FIVE SATANIC DECEPTIONS DESIGNED FOR THE END-TIMES (Part III)

FIVE SATANIC DECEPTIONS DESIGNED FOR THE END-TIMES (Part III)

It bears repetition: Arguably, the foremost satanic deception of our time is the NEW AGE MOVEMENT, a blatant denial of the supreme revelation of God-in-Christ, who gave His life to redeem and restore fallen humanity. New Age thinking rejects Jesus Christ as God’s only begotten Son, elevates fallen humanity to a level of divinity, denies the reality of Satan and sin, and thus nullifies our need to seek salvation. In the process, all customary religious practices are redefined or deemed irrelevant. Since faith’s ultimate goal is reduced to a generic form of brotherly love and peace, all religions become equal and therefore none can attest to any authentic or higher revelation of divine truth. My candid response: NONSENSE!

I now highlight a brief history of my alma mater, Yale University, as a cautionary tale about the impact of PLURALISM (the everything-is-o.k. perspective), especially as it pertains to the Christian faith. According to the university website, “Yale’s roots can be traced back to the 1640s, when COLONIAL CLERGYMEN led an effort to establish a college in New Haven to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in the New World. This vision was fulfilled in 1701, when the charter was granted for a school wherein youth may be instructed in the arts and sciences and through the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for public employment both in church and civil state.” As the third oldest American university, Yale was preceded only by Harvard and William and Mary. Since its original emphasis was on the training of ministers, for the first 200 years of its 313-year history every Yale president was a Christian minister. Early on, Yale was responsible for dispatching dedicated missionaries across the globe. And history records that one of its earliest and most highly regarded presidents, Jonathan Edwards, was even known to “speak in other tongues” (glossolalia) in Yale’s classrooms. Wow!

Let’s contrast Yale’s Christian historic roots with its contemporary status. Nowadays, the Yale University Chaplain’s Office does not exclusively or even prominently display the primary symbol of Christianity, THE CROSS. Rather, the cross is displayed in an inclusive graphic circle, as one of 14 equally endorsed faith communities. Besides Christianity, the Yale Chaplain’s website supports participation in the Baha’i Faith, Judaism, Taoism, Islam, Jainism, Shintoism, Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Native American Traditions. Additionally, many contemporary religious leaders at Yale are proactive advocates for ‘lifestyle rights’ which are diametrically opposed to the Word of God. All of this is deemed ‘normal’ because the university culture now demands complete openness to (and a full embrace of) DIVERSITY. One question is begged: How far will it go, and where will it end?

The Bible declares that the “spirit of antichrist even now already is in the world.” (I John 4:3) What a timely and truly prophetic pronouncement! While religious pluralism ‘feels’ reasonable and equitable, and ‘seems’ just and appropriate based upon the current values of our society, Proverbs 16:25 asserts that “there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

As Christians, we are sorely tempted to allow our voices to be muted by those who resist or resent divine truth. Why? Because we could be labeled as narrow-minded or closed-minded when we espouse views that do not coincide with mainstream thinking. This is increasingly true in America, and so it is throughout the world.

Two examples immediately come to mind:

1) During the summer of 2014, Samuel Truett Cathy, the recently deceased founder of Chick-fil-A, expressed strong support for traditional marriage between a man and a woman. As a result, he came under intense attack by the gay and lesbian community and by all who support their lifestyle agenda. It was not Mr. Cathy’s intention to ‘bash’ gay citizens; he was merely invoking his first amendment constitutional right to freedom of speech, and even more importantly, he was affirming the Word of God. It is amazing to me that gay citizens can appear in the media as outspoken advocates of their worldview; they can organize and participate in gay pride parades; they can even mobilize political leaders to speak out on their behalf…but the moment that anyone publicly states an opposite point of view, they are labeled as gay-bashers. This is neither the original design of America, nor the righteous plan of God.

2) To attain my second Yale degree, I enrolled in an urban education graduate program. From day one, it was an established fact that I have long since been (and always will be) actively engaged in ministry. During our classes, we participated in wide-ranging discourse on social and moral issues surrounding public education. However, it quickly became apparent that there was a collective expectation of silence regarding THE MINISTER IN THE ROOM. That is, the group consensus seemed to be that I should sit quietly and passively while being ‘indoctrinated’ by a barrage of liberal worldviews via my professors and fellow students. One day, we had a controversial discussion about a brochure entitled “My Two Moms” (involving two gay parents) and how we would present such a brochure to our students. When I was directly asked my opinion and decided to candidly share it, I was firmly rebuked and informed that “educators are public servants!” As such, we “have no right” to express any personal perspectives or concerns regarding the gay lifestyle. Please remember that my opinions were expressed in direct response to their questions (within a UNIVERSITY SETTING), and please know that I would not have shared my personal views with students in a PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTING. [Note: Neither would I ever present that brochure, as was being asked and expected of me]. As the class proceeded, both my position and I were forcefully condemned. My response was simply this: “If you can speak so openly and freely about SIN AND YOUR ADVOCACY OF THE SAME in my presence, I must and shall exercise my right to present GOD’S PERSPECTIVE, which actually matches and mirrors my own.” Thankfully, I did obtain my second degree from Yale, but eventually became PERSONA NON GRATA, based upon my “narrow and politically incorrect” views.

Consider this: NEW AGE THINKING IS NOT NEUTRAL THINKING, even though it typically purports to be so. Rather, that which is usually characterized by its proponents as “open-minded thinking” is a viewpoint that is PROFOUNDLY CLOSED TO THE WORD AND WILL OF GOD. As such, New Age thinking is a proactive strategy that seeks to minimize Christ and maximize Satan’s plan to prepare the world for the one-world religion and one-world government of the antichrist. To be perfectly candid, I am amazed at how we Christians allow ourselves to be so easily maneuvered into SILENCE for the sake of political correctness and popular acceptance. Nevertheless, with that being said, please know that it is not necessary for believers to live each moment in ‘open confrontation mode’ with the world. Our nonverbal witness is often sufficient to speak volumes to (and against) the maladies of this world system. Nevertheless, whenever this is insufficient, we must be ready and willing to stand up and speak up as ambassadors of Christ, in harmony with His Word and empowered by His Spirit. Point to Ponder: Are you equipped and empowered to effectively represent Jesus Christ in these end-times?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!