I got the following through an email from Vanilla Gorilla. It's originally from an email newsletter from Olive Tree Ministries, right here in the Twin Cities.
WHEN “ENLIGHTENMENT” REFERS TO SOMETHING VERY DARK
– Jan Markell Olive Tree Ministries, Inc.I have been interviewed on a few radio stations lately because some rather famous people are pursuing something that to them is “enlightenment.” Among the celebs falling for it are Madonna, Britney Spears, Roseanne Barr, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Mick Jagger, Rosie O'Donnell, Barbra Streisand, and Monica Lewinsky. Who wouldn't be intrigued when Madonna, who has changed her name to the Jewish “Esther,” gives $22 million to a “religious cause.” What they all have in common, other than dysfunctional lives, is their new love for “Kabbalah.” It's Jewish mysticism, or more to the point, the “Jewish occult.” And you don't have to be Jewish to be a fan and a disciple! Isn't it strange how some of these folks think a mystical experience is going to put their life back together? It won't because they are chasing after an “angel of light” and not the “light of the world.”
Kabbalah is the latest brand of “pop theology” or “spirituality” to hit our shores, and the world. It's very Jewish and dates back to the 1200's in Spain. Followers read from the “Zohar” which means “enlightenment.” The “Zohar” is a commentary on the Torah just like the Hadith is a commentary on the Koran. It's very man-made, very seductive, and very dangerous.
I believe two things motivate people to chase after such darkness: A love for the supernatural, and a love for the experiential. When the Bible talks about people chasing after “the doctrine of demons” in the last days, we should take it very literally.
Kabbalah will tell you that every single person is a divine spark in the world and we have “divine energy.” That sounds terrific, but it goes back to the old lie in the Garden where the serpent told Eve she could be like God. That longing has only increased over time.
It's going on in Christianity as well. Catholics, as well as Mainline Protestant and Evangelical Protestant churches today are following mystical experiences. It's that old “death of discernment” issue I refer to very often. Churches that used to stay far away from mystical and “New Age”-type experience are now promoting them from the pulpit.
All mysticism is an attempt to get closer to God by using means that are not biblical and that are ungodly.
To better understand what I am referring to, please visit my Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org, then go to “Spiritual Deception.” You will find a wealth of information on the many “deceiving spirits” at play today.
But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. – II Corinthians 11:14 (NLT)
