Guarding His Flock Ministries

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
—The Apostle Paul, Colossians 2:8

Introduction
Although defying exact definition because the practices and experiences of mystics are so various and mysterious, one dictionary defines mysticism as, “the doctrine of an immediate spiritual intuition of truths believed to transcend ordinary understanding, or of a direct, intimate union of the soul with God through contemplation and love.” [1] Note that in contrast to God revealing Himself in Scripture, mystical truth is individually, intimately, and immediately intuited through spiritual experiences.

In his book The Varieties of Religious Experience, William James identified four main characteristics of mystical experience: first, ineffability; second, noetic quality; third, transiency; and fourth, passivity. [2] James also notes that absorption, fusion, or union of the individual into the Absolute, or deity, is “the great mystic achievement.” He adds, “In mystic states we both become one with the Absolute and we become aware of our oneness.” [3] On this point, James apparently suggested a fifth characteristic of mysticism—absorption.

There are those who speak of “Christian mysticism” and assert that the apostle Paul was a mystic. [4] From his epistles, they cite his experience, that of going to Paradise, and his condition, that of being “in Christ,” as evidences of his mysticism. For this reason, it is incumbent upon Bible believers to understand what Paul was saying about his experiences.

To determine if Paul was a mystic, analysis shall be offered regarding the incident of his being carried to “the third heaven,” and his state of being “in Christ.” The apostle’s experience and spiritual state shall be evaluated according to William James’ five characteristics of mystical experiences to determine whether or not Paul was a mystic. We note first the two primary New Testament references causing some to deduce that the apostle was a mystic.
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Gog against God: an Exposition and Study of Ezekiel 38-39

For, lo, thine enemies [O God] make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people [Israel], and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
—Emphasis added, Psalm 83:2-4, KJV.

Introduction
The planet is in crises—political, military, economical, ecological, societal, spiritual, and more. According to news reports, crises seem to be popping-up all over the planet, especially in the volatile Middle East where, despite multiple attempts of western governments to bring peace to that region, the conflict between Israel, the Palestinian State and militant Islam defies solution. ISIS (Islamic State of Iran and Syria) now wages war to establish an Islamic Caliphate, and Iraq continues its quest, with the approval of western nations, to develop nuclear weaponry. If successful, Iran’s possession of this weaponry will further destabilize that volatile region of the world. [1]

Russia and Iran
With Iran closing in on becoming a nuclear power, the question becomes whether for the sake of national survival Israel will tolerate an enemy nation like Iran possessing a weapon to blast Jerusalem and its environs into extinction. If Israel decides to attack Iran’s developing nuclear installations, there is no telling how interested and surrounding  nations or Islamic terrorist groups will react (i.e., Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, ISIS, etc.). In an attempt to protect its economic interests in that area of the world, will Russia in alliance with Shiite Arab nations it supports, lead an invasion of the Holy Land?

Based upon Vladimir Putin’s seizure of Crimea, his continuing agitation in eastern Ukraine, and the Kremlin’s support of the militant Islamic Shiite Resistance Alliance (i.e., Assad’s Syria, Iran and Hezbollah in Palestine), one observer thinks Russia’s real geo-political agenda is southward and involves establishing its hegemony in the Middle East. [2] With its economy in shambles for reason of western economic sanctions against her, Russia has her eye upon the Middle East’s wealth. To get cash for his strapped economy, Putin recently sold Iran sophisticated S-300 surface-to-air missiles that could make Iran invulnerable to an air attack by Israel or other nations. [3] Despite the U.S. State Department’s  lame protest, and B.B. Netanyahu’s warning that the sale “could further undermine the stability of the Middle East,” the deal between Russia and Iran was signed. [4] So as Iran develops a nuclear bomb, it awaits delivery of a defensive weapons system that will make its nuclear development facilities invulnerable to attack by air.

Crazy Diplomacy
For many years economic sanctions have been levied against Iran by western nations. Though suffering from these sanctions, Iran continued to export and support terrorism in the Middle East. In 2010, Putin withdrew his offer to sell Iran the S-300 missiles. Now five years later, western nations, following the lead of the Obama administration and Secretary of State John Kerry, have brokered a treaty with Iran, an agreement which lifts economic sanctions and pours billions of dollars into Iran’s economy. Because of Iran’s sudden new found wealth, Russia, economic woes outstanding, seized the opportunity to reinitiate the deal with Iran to purchase the sophisticated air-defense missile system by which to defend itself against any air attack Israel might launch. The treaty also allows Iran to obtain nuclear weaponry in the future. And for all this, there’s talk of giving John Kerry a Nobel Peace Prize! Is this not crazy diplomacy? Yet all of this appears to be coming down as the biblical prophets predicted 1000s of years ago.

Millennia ago, ancient Hebrew prophets predicted the geo-political alignment of nations that can be observed today. In the “later days” Ezekiel saw that to Israel’s north, east and south, perennial enemies would unite to invade the Jewish state, plunder her wealth and attempt to drive her re-gathered people from the land.
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A Serial Book Review & Theological Interaction: Part 10
Review of Chapter 9: Angelic Encounters by Cal Pierce [1]

Several years ago, I began asking the Lord about the energy crisis. I knew there had to be a Kingdom answer to the energy crisis. A few months later I went to a meeting where Tim Sheets taught about angels . . . As soon as the session ended, I looked up to see an angel standing in front of me . . . suddenly there was an angel speaking to me, “I am sent by God to answer your question about the energy crisis. I am the energy angel.” (TPOH, 89)
—Cal Pierce

Introduction
We’ve all hard about or seen the Energizer Bunny, the cartoon character who advertises Energizer batteries. Hopping in cadence with a steady drumbeat, the imaginary pink bunny moves around the TV screen like a perpetual energy machine as it promotes a brand of batteries that like the bunny, possesses boundless energy. But in reality, we know batteries die. They, as this planet, do not possess endless energy. So how can this world be spared from undergoing energy death? To the rescue comes the energy angel. He has a plan.

The Energy Angel
Like Al Gore and other environmentalists and as a “manifest son of God,” New Apostolic Reformation prophet Cal Pierce worries about the looming energy crisis hovering over our planet; so much so that he’d been praying that the Lord would reveal to him “a Kingdom answer to the energy crisis.” (TPOH, 89) And how God did answer him! Pierce testifies to being visited by and receiving revelation from “the energy angel.” Not only did this epiphany amaze the prophet, but the angel as well. “I’m amazed too” said the angel, “I’m amazed because I’ve been trying to get your attention for 30 years.” (TPOH, 91) For 30 years Pierce’s indifference had frustrated the angel. (During that 30-year interim, think about how much energy could have been saved if only the prophet had paid attention to the angel.)

The Angel, the Scroll and the “Water Car”
Having gotten the manifesting-son-of-God’s attention, the two retreated to a hotel room to get to know one another. The energy angel told Pierce he wanted to show him “the water car,” a Kingdom answer to our planetary energy crisis. To solve the problem of shortages and pollution below, the angel told the visionary prophet that the world needed to learn how to draw upon “resources from above,” resources that will not pollute the planet or run out. (TPOH, 90) So promising to return, the angel left Pierce. (Would he come back? Pierce wondered.) He came back with a scroll in hand explaining, “This is the water car.” (TPOH, 90) The scroll was a blueprint, a schematic code for building a car that will run on heaven’s energy. The account of the revelation by the angel to Pierce goes something like this:

Being only a partial revelation, the scroll contained a blueprint for building “the water car,” a solution to the energy crisis and planetary pollution. When Pierce confessed he did not understand the car because he was not an engineer, the energy angel reassured the prophet that he was also an engineer angel. As such, he promised to “connect” the prophet with others who would help him to develop and manufacture the water car—whether fellow prophets and/or scientists, who knows? The car’s schematic indicated it would be constructed of a tank, electrodes and a water container within some sort of closed system. Fueled by clean burning water and light, the car’s ignition would be triggered by a creative sound like God’s voice when He first energized the planet (“Then God said . . .”). In a similar manner, the creative “sound” of the prophet’s voice, speaking God’s word according to God’s will in partnership with angels, will ignite the water car’s engine. The Kingdom answer to the energy crisis will be the water car.

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Encountering voices in contemplative prayer . . .

“We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
—The Apostle John, 1 John 4:6, NASB

Introduction
Through practicing the discipline of solitude and silence, contemplative spiritualists hope to hear God personally speak to them. As one nationally known personality stated on the Be Still DVD, “intimacy automatically breeds revelation.” [1]  But if a voice speaks, there is some question regarding its identity. Therefore in the video’s same segment, “Fear of Silence,” Richard Foster offers advice about how to discern who might communicate in the stillness. He said:

Learning to distinguish the voice of God . . . from just human voices within us . . . comes in much the same way that we learn any other voice. Satan pushes and condemns. God draws and encourages. And we can know the difference. [2]

Though there could be others, Richard Foster admits to a cacophony of possible voices that might speak: first, human voices within and without (a source that could involve hearing oneself speak, in which case, contemplators would be listening to themselves); second, the voice of Satan or demons; and third, God’s voice.

Who’s Voice?
In order to determine whose voice might be speaking, Foster provides criteria. If the voice is positive and reaffirming, then the voice is God’s. If however the voice is negative and that like a bully who “pushes and condemns,” then the voice must be that of Satan. To discern whether or not the voice is human, Foster offers no advice.

So if the voice is human, one is left wondering, why go into a meditative trance to hear yourself or another human speak? After all, in the normal concourse of life people talk to themselves and listen to others all the time, unless contemplators feel so isolated and alone, or unless in accord with the eastern monistic worldview, meditators believe they are gods so that when they listen to their voice, they are listening to god’s!
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A Serial Book Review & Theological Interaction: Part 9
Review of Chapter 8: The God Vibration by Dan McCollam [1]

All of creation is constantly resonating with the praises of God. (Psalm 19:1-4) God’s voice and the sound of angels can also be heard and experienced by man. A whole new realm of encounter awaits those who possess three simple qualities: expectancy, intentionality, and intimacy. Because God, creation, and the angels are constantly interacting, we can expect to hear from them at times. (TPOH, 85)
—Dan McCollam

Introduction
In a dialectic three step, Dan McCollam dances with deception as he first accepts the Genesis account of creation (no other step need be taken), then synthesizes that account with quantum physics and finally, promotes contemplative spirituality or mysticism as the way to encounter the supernatural realm. [2] In this chapter the author weaves together a combination of Scripture, science and supernaturalism.

Scripture
In his chapter “The God Vibration,” the author employs the Bible to explain the origin of the universe. God the Father, as the opening verses of Genesis state, created “something out of nothing.” (TPOH, 79) To buttress the creation account, McCollam refers to the writings of creation scientist Dr. Henry Morris (1918-2006). [3] He also accepts that the Son is the Creator (John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), and that “by” Christ the universe coheres or holds together (Colossians 1:17b). But then he injects physics into the explanation of origins. As the chapter’s preface states, Modern scientific discoveries have recently joined the voice of ancient sacred writings to pull back the veil of ignorance that once shrouded the power of sound in God’s universe. (TPOH, 77)

Science
For example, McCollam defines the action of Holy Spirit’s “moving [or] hovering over the surface of the waters” as “vibrating,” a meaning he imports from quantum physics (Genesis 1:2). The author states: “Therefore it could be said that the Holy Spirit vibrated over the formless universe” even as he proceeds to add, “Vibrations are the forces that hold particle matter together.” (TPOH, 79-80) These continuing vibrations of the Spirit of God McCollum associates with string theory; that theory of quantum physics which proposes that, “there are tiny vibrating strands of energy at the center of all matter.” (TPOH, 81)

McCollam constructs this theory from the Hebrew word used to describe the Holy Spirit as “hovering” (i.e., rachaph) over the dead and dark mass of material God had spoken into existence out of nothing, creation ex nihilo. The author states “hovering” can mean “vibrating” despite the fact that in its only other occurrence in the Old Testament the rare verb pictures an eagle providentially caring for its young eaglets by guarding the nest (Deuteronomy 32:11). So rachaph pictures God’s Spirit protectively hovering “over the surface of the waters” as God (the Father and the Son) was about to energize matter with light and fill the void of an otherwise empty universe.

For McCollam it might be assessed that the Genesis narrative provides the “frame” for his understanding of origins which he then “fills” with inferences extracted from the science of quantum physics (i.e., that the material universe is filled with “vibrations” infused in it by God). [4] As he states, “Quantum physics serves as one of the great scientific disciplines bridging the river of confusion between science and biblical kingdom thinking.” (TPOH, 77) But McCollam does not stop there.

Supernaturalism
In taking his quantum leap of faith and providing a platform for pursuing mysticism, McCollam proposes that “God . . . and the angels are constantly interacting” with a vibrating universe and then proceeds to advocate readers get in on the action by opening their hearts, eyes and ears with “an expectancy to encounter the sounds and sights of heaven on a new level.” (TPOH, 85) Openness to the vibrating oneness of reality, says the author, will breed the spiritual “intimacy” necessary to incubate “increased encounters from the supernatural realm.” (TPOH, 86) So vibrations become the focal point for contacting and encountering nature (of which all earth-bound persons like us are a part) or super-nature (the realm inhabited by God, angels, Satan, demons, Nephilim, space aliens, familial spirits or whatever other invented entities or mythological deities are believed to inhabit and traverse throughout the universe). But how does one make the “contact” to connect with the supernatural beings inhabiting the universe’s upper story or outer space? According to the author, the devout can generally do so by cultivating the right attitudes and taking the proper action. [5]
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A Serial Book Review & Theological Interaction: Part 8

Review of Chapter 6: Sound of Heaven, Symphony of Earth by Ray Hughes [1]

We live in the “Information Age,” an age of increasing revelation, prophetic insight and sensitivity to the spirit realm . . . We live in a time when science fiction can become science fact overnight. . . . I believe that the Holy Spirit has given me some pieces of the puzzle to heaven’s sound, so the information I share with you about sound and light and vibration will be based upon scientific fact, confessed speculation, and spiritual revelation. (Emphasis added, TPOH, 65-66)
—Ray Hughes

Introduction
1965 was the year when the film The Sound of Music was released. The movie’s theme song written by Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), composed by Richard Rogers (1902-1979), and sung by actress Julie Andrews (1935-    ), has for five decades remained a musical icon. “The hills are alive, / With the sound of music / With songs they have sung / For a thousand years,” go the song’s opening lyrics. [2] But according to Quantum Charismatics, not only are the hills alive with the sound of music, but also everything else God has infused with heaven’s “sound of many waters” (Revelation 14:2). This music, Quantum Charismatics believe, will bring revival to the church as it endows God’s “manifest sons” to interpret life even as mobilizes miraculous powers within them.

Illustration: Sight and Sound, Movie and Music
Ray Hughes illustrates how sound brings understanding to life, especially in the church. As in a motion picture, music provides meaning and creates feelings for what is seen. He refers to a movie portraying a nattily dressed woman walking hurriedly down a sidewalk on a crowded city street. Various types of accompanying music might offer different interpretations of the woman’s situation. Is the accompanying music depressing? If so, viewers could be impressed that the woman is in some kind of trouble. Is the music upbeat? Viewers would conclude she’s not in danger, but only taking a daily exercise walk. Is music romantic? Viewers might interpret that she is hustling to meet her boyfriend at Starbucks. Hughes’ point is that sound “can create a story from dry facts. It [sound] causes our emotions to go beyond facts to feelings.” [3] (TPOH, 69) In Hughes’ view, sound gives meaning to sight.

“Quantum Charismatics”
So music or sound becomes a key for interpreting the experience of life in the church. Music, says the author, impacts prayer, faith and activity in the church. (TPOH, 69) Sound can enhance if not determine spirituality. Reverbs can create revival. To this point, Hughes informs readers that, “With every revival, there has been a release of new music or sound.” (TPOH, 69) He then goes so far as to suggest that, “Whether the music releases the revival, or whether the revival releases the music varies from generation to generation.” (TPOH, 69) Hughes compares the issue to be like asking the old question of what comes first, the chicken (the revival) or the egg (the music). The right music creates the atmosphere of worship and facilitates a working of signs and wonders. This theory of sound or music—primordially infused by God into nature’s elements—drives, as Hughes states, the Quantum Charismatic view of spiritual life. We turn to summarize and look at the theory the author espouses.
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An interaction with issues raised by a Roman Catholic film.

For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you’.
—Jesus, Matthew 17:20b

Little Boy: Believe the Impossible, produced by Metanoia films (the biblical word metanoia means to change one’s mind or repentance, or perhaps in this instance, beyond the mind), tells the story of a young boy, Pepper Flynt Busbee, upon whom psychokinetic power was bestowed to work miracles of faith, even shake mountains. Despite being bullied by other kids, the “little boy” believed the impossible. By believing in the power of faith without doubting he was not only able to perform supernatural feats that astonished the townspeople, but also bring his father and best friend, James Busbee, back from the battlefields and perils of World War II. As one promo puts it,

The movie tells an all-American story of a devoted 7-year-old son whose father goes missing in the battles of World War II. Motivated by Jesus’ words that faith can move mountains, the little boy asks a local priest how he can increase his faith to move a mountain and bring his missing daddy home. The film promises to be a heart moving film. [1]

The executive producer (other of the film’s execs include Roma Downey and Mark Burnett) and handsome actor Eduardo Verástegui  asks of the film’s storyline, “Who is going to be against a little boy who is going to do whatever it takes to bring his dad back from World War II, because he loves him so much he wants to save his dad, and he’s going to do it through a list of actions [Acts of Corporal Mercy] that are universal—feed the poor, visit those who are sick and in prison?” [2] So a trap has been set. Who will dare to criticize a movie that brings people together and unites them to do good to other people? And didn’t Jesus warn His followers against causing “one of these little ones” to stumble?

No doubt the film, by creating the cinematographic feeling of a Norman Rockwell painting and departing from the standard Hollywood fare of sex and gore, will appear as a harmless and innocent fantasy to most viewers. The nostalgia for a long-gone era of American history, vaguely remembered by some of us seniors, will draw the hearts of many viewers into the story. Those who have seen the movie testify to its emotional appeal, and emotions are for most Americans the spiritual gateway to the soul.

The stimulus for making the movie may arise from the director and producers’ desire to influence American culture for the good. One of the 7 Mountains Christian Dominionism aspires to conquer is the media, arts and entertainment industries. Some pre-release reviews of the movie have already praised Little Boy as an artful film though criticizing it for, among a few other things, depicting war violence and hatred of the Japanese.

Though containing elements of goodness in it, the “spirituality” the movie portrays ought to concern biblical Christians. The movie contains a weird spiritual combination of themes that while admittedly Christian, also project a magical and occult worldview like a Harry Potter movie. We turn now to a description and transcript of the movie’s trailer. As you read it, note the occurrences of the words “believe” and “faith.”
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A Serial Book Review & Theological Interaction: Part 7
Review of Chapter 6: Good Vibrations by Ellyn Davis [1]

Prophets have long recognized that their words carry a force or power that is more than just words, but is like an energy that empowers what they prophesy. Some Christian leaders have also found that they have a “resonance” themselves that helps people move deeper into God. (Emphasis added, TPOH, 53)
—Ellyn Davis

“Good Vibrations”—the chapter’s title is taken from the song written and engineered by Brian Wilson (1942-    ), sung by the Beach Boys (1966), and which became a #1 song in the United States and other countries. Rolling Stone called it the sixth greatest song in rock ’n roll history. It is considered Wilson’s crowning musical achievement. But inherent with the song, a fact which escaped many of us who were more affected by the sensations of the music, was the message Wilson tried to communicate—a cosmic worldview with a New Age spiritual component. Reflecting the direction the 60s California culture was moving in, Brian Wilson’s life experiences influenced the production of Good Vibrations.

The music, Wilson explained, was rooted in childhood memories that included an abusive father (“bad vibrations”) and a clairsentient mother who “had talked to him about vibrations—invisible forces that filled the air.” [2] She explained that dogs did not like certain people because of negative sensations they detected emanating from certain people (auric effect?). As the learning website Shmoop informs, “The whole thing terrified Brian; invisible currents floating around the cosmos and sending out messages to people and animals was spooky stuff.” [3] So the song Good Vibrations represents his attempt to musically bring “what’s out there down here,” to translate the psychic into the ecstatic. Though scientific evidence remains inconclusive, “Sound vibrations are believed to play a mysterious part in the production of psychic phenomena.” [4]
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A Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:4 over the Question,
Were the Daughters of Adam Impregnated with Nephilim by the  Sons of God?

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when [or because] the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Emphasis added, Genesis 6:4, NASB

The Scenario
Before presenting a grammatical study of Genesis 6 verse 4, allow the explanation of some background as to why this study is being presented now. As readers of the Herescope blog may be aware, those espousing a new prophetic paradigm assert that at present, the human gene pool is being corrupted for reason of the invasion of extraterrestrial beings that are cohabitating with human women, resulting in the birthing of a mutant species of creature, part human and part supernatural. Espousers of this scenario argue that what happened in Noah’s day before the Flood is again happening now as, according to Jesus’ prophecy, the end of the world approaches (Genesis 6:4; 6:5-7:24; Matthew 24:3, 37). The birth of a genetically altered species of Nephilim before the Deluge helps explain why God destroyed the world then. So fast forward millennia. It is assumed that the same kind of invasion-mating scenario is happening now as earth ripens for God’s judgment again (2 Peter 3:3-10). After all, Jesus said that the times prefatory to His Second Coming would be “just like the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37). As there were genetically altered creatures (Nephilim) before God’s judgment of the world then, so there will be, given the nearness of the end, such mutants now. These new Nephilim are rapidly spreading, and they owe their origin to the mating of extraterrestrial sons with terrestrial daughters. This is the scenario proponents of the new prophetic paradigm are promoting in their books, lectures and conferences.

A Challenge
Back in June of 2011, I wrote a paper presenting the results of my study regarding the antediluvian Nephilim titled “Demons, Daughters and DNA.” [1] Admittedly, the study was written in part to defend Gaylene Goodroad who had been a member of the church I pastored before retirement, and whose expose of the new prophetic paradigm was being questioned and discredited. At that time, details of the controversy were not on my radar. Only recently did I become aware that a website promoting the new prophetic paradigm challenged the credibility of my study (“Demons, Daughters and DNA”), especially regarding knowledge of the Hebrew language. [2] Specifically, the challenge regarded a quote I employed to buttress my belief that Nephilim already existed on earth at the time “when” the sons of God mated with the daughters of men.

My response is that if the Nephilim existed before or “when” the sons of God took wives from the daughters of Adam, it becomes difficult to see how such unions could account for the-coming-into-being of a race of giants if they already existed. In short, when the sons of God cohabited with the daughters of men, the reading of the text indicated that Nephilim were already “on the earth in those days” (Genesis 6:4).
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A Serial Book Review & Theological Interaction: Part 6
Review of Chapter 5: Authentic vs. Counterfeit by Jonathan Welton [1]

I have found throughout Scripture at least 75 examples of things that the New Age has counterfeited, such as having a spirit guide, trances, meditation, auras, power objects, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and more. These actually belong to the church, but they have been stolen and cleverly repackaged. (TPOH, 49)
—Jonathan Welton

Thesis
Ironically, this chapter, Authentic vs. Counterfeit by Jonathan Welton, [2] proposes that Christians should pursue separating the true from the false in New Age Religion, and reclaim the truths that religion stole from the church. The chapter’s “most important point” is,

If there is a counterfeit, there is an authentic that we need to find and reclaim. Every time we see a masquerade, we need too look closely to properly discern what is being counterfeited, because a counterfeit is evidence that an authentic exists. (TPOH, 42)

“Resistors” and “Fearers”
To advance his bold thesis, Welton needs to discredit conservative Christian critics who question the legitimacy of such a reclamation project and therefore states, “The way that God moves in power looks a lot like the New Age, and this has scared many Christians away from the operating gifts of the Holy Spirit.” (TPOH, 45) So he breaks down the way religious people view the supernatural into 3 Groups—1) Those who operate in the supernatural realm authentically (i.e., the signs and wonders crowd of the New Apostolic Reformation); 2) Those who operate in the supernatural realm fraudulently (i.e., New Agers, Buddhists, Hindus and Occultists); and 3) Those who view the supernatural realm skeptically. Welton perceives Group 3 to be comprised of “fellow Christians who believe false doctrines regarding the operation of supernatural power.” (TPOH, 48) In contrast to the charismatic crowd that embraces the supernatural under the “the lordship of Jesus Christ,” Group 3 is comprised of those who fear supernatural phenomena, and presumably do not live under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

The New Normal
Welton compares these “resistors” to the Pharisees who after they observed the miracles Jesus worked by the Spirit, blasphemed the Holy Spirit by ascribing Jesus’ miraculous power to have been Satan’s (Luke 11:14-15). (Note: Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees were not anti-supernatural.) [3] To Welton, the new Christian normal involves free operation in the supernatural realm, performing signs and wonders at will. Yet upon their seeing miracles performed by manifest sons of God, Welton states that, “There will always be those who resist the Holy Spirit,” and “what may surprise you (as you become normal) is that the strongest resistance does not come from the sinner but from the fellow saint.” (TPOH, 49) Therefore, “Being a normal Christian” Welton informs, “is not for the faint of heart.” (TPOH, 49) So we turn to give attention to some of the spiritual activities which will comprise the new normal, activities which it is surmised, originally belonged to the church but were stolen by the New Age Movement. Welton writes:

“I have found throughout Scripture at least 75 examples of things that the New Age has counterfeited, such as having a spirit guide, trances, meditation, auras, power objects, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and more. These actually belong to the church, but they have been stolen and cleverly repackaged.” (Emphasis added, TPOH, 49)

We turn now to deal with the “things” Welton claims belonged to the church but were stolen, repackaged and used to promote New Age spirituality.
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