Light of Christ Truth

What is Wrong With New Age Beliefs

 

What is wrong with New Age beliefs? And, for that matter, where did the New Age movement begin that promotes these New Age beliefs? Having belonged to a New Age spiritual group (Summit Lighthouse) for twenty years—and another ten outside that group—I have some insight to share on both questions. Thankfully, my experiences did not lead to demonic control as you can read happened to members of other New Age movements. Nor, having been a member of a group labeled a "cult", did I experience being under their leader's control. That is not to say they weren't a cult, as they had many of the cult signs such as having a leader (messenger) who set down the laws for the group and was acting as the intermediary between heaven and earth.

In the Summit (aka Church Universal & Triumphant) there were a few hundred staff members who had no possessions, having surrendered them to join staff and depended entirely upon the organization to provide their needs in exchange for long work hours and many hours of decrees (chanting prayers). In addition, they were expected to be completely obedient to the rules and were often cut off from family members outside the church because of little free time to travel or visit.

I have previously written a little on the New Age from the perspective of being one of the baby boomers and living through the hippie era and the cultural change that began the more coherent conception of the New Age as a spiritual movement. In this article, I am going to delve back before the 20th century to some of the possible roots of the New Age and what is their actual common beliefs that may put Christianity in their crosshairs.

The New Age movement has no central accepted beliefs, organizations, or leaders to force their ideas on anyone. One notable fact that is common to New Agers is that they are free spirits. There are many definitions of what defines a free spirit. Here are a few:

• A free spirit is a person who desires to be free from all external and internal oppressive forces above all else. The free spirit is by nature a rebel who may appear eccentric, weird, or otherworldly to society.
• A free spirit is one who is independent and uninhibited. They march to the beat of their own drum and don't always play by the rules.
• A free-spirited person is someone who is uninhibited by traditional social structures. A free spirit might go with the flow, embrace spontaneity, reject conformity, and live their lives in an unconventional way. 

New Agers aren't usually religious. Rather, they call themselves spiritual. Because we were a church group we saw ourselves as religious and spiritual. Religious in that we believed in the Scriptures and spiritual because we did not believe the Bible held all the truths. Some beliefs held were esoteric such as Gnosticism (early Christian Jewish beliefs) and the Kabbalah (Jewish mystic teachings).

Belief in God is common in New Agers yet their God does not have the same attributes as Christian's God. Likewise, the belief in Jesus is also common but their Jesus is not the Christ but a Christ. I will get into these differences in a moment. First, defining what is the New Age movement is necessary.

Roots of the New Age Movement
The words "New Age" are derived from the idea that the world is about to enter a new astrological age. Astrology is the belief that the heavenly bodies affect the mundane matters of mankind and it gets a lot of attention from New Agers. We just left or are just entering a new astrological age. Each age is about 2,150 years. The Age of Pisces is just ending and we are to be moving into the transformative Age of Aquarius. For the Summit students and other ascended master groups, Jesus was the hierarchy of the Piscean Age, while a new ascended master, St. Germain, is the hierarch for the Aquarian Age—supposedly, a new age of freedom and enlightenment for the earth.

When this "New Age" movement began is not known, only that certain groups began to appear that can be defined as having New Age beliefs. The New Age beginnings seem to have occurred as a reaction to the scientific age or the Age of Enlightenment. This Scientific Revolution, which began during the 17th century would become a catalyst for a new philosophy, one that permeated every level of human society and placed the emphasis for change on humanity rather than an intangible god. This age is seen as the period in history where the modern world began and science replaced superstition.

Preceding the Age of Enlightenment was the age of Renaissance and the birth of Renaissance Humanism. Humanist Petrarch (also known as Francesco Petrarca) is considered to be the founder of the humanist movement during the Renaissance after his rediscovery of the earlier work of Roman philosopher Cicero (106 BC-43 BC). Cicero was regarded as one of the most masterful writers of his time and the Latin language. 

What followed was the birth of the Italian Renaissance which inspired other European scholars to also look to ancient Greek and Roman texts with the goal of promoting new norms and values in society.  These norms and views focused less heavily on a religious worldview and instead on promoting a worldview based on logic and reason. Following that era, the word "humanism" became absorbed into the English language in the nineteenth century when German historian and philologist Georg Voigt described the revival of classical learning in the Renaissance period as " Renaissance humanism".

Humanism as described by several on the web says it is a philosophy that stresses the importance of human factors rather than looking at religious, divine, or spiritual matters. The root idea is that people have an ethical responsibility to lead lives that are personally fulfilling while at the same time contributing to the greater good for all people. Rather than religion, it proposes that people can resolve problems through the use of science and reason. Consequently, not only will individuals live better lives but the world will become a better place to live. Humanism is believing that the individual can take control of their lives without a personal God.

It was in the 19th-century that several separate individuals attracted groups to form around them and their new "thoughts". Because New Age ideas have easily spread through publications, many of its early leaders are authors whose works have proven particularly influential such as the writings of Phineas P. Quimby and New Thought; Mary Baker Eddy through Christian Science; and Helen Blavatsky of Theosophia. New Thought splintered from Christian Science during the 1880s. Like Christian Science, New Thought declares that the spiritual rather than physical comprises the fundamental nature of the world and that the power of the mind can change that world. Just as the humanism description above, New Thought teaches a form of spiritual self-development that aimed to develop the human being and construct a better reality. Unity School of Christianity, one of the largest New Thought groups, helped birth the New Age movement during the 20th century by hosting many New Age gatherings.

Theosophy aimed to unite seekers in all religious groups under what they called a single "brotherhood of humanity". In practice. Blavatsky was a Buddhist and she introduced concepts to the West drawn from Eastern religious traditions such as karma and reincarnation. The Indian yogi Swami Sivananda's (1887-1963) brought the practice of yoga to the West as well as Swami Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952). Yogananda, through his organization Self-Realization Fellowship, lived in America for 32 years. He introduced millions to the teachings of meditation as well as Kriya Yoga. He emphasized the underlying unity of the world's great religions. Yogananda's book, Autobiography of a Yogi, was written in English and one of the top 10 spiritual classics of the 20th century. It was one of the first books I read on Eastern gurus. I found it in the book exchange shelf on a Navy Base where I worked when I was in my early twenties and I was fascinated by his story, faith, and miracles.

Much earlier, another widely accepted influence on the New Age movement was the eighteenth-century medium Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). He spent 26 years associating with spirits and supposedly traveling to heaven and hell. In the Western world perhaps no one had more experience with the spirit world than he did. While he warned that the spirits were cunning and deceitful that it was almost impossible to determine their true nature he believed he was not duped. Believing he was an occult authority, Swedenborg told people that demonic spirits are gifted actors who routinely imitate the dead.

It all began when a man appeared before Swedenborg and told him that he was chosen to reveal the Scriptures and that He (the man who supposedly was Jesus) would explain to him what he ought to write on the subject, and ultimately be the one to give enlightenment to mankind. Swedenborg would be the one to herald in the "new" church and Second Coming.

 In the heading to True Christian Religion he wrote:

This, the Lord's second coming, is taking place by means of a man, to whom he has shown himself in person, and whom he has filled with his spirit, so that he may teach the doctrines of the new church which come from the Lord through the Word.

Continuing, he explained:

Since the Lord cannot show himself in person, as has just been shown, and yet he predicted that he would come and found a new church, which is the New Jerusalem, it follows that he will do this by means of a man, who can not only receive intellectually the doctrines of this church, but also publish them in print. I bear true witness that the Lord has shown himself in the presence of me, his servant, and sent me to perform this task. After this he opened the sight of my spirit, thus admitting me to the spiritual world, and allowing me to see the heavens and the hells, and also to talk with angels and spirits; and this I have now been doing for many years continuously. Equally, I assert that from the first day of my calling I have not received any instruction concerning the doctrines of that church from any angel, but only from the Lord, while I was reading the Word.

Scripture is clear that we not practice necromancy (communication with the dead) and warned against all forms of spirit contact (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:9-12). Unfortunately, Swedenborg thought God had given him special permission to contact the spirit world and that he was able to discern the good spirits from the deceiving spirits. The reason Swedenborg ignored the Bible warnings was that he believed that “good” spirits had taught him the truth.

Teachings released through the “Church of the New Jerusalem” Swedenborg founded, unfortunately, promote some of the most unbiblical revelations. For example, the Trinity does not exist; Jesus Christ’s death did not atone for our sin; salvation comes by practicing what you believe, whatever religion it might be. Therefore Jesus' teachings in Matt. 7:13-14 that the path is narrow is not true. God has many names, depending on the beliefs/religion of the individual thereby promoting the "broad road".

Still, there are many others who claim they have been chosen by God to reveal the truth. Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the prophet of Latter-Day Saints, claimed God (and sometimes he claimed Jesus, as well, was with God the Father) instructed him to start a new church. The Seventh-day Adventists have Ellen G. White, (1827-1915) with her hundreds of visions. She claimed she was given "in the presence of Jesus and the angels: 'Make known to others what I have revealed to you.'" During White's visions, she neither took a breathe or blinked her eyes and she was filled with superhuman strength that would leave her strengthless after they ended. Her Jesus revealed a "second coming" different from Swedenborg.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have Charles Russell (1852-1916), claiming to be an ordained minister and able to interpret the scriptures. The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe Jesus is God consequently, they do not believe in the Holy Trinity. Russell claimed the Second Coming would happen in 1874, and when it did not happen that the rapture would be in 1878. Neither did the rapture happen. Later, Russell released that the start of the Second Coming began in 1874. Many failed prophecies continued on the Second Coming. Helen Schucman thought Jesus spoke to her and told her, "This is a Course in Miracles, please take notes." I have written about her channeling here.

Dr. Norman L. Geisler (1932 -2019), an evangelical scholar, theologian, philosopher, and author, defined the typical doctrines of New Age religions. (Listed below) I will only go over a few of these doctrines.

 1) an impersonal god (force)

 2) an eternal universe

 3) an illusory nature of matter

 4) a cyclical nature of life

 5) the necessity of reincarnations

 6) the evolution of man into godhood

 7) continuing revelations from beings beyond the world

 8) the identity of man with God

 9) the need for meditation (or other consciousness-changing  techniques)

10) occult practices (astrology, mediums and so forth)

11) vegetarianism and holistic health

12) pacifism (or anti-war activities)

13) one world (global) order

14) syncretism (unity of all religions)

All is One and All is God
New Age groups generally have a all is one (monism) view of life and (pantheistic) view of God: All is God. God created everything and is in everything. God is not a Supreme Being distinct from creation—He IS creation! All is One and one is all. This term "monism" comes from the Greek word monos, meaning "one". Christian Science and Unity School of Christianity are two large groups that hold this monistic viewpoint. You see monism as a belief of Eastern religions, especially Hinduism and Buddhism.  

The Christian view from the Bible is theistic. God created the universe and continues to actively participate in the world’s activities and in human history but is separate and beyond His creation.

Oneness is the idea that we can become righteous or one with God by being sinless, whereas the Bible teaches we are sinners and can only become righteous by faith alone.  

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:8-10).

"For he made himself who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

Some New Age religious groups have a panentheistic viewpoint, such as the Ascended Master teachings of the Summit Lighthouse. Panentheism is the belief that while the entire universe is a part of God, God also exists beyond the universe. I go into greater detail on these concepts and more in my article on God. 

One positive belief that comes from the New Age view that all is God and God is one with all things is the tendency to value taking care of the earth. 

Man is God
Since all is God and all is one, it stands to reason that man must also be God. Yet if we are God, we need to know and believe we are God. Thus the number one priority for a New Ager is to recover their godhood through enlightenment. This is done through shifting one's consciousness and attuning to one's own true divinity. New Agers use meditation, creative visualization, the use of the imagination, chanting, self-hypnosis, and the like to transform their consciousness and escape the lie that they are sinners and finite. They are also heavily into holistic health practices and alternative medicines. In other words, they are not looking for salvation from God but from their own innate divinity and wisdom which knows all things.

We certainly can meditate (Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:97) but not to empty ourselves but to meditate upon the Word and meaning given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. New Agers tend to believe that reality is subjective, not objective, hence they can create their own reality through mind control, visualization, and other techniques. Since they have no objective truth, everyone can have their truth and everyone can be right simultaneously even if they contradict each other. It makes no sense but I heard my former husband in an interview with another New Age proponent agree that their truths were different and they could disagree as long as both could walk happily away keeping their own truths.

Christ is the true, personal, objective reality, as He said that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). The Serpent told Eve she would be "like" God (in most translations), knowing good and evil if she ate of the forbidden tree, not that she would be God (Gen. 3:4-5). Isaiah 45:5 also says, "there is no God besides me".

God is an impersonal God
The god of the New Age Movement is an impersonal presence, not a being with intellect, emotions, and a will, as the Bible presents Him.

If you have read the Old Testament to any extent you would have noticed that the Lord God (Yahweh) had a personal relationship with many of His imagers, that is, man created in His image and likeness, starting with Adam. After Adam and Eve sinned they heard the Lord God walking in the garden (Gen 3:8), but instead of joining God, they hid from Him. Originally, God walked with them in fellowship but having disobeyed God, they no longer walked in that same fellowship because of their sin.

The Lord God talked to Cain, Adam's offspring, before and after he sinned. The Old Testament says "Enoch walked with God" and then later Noah and his family walked with God. When God made the nation of Israel He personally provided for His chosen people even when they continued to sin. He guided them day and night while they sojourned in the desert. He raised up leaders to relay His covenants with them.

After God sent His Son into the physical, and who is seated at the right hand of the Father, we have an opportunity to have the Spirit indwelling in us if we are born again (John 3:3). God is with us through His Son and we are told, "He is not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:27).

The new covenant with God began with the birth of Jesus. One of Jesus’ titles is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus was truly, literally “God with us.” God has never left us, rather we have deserted Him through sin. God’s presence remains with us. (Hebrews 13:5). God with us means that we will never be separated from His love (Romans 8:38-39). The God of the Bible is a personal Father, not an impersonal force. Many New Agers cannot accept the teaching of the Bible because can't get past Genesis 1 without resisting the Word in Scripture. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1) with seeing God as part of creation not separate from it.

Jesus Christ Is Not God
New Agers believe that Jesus was not and is not the only Christ, nor is he God. They typically believe that Jesus was simply a highly evolved soul and spiritual teacher but not God. They relate him to other “cosmic Christs” such as Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius. They do not believe that salvation can be found through Jesus. Salvation is found within themselves.

In the Ascended Master teachings, Buddha and Lord Maitreya are higher spiritual beings than Jesus, and Maitreya was Jesus' guru and teacher. These ascended masters seem highly affronted that he is called the only begotten Son, rather teaching that we are all sons of God and Christ is the Son, which Jesus became.

New Agers rationalize Jesus' suffering on the cross as unhistorical or interpret it as having another meaning rather than that he suffered to pay the penalty for human sin in order to reconcile mankind to God. For the Summit, as far as Jesus' atonement, in Climb the Highest Mountain, the Prophets state that the idea of a blood sacrifice of Jesus is an erroneous interpretation of the doctrine, and actually is “a remnant of pagan rite long refuted by the word of the LORD” Continuing, "God the Father did not require the sacrifice of his Son Christ Jesus, or of any other incarnation of the Christ, as an atonement for the sins of the world; nor is it possible according to cosmic law for any man’s sacrifice to balance either the original sin or the subsequent sins of the one or the many. However, one man’s sacrifice of the lower self resulting in the soul’s reunion with the Christ - can set aside the return of individual and planetary karma for a prescribed period of grace…" They taught that Jesus' union with the Christ set aside planetary karma for the 2,150 year period of the Piscean age and at the end of that age the karma of mankind was then returning. Something most New Agers believe with the Age of Aquarius beginning.

There are many statements in the New Testament that New Agers must ignore, refute, or reason away.

• Jesus himself said he is God's one and only son (not that the Christ was God's only son) "do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. (John 10:25-38).

• Jesus was sent in love by the Father to bestow eternal life to those who believe in him (John 3:16); and "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son" (John 3:18). No other shares that status as the only Son of God nor has any other "enlightened" leader of the world’s religions made similar claims. Buddha emphasized the principles of the Buddha but did not claim to be God. Mohammed did not claim to be Allah. Zoraster did not claim to be Ahura Mazda.

• When Jesus asked the Jews why they wanted to stone Him, they replied, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God” (John 10:33).

• Jesus said, "the one who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). In the whole of chapter 5 of John, Jesus speaks to who He is,  His equality with God, and thereby the power is given to Him by God the Father.

• When the Jews asked for a sign from Jesus He answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up… but he spake of the temple of his body” (John 2:19-21). Temple as a two-fold meaning. He will raise up the temple of His body on the third day in His resurrection, and in that resurrection will be the foundation stone of the spiritual temple for the world. For Jesus to claim that He could raise His life back from the dead was the sign that separates Him not only from all other religious leaders, but also from any man who has ever lived.

• Jesus claimed the ability to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), which the Word of God teaches was something that only God could do (Isaiah 43:25).

• The New Testament equated Jesus as the creator of the universe (John 1:3). The apostle Paul writes of Jesus: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16); that He is the one who holds everything together (Colossians 1:17); and that "God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16).

• Jesus did not just claim to be teaching mankind the truth; He claimed that He was the truth. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

• Peter declared: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

• 1 Timothy 2:5 Paul tells us, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all."

The united testimony of Jesus and the writers of the New Testament is that He was more than a mere man. His disciples and friends took notice that Jesus claimed to be God—and so did His enemies. There may be some doubt today among the disbelievers who refuse to examine the evidence, but there was no doubt on the part of the Jewish leaders.

All Religions are One
With the understanding that all truths of viable even if they contradict one another, all religions are seen as having equal merit. This is called syncretism. New Agers combine and synthesize their philosophical ideas and religious beliefs from many sources, picking and choosing what suits their reality. All religions and their teachings lead to the same goal, whether it be teachings from Jesus, Confucius, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, or Ascended Masters.

From a Biblical perspective, syncretism is the blending together of Yahweh worship with pagan worship. "For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Ex. 34:14). God Jesus said, "If you love Me keep My commandments (John 14:15). Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27). Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad" (Matt. 12:30).

Syncretism for Christians is not the total abandonment of faith in Jesus and God the Father.  Yet it is insidious and dangerous merging some of the New Age ideas with the goal of enhancing one's life or supplementing it with practices from other faiths. This is what the Israelites continued to do and were seriously chastised over and over again by God for including pagan practices. Some of those practices were horrendous, like child sacrifice but others were not so obviously sinister. Yoga is one of those practices we are warned in scripture to avoid, as well as astrology, numerology, and even belief and interest in the enneagram personalities. The enneagram has roots in the occult and contributions from a higher entity called Metatron.¹

Yoga has it roots in Hinduism. Yoga discipline is for achieving union with the supreme spirit through intense concentration, deep meditation, and practices involving prescribed postures, controlled breathing, etc. The physical postures are (or derived from) worship poses to gods and Hinduism has hundreds of gods with a different posture to each Hindu god. Hatha Yoga (there are many other forms of yoga) is usually practiced in the West to enhance health and peace of mind but it is still a spiritual practice from Hinduism. Even innocently practicing yoga can open the door to other New Age practices.

Enlightenment From Beyond
Messages from beyond are one of the most challenging phenomenons about the New Age. Blavatsky didn't claim she channeled. Instead, she and others supposedly received letters that mysteriously appeared in the physical from supposedly embodied spiritual masters. These masters never said they were ascended. Swedenborg supposedly took messages from Jesus. Other saints have claimed they did as well. If you think about it, almost the entire New Age Movement is based on information and instructions given by these higher spiritual beings, spirit guides, or masters who have attained Christhood like Jesus supposedly did. Their messages have been presented to the world as New Revelation without any proof of who they say they are or if this "new revelation" is really true. What is the common theme of these messages? That mankind creates his own reality and love conquers all.

I have always been interested in healing, and the sleeping prophet, Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) had a lot of readings that were mostly about healing - in the beginning. He was my first experience with a person who channels. Cayce was a sincere Christian and read the Bible from cover to cover every year. He did not believe in reincarnation. He did not know what came through him until after he awoke. He stated in trance that his higher self was the speaker and the source was from the Akashic records. The readings helped people heal, and the knowledge of what to do to help infirmities was astounding. That was proof to me that however, this happened it was only for good.

Then the I AM Movement began channeling "ascended masters" in the 1920s and 30s. Today, the amount and kinds of channeling are astounding and from all kinds of spirit entities: spiritual masters, angels, the Christ, aliens, spirit guides, and beings claiming to be important people or saints of the past that are ascended or between lives. A channeler can be partly conscious or completely unconscious where the channeler's voice may even change to the entity that is speaking through them.

Having listened to channeled messages from the "ascended masters" for years I never entertained that they could really be demons or devils or confused disembodied spirits impostoring as enlightened spiritual beings. So I can understand the attraction to New Agers and that it is possible to be duped into believing there really is a higher dimension of light where these advanced beings can communicate with earthly beings. Yet if this was so, why does the Bible warn not to communicate with the spirit world and why would the Bible be necessary if these higher spirits/masters can give us all the information we need about the past, present, and future?

In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, the apostle Paul wrote, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his ministers, also, transform themselves as ministers of righteousness.” It makes no matter that what they say maybe 90-95% true if they give out 5% lies that lead souls to perdition and away from Jesus Christ and the truth. We know that demons can inhabit a person as Jesus cast out many of them during His ministry. The Bible warns us against all forms of divination and commands that people do not turn to mediums or spiritists because of the harmful nature of their messages (Lev. 19:31).

Conclusion
It doesn't matter how long a person has been in the New Age, with Jesus anyone can be healed and become a warrior for Christ and truth. I just read a story about Alan Strudwick who was raised in the New Age spirituality with Eastern gurus. At age thirteen he began training to be a New Age leader under a Hindu guru. He began to have doubts about the efficacy of his teachings about a decade later when some people he taught were ending up in psych hospitals, depressed and suicidal and leaving their families, etc. This was not good fruit.

As a leader, he was invited into secret meetings on how to evolve the world and people into a new world order and religion. One goal they discussed was how to reach Christians and get them to believe their teachings. One strategy they began working on over thirty years ago was to introduce them to yoga. Alan said, "We made a strategy that if we could wean it in every year, we could get to the point of not only the Western world would think that yoga is good, but that we actually could get it into Christian's lives as well. And you know why? Because when you're in yoga, you're actually yoking with a Hindu god. That's what you're doing." Whether your yoga was practiced for health or exercise Alan said, "You can't separate the spiritualism of something that is a spiritual exercise. I was a trained Hatha yoga master. I know what that's for."

Alan had a spiritual experience seeing Jesus at the right hand of God the Father after he called out for help with his life's work. Jesus spoke to him and also transferred to him light in his hands. Yet to Alan, Jesus was just another god. It took him another year and reading the Bible and going to church and being born again to finally accept Jesus as the one and only God. When Alan told his guru, he was furious and Alan saw the demonic in him come out. He was finally free of the deception. Now he has become a warrior for Jesus.

I relate this story in just one of many conversions Jesus has done with broken people caught in the New Age or following the wrong path. The good news is that no matter how long or into what depth of deception, they were freed and henceforth on fire to share the good news of Christ.

I feel that way myself. Though I had no spiritual experience and tangible conversion by Christ, the Holy Spirit was still working in my life. One day it just came to me that I needed to read the truth of what had actually gone on with the Summit Lighthouse and leaders, as well as all the other past ascended master organizations. It did not make sense to me that each organization taught different "truths" or had different names for the same beings, or different colors of the chakras, etc. I was also disillusioned with their "messengers", as well as being a messenger myself for a few years and married to a messenger who I doubted his "truths" revealed through him.

As Alan seemed to have no choice in how he was raised spiritually, I felt led from the time I was a child into all these New Age practices even though I was a devout Christian and no one around me practiced any of these New Age beliefs. Someone was leading my life step by step into the New Age and ascended masters and I felt each step was preordained, it was that smooth and comfortable to incorporate them. Sometimes I would get premonitions or a knowing of what the future was to bring, and they usually were very difficult experiences. They were meant to happen and I knew it.

I practiced astrology from a teenager but when I left the Summit after the messenger's retirement, I dropped astrology, which was heavily practiced in the Summit. I had been hearing the masters for years and that stopped as well. Yet I received I was to become a messenger myself. I did not want to and did not know how I even could, never being a leader and rather an inward person, shy and more on the uncommunicative side. Yet I went along with it because I felt I had to be obedient to God's will, believing it had to be coming from God's will.

A lot unfolded over the next ten years. Embarrassment was a common feeling. Some of the people I met were some of the most prideful people I had ever met to date—and manipulative. I could not fathom how people of this caliber could be in the highest teachings of the ascended masters. Month after month, year after year, experiences unfolded that were difficult to go go through and I often was the catalyst to bring out the worst in people. Like Alan, the fruits around me were not good, even with my husband.

Thus, for me, it was easy to leave the New Age, thankful and grateful to God to have led me back to Christ, but not the New Age Christ. It was not easy though because dropping the way you saw everything spiritual had to change. I had to learn to pray the right way, not chant for hours. I had to start making decisions on my own without spiritual guidance which most likely had been mostly from the false spirits. I had to relearn the Bible and what the words were really saying.

Today, the highlight for me each month is to share truths from the Bible. And it is a joy to feel the Holy Spirit come upon me when I am done, blessing the work before it goes out. I don't always receive that blessing, so when I do I know I am on the right track in sharing God's truth. I wish the blessings of Christ and Christ healing on all who desire to be free of false teachings and the hold of Satan and his demons upon them.

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¹The Enneagram grew into what it is today through the efforts of Russian occultist P. D. Ouspensky, the Greek American occultist Georges I. Gurdjieff and occultist, Óscar Ichazo, who connected the Enneagram to personality and occultist Chilean-born psychiatrist,  Claudio Naranjo, who  was the first to connect the nine points of the Enneagram to nine basic personality types. Ichazo was heavily involved in psychedelic drugs and shamanism and asserted that he had "received instructions from a higher entity called Metatron". Details on the occult beginnings are found here and here.