Overlapping Narrative for a False Christ

LTRP Note: The following is an extract from the 2023 Lighthouse Trails book written by seven LT authors, A New Narrative for a “New” World. This portion below is by former New Age follower, Warren B. Smith. While reading this, test yourself to see how many of these terms you recognize and how many you may have heard in a church or Christian setting.

By Warren B. Smith

And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:6)

Many similar terms are being used by both the New Age/New Spirituality and the Christian church. As these terms and their meanings merge together, a New Gospel and a New Worldview are becoming more and more apparent. This New Gospel/New Spirituality has been euphemistically described as a “fresh” “new narrative.” It is being called “God’s Dream” for a struggling and hurting world. The following are some of the key terms and concepts that provide the semantic undergirding for this New Worldview and emerging New World Religion.

The Overlapping Narrative

 A Course in Miracles. Commonly referred to as the New Age “Bible,” this voluminous work was first published in 1975. It was alleged to be “new revelation” channeled from Jesus Himself. However, all this new revelation and all of the Course teachings contradict every major doctrine in the Bible. Enthusiastically endorsed by many New Age leaders, including Gerald Jampolsky, Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, and Oprah Winfrey, this heretical set of false teachings also found its way into the Christian church through undiscerning church leaders like Robert Schuller. 

Alchemy. This is an occult New Age term that has become part of the language of today’s church. Webster’s Dictionary includes alchemy in its definition of the word occult. Webster’s also lists occultism as one of the synonyms for alchemy, along with sorcery, witchcraft, magic, wizardry, necromancy, and devilry. Yet in Jesus Calling, the late Sarah Young’s “Jesus” says, “I can glean joy out of sorrow, Peace out of adversity. Only a Friend who is also the King of kings could accomplish this divine alchemy.”1 This is a perfect example of how occult words have crossed over into the church as they create a mystical vocabulary for the rapidly emerging One World Religion.

Alternative to Armageddon. The New Age/New Spirituality Christ teaches there is an alternative to Armageddon. This false Christ says that Armageddon does not have to happen. Rather, he states that humanity can choose to have a peaceful or a violent future—that it is completely up to us. This false Christ denies that the Book of Revelation is prophecy. However, Revelation 1:3 states that all the events described in Revelation are prophecy. These prophetic events are not presented as possibilities or probabilities. They will come to pass. And among these prophetic events are the coming of Antichrist and the Battle of Armageddon. God is not being pessimistic or negative with these prophetic warnings. He is just telling it as it is and how it will be. Yet false teachers in the world and in the church are saying that the future is a blank slate and that nobody, not even God, knows what the future will be. However, Scripture assures us that God has seen the end from the beginning: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand” (Isaiah 46:10).

As Above, So Below. This term is well known in occult New Age/New Spirituality circles, including satanism and witchcraft. “As above, so below” is universally acknowledged by these occultists to be the key to all magic and spiritual mysteries. It means that God is “in” everyone and everything—both in Heaven and on Earth. However, the Bible is clear that God is separate from His creation and is not “in” everyone and everything. Yet, this occult phrase is presented as part of the Lord’s Prayer in Eugene Peterson’s Message paraphrase of the Bible, and it is actually spoken by Peterson’s “Jesus.” Instead of “in earth as it is in heaven,” Peterson inserts the occult phrase “as above, so below.” Over twenty years ago, Peterson was confronted about his use of this mystical, magical, New Age term in The Message. He said if he had known it was an occult/New Age phrase, he never would have used it. But he apparently cared so little about the overlapping implications of this occult term that he never had it removed, and it still remains in The Message today.

At-one-ment. At-one-ment is a clever New Age play on both the word and biblical concept of atonement. The Bible teaches that believers become one with Jesus Christ through their faith in His sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary—otherwise known as the atonement. But the New Age/New Spirituality at-one-ment teaches that everyone is already “One” in Christ because Christ is said to be “in” everyone and everything. People save themselves—according to the New Age/New Spirituality—not by believing in Jesus’ atoning death and sacrifice, but by believing in the “God” and “Christ” that are already within them (i.e., “christ-consciousness”). Thus, New Age at-one-ment bypasses the Cross as it redirects people to “go within” to the “God within.” Because church leaders do not point out the overlapping New Age implications of the term at-one-ment, a deceived church is not only using this same hyphenated version of the term itself but could one day accept its heretical meaning.

Awaken/Awakening. In the New Age/New Spirituality, awaken usually means to meditate on, and awaken to the “God within”—the God who is said to be “in” everyone and everything. But there is no such “God within.” Church leaders hope for a revival that will be a great “awakening” to the historic God and Christ of the Bible. However, they do not warn about the New Age twisting of the term awakening. Apparently, they don’t see how easily the church meaning could shift and overlap with the New Age/New Spirituality meaning in the deceptive days to come.  

Change Agent. Many New Age and Christian leaders describe themselves as change agents.2 These change agents are in the process of changing many things—including key spiritual teachings and concepts. As a result, both camps are slowly transforming the Bible’s Gospel of Jesus Christ to the New Age/New Gospel of a false Christ. It is because of these change agents and their overlapping vocabulary that a “new narrative” is emerging. The Bible specifically warns to “meddle not with them that are given to change” (Proverbs 24:21).

Change History. Change history is an overlapping term used by both New Age and church leaders. It expresses their belief that future spiritual change will be so great that it will alter and forever change history—change His story. In short, the mission of today’s change agents is to change the “old” Gospel story to a “new” gospel story—“a new narrative”—that will be compatible with other religions and with the coming One World Religion. 

Christ. The word Christ, in and by itself, means “the anointed one,” the “messiah.” There is the true Christ—Jesus Christ—but Scripture warns there have been and will be many false Christs. The ultimate false Christ will be the Antichrist. The Bible reveals that one day he will deceive the whole world into believing that he—not Jesus Christ—is the true Christ. In these deceptive days in which we live with so much New Age/New Spirituality permeating our society and the church, we should do more than use the single word Christ to describe Jesus. We should specify His whole name and title—Jesus Christ. Why? Because in the New Age/New Spirituality the word “Christ” is an overlapping term used to signify the false New Age Christ who is also “in” everyone and everything.

Christ Within/Christ-Self. The Christ within/Christ-Self is a false New Age/New Spirituality concept stating that Christ naturally dwells within every person. People are said to save themselves when they “awaken” to the reality of their “at-one-ment” with their Christ within—their Christ-Self.

Co-create. Co-create is the New Age/New Spirituality notion that as people recognize they are “God,“ they can then co-create with God. But we are not God nor a part of God. Sadly, this idea that we can co-create with God has made its way into the church through books like Jesus Calling. Author Sarah Young’s “Jesus” says, “I, the Creator of the universe, have deigned to co-create with you.”3 The Bible makes it clear that we are “labourers together with God”—not co-creators (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Convergence. Convergence is a term used by both New Age/New Spirituality and Christian leaders. It signifies the coming together of two or more separate entities. Spiritually, it can herald the coming together of different faith traditions as they gradually converge to form a One World Religion. Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), the paleontologist/theologian who is frequently referred to as the “Father of the New Age movement,” stated: “A general convergence of religions upon a universal Christ who fundamentally satisfies them all: that seems to me the only possible conversion of the world, and the only form in which a religion of the future can be conceived.”4

Cosmic Christ. Cosmic Christ is a mystical reference to the universal Christ of the New Age/New Spirituality. The Cosmic Christ is not Jesus Christ. The Cosmic Christ is the one who will oversee the coming One World Religion and who is “in” everyone and everything. Sadly, the term Cosmic Christ is being used by undiscerning church leaders.

Day of Declaration. There will be a day when Antichrist tells the world that he—not Jesus Christ— is “the Christ.”  The Antichrist will most likely explain that mistaking Jesus as the Christ has caused much tragedy and confusion in the world and in the church. He will state that he is returning to “set things right” by correcting the mistaken belief that Jesus is the Christ. From the perspective of the New Age/New Spirituality/New World Religion, the Day of Declaration is a glorious day. 

Emergence. The term emergence is presently used by New Age followers to signify the emergence of their New Age/New Spirituality and the emergence of their New Age Christ. The word has also been used by undiscerning church leaders to describe an emerging New Christianity. This emergent church, now calling itself among other names—progressive Christianity—is a major deceptive force as it gradually merges and converges into a New Spirituality/New Christianity that will one day become part of the New World Religion.

Force. In New Age teachings, the word force is used as a substitute for the word God and is said to be an energy force that pervades and interpenetrates all creation. This definition has been articulated by the New Age/New Spirituality Christ through channelers like the late New Age leader Barbara Marx Hubbard. Sounding much like the deceptive phenomenon of Holy Laughter, this false Christ says that one day his “joy of the force” will “flood” the body of mankind when he comes to save planet Earth. “May the Force be with you” was no idle comment in the movie Star Wars. Not surprisingly, the indiscriminate use of the word force has already entered the church through  undiscerning church leaders like Robert Schuller and Rick Warren.5 It is important to remember that the prophet Daniel makes mention of the “God of forces” in conjunction with Antichrist (Daniel 11:38).

Fractal. Webster’s Dictionary defines a fractal as “any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size.” Commonly referred to in relation to quantum physics and quantum spirituality, fractals have entered the church through crossover books like The Shack. Fractals are used to try and prove that when any form of creation is broken down, the fractal part is always a part of the creative “force” referred to as God. Thus, fractals are presented as a core tenet of the “new science” that is falsely claiming that God is “in” everyone and everything and therefore “All is One.”

Fresh. Describing something as “fresh” carries with it the insinuation that something is “new” and “different” and even exciting. This overlapping term can mean that something considered “old”—like the Bible—can be reinvigorated and made to seem “new”—as in New Age/New Christianity/New Spirituality. The word  fresh has been used by both New Age and church leaders to infer that biblical Christianity is somehow lacking and that something fresh needs to be added. Scripture is quick to remind us that a little leaven—something inappropriately fresh—could conceivably leaven the whole church into something “new” and “different”—like a New Age/New Spirituality (Galatians 5:7-9).

God’s Dream. God’s Dream is yet another overlapping occult New Age term that can be traced as far back as the early 1900s. It was referenced in a New Age magazine that was published for those interested in the occult and the coming of the New Age Christ.6 In reality, God’s Dream is a devilish scheme devised by our spiritual Adversary to meld together two irreconcilable worldviews—the New Age/New Spirituality and biblical Christianity. Pastors Robert Schuller and Rick Warren have been chiefly responsible for popularizing this New Age term within the church. In fact, Rick Warren calls his highly promoted Peace Plan—“God’s Dream for You and the World.” While many New Age and church leaders now use this term, it cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. The prophet Jeremiah warned about false dreams like God’s Dream that come from false prophets and not from God (Jeremiah 23:32; also see Deuteronomy 13:1-4). 

Guided Visualization. Guided visualization (or guided meditation) is an occult New Age practice commonly used in today’s church as modeled by Sarah Young in Jesus Calling. However, we are not to visualize Jesus or “a golden light”7 or anything else as part of our prayer, meditation, or spiritual practice. The demonic realm is only too glad to enter into the visualization and become a part of it. This unscriptural activity can ultimately lead to great deception and spiritual delusion.

Hatred/hater. In the New Age/New Spirituality scheme of things, a hater is defined as anyone who does not subscribe to the “Doctrine of Oneness”—the teaching that God is “in” everyone and everything. The channeled New Age Christ explicitly states that hatred is “begotten”—caused by—those who believe in “Separation”8—those who believe that God is not “in” everyone and everything. Thus, biblical believers are defined as “haters” and their Christian beliefs as “hateful.”

Holy Laughter. Holy Laughter is a deceptive spiritual phenomenon. Frequently described as a powerful “move of God,” it swept through the church in the 1990s. Still present today, it is quite capable of becoming a major force again. With no biblical precedent, and no scriptural justification for its manifestation, people experiencing Holy Laughter often break into long uncontrollable fits of laughter. Many of them have found themselves involuntarily shaking, jerking, roaring, yelling, screaming, and even making animal noises as they fall to the floor. Incredibly, people were convinced that Holy Laughter was proof that God was bringing revival to a spiritually depleted church that needed “a fresh touch.” It is important to note that Holy Laughter bears a strong resemblance to the “joy of the force” that the false New Age Christ said would “flood” humanity during what he calls his “Planetary Pentecost.” He also referred to this planetary Pentecostal experience as the “planetary smile.” This resembles a similarly deceptive phenomenon in other religions, such as the ecstatic kriyas that manifest after a guru’s touch in Hinduism.

Immanent/Immanence. This is the metaphysical/New Age way of saying that God is “in” everyone and everything. Formerly, the church used this term to signify that God was omnipresent throughout His creation. Now the New Age/New Spirituality definition is superseding this previous definition in the church. For example, one popular televangelist, watched by millions, proclaimed that God was not only “transcendent” but also “immanent.” He then defined what he meant by immanent by saying “God is alive and he is in every single human being.”9

Light-bearer. An online thesaurus lists the following synonyms for the term light-bearer—Lucifer, Beelzebub, Prince of Darkness, and Tempter. In fact, the New Age Theosophical Society published a monthly journal in the late 1800s titled Lucifer that featured a front cover banner that read, “The Light-bearer is the Morning Star or Lucifer.”10 And while this term cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, Sarah Young and Eugene Peterson put this occult/New Age term in their best-selling books, Jesus Calling and The Message respectively. This is just one more example of the overlapping language that is merging the church and the New Age/New Spirituality together as “One.”

Maitreya. Maitreya is the name of a false Christ figure who claims that he—not Jesus Christ—is “the Christ.” For decades his spokesman and channel was the Scottish occultist Benjamin Creme. While Creme and some of Maitreya’s other spokesmen have passed away, Maitreya is said to still be around, waiting in the wings to make his Day of Declaration and world appearance. His Share International organization is active and continues to proclaim the continual “emergence” of this false Christ figure. Maitreya serves not only as a possible prototype for Antichrist but remains a viable candidate for the position himself.

Master Jesus. The New Age/New Spirituality teaches that Jesus Christ was not “Lord” and “Christ” but rather a disciple of “the Christ.” Jesus is not referred to as Jesus Christ but rather as the “Master Jesus.” But while the disciples in the Bible did refer to Jesus as Master, it was always in conjunction with His also being called Lord and Christ. Nowhere in the Bible is Jesus Christ ever called just the Master Jesus. In the coming New World Religion, the Master Jesus is already being described as the one who will lead the Christian church from Rome in its adoration and worship of  “the Christ” (who would, in reality, be the  Antichrist). Thus, the New Age/New Spirituality “Christ” will be the head of all religions—including an apostate Christianity—in his New World Religion. The Bible warns us not to fall for “another Jesus,” like the Master Jesus, who will be a clever imposter (2 Corinthians 11:4), and it warns us not to be deceived by a false Christ who will pretend to be Christ (Matthew 24:3-5).

Masters of Wisdom. The false New Age Christ Maitreya’s teachings state that when “the Christ” comes and reveals himself,  he will be accompanied by his “Masters of Wisdom” (including the “Master Jesus”). This is an obvious spiritual counterfeit of 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 that says when Jesus Christ returns, He will come with His “mighty angels”—not with these alleged Masters of Wisdom. 

Meant to Be. The term “meant to be” describes how circumstances can converge in such a way as to make it look like it was all divinely planned. Many New Agers and undiscerning Christians automatically assume that any unique convergence of events are “meant to be” from God. And while God can certainly arrange converging circumstances, so can the evil spirit realm. When “meant to be” circumstances present themselves, the obvious question should be—“meant to be” by whom?

Necromancy. Necromancy is interacting with the dead and is specifically warned about in the Book of Deuteronomy. People who engage in this practice—as well as the practice itself—are described as an “abomination unto the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). In Jesus’ account of the Rich Man and Lazarus, He specifically warns that no one will be sent from the dead to “testify” or interact in any way with people on Earth (Luke 16:19-31). While necromancy is commonly practiced by channelers, psychics, and other occultists, this forbidden practice has been introduced into the church by a prominent pastor who wrote a book that describes how he and his family are meeting and interacting with their deceased son.11

New Age Movement. What used to be called “metaphysical” or “occult” has become known in the last fifty or so years as the New Age movement. It is an alternate worldview that directly contradicts the teachings of the Bible. It heralds the coming of a New Age Christ—who is not Jesus Christ—and the coming of a New Spirituality/New World Religion. Sorcery, magic, psychic readings, interacting with the dead, channeling, meditation, Reiki, angel worship, witchcraft, astrology, Tarot cards, and the whole gamut of occult practices, all fall under this New Age umbrella. But as New Age teachings were exposed and warned about in the 1980s and 1990s, the New Age cleverly shed its name and became the New Spirituality. The false teachings of this New Age/New Spirituality have invaded and dulled the church in a number of ways through its best-selling books, overlapping language, and deceptive spiritual experiences through practices like contemplative prayer.

New Gospel. The New Gospel is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the “new narrative” of a New Spirituality that has become the foundation of what will become the Antichrist’s New World Religion. The New Gospel falsely proclaims that man must “awaken” to the “God,” “Christ,” and “Holy Spirit” that is reputedly “in” everyone and everything. In contrast, the Bible makes it clear that man and God are not “in” everyone and everything. Scripture teaches that mankind is separated from God because of man’s sin and that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The true Gospel offers us salvation from that penalty of sin. Romans 9:9-10 says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

New Light. New Light is a term that is being used favorably by some in the church as a substitute for saying New Age/ New Spirituality.

New Narrative. The new narrative is a term that is commonly used today, both in the world and in the church. It is an overlapping term that seems to give a “fresh” take on the Bible and on spiritual things in general. The new spiritual narrative taking shape in the world and in the church does not hold to biblical truth. As a result, it undermines the true Gospel story as it becomes a new gospel story that is, in reality, a “cunningly devised fable.” (2 Peter 1:16).

New Reformation (Re-formation). New Reformation is a term being used and abused by both church and New Age leaders. A New Reformation implies the need to change things. The very term opens the door to changing biblical doctrine and scriptural teachings in general. Over the years, pastors like Robert Schuller and Rick Warren have frequently pushed for a New Reformation. The channeled New Age “God” likes this idea of a New Reformation and actually praised Schuller for his use of the term.12 The reason the New Age “God” likes this is because he is already in the process of re-forming the Christian faith to conform to his coming New World Religion.

New Revelation. New revelation can refer to new spiritual information that has allegedly been given to mankind by “God,” “Jesus,” the “Holy Spirit,” channelers, psychics, angels, deceased loved ones, and other various sources. A Course in Miracles, as already noted, was supposedly channeled from “Jesus.” New revelation attempts to re-form and transform biblical Christianity into a New Age/New Christianity. In the guise of new revelation, every major biblical doctrine is being turned upside down. These new revelations are superseding and taking precedence over the Bible as they purport to clarify what God wants us to believe and follow today. However, these new revelations are being used to deceive both the world and the church with their false teachings and misinformation. 

New Science. There is much talk about “new science” and a new way of looking at God and life. This new science attempts to use the spiritualization of quantum physics—a quantum spirituality—to present a New Age/New Spirituality to the world and the church. However, in regard to this new science, with its new revelations, we are reminded there is “no new thing under the sun” that will contradict what is written in the Holy Bible (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

New Spirituality. During the 1990s, when the New Age movement was being thoroughly exposed, it reinvented and renamed itself the New Spirituality. Over the years a number of church leaders have used this same term to describe their updated and re-formed version of Christianity as they wittingly, or unwittingly, help to merge the church with the New Age/New Spirituality.

Oneness vs. Separation. The Bible makes it clear that God and His creation are distinct and separate. We are born again when we recognize and accept Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary. After this profession and confession of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is sent to reside in the believer so the believer is now one “in” Christ (Galatians 3:26-29), and Christ is now “in” him (Colossians 1:27). Only then is being “one” in Christ biblically correct. New Age teachings, on the other hand, argue that everyone is “One” because “God” and “Christ” are already “in” everyone and everything.

Lie of Separation. The alleged “Lie of Separation” is part of the New Age/New Narrative. It warns that because biblical Christianity teaches that God and creation are separate, Christianity is therefore guilty of  the “Lie of Separation” by teaching that God is not “in” everyone and everything. But this “Lie of Separation” is actually a lie in and by itself. Most believers are unaware that this New Age “Lie of Separation” has already entered the church in a number of ways, such as in best-selling Shack author William Paul Young’s twenty part television series Restoring the Shack. In one particular segment, Young describes a vision that a pastor/friend allegedly had from God. In recounting the vision, Young quotes “God” specifically warning about the “lie of separation.” He further quotes “God” as saying that “the western world has convinced itself that it has separated itself from God. There has never been separation. That is absolutely a myth.”13 And millions of TBN viewers heard this lie about the “lie of separation” that is actively preparing the world and the church for a New Age/New Spirituality/New World Religion.

Overshadow. Overshadow is a  term used in Luke 1:35 when the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary and told her that the Holy Ghost would “overshadow” her. However, the term overshadow has been deceptively incorporated into the New Age/New Spirituality narrative. The false Christ of the New Spirituality falsely asserts that he is the real Christ and that he simply overshadowed and worked through the “Master Jesus” in the first century. In other words, this antichrist figure is saying that he is “the Christ” and that Jesus was merely an “overshadowed” figure. He says that when he and the “Master Jesus” appear together, they will correct this alleged misperception by “setting all things right.”

Panentheism. Panentheism is a term that signifies that God is “in” everyone and everything. It is the core doctrine of the New Age/New Spirituality/New Narrative. But it is not biblical, and it is not true.

Pantheism. This term signifies that God is everything. It is also not biblical and not true.

Planetary Pentecost (New Age Revival). New Age leader Barbara Marx Hubbard’s “Christ”14 told her that planet Earth is at an evolutionary crossroads and that the people of the world will have a choice to make. If they “awaken” to their own divinity and align themselves as “One” with God and with each other, there can be a Planetary Pentecost—a Planetary Revival—and the world can be saved. But if people hold onto their belief in biblical “separation,” the world could be plunged into darkness and destruction. This false “Christ” explains that with his spiritual guidance, most of humanity will choose to evolve and the world will survive as “One.” He calls this Planetary Pentecost the “Planetary Birth Experience” and warns that those who continue to believe in the “lie of separation” will have to be eliminated for the good of all.

Planetary Birth Experience. Barbara Marx Hubbard’s  New Age Christ states that the Planetary Pentecost will lead to a “Planetary Birth Experience.” It will be a shared event in the future—an “Instant of Co-operation.” This false Christ states that everyone who sees themselves as a part of God, and aligns themselves accordingly, will be mysteriously changed in the “twinkling of an eye” and collectively “born” into a “new creation.” The Planetary Birth Experience will be the culmination of the Planetary Pentecost and its false revival. This presentation of a latter-days Pentecostal-like revival and the purported emergence of this false Christ obviously conflicts with the Bible’s true account of the coming of the true Christ. 

Planetary Smile. The Planetary Smile is another name given for this New Age/New Spirituality/Planetary Pentecost and its “joy of the force.” The term immediately brings to mind, and overlaps with, the ungodly practice of Holy Laughter that has deceived and dulled so many people in the church. 

Quantum Leap. According to New Age teachers, a huge spiritual leap will be made to the New World Religion when humanity unites around the belief that they are all “One” because they are all a part of God. This leap will be sudden and profound. And it will be seen as a “quantum leap” because humanity’s newfound “Oneness” will allegedly be founded upon new spiritual understandings derived from breakthrough discoveries in quantum physics. Scientists will proclaim that God is an energy force that inhabits and interpenetrates everyone and everything. This universal quantum leap of declaring one’s divinity and oneness with God will allegedly produce a Planetary Birth Experience. One day these new understandings may be deceptively described as “one spiritual step for man, and one quantum leap for mankind.”  

Quantum Spirituality. Certain physicists and self-described “futurists”—both in the New Age movement and today’s church—have introduced a quantum approach for a New Spirituality. One professing evangelical church leader wrote a book titled Quantum Spirituality.15 The concept of a quantum spirituality is part of a new narrative that promises to bring an otherwise divided world into harmonic convergence and spiritual “Oneness.” Quantum advocates would have us believe that humanity is about to take a quantum leap into a new transformational quantum spirituality that will unify the world and all its religions. They say this is inevitable because this spiritualized quantum physics is “proving” that God is “in” everyone and everything. But God is not “in” everyone and everything. The Bible has warned us in advance about those who “have erred concerning the faith” because of the “oppositions of science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

Quantum Transformation. New Age quantum proponents describe how the future quantum leap will trigger a Quantum Transformation that will ultimately produce the Planetary Birth Experience. This will occur when everyone becomes part of the Planetary Pentecost as they massively “awaken” to their scientifically “proven” quantum self—the “God within.” Leonard Sweet, the church leader who authored Quantum Spirituality, introduces this new narrative as “new light” teachings.

Reimagining. The Bible consistently warns about the misuse of one’s imagination. Reimagining sounds inventive and even upbeat, but the term is helping to create a New Christianity that is not Christianity at all. The Bible further warns that we must always be about the business of “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought [imagined or re-imagined] to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Reinventing. Reinventing is another overlapping term much like “fresh” and “reimagine.” It is an enticing word that makes it easier to accept something that is new and different—like a New Gospel/New Spirituality.

Revolution. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines revolution, in part, as a paradigm shift. It says that a revolution can be “a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something: a change of paradigm.” New Age leader Marianne Williamson stated, “An underground revolution is sweeping the hearts and minds of the people of the world.” She said, “This revolution is a fundamental change of worldview.”16 She also said: “It is time for a huge revolution in our understanding of Christic philosophy, and most particularly in our understanding of Jesus.”17 One emergent church leader similarly stated, “The time has come for a new kind of conversation, a new kind of Christianity, a new kind of revolution.”18 But all this talk about a spiritual revolution is very deceptive because the overlapping vocabulary of a new narrative dangerously draws the world and the church together as “One.” However, biblical Christianity has nothing to do with revolution and change. The Bible is sufficient just as it is. Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). And what is God’s answer to all this talk about  revolution and change? He simply and authoritatively says, “ I change not” (Malachi 3:6).

Selection Process. The false New Age Christ, in describing the Planetary Birth Experience and in professing his love of mankind, nevertheless warns that there will be no place in his New Jerusalem for those who refuse to acknowledge him as “the Christ.” Thus, he outlines the necessity of a “Selection Process.”19 This process will identify and select out all resistant individuals who refuse to follow him and his New Age/New Spirituality/New World Religion. He describes this Selection Process as a purification process that will eliminate resistant people such as faithful Christians through the “shock of a fire.”20 The Bible is quick to warn us not to be surprised by fiery trials like the Selection Process—“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you (1 Peter 4:12).

Shift (Paradigm Shift). To shift something is to exchange or replace one thing with another. A paradigm is a philosophical, theoretical, or spiritual framework of any kind. Thus, a paradigm shift in the spiritual realm is to exchange or replace one spiritual framework with another. And that is what our spiritual Adversary is attempting to do—replace biblical Christianity with a new narrative and a New Spirituality. Both the church and the New Age frequently use the term “shift.”  The question is, what are we shifting from and what are we shifting to?

Sorcery. Sorcery covers a wide gamut of occult practices that are based in magic and witchcraft. Through the control and assistance of deceptive evil spirits, uplifting spiritual experiences can be produced, false healings accomplished, false miracles manifested, and one’s deepest desires being demonically fulfilled. Divination and necromancy are a part of sorcery too. The Bible warns that one day the whole world will be deceived by sorcery (Revelation 18:23). One of the Greek words for sorcery—pharmakeia—seems to infer that this global deception will also be caused by mind-altering drugs that would include the delusional and injurious side effects from ceremonial, recreational, and pharmaceutical drug use.

Source. Source is a word used by some in the church but is most particularly used in the New Age/New Spirituality as a substitute for, or in place of, God. A New Age follower might say, “I am going to see a psychic who is able to channel directly from the Source of all things.” Or, “the Source made it clear I was not to take that job.” It is yet another way of making God more of an energy field rather than a personal Creator.

Spirit Guide. Spirit guides are purported to be benign and beneficial spirits sent to assist and guide people in their daily lives. They can manifest in the guise of angels, departed loved ones, and even “God,” “Jesus,” and the “Holy Spirit.” However, these spiritual impersonators seek to deceive and destroy. There is only one mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5); and the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell believers and, as Jesus said, “will guide [us] into all truth” (John 16:13).

Universe. In New Age/New Spirituality terms, the universe, like the word “source,” is used as a substitute for, or in place of, God. Someone who uses this term might say, “Let’s see what the Universe brings me today.” Or, “I’ve asked the Universe to bring me the perfect mate.” Universal Christ. The Universal Christ (or cosmic Christ) is the false Christ of the New Age/New Spirituality. He is said to be “at One” with all creation, because he is alleged to be “in” everyone and everything and the head of every religion and belief system that is being transformed by the overlapping words and concepts of the New Age/New Spirituality/New Narrative.

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You may read more by Warren B. Smith on his website at www.newagetoamazinggrace.com. His biography of his years in the New Age and eventual coming out of it, The Light That Was Dark, can be found on the Lighthouse Trails Publishing store site.

Endnotes:

1. Sarah Young, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004), p. 260.
2. For example, in George Barna’s book Leaders on Leadership, the term “change agent” is used over 45 times.
3. Ibid., p. 362.
4. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Christianity and Evolution (New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanivich, Inc., 1971), p. 130.
5. Robert H. Schuller, If It’s Going to Be, It’s Up to Me: The Eight Proven Principles of Possibility Thinking (New York, NY: HarperPaperbacks: A Division of HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), p. 13; Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), p. 27.
6. N. L., “Reincarnation” (The Theosophical Path, Volume X, No. 2, February 1916), p. 159.
7. Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, op. cit., pp. X-XI.
8. Messages From Maitreya the Christ: One Hundred Forty Messages (Los Angeles, CA: Share International Foundation, 1980, Second Edition, Second Printing 2001), p. 108.
9. Hour of Power, Robert H. Schuller, Program #1762, “God’s Word: Rebuild, Renew, Restore” (November 9, 2003, http://www.hourofpower.org/bookletdetail.cfm?ArticleID=2107), p. 5.
10. From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer_(magazine)#/media/File%3ABlavlucifer.jpg.
11. Steve and Sarah Berger, Have Heart: Bridging the Gulf Between Heaven and Earth (Franklin, TN: Grace Chapel, Inc., 2010), pp. 99-101.
12. Neale Donald Walsch, The New Revelations: A Conversation With God (New York, NY: Atria Books, 2002), p. 282.
13. Restoring the Shack television series (Trinity Broadcasting Network [TBN], episode 5, March 12, 2017). Beaver Dam discourse starts around the 19-minute mark.
14. For documentation on this, see Warren Smith’s “Holy Laughter or Strong Delusion?” article online at: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=16760 (originally published on SCP’s Newsletter, Volume 19:2, Fall 1994); also see: Barbara Marx Hubbard, Teachings From the Inner Christ: for Founders of a New Order of the Future (A Work in Progress): A Complement to the Book of Co-Creation (Greenbrae, CA: Foundation For Conscious Evolution, 1994), p. 79 and Barbara Marx Hubbard, The Revelation: A Message of Hope for the New Millennium (Novato, CA: Nataraj Publishing, 1995), p. 243.
15. Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality: A Postmodern Apologetic (Dayton, OH: Whaleprints for SpiritVenture Ministries, Inc. 1991, 1994).
16. Marianne Williamson, The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004), p. 279.
17. Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” (New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1996), p. 46.
18. Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), p. 29.
19. Barbara Marx Hubbard, The Revelation: A Message of Hope for the New Millennium (Novato, CA: Nataraj Publishing, 1995), pp. 240, 267.
20. Ibid.