Are you Worshiping the Sun or the Son?

I know what you’re going to say. It’s exercise! It has nothing to do with God. Let’s look at what the Wikipedia says about the word yoga:

1. a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

2. any of the methods or disciplines prescribed, esp. a series of postures and breathing exercises practiced to achieve control of the body and mind, tranquility, etc.

3. union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

Not a valid source? How about hatha yoga Webster's Dictionary?

a system of physical exercises for the control and perfection of the body that constitutes one of the four chief Hindu disciplines

If you're a Christian and you're taking Yoga classes, or doing them on you're own, you're practicing a form of Hindu ritual. Sorry, but that's what you're doing.

Yoga opens doors to a New-Age lifestyle. If someone is not grounded in Christ they can easily be awed and drawn into the philosophy that is yoga. Often people subscribe to yoga magazines once they begin classes, and in these magazines lurk new age teachings, swami's, yogi's and guru's all hawking their wares.

Perhaps you can see how easy it is to get involved with eastern mystic religions. You can start out with taking yoga classes, then find yourself dropping your guard when it comes to your own Christian faith when you begin to read about expanding your soul, fountains of energy, and reading "God is in everyone." Yoga classes include short periods of meditation, sometimes incense burning, eastern music and New Age or Eastern religion readings. Sometimes you're given a mantra. If you're reading their material, you've taken the next step away from Jesus Christ. Yoga is a lure, but the postures are just the invitation into an entirely different belief system. Here is an example of some of those beliefs that are incorporated into the poses.

Lotus Pose, in Hindu the Lotus is the thousand fold petals of the soul.

Namaste means the divine spark located in the heart center, so you are bowing to the "god" in each of us. As one yoga teacher states in the Yoga Journal:

Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

Om means the cosmic sound of all of God

Chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel, and these "wheels" were thought of as spinning vortexes of energy.

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is symbolic and has mythic overtones for worshiping the sun.

Yoga always teaches philosophy and "wisdom" with poses. Here is one such wisdom taught, this is from a popular yoga magazine:

Step by Step. If you've been practicing yoga for a while, you're familiar with asana, pranayama, and meditation. But you might not know much about the first two steps of the path: the five yamas and five niyamas. These are the ethical precepts, or core values, of yoga as well as its starting place—meant to be practiced before you do your very first Sun Salutation. They provide a recipe for living in the world with ease. Yoga Journal

Now, watch the "onion unfolds" as you start with postures and end at the "royal path."

Asana: A body position that will give you the control you need to sit in states of God communion.

Pranayama: Breath control, to teach you to become "breathless" so you will become one with God.

Yamas: Rule or Code of living, usually a strict way of life, including vegetarianism, abstinence from sex (even if married).

Niyama: set of behaviors codified as "the observances" in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. All the above texts list ten Niyamas, with the exception of Patanjali's work, which lists only five. They comprise the "shall-do" in our dealings with the inner world, and Swami Vivekananda describes them as the second step of Raja yoga (Sanskrit: राज योग). (Wikipedia)

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a foundational text of Yoga.[1] It forms part of the corpus of Sutra literature dating to India's Mauryan period. In Indian philosophy

Raja Yoga: ("royal yoga", "royal union", also known as Classical Yoga) is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.

This opinion has nothing to do with intolerance. This has to do with knowing what you're signing up for, where yoga originated, where it's going to take you, and if there is another form of exercise you can do that does not include a Hindu disciplines repackaged into something benign.

Are you worshiping the sun or the Son?

BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness: Strengthening Your Body and Soul in Christ

Biblical resources: 1 John 5:21

"Dear Children, keep yourself from Idols."

An idol is anything that substitutes for the true faith, anything that robs Christ of his full Deity. (Life Application Bible, NIV, Zondervan)

Jesus Stealing

A religion with thousands of idols and just as many saints and sages, find it easy adding Jesus. But reconciling that Jesus was just a guru, saint or prophet and not a Savior takes some spinning. Basically they threw out that he died on the cross for our sins, and decided to invent "Christ Conciousness," something we could strive for--works.

Jesus came to remove the law of "works" and the Eastern pantheistic religions brought it back, yet few realize it when they fall for their teachings.

The reason they get away with this kidnapping is two fold. First, their followers don't read the Bible, at least not the way you're supposed to read the Bible, but through their founder's interpretation. If they did read the Bible these fake guru's wouldn't be able to sell their message.

Second, Christians seem apathic to the thief of their Savior's good name. This is the first time in Christian history that Jesus is rarely defended for who he was, and not what the general population wants him to be!

Sometimes I think my blog readers wonder why I write about these things. Just leave these guru's and their minions alone, and who cares what they think or say, or write or brainwash people to believe about Our Lord? Well, I was involved in one of these groups and the damage they do isn't easily overcome. You might never have a healthy relationship with God again. To me that's important enough to share.

Of course they don't have Jesus, what they have is a fictional character they made up, like the Jesus who went to India and learned "secret teachings," that equate to Yoga Meditation. There is no evidence of this at all, but they push this belief.

Eastern religions are theologically different than Christianity and the two do not connect with a few scriptures that are quoted always out of context.

Jesus Hijackings and What the Bible Contains

My ex-guru worshipers used to scoff at the way Christians "read" the Bible and their dog-like-devotion to a book. Our egos were so enormous, in that we thought Christians were el-stupido and morons to hold onto such old and moldy beliefs! If you believed Jesus Christ was the Only Way, you were labelled as someone with a crutch.

Mind you, this is from the mentalities of people who were practicing a religion older than Christianity, and with no known orgins...but somehow Guru's Special Hinduism was scientific and modern, buzz words they threw around to validate their beliefs.

They professed to be a church of all religions but they were not tolerant of Christians behind closed doors. The mere fact that they published a New Testament interpretation based on the guru's understanding of Jesus Christ is ludicrous. He based his understanding of Jesus on a few scriptures, such as, " the kingdom of God is within you" and "know ye not that ye are gods," to give him license to hijack Jesus Christ and make him a Hindu Guru! His pseudo Christ did not die on the the cross and forgive our sins, but is, in fact, living in a cave with Babaji (another Hindu sage) working out the problems of the world. They take the very core of Christianity out of their teachings, yet claim to be reconciled with Jesus Christ and understand the true meaning of his teachings. They spin "truth seekers" as their own motto, and anyone else is not seeking truth unless they're reading their teachings. And for the record this book didn't come out until the guru was dead for over 50 years. The dead guru continues to churn out books and writings similiar to the prolific after-death writings of L. Ron Hubbard.

How I wanted to expose those Christians for their foolishness! I didn't hate them, but I pitied them. They were so lost in delusion, while I was on the golden highway!

One of the most dramatic Christian upsets was during a Thursday night service when someone stood suddenly and yelled, "This is blasphemy!" and they left making a lot of noise. For a moment everyone was shocked, our eyes flying from the door to the pulpit, everyone waiting for our sadhu to say something profound, but he said nothing about the commotion as if it never happened. Our sadhus never, ever said anything about current events, whether in the now or the newspapers. For example, the day after Princess Diana died I ached for the sadhu to say a prayer or something, but noting was mentioned about the tragic event. They felt it was better not to "read the news" lest it upset you. Don't read anything, they'd say, other than the Master's teachings. Why get worked up? We were specifically told not to read anything negative about the church or go to another church. Every once in a while a group of Christians would arrive and sit in a neat little row, Bibles open, and get about half-way through the service, before they stood quietly and made their way to the exit. Other devotees would make eye contact with each other, raise a "knowing and pititful" eyebrow. If a Christian sat by me, I would meditate extra hard--back straight, shoulders back and during the chant be as loud as I could, "OM GURU!" The pride!

Us devotees spoke amongst ourselves how ridiculous it was to quote Bible scripture. I couldn't get my head around the Bible or it's importance, but once I began to read it--study it, pray over it, I realized how wrong that guru was in saying it took a "master" to understand scripture.

One of the most beautiful explainations of the Bible came to me from our old family Bible. It's The New Standard Alphabetical Indexed Bible with a copyright of 1936 (last printing anyways), and tucked in the middle of this musty, moldy book is a beautiful description of what the Bible is:

This book contains:

...The mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, doom of sinners and happiness of believers. It's doctrines are holy, it's precepts are binding, it's histories are true and it's decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the travelers map, the pilgrims staff, the pilots compose, the soldiers sword and the Christians charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject our good it's design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the mind, rule the heart and guide the feet. read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgement and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy contents.

This Book unfolds Jehovah's mind.

This Voice salutes in accents kind

This Friend will all our need supply

This Fountain sends forth streams of joy

This Mine affords us boundless wealth

This Good physician gives us health

This Sun renews and warms the soul

This Sward both wounds and makes us whole

This Letter shows our sins forgiven

This Guide conducts us safe to heaven

This Charter has been sealed with blood

this Volume is the Word of God.

What a powerful reason to never touch the meaning or interpretation of the Bible.

Nothing but Feelings

While reading a New York Times Bestselling book, I felt compelled to write a review that's going to call into question the author's beliefs, but she's freely calling into question the beliefs of Christians. My husband asked me if I felt the writer was telling her own story, or if she was pushing a belief system on the readers. She's pushing a belief system on her readers, I told him, making statements of fact, such as meditation is the only way. Then I said, "I think that Christians, as a whole, are too passive. Few of us are defending Christ in the manner that say, Paul, defended Him, through great suffering, opposition and death. Would we die for the name and Truth of Jesus Christ?

Are we a bunch of Peter's crouching behind the water fountain in the courtyard, lest someone finds out we're Jesus followers and not cool? By not speaking up when we see or hear Jesus persecuted, isn't that the same as denying Christ? Is it a sin to be passive about how people speak, write or portray the Son of man?

Without a doubt there's a movement to eradicate Christianity. The American Atheists are clearly pushing an agenda in Washington. The media, even public television, is out to debunk Christian beliefs. PBS just presented a program that brings into question whether Moses ever existed. The celebrity anti-Christian circus would require another article, but even the least of us who follow celebrity gossip know about Kabbalah and Scientology.

Then, of course, I began to wonder just how well I, not only shield my eyes from lies, but really stand up and defend Jesus?

While eternal life is a free gift given on the basis of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8,9), each of us will still be judged by Christ. This judgment will reward us for how we have lived. God's gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement for faithful obedience. ¹

When I meet God, what if he asks, "Did you defend my Son?" And when I say, "Why, yes," and he asks, "We'll, what about the time when your friends used His name in vain and you said nothing?" I'll of course look dumbfounded, shuffle my feet around and make some lame excuse such as that using the Lord's name in vain became part of the American lexicon. "But what about that time you watched a TV show that made fun of my Son, and that time you enjoyed a movie that ridiculed him? What happened there?" I'll probably say something like, "What could I do even if I didn't like it?" Here God will say something like, "Why didn't you turn it off, walk out, warn others about the content? Why didn't you post the Truth on that blog you kept? I happened to be one of your readers."

By now you want to know what book I'm talking about that's led to this conversation with God.

First things first. This author is an amazing writer. There's nothing negative to say about her writing, in fact, I envy her ease of it and how she turns a phrase into a living, breathing thing. Her writing was so good that, even though it prompted this article, I kept reading. Perhaps more than anything that's why I'm here, now, not to defame her but to tell others that one must be prudent with the ideas and feelings of others when it comes to our spiritual life. Always look for the truth in the Word.

The name of the book is, Eat Pray Love, and her name is Elizabeth Gilbert.

She claims to have no personal issues with the many names of God, but prefers to use the name "God," rather, than, say for example, Shiva. She also believes God could be a woman, but prefers to think of him as a man. Culturally she claims to be a Christian, but not theologically. I stopped and re-read this again, scratching my head, wondering where the editor was because clearly there's no such animal as a cultural Christian. One either believes in Jesus or not. The writer goes on to say that Jesus is just a great teacher, and to quote her directly: "I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, though I can't swallow that one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christ is the only path to God."

How can anyone believe anything at all about Jesus if they don't believe what he said about himself? How can she "not swallow" what Jesus claimed himself to be? What did Jesus claim?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18

For those who claim the Gospels were not composed by Jesus, it's important to note that they were written by four eye-witness accounts of the life of Jesus and all four recount similar, if not exact experiences, including the resurrection. These four disciples wrote what they remembered, not what they extrapolated off the Internet, out of books, or heard from a guru. In actuality there were hundreds if not thousands of people who saw Jesus, both before and after he was resurrected.

I came across something else in the Bible about the testimonies of Jesus. He makes a case for himself, perhaps knowing there would be people in this world who reserved the right not to believe in him, which of course is free will, the very gift God gave humans over all other creatures on this planet.

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.

You have sent John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony, but I mention it that you maybe be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you posses eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me, to have life.

I do not accept praise from men, but I know you, I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" John 5:31-47 NIV

Sadly, many Christians don't know exactly what Jesus said and they can get sucked into false teachings that promise they're in harmony with Christianity, and without much dissension.

"...most of the Christians I know accept my feelings on this with grace and open mindedness..."

She doesn't know any Christians. Christian's profess belief in Jesus as Christ and follow the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. There is no middle ground with Jesus Christ. One only has to pick up a Bible and read the RED.

Open mindedness means having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments. She doesn't present new ideas or arguments. To this writer, any explanation other than none would have helped me have an open mind to her feelings pertaining to Jesus.

After a few more chapters about her painful divorce (which I feel no empathy as she left an otherwise decent man), she flies the reader to Italy. Now, the story holds me tightly and is so provocatively written that after beautiful, breathless months spent in Europe we're abruptly dumped in India, and pummeled on Hindu philosophy, a detailed, rehashed monologue about yoga, ashram life, meditation techniques and how to find the right guru, peppered with cheeky comments about God being a turnip. Nothing unique in selling Hinduism, different, untold, or captivating. Her guru hammer had me ready to sob. She'd taken us out of glorious Italy on an amazing journey and dropped us on our heads in a shabby chic ashram.

Inside the ashram she meets more privileged spiritual seeking cohorts (whom she points out are all successful (which isn't true or they wouldn't be there). One even has a PhD, mind you! Why some people think education justifies bad choices, I'll never know. So, all these inmates of hers had the free choice to put their lives (and those of their husbands, wives, children, employers, friends, cats and dogs) on hold to travel half way around the world to suffer (but not too much) for their guru, completely unconcerned while zoning out in meditation, about the millions of real Hindus who haven't enough clean water to drink. The devoted ones eat delicious meals, have their personal needs met, with just a few inconveniences (for effect), yet on the other side of the wall people are living in abject poverty.

Christians would have been working outside, in the trenches, to help those in need, not spending their days in service to those within the ashram. Therein is a pivotal difference between Christ and a guru. Christ wants us to roll up our sleeves and administer to the poor and needy, but guru's want you serve them first, then their devotees (who support the guru's pampered lifestyle), while ignoring the poverty and suffering all around them.

I wanted rip the book in two and keep the part I was adoring! But no. Here I am reading what I already know about Hinduism (or any variant of it) and wanting to find this writer's phone number and call her and scream, "How could you have ruined such a perfectly fabulous book?"

I understand that she had to write about her experience in the ashram since she went there, but she presents her case for yoga with an air of professional qualifications, discounting Christ, to proclaim her own feelings, with certainty that her--struggling in a dark fake cave and sitting rigid for hours of meditation is the only way to know God. This chapter tries to sell a package that all Hindu guru's have sold since Swami Vivekananda successfully introduced yoga to the West in the late 1800's.

Her single experience wasn't based on years and years of this kind of spiritual pursuit but a few months, and yes, the ashram makes for an interesting adventure because of her talent as a writer, but she's not walked this razor's edge long enough to weigh in with such authority that the actual teachings are superior to Christ's.

Now, as I continue reading, weary from frustration, she begins what I call the Hindu witnessing and proof they all proclaim, in one manner or another, yet they deny witnessing.

* You're chosen

* The guru was unique, chosen by his master, enlightened

* You received an initiation.

* The guru seldom visited the austere, desolate ashrams in India that were run mostly by volunteers, rather her guru lived most of the time in America. This void is explained. The devotees do not need the guru in their presence to benefit from them. They can be alive or dead, here or thousands of miles away. It's all the same.

* Ashram life was difficult. There are long hours of physical work and tedious hours of meditation. Devotees are exhausted and under fed.

* To come to the ashram the guru wants the devotee to be in good physical and mental health and have financial assets. This is stance is viewed as practical, giving credence to the guru.
You're not to be a drain on anyone.

* If your family objects to you coming to the ashram, you should not to come. Your family is not to be a drain on anyone. You're to serve the guru and his/her followers without any resistance.

* Any abuse you receive (hard labor, lack of food or sleep and hours of still meditation) will help you on the path.

* The guru came from a "line" of guru's.

* The guru gives a mantra, and special lessons.

She presented many other commonalities of yogic life seen in similar sects, but there are too many to list. What's important to note is her "feelings" were her guide to truth. Because she "felt" something in her meditations, this was proof enough to her that she was communicating with God.

Why then were her original feelings about her husband not enough to sustain her marriage? Feelings are never accurate, especially when God is involved.

Group experiences seemed to hold some value to her as well. She tells a story about a rowdy crowd of people waiting to see their guru and calmed into bliss when he appeared on stage, therefore the yogi is authentic by his ability to transcend people who came looking for spiritual joy.

A crowed can be convinced to drink cyanide.

Yogi's are seeking an experience. They gather for that experience. They come together with silly "bliss bunny" smiles and meditate together. Whether in a group or alone, they are not meditating to just sit there. They're straining for something God-like, whether it's a breathless state or to gaze into the third eye (often described as a blue light with a white star), or some form of out-of-body feeling. They may very well hallucinate by a self imposed hypnotic states, fueled by opiate type endorphins.

She writes, "In mystical India, as in many shamanistic traditions, kundalini shaki (life force) is considered a dangerous force to play around with if you are unsupervised; the inexperienced Yogi could quite literally blow his mind with it."

I knew such an inexperienced man and after doing a technique to control Kundalini, he went behind a gas station and stabbed himself to death. Read that again. I did not mean to say that he cut his wrists. He, quite literally stabbed himself to death. If this is any indication of what she means by blowing ones mind, then on this note she is indeed accurate.

I studied, mediated and followed a very famous Indian guru during most of my life. I was a profoundly excellent devotee. Though I didn't live in an ashram, I'd stayed in one, and visited many in America. One need not travel to India to have this deprived experience. I knew hundreds of yogis for up to 30 years, but not one of them had ever attained much. I don't mean money, though most of them had little financial success, but happiness. There were drugs, alcohol, affairs, divorces, physical abuses, and because yogi's do not believe in sin and have no way to be absolved the guilt. They seemed a bunch of shame driven antisocial beings. I'd never seen anyone enter into the highest state, Samadhi, and yet we heard many times of our gurus experience. None of these struggling yogi's were better off, if anything, all of them suffered mental and emotional problems. Guru's offer much to the unpopular, the antisocial and the broken people who never quite fit into anything. Here they become special, and needed, chosen, ripe for picking. If they came from the Christian faith they generally grew up with a distorted view of Christianity perpetrated by their parents.

Everything this author shares about her yoga experience I've heard before, accept this one thing: "You come to your Guru, then, not only to receive lessons, as from any teacher, but to actually receive the Guru's state of grace. Such transfers of grace can occur in even the most fleeting of encounters with a great being."

I experienced no Grace in eastern religion. Grace is the divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.

When I left my guru, I did so for reasons that had nothing to do with his deceptions--those I learned about them many years later (his followers continue to disbelieve what's been uncovered). I had no grudge to bear against the guru, I loved him dearly. I just needed space from the people he attracted, including the monks and nuns who ran the organization like a gulag. I was completely unaware that I'd been slowly brainwashed into believing the Hindu philosophy, and had abandoned so many years ago the truths in the Bible.

I came back to Christ in a simple way. I began reading the Bible. Truth was revealed. I remember setting the Bible on my lap, glancing up at my husband and saying, "They (our old guru church) have it all wrong."

The first thing the Lord showed me was that the Christian life is a fight against evil forces from without and temptation from within. Christ paid for our sins. God wants us to live by faith, not by magic, or by trying to manipulate God. Satan tried to temp Jesus into sinning by quoting scripture. Don't be fooled. One can't believe Jesus was a good teacher if one doesn't believe what he taught.

Jesus said, "If a kingdom cannot stand against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." Mark 3:24

"It is also written: Do not put your God to the test." Matthew 4:7



₁ Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan