by Berit Kjos
Kjos Ministries
“Pastor Rick Warren [is hosting] three health experts – including the star of the ‘Dr. Oz Show’ – at Saddleback Church… ‘The Bible says that God wants us to be as healthy physically as you are spiritually,’ Warren said… ‘This is God’s prescription for your health.”[1] Rick Warren, Dr. Oz to partner on health plan
“Reiki has become a sought-after healing art…. Pamela Miles has been instrumental in the integration of Reiki into conventional medicine and has written an intelligent, sensitive guidebook to this remarkable healing practice.”[2] –Mehmet Oz, M.D.
“As the Reiki Practitioner places her hands lightly on your head, you feel yourself drawn into a sweet state of relaxation….You notice that sometimes her hands feel warm, even hot, and deeply soothing. Each hand placement brings a sense of ease….”[3] Pamela Miles, REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide
Is Rick Warren telling the truth? Does the Bible really say that “God wants us to be as healthy physically as you are spiritually”?
No, it does not! Though Jesus often healed the sick and continues to do so today, our spiritual and eternal life with Him is far more important than our physical and temporary life on earth. Countless faithful martyrs have faced torture and death because they refused to compromise their faith! Of course, we should take care of our bodies and help each other, but our highest priority is to trust God and follow His narrow way no matter what the cost. And that’s not bad news:
“Even though our outward man [the body] is perishing, yet the inward man [our soul/spirit] is being renewed day by day….For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Holistic practices such as Reiki clash with God’s guidelines. But they sound good to those who don’t know Him. After all, “empowered” Reiki masters offer what people have always wanted: relief from stress, pain, and disease. Praised by Dr. Oz and Oprah Winfrey, Reiki’s popularity has soared.
This belief system may work wonders for some. But what is the true source behind its unseen force? Is it similar to the “intelligent” power behind Ouija Boards, Tarot Cards, shamanism, and Theosophy?[4]
The Mystery behind Reiki, Polarity and other “Holistic” Practices
To maintain my RN license back in the seventies, I attended a Holistic Health Conference. The list of optional classes included a workshop on Polarity, which is similar to Reiki. It seemed to be an interesting way to earn my “continuing education” credits, so I signed up. As a new Christian, I knew little about spiritual dangers and nothing about New Age healing.
At the start of the class, the therapist promised that her massage would “balance the energies” in the (volunteer) patient’s body. That should have alerted me to the spiritual danger ahead, but it didn’t! Before we left, she assured us that she could fix any kind of back problem, including mine, which stemmed from childhood polio. Impressed, I signed up for a future private therapy session.
