Are you seeking supernatural experiences through Labyrinths and signs and wonders? Learn the dangers of these activities and why you should avoid them. Seeking supernatural experiences is dangerous and provides an opportunity for demon spirits. All supernatural experiences, no matter how real, need to be tested.
Prayer and meditation Labyrinths are all across the country like Grace Cathedral (Episcopal) in San Francisco; Trinity Episcopalian in Santa Barbara, CA; Christ the King Lutheran in Torrance, CA; St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston; the Church of St. Andrew in Marblehead, MA; Resurrection Lutheran in Dublin, CA; Peace Lutheran in Austin, TX; Holy Trinity Lutheran in Hickory, NC; and Peace Lutheran in Danville, CA, among other congregations. They are also being promoted within the Emergent Church and New Age groups.
A Christian does not need a prayer Labyrinth for prayer answers or to find God. Scripture declares, “Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
As already said, there is nothing wrong with walking down the street of your city in prayer. Using a prayer Labyrinth is very different. Hinduism teaches that life is on a path and to some, the Labyrinth is a model of that path. So for New Age practitioners a Labyrinth meditation walk is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with an enlightened awareness of who you are. The Apostle Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Nowhere in Scripture did the apostles teach disciples to find themselves in a prayer Labyrinth. Jesus instructed his disciples to die to self-saying, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).
Religious, even occult rituals, like Labyrinth prayer walking, will not lead you closer to Christ. Nor will they help you receive spiritual enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. These demonic rituals only serve to promote New Age occult mysticism.
Yes, prayer is part of the Christian faith. It is communication with the Father through the Son. Prayer is personal and intimate and part of every Christian’s faith. Scripture says, "Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
SEEKING SIGNS AND WONDERS
This generation seeks after signs and wonders, hidden meanings, mystical experiences, something magical, even spectacular orphic experiences. They are "bored with the old traditional approach of Christian services." They want something more. They want an experience. Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." (Mark 16:17). Signs and wonders follow the believer; the believer does not follow after signs and wonders.
Biblical signs and wonders are confirmations to the resurrection of Christ whom after His ascension now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for the saints. "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33). Seeking supernatural experiences is dangerous and provides an opportunity for demon spirits. All supernatural experiences, no matter how real, need to be tested. Scripture declares, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
I was taught several different ways to teach the Bible including, topical where we discuss certain topics; expository, this is a verse by verse study; and Holy Spirit led where you just flow with the Holy Ghost. Today I see preachers and teachers using experiences with little to no mention of Scripture. This is dangerous. For disciples of Christ to discern supernatural experiences they must know the Word of God. Sais again, experiences, no matter how supernatural, must be judged against the written Word of God. To "try" means to put to the test for Biblical accuracy.
The Bible is your only measure of truth. Without it, you would be easily deceived. Scripture declares, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"(Hebrews 4:12).
Christ' disciples asked him to teach them to pray. Nowhere do we see Jesus draw out a Labyrinth prayer path. Here is what Christ taught. "After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9-13).
OCCULT PAGAN ROOTS
Labyrinths are pagan. They come in various circular geometric designs symbolizing the universe. They are used chiefly in Hinduism and Buddhism as aids to meditation. Some suspect they were brought to the Western world by the grandfather of the New Age movement Dr. Carl Jung. Associated with the Labyrinth is the double-bladed ax known as a labrys. The labry is a goddess emblem. The spiral Labyrinth shape is also a goddess symbol wrote Joseph Campbell in “The Mask of God: Primitive Mythology.”
Episcopal priest Lauren Artress wrote “Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool.” She says, “Walking the Labyrinth has reemerged today as a metaphor for the spiritual journey and a powerful tool for transformation. This walking meditation is an archetype, a mystical ritual found in all religious traditions. It quiets the mind and opens the soul. Walking a Sacred Path explores the historical origins of this divine imprint and shares the discoveries of modern-day seekers. It shows us the potential of the Labyrinth to inspire change and renewal, and serves as a guide to help us develop the higher level of human awareness we need to survive in the twenty-first century.”
The prayer Labyrinth is nothing more than a fancy Ouija Board marketed to gain wisdom and hidden mysteries of life but is nothing more than a portal for demonic influence. To use pagan rituals in a Christian context is wrong. Jehovah says, “These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place" (Deuteronomy 12:1-3).
Again, mediation Labyrinths are spiritual gateways and portals for demonic entry. Familiar spirits are glad to accompany those on the journey. Stay away from the New Age prayer Labyrinth. Remember, the Labyrinth represents the coiled snake goddess (Acts 16:16).
Finally, dear friends of Christ I ask you to stand with me against these New Age spirits entering the Church of God and trying to take our children captive.
Your partner,
(c) Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com