The Eagle Way No 13

A Time of Heighten Spiritual Awareness (Part 1)

We are living in a time and season of heighten spiritual awareness. This generation is being exposed, like no other time in history with the rise of misinformation and influence of movies, television, magazines and internet. Much of the “New Age” is now indoctrinating every aspect of modern life, with many institutions following these “new” trends. Our society is being persuaded by the onslaught of media which is slowly changing our values. There is an all out global influence on our society and our children to accept a world view that relate to so called modern philosophical trends that have distorted our true religious beliefs.  
Much of this misinformation seems to go unchallenged today and is in direct opposition to the true biblical teaching of the New Testament.

We need to ask the question what spirituality would look like without Jesus Christ. Is it the acknowledgment that all paths lead to God? Is it the understanding that no one institution has a monopoly on the truth? But, rather, the truth is shared by all. More and more men and women are following teachings of some sort of cultish association and founders of a religion system that has no true Biblical bases. 

Those who are spiritually minded are open and willing to embrace the teachings of all the great masters, Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Spiritualists, Socrates, and Hinduism. Particularly Yoga which has grown in huge way today in the modern world it is an inherent part of Hindu philosophy. These teachings on Yoga are based around the nature of the divinity of man, an innate power within the human psyche; these practices are opening more and more people to different forms of the supernatural phenomena of magic and witchcraft. Today, many are interested in this occultist philosophy which comes from the Latin “occultus”, which means “concealed” or “hidden.”

It involves mystic knowledge and magic powers received from the spirit world [demons] and is dispensed or aimed at achieving their destructive strategies by those who have been initiated into its secret beliefs. The followers of this occult power are known as (men or women), such as witch doctors, witches, psychics, priests, sorcerers, astrologers, gurus, yogis, shamans, mediums, seers, healers and or medicine men or women.

Many books have been written recently about new business management success and techniques. Business executives today believe they are the initiated few and have become heavily influenced by information that has changed their business philosophies and they now use spiritual techniques. There staff are taught from a group of highly evolved Hindu Masters who lived centuries ago.  They claim to act as spiritual advisers to humans, whom they instigate in the use of these spiritual powers and so called techniques and cause spiritual bondage's.

What is our role in the church today?

We are to preach and teach the uncompromising Word of God. There is power in the preaching of God's Word, the gospel. Paul tells us in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation." The church is duty bound to preach the gospel, for it is the only message that can accomplish what God wants accomplished; for the salvation of the souls of man. If we preach something other than the gospel, we convert men to something or someone other than what Jesus intended.  The apostle Paul understood his responsibility to preach only God's Word. 

In 1 Corinthians 9:16 we read “for if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for the necessity is laid upon me; yes woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”  Paul ensures he would not transgress any laws of Christ, to please any man, yet he would accommodate himself to all men, where he might do it lawfully, to gain some.

And in 1 Corinthians 1:21 Paul writes, “for since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God, through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. “ Paul preached the crucified Christ Jesus; this was more powerful than all the oratory and philosophy of the heathen world. This is the sum and substance of the gospel. Christ crucified is the foundation of all our hopes and our joy. And by His death and resurrection we live in hope. The preaching of the gospel of salvation to the lost that reveals the truth against the sensual, the covetous, the proud, and ambitious. The gospel opposes the philosophy of man and the world.

We need a spiritual awaking

We need a spiritual tsunami, to bring thousands into a personal encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. I ask this question, have we become a professional church, creating an atmosphere of technical sophistication based on the latest ‘tech no’ with lights, smoke and mirrors to create an atmosphere devoid of the presence of God?  Has religion crept into our midst unwittingly causing us to become lethargic, worldly and now we accept high levels of noise as worship, and follow fashionable trends to attract people into our church.

We are seeing many charismatic Christians develop an attitude that Jesus Christ is just not enough, we want more, instead of seeking Jesus for a closer more intimate relationship. We have become animated and enthralled with some weird spiritual manifestation, always looking for the latest "unique anointing." O help us Lord, to seek You more.

We need anticipation and an expectation as what our faith is about and all Jesus has already accomplished for us on the cross. Let our life style be uncomplicated and our focus to be in pray, worship and the Word.

In Luke 24:5, 6 “Then, as they were afraid and bowed [their] faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when? He was still in Galilee.”

We need as God people to ask for His guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Let’s look to God for our daily directives for His guidance and teaching! (Isaiah 8:19-20). True hope is found in the life of the One our Lord Jesus Christ who has been raised from the dead and lives for evermore – Jesus the Eternal Son of God.

He has sent His Helper to be with us, the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4).Look to the One who has all authority over life and death for your guidance in these times of uncertainty.

Jesus said, in John 11:25, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

EAM LB/April, 2012