IMAGE OF GOD - NYOBS 71.27

IMAGE OF GOD

Imago Dei – His Spiritual Likeness; GOOD & HOLY – His Natural Image; REASON & WILL

First Word

·         Wikipedia - Philosophers and Theologians for millennia have debated the exact meaning of the phrase Imago Dei, Image of God.  “The Image” or “Likeness” asserts that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God.  

·         Ancient Jewish scholars argued that being made in the Image of God does not mean that God possesses human-like features, but rather the statement is figurative language for God bestowing special honor unto humankind, which He did not confer unto the rest of Creation.  Being in the Image of God is the faculty of reason that enables one to become most God-like when that person develops the capacity to partially grasp the nature of God’s ultimate reality.

·         The Book tells us right away that Adam was made in the LIKENESS and IMAGE of God and then moves on to tell us that Seth was made in the image and likeness of Adam.  I think that is something to ponder, as neither Cain nor Able are mentioned.  As we move through the Book we find that it is the Godly line of Seth that is followed and  will eventually be the line thorough whom our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ will come; so it is Seth’s line that we should study to discern the image and likeness of God, not Cain’s.

·         Was Satan the Father of Cain? - Many believe that he was and there are teachings out there with scripture from The Book that is used to support it.  I will leave that up to you to decide. – NYOBS 71.02 – SATAN FATHER OF CAIN

Genesis 9:6 - Man was made in God’s very own image
⁶ Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

(ESV)

Genesis 1:26-28 – Adam was created in the likeness of God,
²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
²⁷ So God created man (Adam) in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (ESV)

Genesis 5:1-3 – Seth was created in the image of Adam
¹ This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
² Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
³ When ADAM had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own LIKENESS, after his IMAGE, and named him SETH. (ESV)

Apocrypha

·         The Apocrypha contains books that may or may not be written by the author as its title might suggest as many were just outright FAKES, therefore most were left out of our Bible, but I find they shed a lot of light on what the people were thinking during that time.

·         God’s Image or Likeness is His attributes; like that of COMPASSION; with examples of reaching out to others with physical and financial help, having the desire to lift others up. – This is His image of LOVE.

·         Man was made in God’s Image to be able to SEE, HEAR and SPEAK with KNOWLEDGE and with His COUNSEL to have understanding of what is GOOD and what is EVIL. – We were made in His likeness to UNDERSTAND, ADMINISTER, RULE and JUDGE concerning His commandments and “The Law of Life”.

·         Mortal man differs from all other creatures because of his self-reflective, rational nature of thought processes - His capacity for abstract, symbolic as well as concrete deliberation and decision-making, this is truly being made in God’s image, no other creature on earth has been given this likeness.

·          Before we go any further, you must get this; God in His awesome mercy created and surrounded man with everything he could possible need before He created him and then set him smack dab down in the middle of it.  This Image of God is LOVE, MERCY and COMPASSION.

·         Man was created to have “the hope of eternal life”; to be ETERNAL just like God and that attribute comes by the way of “FREE WILL”. -  God did not create Death nor does He take pleasure in it, however man’s Free Will can reject the spiritual and moral likeness of God.

2 Enoch 65:1-2 – God created the physical and the spiritual

1 And Enoch answered all his people saying: Hear, my children, before that all creatures were created, the Lord created the visible (physical) and invisible (spiritual) things.

2 And as much time as there was and went past, understand that after all that he created man in the likeness of his own form, and put into him eyes to SEE, and ears to HEAR, and heart to reflect (THINK), and intellect wherewith to deliberate. (REASON).

2 Enoch 44:1- God created man in His likeness

1 The Lord with his hands having created man, in the LIKENESS of his own face, the Lord made him small and great.

2 Enoch 44:3 - Compassion to lift up, help and give to the needy

3 Blessed is the man who does not direct his heart with malice against any man, and HELPS the injured and condemned, and RAISES the broken down, and shall do CHARITY to the needy, because on the day of the great judgment every weight, every measure and every makeweight (will be) as in the market, … and according to his measure shall take his reward.

Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-14 – Created all things, but not death

13 For God made NOT DEATH: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.  - For he created all things,

14 that they might HAVE THEIR BEING: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:

Acts 17:28 – In God we live, move and have our being
²⁸ for “In Him” we live and move and HAVE OUR BEING’; “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ (ESV) 

Wisdom of Solomon 2:23 – Created with the hope of eternal life

23 For God created man TO BE IMMORTAL, (full hope of eternal life) and made him to be an image of his own eternity.

Sirach 17:4 – God made man ACCORDING to His Image

1 The Lord created man of the earth, and turned him into it again.

2 He gave them few days, and a short time, and power also over the things therein.

3 He endued them with strength by themselves, and made them ACCORDING to his image,

4 And put the fear of man upon all flesh, and gave him dominion over beasts and fowls.

Sirach 17:5 – Gave man Understanding and Speech

5 They received the use of the five operations of the Lord, and in the sixth place he imparted them UNDERSTANDING, and in the seventh SPEECH, an interpreter of the cogitations thereof.

Sirach 17:6 – Gave Counsel to speak, see, hear and understand

6 COUNSEL, and a tongue, and eyes, ears, and a heart, gave he them to understand.

Sirach 17:7-10 – Filled man with knowledge of Good and Evil

7 Withal he filled them with the KNOWLEDGE of understanding, and shewed them GOOD and EVIL.

8 He set his eye upon their hearts, that he might shew them the greatness of his works.

9 He gave them to glory in his marvelous acts forever, that they might declare his works with understanding.

10 And the elect shall praise his holy name.

Sirach 17:11 - Gave them the law of life

11 Beside this he gave them knowledge, and THE LAW OF LIFE for a heritage.

Sirach 17:12 – Gave them His judgments and commandments

12 He made an everlasting covenant with them, and shewed them his JUDGMENTS.

13 Their eyes saw the majesty of his glory, and their ears heard his glorious voice.

14 And he said unto them, Beware of all unrighteousness; and he gave every man COMMANDMENT concerning his neighbor.

2 Esdras 8:44 – Gods’ mercy surrounded man - all his needs met

44 Even so perishes MAN also, which is formed with thy hands, and is called thine own image, because thou art like unto him, FOR WHOSE SAKE YOU HAVE MADE ALL THINGS, and likened him unto the husbandman's seed

Satan

·         Is Satan made in the Image of God? – Well if the definition is that the Image is wisdom, knowledge, reasoning, speaking and ruling, then the answer would be YES. – But if you look at the CROWN CREATION of God which is man created out of DIRT, then the answer is NO.  

·         The Book tells us that there is something intrinsically different about mortal man as he has promises that “angelic beings” do not have and man alone is touted as being created in the Image of God, however I must still leave that door open recognizing God’s Sovereignty.  

Image - Likeness

·         Moses is the writer of Genesis, if you didn’t already know that, and it is he that tells us that God created man in His own image after His likeness.

·         Some theologians make a distinction between Image of God and Likeness of God. The image of God and the likeness are similar, but at the same time they are different.

·         The Image refers to the human's natural resemblance to God, it involves the “natural attributes” of God; the power of REASON and WILL.

·         The Likeness referred to a natural, innate resemblance to God and consists of the “spiritual attribute” of the MORAL QUALITIES of God. 

·         When Adam fell, he lost the likeness, but the image remained fully. - Humanity as humanity is still complete, but the good and holy was spoiled and lost in the fall. – HOLD THAT THOUGHT

·         I have another thought; the New Testament seems to consider the “Image” and the “Likeness” as the same and focuses on putting off the “OLD NATURE” and putting on the “NEW NATURE”.  It’s not the Old Nature that is being renewed, it’s the New Nature that is being brought one degree to another into the glory of the image of God. – SELAH –

·         Jesus is the fullness of the Image of God and we share in that when we strive to be like Him and in our efforts try to reflect His knowledge, righteousness and Holiness. 

·         The Book says WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM.

Genesis 1:26 – Man made in the Image and Likeness of God
²⁶ God said, “Let us make man in our IMAGE, after our LIKENESS.

Colossians 3:9-10 – The new nature is after the image of God
⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge AFTER THE IMAGE OF ITS CREATOR. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:22-24 – Then new nature is the likeness of God
²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after THE LIKENESS OF GOD in true righteousness and holiness. (ESV)

Colossians 1:9 –Wisdom and Understanding of His will
⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the KNOWLEDGE of His will in all spiritual WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING, (ESV)

Colossians 2:2-3 – Wisdom & Knowledge of God’s Mystery Jesus
² to reach all the riches of full assurance of UNDERSTANDING and the knowledge of GOD’S MYSTERY, which is Christ,
³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 3:18 – We are being transformed into His Image
¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the SAME IMAGE from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (ESV)

1 John 3:2 – We shall be like Him
² Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, because we shall see him as he is. (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         Even after the fall of man, mankind still reflects the Imago Dei, the Image of God.

·         The Hebrew word for Image is “selem” which translates shadow, resemblance or reflection.

·          Imago Dei, the image of God is not a quality that we possess as mankind, but rather a condition in which man lives. – Man reflects God, he is not a little god as taught by the Word of Faith Movement.-  NYOBS 70.12 – FAKE FALSE TEACHERS

·         If we want to know what the image of God looks like, we need to look no further than God’s only begotten Son; Jesus the Christ who is the exact imprint of the Image of the invisible God. - “The Believer” is predestined and is NOW being transformed one degree at a time into that very same image. -  It’s in the Book - NYOBS 29.28 – PREDESTINATION REVISITED

2 Corinthians 4:4-7 – Jesus Christ is the Image of God
⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of CHRIST, who is THE IMAGE OF GOD.
⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

(ESV)

Hebrews 1:3 – Jesus is the exact image of God’s person.
³ He (Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and THE EXACT IMPRINT OF HIS NATURE, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (ESV)

Colossians 1:13-15 – Jesus is the image of the Invisible God
¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
¹⁵ HE IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, the firstborn of all creation. (ESV)

Romans 8:29 – The believer predestined to the Image of the Son
²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also PREDESTINED to be conformed to the IMAGE OF HIS SON, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 11:7 – MAN is the Image of the glory of God
⁷ For a MAN ought not to cover his head, since he IS THE IMAGE and GLORY OF GOD, but woman is the glory of man. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 3:18 – We are transformed into the same image
¹⁸ And WE all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME IMAGE from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

All the Women of the Bible – Edith Deen

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Image of God; The – John Piper

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The - World

Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

YAHWEH YOGA - NYOBS 71.21

Yahweh Yoga

Holy Yoga – Trinity Yoga – Yoga for Yahweh – Christian Yoga – Body Prayer Yoga –

Son Light Yoga - Yoga Devotion – Be Still Yoga – Grounded in Yoga – New Day Yoga

First Word

·         Yogaphobia is the fear, that certain postures or sequences in Yoga could present prayers to Hindu gods making it incompatible with Christian doctrines and moral codes.

·         The Elephant in the room is the question; SHOULD A CHRISTIAN PRACTICE YOGA?

·         Christian Colleges such as Gordon College and Wheaton College offer Yoga classes.

·         Nothing is inherently wrong in its own light with a highly developed, low impact, physical activity; that of stretching, bending, twisting and breathing to relieve pain and get your body in shape. – Christian have co-opted Christmas and the Easter days for celebration, so why not Yoga. -  What’s the big deal? – NYOBS 66.02 - CHRISTMAS -- NYOBS  68.07 – EASTER

·         Yoga is a spiritual discipline that uses the body as a vehicle for achieving consciousness of the divine; Christianity is just spiritual kindergarten and Yoga allows you to move on to the next level; on to higher things. – Yoga serves as the gateway for New Age thinking, it is a mixing of worldviews without paying attention to what is being homogenized in the mix. – This is an attempt to combine two contradictory beliefs into a New Age religious system.

·         The Christianization of Yoga has been repackaged and is now called “Wholy Fit” or “Praise Moves” or “Body Prayer” or “Stretching the Truth”; all accompanied with Biblical Scripture mantra techniques and meditation.

·         Well, I must say that Yoga is far more complex than the common understandings imply. – Most are unaware that Yoga cannot be neatly “separated” into spiritual and physical dimensions. – The Book questions us with; WHY do you put up with a different teaching?

1 Timothy 4:8 - Bodily training is some value; godliness is best
⁸ for while BODILY TRAINING is of SOME VALUE, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (ESV)

1 Peter 5:8 – Warning - Be sober-minded and watchful
⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (ESV)

1 Timothy 4:1 – Depart the faith by following deceitful spirits
¹  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times SOME will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (ESV)

Matthew 7:16 – We will know them by what they do
¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? (ESV)

2 Corinthians 11:4 – Why do you put up with a different Gospel
⁴ For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if YOU ACCEPT a different gospel from the one you accepted, YOU PUT UP WITH IT readily enough. (ESV)

Yoga background

·         Pantheistic View is that the universe is an emanation of God and He vales himself within physical matter, so REALITY consists only of the Universe and Nature.  God is in everything, therefore there is a “divine spark” in nature and within everything and everyone. – So man and God are one, with Yoga being “self-worship” disguised as high level spirituality. – It teaches to focus on one-self instead of the ONE true God.

·         Yoga unites opposites; the sun and moon, masculine and feminine, mind and body, stillness and movement; it is based on the philosophy of REINCARNATION.

·         Sunyata is a Buddhist term that means emptiness or void; the idea of “dying” reaching its finality. -  Another word is “Moksha” being a state which is “beyond being”; it is the destruction of self. – Originally Yoga was more openly understood to be “a way of dying”; it was a way to escape the constant and never-ending deaths and rebirths of reincarnation. – You are given countless chances to reach heaven where your personality will ultimately then be destroyed.  – The Book says it is appointed for man to die ONCE, and after that comes the judgment. -  NYOBS 34.02 - REINCARNATION

·         Webster’s Dictionary definition of Yoga – A Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of BODY, MIND and SOUL in order that “the self” may realize it’s distinction from them and attain liberation.

·         A man who practices Yoga is called a “Yogi” and a woman is called a “Yogini”.

·         Yoga simply means discipline, but in the Sanskrit language the word “yuj” literally means to yoke, join merge, or unite. The question would be; to what are we yoking, joining or uniting? – Yoga teaches that there are two eternal beings; 1) God, the infinite being and 2) the individual spirit of a finite being. - It is the union of the ”Parramatta”, the universal supreme soul with “atma” the individual soul; it is the merging of the two into the Cosmic Will. - Originally all spirits dwelt in the consciousness of that Oneness.

·         The Goal of Yoga is to reach “Kaivalya”; freedom from the chains of “Karma” which is what we would call “Cause and Effect” which binds us into continual REINCARNATION. – It is self-exaltation, realizing one’s own divinity and yoking one’s self with the universal consciousness. – The exercises are meant to open up your Chakras.

·         Chakras is your spiritual energy center and there are SEVEN of them that exist in the body.  The first five are located along your spine, the sixth is the THIRD EYE on your forehead and the seventh is located on the top of your head called the CROWN CHAKRA.

·         Kundalini is the awakening of the latent power of the SERPENT that is coiled at the base of your spine.  It RISES UP during deep meditation bringing a person to a “god consciousness”, allowing the practitioner to exit the body and experience higher spiritual realms.  No other method of physical activity offers this opportunity of “transcendence”. -  (SERPENT POWER)

·         NOTE: From what I read; when the coiled serpent reaches the top of the head it will explode into the so called “Thousand-Petalled Lotus” and from that point it is almost impossible for the practitioner to return to any semblance of normality, but will remain in an induced psychotic state. – (I do not understand any of this as TRUTH and am only reporting what I have read.)

·         Sheva the destroyer is the “Lord of Yoga” to whom you ultimately yoke, and is the Supreme Being who creates, protects and transforms the universe. – Don’t believe me; then look it up -

Hebrews 9:27 - It is appointed for man to die once
²⁷ And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (ESV)

2 Corinthians 4:16 – Outer-self wastes away Inner-self renewed
¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (ESV)

Yoga Limbs

·         There are Eight limbs of Yoga

1.   Yamas is restraints – Universal Ethics; non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing.

2.   Niyamas is observances – Principals of self-conduct, study of self, purity, contentment and surrender.

3.   Asanas is worshipful Hindu Yoga poses; “stretching out in worship” – The practice of the Postures are offerings to the gods.

4.   Pranayama is breath control techniques. – Prana is the Hindu word for “Life Force”. - The Science of Breath attempts to manipulate that Life Force Energy – Deep breathing controls the body and increases mental capacity and develops the spiritual side of man’s nature. – Breathing and meditation is essential so that you will be accepted by one of the little gods. – Be advised that Satan is the Prince of the “power” of this AIR and this spirit is NOW at work in the world. – It’s in the Book -

5.   Pratyahara is the withdrawal and control of the senses. – It is the discipline of the mind, senses and the physical body in order to obtain spiritual calmness. - This concept of emptying the mind is opposite of the Biblical concept of transforming & renewing the mind.

6.   Dharana is to obtain perfect concentration.

7.   Dhyani is meditation to obtain moral excellence – The Book says to meditate on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, to meditate on these things.

8.   Samadhi is the absorption of ethical perfection to a higher consciousness.

Ephesians 2:2 – Satan – Prince of the power of the air
² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the AIR, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience —

(ESV)

More Definitions

·         S?rya namask?ra is a salute to the sun – Bowing down to the sun in the east in submission and worship. – Best performed at sunrise; the most favorable spiritual time of the day. – Have you ever attended an Easter sunrise worship service? – Have you ever wondered where the tradition came from?  - Don’t get upset until you read about it. - NYOBS 68.07 – EASTER

·         Bowing – There are over 330,000,000 Hindu gods and when you bow, “Namaste”, you are saying; “THE GOD IN ME, HONORS THE GOD IN YOU”. – Did you notice that when President Trump went to China, HE DID NOT BOW? – The Book says “you shall have no other gods before me”.

·         Mantras awaken the Self and deepen the meditative aspects of a physical Yoga practice. Mantra yoga is an exact science that is meant to engage the mind through focusing on sound, duration a number of repetitions. They are Hindu words that you repeat over and over that sound like gibberish to you, but are actually prayers to a Hindu deity. – Chanting or “Om-ing” usually with fingers made to resemble a circle, is common with the sounds “vibrating your body”, and with many in the class, it causes the whole room to vibrate.

·         Astral Travel is when people have willful OBE “Out of Body Experiences” and actually leave their bodies.  That happened to me twice by accident, I don’t even know how. - I could look down and see myself in the room and could even move about outside.  The first time, I struggled quickly to get back into my body, the second time I stayed out a little longer.  I told a co-worker what I had experienced and she became alarmed and said in no uncertain terms “NEVER DO THAT AGAIN”, that I was leaving my body open to demonic possession. – I made sure that I NEVER DID THAT AGAIN. -

Acts 15:29 - Abstain from POSTURES that are offered to gods
²⁹ that you abstain from THINGS OFFERED to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. (NKJV)

Deuteronomy 4:19 – Beware; don’t posture to the sun and moon
¹⁹ And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. (ESV)

Philippians 4:8 – Meditate on these things – pure - just
⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)

Drinking in philosophy

·         The Yoga World View imparts the viewing of all life as “energy”, it is the viewing of your role as participation in that “energy”; self-mastery, self-discipline,  self-control,  emotion control,  body control &  mind control to detach yourself from the sufferings of the world.

·         This is drinking in the New Age philosophy with a New World view of meditative techniques of reflexology and philosophical assumptions that are coming through THE DOOR of physical activity such as Acupuncture, Reflexology, Karate, Jujitsu and of course Yoga.

·         The Goal of Yoga is the corruption of the Christian Faith and the conversion of the mind to the occult Pantheistic World View. - Christian Yoga is an Oxymoron – THEY ARE OPPOSITE -

2 Corinthians 4:4 - The god of this world has blinded the minds
⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (ESV)

Exodus 20:2-3 - You shall have no other gods before me
² I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
³ You shall have no other gods before me. (ESV)

Ezekiel 8:15-16 – Facing the east worshiping the sun
¹⁵ Then he said to me, “HAVE YOU SEEN THIS, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these.”
¹⁶ And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their FACES TOWARD THE EAST, worshiping the sun toward the east.

(ESV)

Ezekiel 8:17-18 – They mock God with their thumb on their nose
¹⁷ Then he said to me, “HAVE YOU SEEN THIS, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their nose. 

(Like the thumb on the nose meaning; God can kiss my ass.)
¹⁸ Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” (ESV)

Isaiah 2:6 – God will reject people – full of things of the East
⁶ For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         Although Yoga has been around and practiced for about 3,000 years, it did not become popular in the West until the early 60’s with the Hippies and drug culture and the spread of psychedelic drugs that offered an expansion of the mind. -  Drugs offered altered states of conscience, mind expansion and a search for “spirituality” without religious constraints.  - It was then that the West was introduced to Yoga where you could CHANGE PERCEIVED REALITY.

·         New Age is Buddhism and Hinduism which brought Acupuncture, Homeopathic Medicine, Reflexology and Theories of Energy Flow. -  (Star Wars; may the force be with you.)

·         Posturing became offerings to some of the 330 millions of Hindu Gods.  You were taught to fill your mind with nothing and just focus on yourself and find the god that is within you.  The poses of “the cobra”, “the mountain” and “the greeting of the sun”, are all designed to welcome Hindu gods. - I would call this a false religion, wouldn’t you?

·         Why would Christians want to borrow an expression; the term Yoga from a false religion?  - Pantheism believes everything is God, Christians believe there is only ONE true God.

·         The Book says to do everything to the glory of God; to abstain from postures that are offering to the gods. -  THIS IS OUR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP; to present our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable. – We are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. – It is NOT possible for a Christian to practice the Eastern philosophies of Yoga to the glory of God.

·         The Coiled Serpent rising up represents a counterfeit spiritual power trying to find a way to god; for the Christian the spiritual way to God is the DOVE coming down from heaven.

·         If you are a strong Christian, you may feel like you will not fall prey to the spiritual deception of Yoga, but what about your example to a weaker Christian who is watching your lifestyle.

·         Yoga and Hinduism and inseparable. -  Feeling a sense of calmness or feeling less stressed is a wonderful thing, and that’s the HOOK of Yoga.  Any part of our life that is not submitted to Jesus Christ is an OPEN DOOR for the enemy. – When you began to meditate, you are no longer merely just a physical “posture”; you are an offering.

·         Questions; Will Yoga make me more Christ like or devoted to Jesus?  Will I be more filled with the Holy Spirit in prayer and actions?  Will my witness be bolder and stronger?  Will Yoga help me to better discern the snares and traps of Satan?

·         The Book says God will reject the people who are full of the things of the East;  we are to do everything to the glory of God.

·         Pat Robertson of the 700 Club Says “When Christians practice Yoga they must either deny the reality of what Yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of Yoga; The contradictions are not few, nor are they peripheral”. – Christian Yoga is an Oxymoron –

Genesis 3:4-5 – SELF-REALIZATION - You will not surely die
⁴ But the SERPENT SAID to the woman, “You will not surely die.
⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

(ESV)

2 Thessalonians 2:3 - Let no one deceive you in any way
³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:31 – Do everything to the Glory of God
³¹ Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or WHATSOEVER YE DO, do all to the glory of God.

(ASV)

Romans 12:1 - Present your bodies as a living sacrifice - Holy
¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

(ESV)

Romans 12:2– Don’t conform to this world – Be transformed
² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(ESV)

Matthew 6:7-9 – Do not utter empty mantras – Pray to God
⁷ And when you pray, do not heap up EMPTY PHRASES as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
⁹ Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 18:9 - Do not learn nations Abominable Practices
⁹ When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations.

(ESV)

Jeremiah 10:1-2 - Learn not the ways of the nation’s
² Thus says the LORD: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,

(ESV)

Genesis 3:4-5 – Self-realization - You will not surely die
⁴ But the SERPENT SAID to the woman, “You will not surely die.
⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

(ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

All the Women of the Bible – Edith Deen

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The - World

Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney