appears to me. Be aware that this is not that far from the Christian church. I would say it is on the doorstep of some, and already in the pulpit and pews of others, especially the emerging church. (Read Marsha West's article. The link is listed below).

Here is what Jeremiah had to say to those who turned aside and followed spiritual leaders who led the people astray from the way He had set out for them:

The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests bear rule by their means;
and my people love to have it so:
and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush:
therefore they shall fall among them that fall:
at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush:
therefore they shall fall among them that fall:
at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, We will not walk therein.

Also I set watchmen over you, saying,
Hearken to the sound of the trumpet.
But they said, We will not hearken.

Jeremiah 5:31 and 6:15-17

Here is a good article explaining the differences between the Christ of the New Spirituality/Christianity and the biblical Christ: The False Imagining of the False Christ (Colossians and the coming of the cosmic-christ) by Pastor Larry DeBruyn of Franklin Road Baptist Church.

Also related to this topic, an article by Marsha West, The Shift to the New Christianity and New Spirituality Through the Emerging Church, at NewsWithViews.

I was reminded this week just how deceptive this "shift" is as I was in a situation where I overheard two women that I know (one of them a Christian) speak glowingly about Eckart Tolle's New Earth. I was in shock and didn't know what to say at the time. Please pray that I will have the courage and wisdom to speak up next time, and as I try to talk to this Christian lady and warn her of the spiritual deception she is being involved in, and a receptive heart on her part. There is no doubt in my mind that we are in the midst of a serious spiritual battle and in the last days before Christ calls His own preceding the final showdown with our Adversary, the Devil.

Keep looking up, and stay on your knees!