LOG LANE COMMUNITY CHURCH WEEKLY BULLETIN
Sunday, September 24, 2006
What the Church Believes - Astrology, Psychics, and Transcendental Meditation
[continued from September 17 bulletin]

Why should we as Christians oppose astrology and other mystic practices?

Though some advocates of astrology claim their practice is supported by the Bible we believe and teach that God’s Word strongly denounces astrology because of its association with the occult and demonic.

Transcendental Meditation is another danger to be avoided. Along with New Age teaching, TM finds deity only within nature and humans. The subtlety of TM, however, is its promotion in the western world as a recreational and relaxation activity that promotes better physical and mental health. The origin and religious background of the teaching is conveniently hidden from unsuspecting participants.

The roots of TM can be traced to Hinduism with all its teachings about reality, God, man, and salvation [in the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures]. TM denies the existence of a personal God, teaching instead the pantheistic premise that God is all and ill is God. Man is viewed not as a sinner, but as a being capable of experiencing his own divinity. Transcendental Meditation claims that Christians or the followers of any religion may practice TM without any conflict with their primary beliefs. This claim is based not on the absence of religious content in TM, but rather on the Hindu teaching that Hinduism, with its many gods [both good and evil], can always accommodate one more. The special secret mantras give to each TM participant are described as harmless, meaningless words chosen for their hypnotic and soothing benefits. But in reality they are words taken from the Vedas and used traditionally to invoke the assistance of various Hindu deities. The advocates of TM claim to have a primary interest in the health and happiness of individuals. Yet the subtle deception of this claim is clear to anyone who determines to know the full tradition and practice of Transcendental Meditation. In stark contrast, the greatest “transcendental meditation” for the Christian believer is meditation on the truths of Gods Word [Ps. 1:2].

Counterfeits for the genuine work of the Holy Spirit in the life to a Christian seem to be all around us. What about the horoscope that appears in most daily newspapers? And what about the psychics on television offering their seemingly uncanny information that only a person would know about himself. Some see these activities as innocent fu of recreation. Sadly, however, a casual curiosity has on occasion become a controlling obsession. A few surprising results cause on to wonder, “Is this coincidental – or could there be something to this?” Tragically, some have continued playing with that which God warns against, resulting in addictions or demonic oppression. Christians who dabble in such dangerous practices are not exempt from the entrapment. What begins as a subtle pastime pulls people away from God’s Word as they become intrigued by an unbiblical source of knowledge.

Involvement is the many forms of mysticism grows out of a single motivation – a desire to move beyond the revelation of God’s Word to sources of “enlightenment” that are contrary to the Bible’s revealed truth. Inordinate curiosity begins the downward path. However, God’s Word is totally adequate to provide both direction and inspiration for life. What supernatural guidance we cannot derive from the Bible and its Spirit-initiated revelation is out of bounds. It is blasphemy against God to turn away from His Word to seek forbidden knowledge and understanding through divination, magic, palm reading, astrology, tarot cards, crystal balls, Ouija boards, psychic knowledge, or any other practice that seeks to unravel divinely hidden mysteries.

Concerns:
Caution must be urged in any involvement in the martial arts or yoga. These activities, with varying ties to eastern religions, are often presented as wholesome physical exercises or otherwise healthy practices. Depending on the mental/spiritual orientation of the instructor or guide, there may be subtle or overt insertion of philosophies and ideas foreign to the Bible and Christian faith.

Sadly, the quest for meaning and purpose has drawn many people, including some professing Christians, into these human-centered philosophies and religions. We sometimes say too glibly that the Bible provides the answer to all of our problems. Yet the God of the Bible tells us in His Word that He is there to meet our every need. We can still claim the Biblical promise, “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” [Phil. 9:19].That promise can be trusted with far greater certainty than the best that man or demon power can offer.

Practice Jesus’ Habits
Whitney Hopler

All of us have habits – regularly repeated behaviors that shape our lives, for better or for worse. The best habits are those that Jesus, God incarnate, practiced during His time on Earth. Since He designed life, He knew how to live it most effectively.

You can learn a lot from what Jesus taught, but even more from practicing what He did. The more you devote yourself to emulating Jesus’ habits, the more God will bless you.

Here’s how you can make Jesus’ habits your own:

Practice confrontation. Be willing to deal with another person about an issue head-on, in a spirit of love and truth, with your sole motive being to help that person.

Practice challenging the status quo. In a spirit of love, choose to challenge that which continues on as a tradition but no longer serves a good purpose.

Practice listening. Focus on what another person is saying with your ears, mind, eyes and body so that person feels valued by you.

Practice love. Consistently choose to do something that is beneficial, kind, and encouraging for another person before considering your own needs. Be willing to be inconvenienced and to sacrifice for the sake of others.

[Continued in next bulletin]

Journey Into Powerful Prayer

We are studying Prayer [or our lack of it] on Wednesday night at 7:00 P.M. This is 45 – 60 minutes once a week for 13 weeks. We know you will be blessed by attending.