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10 Vital Things Parents Can Do to Help Children Keep Their Faith

By Berit Kjos

In a world where public schools, television, movies, popular music, the Internet, and more all offer tempting counterfeits of what God promises His people, there is only one safe place for our children: in the loving arms of the Shepherd. So train your children “in the way [they] should go” (Proverbs 22:6) so that when they are grown, they will not depart from the faith. The following ten points offer practical and scriptural advice on how to raise your children to know and love the Lord and to continue walking in the faith.

ONE: Be Alert & Always Keep on Praying

Pray! For as Jesus said, “[W]ithout me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5). The work to help our children keep their faith begins and ends with prayer. Pray for open and trusting communication with your child. Pray for discernment to detect teaching that contradicts God’s truth. Pray for wisdom to know when to speak up and what to say.

Pray for your child. Pray that he learns to discern error on his own and that he will be bold enough to speak truth with courage and to stand alone when all his friends follow after other gods. Pray that pleasing God will be more important than pleasing teachers and peers.

Pray together as a family. Put on the “whole armour of God” daily. Remember that “having your loins girt about with truth” means more than merely declaring it done. It means reading (or hearing) and following the Word, and knowing it well enough to discern error. Read and discuss Ephesians 6:13-17. Memorize the parts of the armor.

Pray that you might meet other Christian families who understand the times in which we live. Pray for faithful Christian friends for your child. Pray for other parents who will stand with you. When you see the need to get involved in your child’s schooling, pray for direction.

Trust God, not yourself. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

TWO: Know What Your Child Is Learning in School

Talk with your child. Listen for clues that help you spot good as well as questionable teaching. Be objective and model appreciation of schools and teachers.

Perhaps you have a child who gladly gives detailed accounts of all events from the time he left for school that morning. My boys preferred to answer all my questions with a brief “Good!” or “Okay.” But I discovered that a tasty snack after school could produce at least five minutes of sharing. When my son was fourteen, a sandwich at a local deli boosted our conversations immensely.

I also found that communication mysteriously wilted when my sons suspected that my motive was cross-examination rather than having fun together or if I kept so busy at home that I couldn’t stop and listen.

If you and your child have been too busy to really listen to each other, it is not too late to begin now. Don’t start by asking a lot of questions about school, especially if you have a teenager. She probably won’t be ready to share openly until she knows she can count on your empathetic response, non-judgmental attitude, and genuine interest in her. If she has found that her sharing produces anxiety, agitation, anger, and an impulsive trip to her teacher resulting in confrontation on any level, she will probably make a point to keep hidden from you most, if not all, questionable information. No child wants to be an accomplice to an emotional or embarrassing confrontation.

Volunteer to assist the teacher in the classroom. You will gain firsthand knowledge as well as easy access to the teacher’s listening ear.

Scan elementary textbooks, take-home papers, and fliers. Check to see if significant facts are deleted or distorted. Consider their effects on your child. Ask yourself the following questions about the above material:

Does it imply that Christianity is unimportant, old-fashioned, or a hindrance to progress? Does it ask your child to discuss his faith in front of the class—thus leaving him open to embarrassment and ridicule? With new proposals for bringing religion back in schools, look carefully at the kinds of religions which are being promoted and ways in which these religions will be taught. It could mean wide open doors to more counterfeits.

Does it present an imbalanced view of Christians? Are pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and other Christians denigrated, maligned, and ridiculed—or never described favorably?

Does it emphasize, promote, or give detailed descriptions of other religions, while ignoring Christianity?

Does it require your child’s participation in spiritual exercises?

Does it give instructions in Yoga, meditation, channeling, or guided imagery?

Does it include a blatant pro-homosexual slant?

Does it ask your child not to share information with his parents?

Discuss your findings with your child. Express your appreciation for the good things you see. Explain any area of concern. Teach discernment by pointing out contradictions to God’s truth.

THREE: Share God’s Values With Your Children

Ask God to show you how to communicate in natural age-appropriate ways. The simplest way is to discuss your own personal experiences from God’s perspective during your ordinary encounters—when you sit, walk (or drive), lie down, and get up.

You may want to use the following topics for meal or bedtime discussion or for special family evenings. Choose items appropriate to your children, adjusting the words to their age-level.

Explore the meaning of values:

What does it mean to value something?
What do you value? Least? Most?
What determines your values?
What costs are you willing to pay for what you value? Rejection, teasing, not seeing certain movies?

Discuss what God says about things He loves:

Honoring and obeying parents: Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1
Respecting authority: Romans 13:1
Following God—our highest authority: Acts 5:29; John 10:4
Love: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
Forgiving and caring for others: Luke 6:27-36

Discuss what God says about things He hates.

Lying: Proverbs 12:22
Stealing: Matthew 19:18
Cheating: 1 Corinthians 6:8-9
Greed: Luke 12:15
Rudeness and swearing: Ephesians 5:3-5
Proverbs 6:16 has a list of what God hates.

Talk about what would happen if everyone followed this guideline: Do whatever feels right.

I have never asked my children’s opinion about the truth of this value claim [that torture is wrong] and do not intend to do so, just as I never asked them their opinion about the law of gravity. . . . Rather, I teach them the truth of this value and expect them both to believe it and to base their action on it.1—Richard A. Baer, Jr.

FOUR: Train Your Child To Be “Ambassadors” For God

Tell your own experience of standing up for what you believe. Let your children feel your inner battle to choose God’s way. Assure them that you understand their struggles—and that God’s favor is worth far more than peer approval. No matter how we feel, we who belong to Him are His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Take time to read together stories about courageous Christians. Nobody outgrows the richness of family reading.

Practice sharing your convictions with each other (1 Peter 3:15-17).

FIVE: Teach Your child to Know God’s Instructions & Warnings

As a family, read Deuteronomy 6-8. Study a portion each day. Write and discuss what He tells you to do and what He promises to do for you. Agree to help each other to follow His guidelines and receive His promises.

Show your child that while charity and respect should be shown to all human beings, the New Age/New Spirituality quest for a global community is based on the evolutionary presumption that man—not God—controls and can save the world.

Show how commitment to truth has its roots in and stems from biblical values. While loving the world’s people, we cannot trust rulers who oppose God and reject His values. One of the most misunderstood and misquoted Scriptures in the Bible is Luke 6:37: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” God is not telling us to close our eyes to evil and tolerate beliefs and behavior that deny Him. Rather He reminds us to have “righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Hinduism teaches New Agers to tune out unpleasant realities. But no amount of creative visualization or individual, group, or collective meditation will even begin to create a perfect world. The fact is that mankind, apart from God, still suffers from a deadly urge to conquer and control.

SIX: Encourage Your Child To Choose the Good

Develop a mindset that seeks the best, not just the “OK.” In the case of toys, you may have identified and rejected the worst toys. But the rest are not necessarily good either. Discuss these questions to help your child learn to choose only the best. When discussing toys and games, phrase the questions according to your child’s age level.

Does it present a true picture of life? In a time when even adults base their lives on counterfeit dreams and false illusions, our children need to learn to tell what is flight of fancy and what is real.

How long would the interest last? Fad toys are fun for the moment, but they whet the appetite for every “in” thing, so that decision-making centers on the question, “What will make me feel happy right now?” Determine not to buy that lie. Unfortunately, many quality toy companies have been bought up or squeezed out by giants who can pay the high price for television promotion. The range of major toy lines is narrowing to those that look glamorous on the screen.

Will this toy be used for playing alone or with others? A child needs a healthy balance of solitary and social play. Good toys will help him interact both with his imaginary world and with the real world, harmonizing the two. That may require some interaction with you. Perhaps you could agree together to find toys that will help you, the parent, participate in your young child’s imaginary world.

Does it build godly character? Many toys, hobbies, and games do.

SEVEN: Train Your Child to Follow God, Not Peers

We want our children to feel good about themselves, be liked by their peers, and not miss out on the fun. But as we realize what their friends choose, we wonder how our children will respond to the peer pressure. How can we prepare them to make wise choices?

Counter peer pressure. Children naturally compare us to the parents of peers, challenging us to match their “generosity.” That hurts, since we want them to feel our love for them. We see what they don’t realize: that always getting what they want will not make them feel secure in our love. It’s more likely to increase their craving and stir discontent. Also, it teaches them to equate love with material things. If your child is old enough, explain this process to him.

Look to the Bible for guidelines and authority. God understands our desires to follow the crowd; He feels our struggle to be “in” the world but not “of it” (John 17:16-18). According to age readiness, review Romans 12:1-2 together and then discuss 3 John 11 and Jude 18-20.

Self-denial seems out of place in a nation consumed with self-indulgence and self-fulfillment. But God commanded it, and Jesus demonstrated it. Dare we refuse to acknowledge it? According to the age of your child, discuss Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24 and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct your application.

Don’t get me wrong. Far more than earthly parents, God wants His children to be happy and have a good time. But He doesn’t want cream puffs to satisfy our hunger and turn us away from the meat of truth. Self-discipline produces the kind of maturity that brings genuine happiness forever, not merely a pleasant moment today.

Our Heavenly Father, who models parenting better than any of us, doesn’t major on the superficial. He knows better than to give us all the things we want. For just as most children will choose pop over milk, and chips over carrots, so do we, as adults, often choose that which cannot satisfy. God does not want vain deceits, as He calls them (Colossians 2:8), to mold our appetites, satisfy our hunger, and replace the very best.

It’s hard to teach restraint to children who are begging for gratification. Wanting to please rather than overreact, we flinch at the thought of having to continually censor our children’s wants, preferences, and desires. Parental authority simply doesn’t fit the fast-spreading new views of social equality taught through the media and the schools. Yet, we must obey God. He has told us to raise our children to choose His way, and we must rise to the occasion, fight the good fight, and not shrink back.

After hearing God’s warning and praying for His wisdom, nine-year-old Alan Brannan decided to throw away all his Pokémon cards. “My friend did the same,” said his mother. “Her twelve-year-old son had been having nightmares. But after a discussion with his parents about the game and its symbols, he was convicted to burn his cards and return his Game Boy game. That night, he slept well for the first time in a month.”

“It seemed to us that these cards had some sort of power,” continued DiAnna Brannan. “Another nine-year-boy had stolen money from his mother’s purse ($7.00) to buy more cards.” When questioned, he confessed and said he had heard the devil urging him to do it. The family quickly gathered in prayer, then saw God’s answer. Both the boy and his little sister burned their cards, warned their friends, and discovered the joy and freedom that only comes from following their Shepherd.

EIGHT: Training Children to Love Good and Resist Evil

Don’t play games with the occult! Ouija Boards have always invited oppression, but they are far more likely to invoke unwanted “spirits” today. So it is with the new generation of occult games and DVDs as well.

I became aware of this change back in the nineties when a Canadian psychologist called me. He had read my book Under the Spell of Mother Earth and wanted to share some observations with me. In past years, he said, many women would come to scenic Alberta to do a Native American “Spirit Quest” in search of their personal “animal spirit.” Few succeeded. But times have changed, and the “spirits” that now answer the summons are numerous as well as oppressive. Treating the scary symptoms as “multiple personality disorders” is no help at all.

Popular occultism is spreading fast, and the “spirit world” has become increasingly more accessible. But few families are equipped to resist it. Contemporary churches offer little or no help. Most simply ignore the danger or endorse the “fun.” To avoid offense, the word evil is dropped from their vocabulary.

The primary victims of this blindness end up being our children. Unless we teach them to recognize and resist these dangers, many will come to embrace the darkness.

Those who love and follow God will be repelled by occult myths. And those who love today’s popular occultism will run from God’s unchanging truths and wise and loving boundaries. For if we are filled with His Spirit and follow His way, we will—by His life in us—“abhor that which is evil: and cleave to that which is good” (Romans 12:9).

The world cringes when it hears these truths because its fiction and fantasies are too enticing. That’s why people find all kinds of arguments to justify their misdirected love.

To prepare your child for daily battles against tempting spiritual counterfeits, consider these three other scriptural portions of vital truths:

The Armor of God—These six truths expose and counter today’s most popular deceptions. Even more important, they show us the way to an intimate relationship with God. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

The Lord’s Prayer—These truths parallel the ones in the armor of God and serve the same purposes. (Matthew 6:9-13)

The Beatitudes—Jesus’ message, recorded in Matthew 5, show us a standard for holiness that is far higher than we can achieve, but it comes with the promise that—by His life in us—He will make us all He intends us to be. It ends with the reminder that those who follow Jesus will also share in His suffering. Therefore, our children need to be prepared for persecution. Uncompromising faith and God’s unchanging truths have become intolerable in today’s postmodern age. (Matthew 5:1-12)

NINE:  Prepare Your Child for a Lifetime of Reading with Discernment

Are children being taught to read discerningly, or do they accept whatever is in print simply because it is in print?

Pray as a family for discernment and wisdom. Don’t let fear of offensive literature keep your family from finding and feasting on wonderful books.

Commit yourself to a deeper knowing of the Word of God. Continue a daily Bible study program together. If children know truth, they will more easily spot the lies.

Enjoy books together that demonstrate God’s values. Read-aloud times build in most children a deep love for reading, while they also enable you to direct your children’s taste for enriching books. “While the average first-grade student reads from a primer with only 350 words, his listening vocabulary approaches 10,000 words, according to the Council for Basic Education.”2
When you read aloud to your children, they learn to associate wholesome books with good times.

A crossless version of Christianity fits the New Age lie that all can be one—with or without Jesus. It denies man’s need for redemption and, in effect, makes man his own savior. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Examine gift books for children. Some of Audrey and Don Wood’s attractive books are filled with enticing New Age magic. Other picture books, like The Witches Handbook by Malcolm Bird, treat witchcraft as a game for all to enjoy.

Check contemporary children’s poetry. While some poems are superb, others are grotesque and macabre.

Check fantasy game books. They make you the hero—but what beliefs do you follow? What mental pictures will your imagination create? As you make decisions appropriate to the story, will occult forces become part of your thinking? Some titles will tip you off—like Seas of Blood and Castle Death—but many others sound deceptively innocuous.

Be alert to what your child’s peers read. Discuss their influence on your child with him. During the winter of 1989, our son’s eighth-grade peers read Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King, master of occult horror.

New kinds of joke books are captivating today’s readers. The object of the humor may be sex, marriage, parents, or God. Some of the illustrations may be pornographic. While we are in dire need of healthy humor, we don’t need to laugh at corruption and delight in immorality. God wants us to love, accept, and forgive each other. But He also tells us to discipline and control our own human nature. Discuss these Scriptures with your child: Leviticus 11:44, 20:26; and Matthew 5:6, 8. Review Romans 12:1-2, 9, and Romans 13:14.

TEN : Leading Your Child to Receive Jesus as Savior and Lord

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:5-7)

How do we lead our children into a lasting and true relationship with Jesus Christ?

Pray that God will prepare their hearts. Spiritual rebirth is God’s work, not ours (John 6:44). We merely cooperate with God’s process, for we are co-laborers with God.

Lay a foundation. Include Jesus in your conversations. Let your children hear you talk to Him. Pray with them. Talk about how He helps you each day. Make comments like, “Jesus understands. He is sad when you are sad. Let’s ask Jesus what He wants us to do.”

Wait for God’s timing. While you watch for signs of openness, be ready for an opportune moment. Perhaps it will come at a time of special need for comfort and strength or when a child shows you by his questions that he genuinely wants to know and follow God.

Explain the basic saving truths. Lead your child through the following steps, and then ask if he wants to pray to receive Jesus. If he says no, tell him he can pray that prayer anytime on his own with the same wonderful results. If your child wants to pray alone, suggest that he come and tell you afterward. Don’t forget the date. Keep it as a most special birthday. Here are some key points to share with your child:

God loves you. He wants you to be part of His special family. He wants you to live with Him in His wonderful heavenly kingdom. “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16).

By yourself, you can’t come to God. God is holy and perfect and can’t let any sin into His kingdom. Sin separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Think about the different kinds of sin like selfishness, envy, lying, wanting your own way. Can you be completely free from them? No, you can’t, despite how hard you try.

Jesus made a way for you. He said, “I am the way. . . . no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). He died on the Cross, taking the punishment for your sins. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

You must invite Jesus to come and live in you. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). With His perfect life inside, you may live and walk with God forever. Tell your child that his prayer must include confession (understanding and admitting he or she is a sinner), repentance (turn from the direction one is heading, and follow Jesus), faith (trust that Jesus Christ died and rose again to give man eternal life in Him), and the invitation.

Pray something like this: “Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I have sinned against You. I don’t deserve to be Your child. But I believe You died for me to pay for my sins, and you have forgiven me. Please come into my heart. I want you to be Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you.”

To order copies of 10 Vital Things Parents Can Do to Help Children Keep Their Faith, click here.

Endnotes:
1. Richard A. Baer, Jr., “Teaching Values in the Schools: Clarification or Indoctrination?” (American Education, January 1982, https://confluence.cornell.edu/download/attachments/11542/Teaching_Values_in_the_Schools.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1338225531000), p. 18.
2. Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook (New York, NY: Penguin, 1987 edition), p. 40.

The Booklet you have read above is an extract from Berit Kjos’ cutting-edge book, How to Protect Your Child from the New Age & Spiritual Deception. Packed with information and documentation identifying the specific and often subtle elements in today’s society that are impacting our children’s faith and filled with practical and scriptural advice on how we can help our children love and honor the Lord and His Word all the days of their lives.

To order copies of 10 Vital Things Parents Can Do to Help Children Keep Their Faith, click here.

With the sound of their new school bell, the fifth graders at Piedmont Avenue Elementary School here closed their eyes and focused on their breathing, as they tried to imagine “loving kindness” on the playground.1—New York Times

By Berit Kjos

During a flight delay in Chicago in the late nineties, I spent my time browsing the airport bookstore near my terminal. When a young woman next to me picked up a copy of Conversations With God, the first book in the popular series by Neale Donald Walsch, I had to ask, “Are you familiar with that book?”

“A friend told me I should read it,” she answered. She then told me she was a Christian.

“But it’s not about Christianity,” I warned her. “It may sound good and use a lot of Christian words, but its message turns God’s truth upside down.”

She thanked me and put the book back. My thoughts drifted back to a Christian conference some years earlier where several publishing house editors had concluded that the “New Age movement had peaked.” No need for more books on that topic, they said, for the faddish seductions of the “beautiful” side of evil would soon fade away.2

They couldn’t have been further from the truth. While those early blooms of occult enticements might have peaked in interest among Christians, the seeds of deception sown during the 1960s and 1970s had already taken root in well-cultivated soil across America. Since then, the poisonous fruit disseminated through The Beatles, Napoleon Hill, Shirley MacLaine, Marianne Williamson, Hindu gurus, goddess worshippers, and countless other spiritual advocates of New Age spirituality has sprouted everywhere—in schools, churches, movie theaters, television, books, the news media, and the Internet. Syncretism, mysticism, and a subjective self-focused spirituality have become the norm.

So it was no surprise to learn in January of 2003 that the award-winning movie Indigo would be released at select theaters and churches in all fifty states and forty countries. Starring the famed New Ager, Neale Donald Walsch, who scripted his occult Conversations with God into the public stream of consciousness, it would surely accelerate America’s paradigm shift toward a global “new” spirituality incompatible with the one true God and His Word.

Wondering whether to see the movie or not, I searched the Internet. I discovered that the Indigo child concept was first popularized by the book, The Indigo Child, written by husband and wife team Lee Carroll and Jan Tober. “Carroll also portrays himself as a channeler for ‘Kryon,’” says one reviewer, “a spiritual entity [demon] who predicted the coming of the Indigo Children.”3
I found this description of the movie:

INDIGO is a film about loneliness, redemption, and the healing powers and grace of the new generation of Indigo (psychic and gifted) children being born into the world.4

The Metagifted Education Resource Organization (MERO) website gave an interesting description of the Indigo personality:

Being Indigo is not a disorder! It’s a Spiritual Evolution that manifests physically and appears to be a Cultural Revolution. This is the new Aquarian energy. . . .

Indigo Children . . . The name itself indicates the Life Color they carry in their auras and is indicative of the Third Eye Chakra, which represents intuition and psychic ability. These are the children who are often rebellious to authority, nonconformist, extremely emotional and sometimes physically sensitive or fragile, highly talented or academically gifted and often metaphysically gifted as well, usually intuitive, very often labeled ADD, either very empathic and compassionate OR very cold and callous, and are wise beyond their years. . . .

Their nonconformity to systems and to discipline . . . will help them accomplish big goals such as changing the educational system. . . . The Indigo Children are the ones who have come to raise the vibration of our planet! These are the primary ones who will bring us the enlightenment to ascend. . . .

About 85% or higher of children born in ‘92 or later, 90% born in ‘94 or after and 95% or more born now are Indigo Children!5

Even two weeks before the opening date, theaters in my state were sold out, but seats were still available in alternative “churches” such as Unity, Unitarian, Congregational, and Christian Science. After much prayer, I bought a ticket from a local Unity “church” and went to the movie.

The Indigo child in the film was the granddaughter of Ray, the character played by Neale Donald Walsch. Arrogant and self-confident, the precocious Grace followed her feelings and conversed with the invisible spirit world that both filled and surrounded her. Mental telepathy, divination, necromancy (communication with the dead), and the “healing touch” came naturally to this Indigo child, for she had intuitively tapped into a “universal force”—a seductive reservoir of occult wisdom, strength, and “prophetic” voices.

According to the movie script and to the promotional message from the producers, all who were touched by Grace’s life—including her grandfather—were transformed:

The dramatic core of the film is the relationship that develops between a man whose life and family have dissolved due to a fateful mistake and his 10-year-old granddaughter with whom he goes on the run to protect her from a would-be kidnapper. Along the way, he discovers the power of his granddaughter’s gifts which forever alter the lives of everyone she encounters.6

Grace was aloof, willful, sassy, and disrespectful. The list sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The profile is typical of television-trained children from today’s permissive homes. But in the context of this fictional movie, those contentious attitudes made Grace a valuable change agent within her dysfunctional family. And since the script was written to affirm her condescending ways, I was not surprised by the laughter and cheers from the audience. The fact that contemporary children share many of Grace’s characteristics only strengthens its metaphysical message: “Send the energy” to everyone.

Free from the traditional disciplines and boundaries, Indigo Children claim self-determination as their right and follow no authorities but their own inner voice. In light of the supposed interconnectedness between human spirits and the universal force, it all fits together. As the Indigo movie and its producers (James Twyman, Neale Donald Walsch, and Stephen Simon) claim, this god is guiding the “evolution of humanity”7 toward world peace and universal oneness under a socialist/spiritual system.

This is the world today’s children have been born into—a world where every child is at risk of being drawn in, influenced, and transformed by the “prince of the power of the air.”

Children and New Age Mindfulness Meditation

Unbeknownst to most parents, America’s public schools are teaching their children to use mindfulness meditation (Eastern-style meditation or TM). In a New York Times article titled “In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind,” elementary children in an Oakland, California school are promised peace and loving-kindness if they will learn to meditate. An eleven-year-old explains, “I was losing at baseball, and I was about to throw a bat . . . The mindfulness really helped.”8 While that may sound like a great thing to a lot of teachers, the article acknowledges where this comes from:

As summer looms, students at dozens of schools across the country are trying hard to be in the present moment. This is what is known as mindfulness training, in which stress-reducing techniques drawn from Buddhist meditation are wedged between reading and spelling tests.9 (emphasis added)

A whole new generation of children is being drawn into New Age/New Spirituality, and it is happening right under their parents’ noses. While some of us grieve the real-world consequences of this cultural revolution, a rising chorus of voices are now demanding acceptance of today’s paradigm shift. Their positive spin inspires visions of an evolved humanity that is bursting out of the old shackles of Christian morality, traditional guidelines, and parental restraints. This new civilization reminds me of Isaiah’s ancient warning:

And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly [insolently] against the ancient [the elder], and the base against the honourable. (Isaiah 3:5)

The promise from the New Age is world peace, but it’s not God’s kind of peace; thus, it is not a true and lasting peace! As enticing counterfeits develop, they will surely widen divisions among those who call themselves by the name of Christ. While the world calls for unity at any cost (a whatever it takes approach), His people can’t conform to its ways, visions, hopes, or dreams. “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).

On the other hand, our Lord has promised peace, strength, and eternal hope to all who know, trust, and follow Him:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

But those who heed counterfeit promises and seek spiritual favors from occult sources become blind to His grace. Deceptions will multiply, and sadly, children are deception’s biggest targets. In this precarious situation in which we find ourselves, we should remember the Bible’s warnings:

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

I want to draw your attention to the Armor of God—God’s special refuge for His children—which the Bible tells us to “put on” (Ephesians 6:10-18). Now, perhaps more than ever, our children need its daily protection against the world’s deceptive lies and enticing lures.

(Berit Kjos is the author of How to Protect Your Child from the New Age and Spiritual Deception, a handbook for parents and grandparents to equip their children on how to remain in the Christian faith and not become spiritually deceived.)

Endnotes:

1. Patricia Leigh Brown, “In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind” (The New York Times, June 16, 2007).
2. This conclusion was shared at a Christian Writers Conference, which I attended in the early nineties, soon after my books Your Child and the New Age (now published by Lighthouse Trails under the title, How to Protect Your Child from the New Age and Spiritual Deception) and Under the Spell of Mother Earth had been published. Both books were selling briskly, but others who shared my concerns would have little opportunity to share their messages through Christian publishers. Apparently they found little interest among Christians for such warnings. Robin Evans, “Spiritual awakenings: “Young Children Learn the Rituals of Their Parents’ Religions (San Jose Mercury, February 2, 2005).
3. Lori Anderson, “Indigo: The Color of Money” (http://selectsmart.com/twyman.html).
4. Amazon’s IMDB movie site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379322.
5. Wendy H. Chapman, “What’s an Indigo Child?” (Metagifted, http://www.metagifted.org/topics/metagifted/indigo).
6. “Independent film, ‘Indigo’ premieres in two local screenings,” (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, January 27, 2005). Excerpt: “More than 90,000 people will view ‘Indigo’ during the two-day event. For the 60 million Americans who consider themselves ‘spiritual’ but not necessarily ‘religious,’ a new genre of film is rapidly emerging—films with heart and soul—called ‘spiritual cinema.’”
7. Sharon Jayson, “Does the Science Fly?” (USA Today, May 31, 2005).
8. Patricia Leigh Brown, “In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind,” op. cit.
9. Ibid.

LTRP Note: The following out-of-house news story reiterates what Lighthouse Trails has been trying to warn about. More and more public schools are implementing “mindfulness” meditation techniques into the lives of their students. Ray Yungen provides this explanation of what mindfulness is:

In recent years, a type of meditation known as mindfulness has made a surprising showing. Based on current trends, it has the potential to eclipse even Yoga in popularity. You will now find it everywhere that people are seeking therapeutic approaches to ailments or disorders. True to its Buddhist roots, mindfulness involves focusing on the breath to stop the normal flow of thought. In effect, it acts the same way as a mantra; and as with Yoga, it is presented as something to cure society’s ills.

While this particular article is talking about a public school, make no mistake about it, mindfulness meditation has entered the church (such as at Biola University).

By Ann Schimke
Chalkbeat

photo: Chalkbeat

In a recent Thursday afternoon, school psychologist Amy Schirm stood before two-dozen fifth-graders in a classroom at Denver’s Munroe Elementary School. Piano music played softly in the background and a string of white holiday lights twinkled on the wall behind her.

“Close your eyes,” Schirm said. “I’m going to ring the bell three times. Just focus all your attention on the sound.” She struck a small metal bowl with a mallet.

“Let your body kind of feel heavy, like you’re sinking down into your chair,” she said. “Just take a minute to check in with yourself. How are you doing in this moment?”

The students were practicing mindfulness — concentrating on their present thoughts, emotions and environment. The concept is catching on in schools in Colorado and nationwide as a way to help students better focus their attention, process their emotions and develop compassion. Click here to continue reading.

Related Articles:

Mindfulness! Heard of It? What Does it Mean, and Where is it Showing Up in Christian Circles?

Meditation! Pathway to Wellness or Doorway to the Occult?

To Lighthouse Trails:

My kids are taking an AP English class and were asked to read articles that show the benefits of Yoga in schools. The question was not if Yoga was good or bad, but whether detention using Yoga was effective, reading an article that said it was (per query of the students’ getting detention).  Essentially inviting the kids to challenge their opinions to include Yoga in a myriad of situations in life.  My kids were aghast, that it is truly the new normal in education.  I did a search to see, and CNN is coming out with an article on Yoga and meditation nearly monthly now, I find this quite alarming.  I thought perhaps the matter would interest all of you at Lighthouse Trails.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/10/health/yoga-in-schools/

Instead of detention, these students get meditation – CNN.com

An elementary school in West Baltimore uses meditation in place of detention, sending kids to a quiet space to stretch,

do yoga and practice…

1.   Yoga strategies to stress less – CNN.com

www.cnn.com/2016/11/03/health/yoga-stress-strategies/ Proxy  Highlight

Nov 20, 2016 … Try these five yoga-based ways to tame tension and regain peace of mind, … According to Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Herbert Benson, we can use our … Repeat it out loud several times or simply concentrate on it for a …

2.   Is yoga too religious for schools? – CNN.com

www.cnn.com/2013/08/22/health/yoga-in-schools/ Proxy  Highlight

Aug 22, 2013 … Many school districts are adding yoga to their curriculum but some say the … Middle School in Atlanta, lay out their mats and get ready to wind down. … the third limb — posture, according to Yoga Journal expert Richard Freeman. … for Law and Policy president Dean Broyles said in a statement at the time.

3.   Calming the teenage mind in the classroom – CNN.com

www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/health/mindfulness-teenagers-s... Proxy  Highlight

Feb 9, 2016 … Students at Marblehead High School in Massachusetts meditate in a new Zen Room at the school. … School in Massachusetts, students started moving their desks out of … morning meditation sessions two times a week before classes. … complete with yoga mats, blankets, tranquil music and soft lighting, …

4.   The near-superhuman way yoga unites mind and body – CNN.com

www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/health/yoga-superhuman/ Proxy  Highlight

Oct 19, 2016 … Unlike conventional Western exercises, yoga focuses on the breath, and “that turns out … You can also slowly pedal out your heels, by straightening one leg at a time to ease into the posture. … The benefits of yoga in schools … According to Yoga Journal’s national survey (PDF), as of 2016, there are more …

5.   Pilates/Yoga Instructor – Best Jobs in America – CNN Money

Feb 16, 2015 … Yoga instructors balance their time between teaching classes that bring … planning what goes into each class and getting the word out about a …

6.   9 ‘schools’ that will help you master life – CNN.com

edition.cnn.com/2014/11/13/business/new-schools-life-... Proxy  Highlight

Nov 13, 2014 … A new kind of school is popping up all over the world — and they want to teach … as well as full-time MA degrees on Digital Media Management. … Check out: Masterclass – Business Transformation for a two-day course … work stress with yoga to learn and practice the science of enhancing your well-being.

7.   Teen overcomes anorexia through yoga – CNN.com

www.cnn.com/2015/09/03/health/turning-points-anorexia... Proxy  Highlight

Sep 3, 2015 … Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds. …. “I took time off and it turned out to be a gift. … Now a high school senior, Degener is still teaching yoga classes and loading up on high-level classes to prepare for the next …

From a concerned parent

Related Articles from Lighthouse Trails:

YOGA: Exercise or Religion—Does it Matter?

YOGA and Christianity – Are They Compatible?

By Heather Clark
Christian News Network

WASHINGTON — Nearly 9,000 people added their names to a legal brief this past week in support of a Virginia school board’s appeal of a ruling requiring that it allow a female student who identifies as male to use the boys’ restroom.

8,914 students, parents and other residents from across the country included their name in the friend of the court brief filed by the religious liberties organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on Wednesday. Over 40 state family policy organizations, such as the Family Policy Institute of Washington, North Carolina Values, and the New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation, were a part of the brief as well.

“Placing students in circumstances where their privacy is compromised and they are at risk of bodily exposure in the vicinity of members of the opposite sex is not only demeaning and humiliating, but also denies individuals’ personal dignity,” it reads. Click here to continue reading.

By Heather Clark
Christian News Network

Photo credit: CNN (pictured Brian Coldwell)

A Canadian pastor is standing firm after being ordered to allow gay-straight alliances to be formed at his Christian schools.

According to reports, on Sept. 2, Alberta Education Minister David Eggen sent a letter to Brian Coldwell, the chairman of the Independent Baptist Christian Education Society and pastor of New Testament Baptist Church, to demand that he allow the alliances at his two schools as per provincial law.

Coldwell runs Meadows Baptist Academy and Harvest Baptist Academy in Parkland County.

Earlier this year, Eggen sent a letter to school boards throughout the province, advising that officials must draft and submit policies by the end of March surrounding how they would accommodate homosexual and transgender students.

But Coldwell told CBC News that he would not comply.

“I have a duty as a pastor to protect the flock of God,” he said. “And there is no way under heaven I’m going to allow gay activists to come in here and basically undermine our ministries and our religious freedoms or confuse and corrupt our children.” Click here to continue reading.

LTRP Note: The following is posted for research and informational purposes and is not an endorsement of the news source writing this.

By Erik Eckholm and Alan Blinder
New York Times

A federal judge has blocked the Obama administration from enforcing new guidelines that were intended to expand restroom access for transgender students across the country.

Judge Reed O’Connor of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Texas said in a 38-page ruling, which he said should apply nationwide, that the government had not complied with federal law when it issued “directives which contradict the existing legislative and regulatory text.”

Judge O’Connor, whom President George W. Bush nominated to the federal bench, said that not granting an injunction would put states “in the position of either maintaining their current policies in the face of the federal government’s view that they are violating the law, or changing them to comply with the guidelines and cede their authority over this issue.”

The judge’s order on Sunday, in a case brought by officials from more than a dozen states, was a victory for social conservatives in the continuing legal battles over the restroom guidelines, which the federal government issued this year. The culture war over the rights of transgender people, and especially their right to use public bathrooms consistent with their gender identities, has emerged as an emotional cause among social conservatives. Click here to continue reading.