I received a disturbing e-mail today from a duo in Europe. The authors described their e-mail as a diamond among the spam and hoped I was worthy of receiving it.
The authors also claimed to be bishops and apostles who by “personal intuition” have been studying the secrets of the mystical world for more than a decade. They invited me to a web site that would prove mysticism’s truths. I never visited the web site. It’s a waste of time. My time is better spent exposing this darkness.
I don’t know if you get these sort of e-mails. It’s grievous that those who dabble in this spiritual junk would take on the titles of bishop and apostle. These are not true bishops and apostles. Did the Apostle Paul push mysticism? A resounding no.
In case others of you are receiving this deceptive gobbledygook, I thought it expedient to offer a few Scriptures that will help you guard your hearts and minds from the claims.
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Why do we have to test the spirits to see if they are from God? Because there are false prophets (and bishops and apostles) that have gone out into the world with spiritually perverted messages.
1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…”
These are the latter days, and this Scripture is being fulfilled. Some are leaving the church, building communities of seekers, mixing New Age with Bible, and other grievous acts. Let’s read a couple of more Scriptures.
Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”
There’s a war in the spirit, with New Age mystics proposing to have deep answers to life’s problems based on mathematics, symbols, formulas and the like. People are hungry for answers in this day and age. People are fearful. But people need the Word of God and the Spirit of God — not mysticism.
Teach those who are young in the Lord how to discern these spirits, because they can set out to deceive and in fact have deceived many in the Church today.
The only way to combat lies is with truth. The only way to overcome evil is with good. The only way to dispell darkness is with light. Let’s walk as children of the Light, speak the truth in love, and expose these deeds of mystical darkness for what they are. Maybe some who practice these deeds will be lead to repentence by the kindness of a loving God.
