Same Old Deceptions, Just New Twists

By Lynn Lusby Pratt

“Yes, that book came through a spirit guide. Is that wrong?”

“I’m a Christian Buddhist.”

“This isn’t a Ouija board—it’s an angel board.”

“Get in the lotus position. Then meditate on the om, the original vibration of the universe.”

“Hold a pen and paper and ask God a question. He’ll write you a message.”

“Let’s take a prayer team to that house and do a sage-stick ceremony to cleanse out the evil.”

“I can’t get over my friend’s death! Maybe that famous medium can contact him for me.”

For several years, such statements have been heard in the hallways of conservative churches. The gut reaction to that charge is, “Well, not at my church.” Strong leaders assume that their members would never drift from sound Bible truth, but one young minister was “Humble Enough to Check.”

So please consider how false teaching is mingling with Christianity.

For one thing, we’re studying material instead of—not alongside—the Bible. Add some doubts about the Bible, even among longtime believers: Are there “lost gospels”? Are there spiritual secrets to “access/activate the divine”? … When I name specific TV series about ghost hunters or UFOs, heads nod in recognition. But those same heads shake at the mention of experts on Christian evidence. (My “recommended” page steers to some.).

It’s significant that a Christian from a Buddhist culture, a missionary to Hindus, and a former occultist quickly spots false teaching. But the average Christian may not have that background (what I call an ATB degree: All Things Bizarre). So red flags don’t go up—especially when trusted Christian leaders or friends are already fans of a certain book/writer/podcaster. We’ve forgotten that the apostle Paul warned (“with tears”) of false teaching coming from within the church (Acts 20:28-31).

As a young teen, I had an alarming Ouija board experience. The Lord interrupted, helped my heart discern that Satan hates us and wants to trick us. After Bible college, I did mission work in Japan for 10 years, researched cults/the occult, and—you want really spooky?—taught teen Sunday school! My mission is to help crank up our red-flag systems to spot trouble, comparing trends with Bible truth.

Hints: Check a writer’s spiritual family tree. Does he/she heavily quote promoters of Eastern/occult/New Age teaching? Red flag. That trajectory heads away from, not toward, the Lord. Teachings labeled “ancient Christian practice” tend to be ancient pagan practices that medieval believers adopted. Some Christian terms are given new definitions. For example, does the writer’s “christ” mean Jesus Christ, or another Jesus (per 2 Corinthians 11:4)? When terms aren’t clarified, we tend to assume they carry our meaning.

The quotes opening this article illustrate interspirituality, a mixing of world religions. But the Lord describes any way other than his as “detestable” (see Deuteronomy 12:31; 18:9-14). An honest evaluation of other religions reveals contradictory key teachings. For instance, Christianity begins with a creator; Buddhism has no creator. “Christian Buddhist”? Uh-uh. As Stephen Mansfield said, “It is only possible to blend competing religions when they aren’t taken seriously” (Where Has Oprah Taken Us?). And in the end, a watered-down Christianity won’t satisfy. Russell Moore cut to the chase: “People who don’t want Christianity, don’t want almost-Christianity” (“Is Christianity Dying?”).

A related issue is our culture’s marketing of selfism: self-love, deserving self, divine self …. My “self” wants to “feel spiritual … feel my faith … feel God’s presence. Guess what? If you live like the Bible heroes, you’ll FEEL something! One pastor, having counseled believers who were “not feeling” their faith, observed, “I believe that to some extent we have lost our ability to feel God’s presence because we have lost our willingness to obey him” (Jeff Vines, Unbroken). Second Timothy 3:1-17 calls out selfism (“lovers of themselves”) in a denouncement of spirituality not based on truth. Off-track thinking leads to off-track practice. But Christian defenders of even outright sorcery say, “Well, I tried it and it worked!”—naively believing that “it worked” equals “God must’ve done it.”

Some deception will slip past all of us. Me too! But let’s give our red-flag systems a boost. That’s the purpose of www.lynnlusbypratt.com. Start with these sample posts to connect a few dots:

• “Recognizing Sorcery” — A fictional character nails it!
• “Out of My Mindfulness” (3 parts) — Paganism gets secularized, then adopted in schools and workplaces; then the church just attaches “Christian” to it.
• “Three Points About the Dark Side” — Our view, thanks to cartoons and movies, might be backwards from reality. This post provides a ready-made lesson outline.
• “The Key to Discernment” — Avoid apples-to-oranges confusion.
• “Strengthen the Seekers” — Are your church members equipped to help seekers? Are you sure?
• “That Gritty Feeling” — A peek at some red-flag systems in action.
• “When the Game Gets Bigger” — With victory in mind, believers can step up with confidence.

The site is decades of research boiled down into digestible information. It includes site-search key words and for group study, print free handouts from the “more from Lynn” page .

What an honor it is for us, the church, to have the Lord’s Word, his truth! Let’s stay determined to lead others toward it.

Lynn Lusby Pratt is a former missionary to Japan who continues to advocate for Japan missions through Say Yes To Japan from her home in Cincinnati, where she posts information about the occult on Lynn Lusby Pratt: Deep, Dark, and Funny.