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31st July 2008
The Seduction of Christianity
From The John Ankerberg show,1985.
Dave Hunt and Johanna Michaelsen discuss the occult sources of New Age philosophies documenting how even the elect are being deceived, preaching New Age techniques in the Christian church. Johanna Michaelsen speaks from personal experience as a participant in occult psychic surgical healings. (from the John Ankerberg website) Video in 11 parts. Excerpt of Johanna's testimony below this video.
Johanna's book The Beautiful Side of Evil (Harvest House Publishers,1982) is a real must-read with all that's going on with the Church today; even after 26 years it's still very much "up to date" - if not more necessary to be read. Working as a medium with one of her spirit guides being "Jesus", she truly believed that she was doing the work of God. The psychic operations she participated in with her medium-mentor, Pachita, in Mexico during the 1970's had verified healings (similar to the current work of John of God, who lives in Brazil).
Before this encounter with the medium, she had already given her life to Christ; but fuelled by drugs, the wrong crowd and no real mentoring, she didn't receive much help and her torment by dark spirits since childhood continued. While working with the medium, these attacks were controlled and she thought she was finally now fulfilling her destiny - helping people get miraculously healed of various diseases. She witnessed impossible surgeries performed with a plain knife and bare hands, minimal blood loss, no anesthesia, hardly any antisepsis - yet no infection post-operatively. But then she began to have doubts, as some cures were only temporary in nature.
Her sister (who Johanna described as a "a bible thumping evangelical") asked her serious questions about the surgeries which she couldn't answer. She then began to sincerely ask God to show her the truth. She soon saw things as they really were, and the power behind it all.
The majority of the book goes through her life history. My clarifications in brackets [ ].
"'You are not the Jesus in the Bible, are you,' I challenged the figure of 'Jesus' which stood before me in the shadows. There was no reply. His eyes were closed. Mamachita [another spirit guide] stood close by him. "Then I command you, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, tell me: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God uniquely incarnate in human flesh?" A violent flash - as though from a powerful bomb, brought the walls of my amethyst and gold laboratory [an area in her mind she had developed, through guided visualization, to contact her spirit guides] down all around me. When I looked up, my counsellors had vanished. Again I looked at the words of Deuteronomy [Deu 18:9-14] and Leviticus [Lev 20:6,27]. The question was finally settled. The works of a medium were abominations before God. Neither the psychic perceptions of Mind Control [a group she had been in were she developed her psychic ability] nor Pachita's work had its source in God." [end quote, page 154]
"Eastern gurus have flooded the market place with transcendental euphoria. Their doctrines of karma and reincarnation… radically tailored for Western mass market consumption, of course… have been embraced by millions. Yoga classes abound. Courses in TM [transcendental meditation] and witchcraft and parapsychology are being offered for credit at numerous major institutions, not to mention high schools. "[end quote, page 166]
"We cannot base our authority on our ecstatic feelings, and angelic visions, or point to miracles or aesthetic life-styles as proof of 'good fruit' and power in our lives, as I have heard some do. These mean nothing in and of themselves:
'Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head…' (Colossians 2:18-19a) [NASB]
"… it is not the visions or disciplines or experiences which produce the power of God in our lives. Visions, even of Jesus, are easily counterfeited by Satan, as are tongues and prophecies and healings. There is no one experience, however ecstatic, that results in instant maturity.
"Power in our lives comes by grace, from the Holy Spirit, as we walk with Him in yielded obedience. Power to walk by faith, power to resist temptation, power to minister and witness - this is available to every believer, whether he has ever spoken in tongues or not." [end quote, pp.187-188]