In my 30s I was consulting psychics, astrologers, reiki, tarot readers, etc. I had adrenal fatigue the entire time. When I repented and decided to follow Jesus Christ, that fatigue (spiritual oppression IMO) lifted. I’m 50 now and my energy is fine and normal. I’m healthy.
I was against Christianity too. I read tarot cards, and I was involved in many new age practices. Little by little I became disinterested in them until the one day Christ revealed himself to me. I was aware in that instance of all the sin I had done throughout my life, and it made me feel deeply sorrowful that I had hurt God that much. Several days after grieving over my sin, God lifted my spirit, and I had a similar experience of being a child again. I too remember looking at all the trees and seeing them so bright and vivid. Creation looked completely different, and I marveled how I never saw it in such a way before that moment. I have been a Christian for fourteen years now. It has been a difficult road, and I have lost many friends and family for becoming Christian. I even lost my beautiful husband of twenty years. I pray God heals him too. I have lost many things, but I love God so much that I am happy to have been given this gift from Him. I pray God blesses you in all good things. Thank you for sharing.
I too new age to Jesus!! There are a lot of us!! Happy I am not alone.. I got a lot of crap when I told my new age friends that I was leaving it. I think it is easier for us to believe because we have encountered the spiritual experiences.
I really was touched by your testimony, especially when you spoke of your dreams. I had set myself on a quest for spiritual truth after a car accident and it led me down a new age/reiki path. Because of the progressive Christianity movement, I was practicing reiki(essentially witchcraft) while still saying I believed in Jesus. Didn’t know the word and held all new age beliefs. I was only involved in reiki for about 2 years but during that time I was in a full blown existential crisis. I had PTSD(catastrophic thinking) which I now know was just extreme demonic oppression. I would have dreams at night where I was going into different realms of consciousness, nights where I could feel my soul being sucked out of my body, and just a preoccupation with death/dying. Just empty. My spirit was shattered. Funny thing is I had a physical aversion to reiki, sage, binaural beats etc right from the get go, but I blamed it on my anxiety. About four months ago I was sitting in my room just broken and all of a sudden I was in the presence of Christ and was baptized in the Holy Spirit(didn’t know that at the time.) I kept hearing the name Jesus in my mind’s eye and felt an overwhelming sense of peace, of love I didn’t know possibly to feel and of being forgiven all at once. As well as deep remorse. I woke up the next day and I knew I was different, the world wasn’t what I thought, and I actually thought that my third eye had opened lol. I now know it was the Holy Spirit. I knew that Jesus was the truth and had an insatiable desire to read the Bible and to know the story of Christ. Since then I read the Bible, pray a lot, speak to God honestly all day everyday sometimes I wonder if He gets sick of hearing from me lol. It’s been a huge change. I’ve lost some friends, my family doesn’t understand but I’m okay because God is with me. That part has been a little rough lately. I pray for God to put Christian friends in my life. I tell my story all over the place on forums, new age sights, and just everywhere I can but I want to do more. I know God will let me know in His timing what that will look like and until then I will be patient. Thanks again for sharing this beautiful testimony. Crazy how many of us go searching for truth when the truth was right in front of us all along! God bless 🙏
Thanks for your testimony! I love hearing how our God saves people. Reiki is demonic alright. My wife was initiated and had visions of symbols and stuff. I live in North Scotland, very out of the way and traditional, yet reiki, mantra meditation and false doctrine is going on in the churches in my small town. Incredible how new age is trying to take over.
@@jonathanlr4167 oh yes. New age and witchcraft have really infiltrated the churches. But God is pouring out His Holy Spirit on His children now. I believe we are in end times. End time Bible prophesy happening before our eyes. What a time to be alive! Glory and praise to God!
@@jonathanlr4167 No, she's a fraud. She's still selling all her New Age divinations cards and books everywhere and also writes at an "astrology section" for a weekly maganize. She gives conferences in Europe presenting herself like a New Age guru, never mention she has becomed a christian. She sells herself to americans as a christian and for the rest of the world a N.A teacher. Your testimoy looks very sincere and beautiful, dont' let yourself contaminate with wolfs pretending be sheeps. I'm so happy you had find Lord Jesus Christ, he is indeed the only way! God bless you! You have a new suscriptor here! I'm also a New Age survivor, now I only follow King of Kings Jesus Christ.
@@laly5288 thanks, I'll check that out. She said she can't stop publishers selling her old work. Once you sell your book to a publisher you no longer have any rights.
@@jonathanlr4167 Thanks for answer me. Yes, please check that out. She also "delete" the 2 first testimonies of her "convertion" to Christ and she always change what she says. Thank God some people saved the first one to compare with the others and she always says something different. I used to follow her and watch her videos, she almost got me. In her official website you can buy her "version" of the Holy Bible! So heretic! There's many people who exposed this false teachers and "gurus", but most of what I 've found is in spanish ( I'm from Argentina, that explains my bad english, 😅😅😅 ). Blessings
This was the most powerful testimony I have watched to date. From someone who is just coming out of the New Age and still struggling with being pulled backwards, I just want to thank you for allowing me to hear your story. All I could think when you spoke of what happened once you crossed that threshold into what most people would probably consider “Christ consciousness” was “yeah, that’s what people are seeking- nothingness.” Glory to Jesus, He loves us so much!!!
Thanks for your encouragement. I have to acknowledge that mystical "Christ consciousness" type experiences happen and are very persuasive on a deep emotional level. It's only after being born again that you can know it for what it is - a glittering prize that turns out to be empty. A psychological experience that though powerful, has nothing to do with our God -who is the only true God. The truth is awesome!! WHat used to appear to me like the height of wisdom - that you need to deconstruct your thinking mind in order to know God - now seems just foolish. " there is a path that seems right to a man but it's end is death" Proverbs 16:25
What a beautiful powerful testimony! Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ, He is so merciful. Thank you so much for sharing, Jonathan. I have traveled through selflove, selfhealing, selfmastery, Twinflame experience, Buddism, Hinduism, New Age. All of it ended up a total deception and I was saved just like you by our Lord Jesus Christ by his pure Grace. I am so so happy for you. God bless you and your family.
Powerful testimony dear brother. I share something a bit similar. I'm a ex psychonaut that went from new age to Yeshua. Prais God! =) So happy to have come across your video. God Bless you!
Thank you for your testimony Jonathan. You are extremely well spoken and I hope this reaches far and wide to help people see the deception of these New Age/ Ancient Practices and come to the realisation that Jesus is the truth, the way and the life.
It's quite humbling to realize that Jesus was seeking us out. Nothing that we have done has earned this (or disqualified us). The God of the Universe knows who I am? And He wants a relationship with me? That's so mind blowing. So many people have the totally wrong impression of the Lord. He is not mean or cruel or angry or vindictive. Quite the contrary, He is the kindest, most beautiful, sweetest, and most generous Person ever. His smile lights up the universe. I'm forever grateful that Jesus gave me a new heart and a new spirit...He turned me into a totally new creation. Being born again is the most important event in my life. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was huge too. All I know is Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Thank you for this beautiful Teatimony ! It was powerful. The Lord is telling me now to share mine. I've been putting it off for awhile. I came from Shamanism and New Age and Christ pulled me out of it just like you. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior
Thanks, great! I'd love to see your testimony. Our testimonies of Jesus are so valuable to those lost but seeking. I talk with spiritual seekers and they have many barriers against the Bible , the Gospel , the "church" etc. but the amazing testimonies of so many people like us who were pulled out of false spirituality really can reach people at the heart level. Go for it...
I'm going to have a go too! I wrote it down and put it in a blog tarabell55.wordpress.com and now I'm gaining confidence to share it in a video! I realize that it doesn't have to be polished, just sincere! We work for Jesus now! Hallelujah x may the Lord bless your testimony, that it blesses others and leads them to Christ, our Lord.
He saved me from a twinflame demon. I really want to tell my story along with the knowledge he gave me. I struggle im a mom and technology ignorant. He deserves sooo much from us
Thank you Jonathan! I was on a very similar path as you, I dabbled in every religion and spiritual tradition you could think of, except Christianity of course! Their beliefs seemed childish. They're brainwashed, they couldn't think for themselves, I could. I tried everything, Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, Wicca, Hermeticism, Sacred Geometry, Quantum Physics, everything. I eventually came to believe the ultimate truth was emptiness and I was 'better' and 'special' cause I knew this, I thought I was some kind of superhuman cause I spent every minute in meditation. It is all the devil, taking me anywhere but to the name of Jesus Christ, the name above all other names. The devil took me everywhere and to everything but to the one thing I need, which is Jesus Christ, the Truth, the Way and the Life. God is real, Jesus is real. Jesus is the Truth. The Bible is Truth. Jesus thank You for allowing me to see, Jesus thank You.
Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life. Happy you found the only truth before he returns. I don't see this wicked world lasting much longer.. Prophecies after prophecies are being fulfilled.
Beautiful testimony. When you meditate, and empty the mind, you also leave it unguarded, and anything can come into it. It is like leaving your door open to your house when you are away. Many have been fooled by these other religions but if you really read the bible you will find out about where God takes a stand in the divine council, gives judgement in the midst of the gods, (Psalms 82). Also read chapter 6 in Genesis and keep searching until you see the truth. You may want to start with the new testament but the old testament is very important in understanding what truly has happened and how it leads to the new testament. Do your studies, even listen to the bible scholars such as Michael Heiser or Chuck Missler . Jesus is real, for I too have had an experience from the Holy Spirit that showed me so. Godspeed
You are on the right path and I love to hear stories like this!!! Just don’t judge other people for their practices because everyone doesn’t travel the same path!!! Play the seed that Christ is the truth light and the way and let people make their choices!!! The Blood of Christ pretexts you and leads you
I love your story. Like you I tried studying ACIM and did a 10 day Vipassana Meditation retreat along with so many things for over a decade and this year I found my way back to JESUS this time truly. 🙏 💙👣 I look forward to sharing my story when the Lord tells me it's time. Bless you
ALL Glory and Thanks be to the Living God for your deliverance and obedience for your testimony. Hallelujah... Praise God .... isn't it WONDERFUL to see things NOW in Christ Jesus... such TRUTH it is. Only in Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior a man is made NEW. I pray you continue your walk with ALMIGHTY GOD and strengthen your Faith MUSCLE through all days TRUSTING ALMIGHTY GOD for EVERYTHING. Looking forward to seeing you in HIS Kingdom in the Very Very POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS CHRIST... AMEN. Blessings+Love+Scripture...
@@jonathanlr4167 .... .... each day I carry my Cross and am title a cRaZy person/ Jesus Freak hahahaha... Amen (PHIL 3:13-14) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I DO, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (PHIL 3:18) "For many walk ,of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ,".... Blessings+Love+Scriptures, ALL PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING BELONGS TO THE TRUE LIVING God. Hallelujah...
I’ve had a similar path including the tears and overwhelming joy every time I walked into a church or heard the name of Jesus...... I absolutely found this testimony to be beautiful, this man to be beautiful, and his soul to be beautiful.... God bless you in the name of our lord and savior, Jesus!
Father I pray for Jonathan, Caroline and his family. Thank you for saving them and delivering on your promise to save anyone who calls on the Lord. I pray that you keep him and his family in your Word. That you would continue the good work you started in them to fulfill the purpose for their lives for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen. Glad to call you brother, Jonathan!
Thank you for sharing your testimony. I too was involved in the New Age since my teens. And I also have had a similar experience a few years ago, praise The Lord. I am so grateful my Lord Jesus Christ didn’t leave me in the outer darkness when I cried out His name. May your testimony and the testimonies of others who had similar experience bring many out of the darkness to Jesus Christ. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.
I love that you originally published this on Valentine’s Day; Jesus is the lover of our souls and I praise Him for the work He’s done in you, brother!!! And I pray He’d give you another dream to show how He’s renovated that old church you saw...I reckon it symbolized/was your heart at that time - all closed off to the Light. How different now! May the true and only Lord Jesus bless you and your family and bring you closer to Him. PS - pray for the church in the UK. It comes as no surprise that the ancient seats of Christianity, like Canterbury, are under spiritual attack. God bless x
Similarities in my testimony, glory to God you are alive in Christ now! Thank you God! I have to admit I belly laughed out loud when you said what one of your teachers taught .. 'there are no people' ha ha ha.. thanks for sharing, much love.
Ezekiel 36 -24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. 25I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Welcome to the family :)
Amazing testimony brother! I myself have studied many many different religions and philosophies, but I know deep in my heart that Jesus is the truth. It’s seems that every time I get close to giving my life to the Lord something pulls me away or distracts me and I have to start all over again almost like a loop or vicious circle. I feel I truly need to be baptized, and rid my life of these ugly sins...it’s exhausting
I do b think it's essential too get baptized. Might help in your in problem. Jesus says " if anyone acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before my heavenly father" baptism is the public acknowledgement of Jesus as lord. Also Romans 10 says if you confess with your mouth that n Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved, for be it's with your heart that you believe and are justified and with your mouth that you confess and are saved'". - " repent and be baptized, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit". Acts 2:38. . I think we need to rely ultimately on god's word, which says that there is salvation in and through Jesus alone, and that apart from this way the only end for us is eternal destruction ( Matthew 7:13). This includes all other religions and " spiritual paths". If you're not fully convinced of this it'll be hard to make that step of commitment. Do you feel certain that this is the truth?
I really resonate with your story, mine has been the same. My husband is Muslim and I had the same experience with crying under conviction. Here asked why but I didn't have the best words then. Please pray for God to work in my marriage because being unequally yoked is miserable.
Ah yes! I totally relate to everything you’ve said it’s really so amazing how we just don’t even realize how much we’re disconnecting when we think we’re on this path of ascension.
Yes, disconnecting from yourself! Not surprising it doesn't work in the end. It's not having a self that's the problem, like Eastern religions teach. It's yourself being a rebel against God and into what's sinful. "The human heart is above all things deceptive and incurably sick. Who can understand it'? Jeremiah 17:9
Great Testimony! I have friends that actively refuse Jesus, so it's so good to hear your testimony. I pray for them and love them. I pray that they too will eventually accept Jesus into their hearts. Thank you for sharing!
This is a beautiful, touching testimony, thank you for sharing, I’m you’re 61st subscriber, from Aussie. Please make more videos, this was so inspiring 🙏🏻
We need to pray for the salvation of every person on the planet. God is willing for none to perish. We also need to pray that God will speed up the saintification of His children and that we all will be walking out our callings. That God will turn us into a spiritual army and that we all will reach a new level in Him.
Thank you for sharing your story. I too have spent many years involved New Age teaching. Many of the names, books and organisations you mention I know very well. I was always looking for a new teaching or technique that would help me. Now I know Jesus I see how empty they all were. - Heathet
It's amazing one day something can seem profound and spiritual and after the light of Christ shines on you, you see it's just empty! Love it! Immediately after I was saved I saw the foolishness of trying to mess about with the way your brain and body function and thinking it'll lead to truth or God. I have friends who are into techniques, it's frustrating when they won't listen. I didn't though for years.
@@jonathanlr4167 No. I always wanted to but never made it. Although I am English I have lived in New Zealand nearly all of my life and been involved in New Age things over here. Back in the mid 80s there was a One Earth Gathering in NZ that my mum went to. That was when we became involved. Now I have realised the truth of Jesus all the new age teachings look empty and hollow. Hope you are have a blessed day. - Heather
I would love to ask you a question, but not in a public forum. I have had a similar journey, but there is an experience that I would like your views on.
I keep watching those testimonys of people that felt like i do nowadays, but i still don't feel that change from god that you all talk about, i pray and i pray and i pray, and nothing happens, please pray for me, because i am almost giving up, i think Jesus does not want me.
I Will pray for you. Do you believe Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins and rose again so you can have eternal life? This gift is for you, just believe it. It is for all.
@@pedroab100 i don't know if you go to church. it's important to be be part of a Bible believing spirit filled Christ centered church. The holy spirit is there in the fellowship of believers. It is where we can be strengthened and renewed by the spirit. As well as having time alone with god. I am sure god will answer your prayers. Matthew7:7-11 prayers. Matthew7:7-11
Thank you, I hear the phrase all roads lead to the same god so much, in every walk of life now Buddhist & Hindu ideas & themes are spoken about and practiced and its all so acceptable & cool but as soon as Jesus is mentioned it has a strange effect, you can feel the atmosphere change the , truth fills the vacum, your testimony bears witness to the futility of New age thinking, but it is everywhere in the air around us, isn't the devil the prince of the air
Absolutely! All roads are equal is the new orthodoxy and biblical truth the new heresy . More important now than ever for the body of Christ to speak the truth of the gospel. By staying quiet we allow this deception to grow unchallenged. I feel convicted to do more...
Jonathan please please pray for my husband john who has left myself and our severely autistic son last December and is involved in Buddhism and new age teachings and now Hinduism its scary he is being so decieved it's unbearable watching the man i love being decieved by the devil.
@@shereenesbitt777 the doctrines are so seductive, when they come in the name of Christ it' s just too much. There needs to be more awareness of this in the church. One church in my town is advertising Christian meditation. When you look at the promo talk, it's just zen doctrine mixed with Hindu mantra chanting. Nothing Christian about it at all. A church of Scotland minister is leading Christians into pure heresy! I'm planning making some videos about this, new age teachings need to be exposed by the word of God.
Hi Jonathan, thank you for the powerful testimony. I have been saved recently (11/20) at 46 y/o after decades of self help and new age entanglements. The love and forgiveness felt and feels (the sensation comes and goes) so real. J gave it all to the Lord, I really did. Someone in my Church pointed out that most new Christians become so in their early twenties, and that older folks have a more difficult process. I really felt saved. How old were you when you found Christ? Thank you (your grey beard gives you away 😉)
I was 40. I read the other day a stats table about the ages people get born again. There highest percentage is in the 20's and it goes rapidly down with each decade. Getting saved in your 70's is extremely rare. Still holding out hope for my dad though. Thanks for replying, God bless you in your walk with him.
@@jonathanlr4167 thanks for replying. Sometimes we need some assurance. Scrolling through the Testimonials, and most were so young! Thank the Lord he found me. God bless you as well on your walk with The Lord, Brother.
I started crying too when I went I think that is when holy spirit seed gets planted and sprouting and growing and that happened 5 years ago and I'm no longer the same I gradually come closer and then I have a human moment and play music or argue
I made a playlist of my favourite new age to Jesus testimonies.powerful evidence. Maybe you could forward it to your uncle. It's on my channel, titled "the second and final awakening "(I think) thanks for your comment
Thank you for your testimony, which is very similar to mine. Non-duality - being "life itself, lifeing" was the ultimate in PRIDE! I thought I no longer was a separate "me" and there was no where to go, and the emptiness of it was a counterfeit, dead, delusional, "peace" but in no way anything like the true peace of everlasting life given as a free gift by Jesus Christ our Lord! He is, indeed, the only way to the Father! And yes, the God in the Bible, particularly the King James Bible, is our creator, God Almighty! Thanks again for this powerful testimony!
Great to hear from you and to hear someone else has been through the same journey - thanks . I totally agree -the non dualism "way" is totally empty - without the true life that comes from, - -that IS Christ!
I loved when you talked about seeing the tree and how it was a whole new life. It is such a beautiful experience being born again. The greatest gift God can ever give. God bless you brother, I will see you one day:)
Whenever i meditated i felt dead emotionally and spiriitually until one day i decided to empty my mind them fill myself with the spirit instead and for the first time ever i smiled and started to cry and felt whole. This happened after i saw witchs explaing choosing a diety, but saying the diety chooses you. After i asked the universe for a diety to worship the one to show up was infact Jesus and YHVH in a book about quabalic magic. I had a similar story to yours
Thanks for your reply. I'll be putting up another video soon about new spirituality and Jesus and why I think the path of detachment, mysticism and meditation just leads to a spiritual void. God bless.
Love the testimony. Has some similarities to my experiences. There is bible study led by Dan Mohler (51 day for about 2.5 hours per day) - you can find it on TH-cam by searching HCSKL 2011 (HCSKL stands for "Harvest Chapel School of Kingdom Living"). I find it very helpful and wanted to share. Edit: a word
What a wonderful testimony. I personally believe that god may have been following god all along, and that in the end - you found him. Because I have certainly taken a different path in life that has led me to surrender to Jesus, and now Jesus/holy spirit is taking me along a path that is very alike the meditation proccess that you did that led you into darkness. The path of darkness and light seem to be very similar but end up in worlds apart. The path of darkness is a path of acceptance and letting go, an acceptance of self with sin and a defiled concience. The path of light seems to be the path of acceptance of forgivness of ones sin and the restoring of conscience through Jesus. In an esoterical sense. My 2 cents anyways.
@@jonathanlr4167 My pleasure! Kind of.. By abiding in the holy spirit given by Jesus as much as possible. Also in wordless prayer that can last for 1 - 2 hours. And letting go of everything else but the holy spirit, and what you have left is pure spirit, pure life. I basically die to myself as often as I can, die to my world. I let go of it. Addictions, personal problems, thoughts, worldy things, you name it. But the more I do it the more sharp and light life gets. Just by letting go. I've literally done it when having the sun infront of me, seeing the sunlight get stronger and stronger and clearer for every heartbeat. I was into meditation for a short while before being saved, and tried hinduism as well, and I that's where I found out the process, but then and there it did NOT have the same results.
@@AndrewFerrer3d Interesting. I couldn't say that I can seperate the holy spirit from Jesus. ( the SPirit's job is to testify to/reveal him - John 15))the closest I get to anything like that is sometimes I just say his name a lot , or think quietly of him, like an inner gaze on him , but my heart is set on Jesus. Without my mind being involved, like with a blank empty mind, there's no connection for me. What is the Holy SPirit? he is Jesus in us. Eckhart Tolle talks about a "vast inner spaciousness that you can experience through stillness. I used to experience this sometimes in my old life and practices, one time it was so powerful, I was lying in bed with close eyes, floating deliciously in a vast peace filled space . Suddenly a vision appeared , like I was seeing with my eyes open in super real 3D right in front of my face, I was able to study the image in detail - it was the head of a deadly snake! For this and many other scriptural/ personal experience reasons I am very suspicious of relinquishing my conscious mind in the way i used to. I wish you well on your path, if it ever leads places that contradict scripture I'd advise caution.
On a further note, I do actually think that Jesus and the Holy spirit are somewhat separable. The fruits of the holy spirit are not graspable and render only to ones experience, however, all of which Jesus is seems to be graspable, as he is the personification of god. The graspable image of god. This verse from John 16:5-16 came to mind after my message; “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” My thoughts anyways.
@@AndrewFerrer3d. I understand the fruits of the spirit in the light of Galatians 5:22, love peace, joy , patience, self control, gentleness, kindness etc. I think Paul's referring not so much to a subjective experience but sanctification and outward character transformation being the "evidence" of the Spirit in us. So you could say the working of the SPirit is made tangible by our growing in these traits ( frustratingly slowly it seems at times!)Because of my new age past, personally I'm just wary of seeking or prioritising spiritual experience in and of itself. I'm not trying to invalidating your experience though, I appreciate your comments. . Of course there is a connection between whether we're manifesting these fruits and our subjective experience of Christ in the Holy Spirit. Like if I neglect to spend time with God in prayer and reading & meditating on the scriptures regularly , I start falling back into old negative patterns. We need to turn to God by the Spirit to having our minds renewed. Praise the Lord we can always do that and he will always be there pouring out living water! "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”…JOhn 7:37
Thank you, Jonathan for your moving testimony. It's funny, I came across a book on the origins of Findhorn just yesterday & was wondering what to think of all that. Decades ago, when I felt mangled by the 'heavy shepherding' of the church I'd had to leave, but then felt lost in a no-man's land - coming across a book by Eileen Caddy totally restored my faith & bridged the gap. For a long time I managed to keep my faith & develop a closer relationship with Jesus; then - ah, well, the long slow slide into new-agey stuff, until Now - when I can see how dangerous and deceptive it all is. But, yesterday - I wondered about Eileen and Findhorn again - and lo! I came across your video precisely by typing in New Age to Christianity - what to believe. I'm having to review so much old material/ ways of thinking. Did you stay at Findhorn? Did it become incompatitble? I'd so love to know. Thank you. Blessings to you & your family
I stayed for a year after coming to faith. I moved out because of getting married. I wouldn't have minded staying because people need to hear about Jesus. I met Eileen caddy, she was a very nice lady. Buy Jesus says about false teachers that we'll know them by their fruit. When Eileen first started hearing the voice she thought she was going mad. The voice that claimed to be god persuaded her to leave her husband and family to go off with another man - Peter caddy. This is how findhorn community started. Good would never command someone to commit adultery. If you measure everything by god's word and the boundary lines come v clear. Thanks for your reply, how do you feel now about Jesus and New age after your experiences?
Oops! Did I delete our conversation or did you? I'm not very technical you see!! Yes, I lived in findhorn for about 2 years. I didn't know Jesus then, but I do now! He truly is 'the way, the truth and the life!' May God bless your ministry, I really appreciate your clarity. I can relate to so many of your experiences. I followed non duality teachings, Zen Buddhism, and Osho in the past, but now, only JESUS CHRIST. Hallelujah!
@@jonathanlr4167 he is into lucid dreaming, alittle bit of Taoism, Buddhism, healing arts. He reads all the time, on so many different subjective subjects. He travels and works on his art and organic farming. I have been praying for freedom and his spiritual eye's open. He still believes in prayer, when he's having down times he reaches put for me to pray for him. I know he is deep into spirituality, when i feel him thinking of me or the Lord will wake me up to interceede for him. How else can i reach him? Any suggestions? Thank you
@@networkbernie4715 Network Bernie Hi, thanks. there's a young man called Steven Bancarz who is a fomer New age teacher who came to Christ. He's now really committed to communicating the gospel to people with a new age type background and the like, presenting apologetics to compare and refute the teachings of new spirituality with scripture. He is extremely gifted at it. His website is " reasons for Jesus" - tons of video and other material dealing with every topic you can think of. very clear & thorough. there's also some very good interviews with him on you tube worth viewing. His testimony is also on youtube which is very compelling. I think maybe your son would like him. God bless reasonsforjesus.com/category/world-religions/new-age/page/3/ th-cam.com/video/V5qto5o0s_k/w-d-xo.html
I was new ager more then 20 years. I always belived in the Father, and Jesus, but did not understand that Jesus is the only way. I liked budism, gnosticism, had a guru, meditation, yoga, tarot, angels, numerology, was a healer and so on. I always known the story about Lucifer and it's funny that I never noticed that new age I am god statment is the same lie lucifer told Eve. My eyes opend when I stumbeld on a youtube video luciferian doctrin. I was shocked when I realised that my way of acting and thinking is in fact luciferian. Tjey say they are not satanist but this is satans principle "do what you want" "my will over God's will. Then I read article about Anton Levay father of satanic church and he said that he is angry that new age took everything from satanist!!! Also Helena Blavatsky was the mother of new age movment and full blown luciferian. My analysis took me far and I was done with all new age stuff. Maybe If he likes to read like I do, he will want to read this things and come to Jesus. God bless you. I will pray for your son. 🙏
So many people discover Jesus after they have tried all the religious paths, and say Christianity is the only true religion - and myself including: Buddhism, astrology and other stuff and then Christianity. I even know one person who so wanted to know the truth and felt so exhausted after his religious search [and some other negative things happening in his life] that he was about to suicide, but was calling for God with all heart and he said that a fire collumn appreared to him with a voice (like in the Bible) and his life changed for all times. Also, I heard from someone else who was visited by a speaking fire (Jesus).
Sorry if my reply was abrupt or made no sense. I lost my sense of meaning through a long process of searching for truth. I got to the point where it just became so very clear to me that there was absolutely nothing I could do to change either my outer circumstances of my inner reality - my personality, behaviours, responses and my basic feeling I always had of not being connected to life. I had nowhere left to go - I was in a place where my self had to be ended and I had to start again with a new one. I didn't know this was possible but it is. This is what the Holy Spirit does, makes you new again. The old feelings of emptiness disappear and everything is made new and filled with meaning but it's a meaning and a life that you didn't know existed. All this happens through Jesus. Hope that makes some sense
Please help me I am so deep into that nonduality that you speak of sometimes I dont know what is real. I have a baby to take care of please. Is there a way I can talk with you? I am so disconnected from reality I don't know how my mind can heal. I know that hopeless feeling that eternal despair. Please help me.
Please seek Jesus Christ, he can help you, he can heal you, and turn darkness into light. he is the way -The only way. The way to do this is to ask. Find some time alone and speak to God your Father or to Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if you don't believe or not sure if they are real. You just come as you are, say exactly what is true for you, how you feel, and what you need , just like you are to me. YOu can say, "God , I have no idea if you're real or exist but if you do , please show me, please help me and tell him exactly what is in your heart. It's important to speak this out loud, not just in your head. The only thing God needs from you is your honesty. The reason God brought me out of the darkness I was in was because I called out to Jesus to save me. This is his promise: "for everyone who calls on the NAME OF THE LORD will be saved" (Romans 10:13). There are 2 more things you can do - read the Gospels. Make sure you read John's gospel, especially chapter 6 , also Matthew. Say a prayer before and ask God to give you understanding of what you read. The other thing is to find some genuine born again Christians where you are and ask for their help and tell them what's going on. The place to find them is Church - not surprisingly! But there are churches too where you will not find or hear too much of what really counts or spirit filled people. Ask God to lead you to the right place. I will pray for you. GOd bless, you , you are doing the right thing in calling out for help. I f you have any questions, please ask. I will give you any help I can. The Lord bless you and keep you, The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace. " Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Jesus - Luke 10:27-30) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7 :37) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened".(Matthew 7:7)
Jonathan LR Your testimony is so encouraging. I’ve been praying for a friend who’s on a journey that sounds so much like yours. I’ve been educating myself by reading the Bible, Christian philosophers and historians in the hopes that I can be ready to answer hard questions and know how to share the gospel. My friends in new age culture all seem to rotate thru a series of spiritual experiences all in an effort to reach some higher self and it grieves my heart. I feel called to pray for each of them everyday and so I do. Listening to your story has just encouraged me so much to keep on praying and trusting God to bring them out of darkness.
I’ve been on a protracted spiritual quest away from nonduality since the 80s (had no term for it.) I finally asked Jesus for help. I’ve been reading the chronological bible and watching Doreen Virtue’s (New Age author now Christian -Baptist ) encouragement and support videos on Vimeo. There are probably others as well. They’ve helped with understanding what I’m reading and keeping things organized. I’ve also started going to a small humble brethren church near me. Blessings to you.
@@klagomorgan7804 It's hard to have the desire to share Christ with those in the new age, there are so many doctrinal strongholds - frustrating at times!. There is an excellent book that addresses how to share the Gospel with new agers, from a former new age teacher. Great apologetics answers for all the typical issues and objections: It's called " the second coming of the new age" by Steven Bancarz. His online ministry is dedicated to this, it's very valuable. God bless! & thanks for responding
Only partway through...it is clear your dreams meant you were NOT finding true knowledge!! Emptiness only...God is good to speak to us through dreams. Wow.
Ahhhh...if you had the gospel preached to you before, you had the seed of the gospel in you...your spirit man knew to call to HIM, even if your flesh did not. Have you ever read what Job 33 has to say about dreams? It is incredible!
How do you know if you've been born again? How do you know if you have heard his voice? I'm pretty sure I have but maybe it was something else in the spiritual realm....
He speaks through his word - the Bible. Either by reading the Bible or hearing it preached by someone who genuinely believes and understands it. Have you read the new testament? It's all truth but I could suggest some particular bits to read if you like.
@@kristimacleod6174 hi. the whole Bible is true and it's all good , but to start with I'd recommend: gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew; Luke 24 and book of Acts. 1 Corinthians chapter 15: verses 1-11; Galatians Ch 1 2 Corinthians (different book from 1Corinthians)4:1-6 and 5:11-21 Collossians 1 - 2:15; Romans 1:16-32; 3:9-28; & chapters 5. 8 and 10:6-13 Ephesians 1, 2 &3; Hebrews 1,2,9:11-28 and 10:1-18; 1 Peter 1; 1,2 and 3 John; Revelation chapters 1,4,5, 19, 21 &22. God bless!
I think your experience is beautiful. It is just such a shame to me that these kinds of experiences are directly interwoven with intolerant fundamentalism. The price one pays to be saved seems to be the inability to see the goodness in any other walk of faith or Spiritual practice. Its very fascinating but it is also quite dangerous. What a bizare world we live in.
Thanks for you reply. By fundamentalism, do you mean the belief that there is only one way to God and that way is Jesus Christ? IN John 18:37 he says - " for this reason I was born and came into the world - to testify to truth, everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me". Any one who listens to Jesus, trusts him and believes him must be a fundamentalist. because Jesus himself teaches clearly in many places in the New testament that there is no way to know God or to be saved except by through (faith in ) him. The apostles also teach this. For me - I have both Jesus word, and also my own experience that convince me that this is the truth. There is some misunderstanding about this - people often think "fundamentalism" in Christianity is something that "the church" through history has kind of invented. Actually The ONLY REASON born again Christians are fundamentalist is because they believe and follow the teaching of Jesus. You could say that if there is a problem with fundamentalism, the problem lies with Jesus he was a fundamentalist and so were the apostles - if you believe the scriptures. I know this is impossible for people to accept. It was impossible for me too until I came to know Christ personally. Fundamentalism has become a dirty word , but for me it's an uncompromising faith and trust in what Jesus says.
@@jonathanlr4167 yes that's exactly what I mean by fundamentalism. And exactly what I mean by interwoven. It seems that part and parcel of the born again experience is the conviction of it being the one true faith and adopting a literal interpretation of the bible. Yet it is precisely this conviction that has lead to staggering atrocities comitted in the name of Christ. They May not be happening as prevelently these days but they have happened, there are still horrid things happening and the potential for more to occur is certainly always there. Which is why it appears to me that one of Christianitiy's most profound miracles is also its most dangerous symptom.
@@lioneye108 what things in the Bible do you feel that born again Christians take literally that shouldn't be taken literally? I don't think you need to be worried about this as a danger, - the people who perpetrated the crusades, Spanish inquisition , the burning and torturing of people etc. were not born again. There's no way they would do these things if they were - Jesus commanded his followers to "love your enemies, bless those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you". The bloody history of the Roman Catholic church isn't because they took the BIble's teachings literally, it's because they entirely departed from it's central teaching about salvation. The Gospel message had over the course of a millennia, been lost by the RC Church establishment. That's what the reformation was about , people like Luther re-discovered the gospel message, and challenged the Papacy's false teaching and hypocritical behaviour. Born again believers like Luther were top of the RC church's hit list. People like Wycliffe were burned for translating the Bible into English so people could read it for themselves and come into a personal relationship with God . You say horrid things are still happening now . I'm not aware of this, what are you referring to ?
@@jonathanlr4167 Its not hard to find if you do a Google search, the list of fundamentalist evangelist Christians who have committed acts of terror in the name of Jesus. You May feel that this is not your experience of salvation. However the doctrine which you espouse is inherently intolerant of All other faiths. This by virtue of its dogma unavoidably sews the seeds for such acts. Its very easy to brush aside these things and say "oh well they weren't really Christian" or "they weren't 'saved'" but you don't know that - they committed these acts in the name of your Lord. And so I will Even Grant you that the catholics were not Christians in the way you experience Christ but you cannot absolve yourself of the responsibility or accountability of the terrorism associated with your own church of thought. If you do then you can never point the finger at any islamic terrorist and place the responsibility on the church of Islam as it is hypocrasy. I don't know if you personally have done this but many born again Christians do just that. I am not muslim I'm just using it as an example. I think its Great you found a way through your dark night of the soul. But the New found fervour for intolerant dogma I see as a dangerous cost. Its as if in absolving the weight of ones own shadow it gets cast as a projection onto all others who do not exist within your New paradigm. In terms of personal experience - No matter how profound or life transforming, one must tread with caution as there are always a thousand more 'personal experiences' that directly contradict it in narrative substance.
I,ll check out what you're saying. I can't remember ever hearing on the news of someone claiming to be an evangelical Christian committing a terrorist act in the name of Christ or god. I certainly would remember that, at least for the last 10 years of being Christian. So you believe that all religions are the same essence and equally valid?
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: When the sun shall be turned d to darkness and d the moon into blood that is the sign Fourth Seal events have concluded to move forward to the single day events of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Seals. At the Fifth Seal they will say, “Peace and safety. At the Sixth Sea; the great and notable day, the day of Jesus Christ, is come.
You know deep down that the true God is the God of the Bible alone and that Jesus is the Christ, that he's real and lives, that you are a sinner in need of god's mercy and God has called you to believe. That's the side of repentance, then things just change inside you without you doing anything. Worldly or sinful Things you once loved don't attract you the same way any more. You start loving the things of God- reading the Bible, fellowship with other believers, worship etc. You just love it. Jesus says the role of the holy spirit is to bring glory to him so when you receive the spirit through being born again, you want to bring glory to Jesus. Have you experienced something and are unsure?
@@jonathanlr4167 I've been following a lot of new agers for a few years but for some reason, just now fell upon testimonies like yours and I think I am transitioning! Funny thing is that I didn't even know I was a into that group, when you are in it, you just don't realize
@@thelambofgod8027 that's really good news. It's about knowing him for yourself, one to one. not about religion, philosophy, not externals, not even theology . Just you and Jesus Christ, being born again by the Spirit is something that happens between you and your heavenly father in the depths of your heart. Has this happened yet for you?
@@jonathanlr4167 I'm still following some new agers on youtube, but opening myself slowly to christinity, I'm still curious about their ascension and their whole made up movie - I'm obsessed by it because of the current world events and I have been stocked on ufo sightings etc. It's like if I needed my fix on what's going on.
Great testimony! I was wondering. At what point after the weird Tony Parson's thing did you return to a normal experience of life? Was it the night of the dream when you called to Jesus? Or had it sort of wore off before then? Or was it not until you started going to church? Just curious to know what it was that got you back to your normal self and allowed you to form thoughts again?
HI , The Tony Parsons "experience" took about 3 days to wear off although I had sort of flashbacks for weeks afterwards. I guess I started having normal thoughts again the following day but was in and out of that state. It was 2 years afterwards before I had the dream about Jesus. During that 2 years I was still seeking non duality by passively observing my thought and emotional life. So I was functioning and thinking normally normally but had became emotionally empty like I couldn't identify with feelings because absolutely nothing had any meaning at all any more. The day all that ended and I was made new was the morning I went to Church and heard and believed the Gospel and was born again. I didn't go back to how I was before Tony Parsons though. I was made new at age 40 , like a total spiritual re-boot, the Bible calls it being made a new creation - being born again. It wasn't like things were Ok before I got into non duality practices. I believe that even if I had never got into spiritual practices and had gone a different road in life, I would have got to this point of emptiness and hopelessness anyway and been found by Jesus. The problem wasn't meditation really , the problem was me. I believe that meditation and non duality are offered as a way to spirituality, peace and knowledge of God. My experience is that this is false and deceptive and directs people like myself away from and blinds them to the true source of spiritual life - Jesus Christ.
@@jonathanlr4167 Interesting. Thanks! I would agree that all this Eastern stuff makes a lot of promises it doesn't deliver on. You seem to be describing just a state of dissociation, rather than the unending bliss that is promised. It's totally irresponsible for these Buddhists to play with people's psychology, not knowing at all what they are doing. So glad you're back with us! Thanks for your testimonies.
@@keenanhooper6094 Thanks! Keenan Hooper One of the difficulties trying to talk to people about this is that through meditation techniques you can experience real altered states of consciousness which can feel really powerful and mind blowing while they last. But they don't change your heart - you just come back to the same sinful nature unchanged. So it leads to a constant seeking of transcendent spiritual experience. This is a kind of escapism that leads eventually to disassociation from normal life and personhood. It has nothing to with God but because these states are so powerful , people having them assume it does. developmental psychologists say that in infancy a child's perception makes no distinction between itself and the world outside. I wonder if the mystical type experience of "merging into oneness with everything" is simply flipping into an infantile pre-thought state of perception in which we all lived in before we learned language. The memory of it is there in our brains somewhere. This makes sense because these spiritual techniques are all about stopping one's internal dialogue. That's just my own take on it.
The Bible declares there is only one way to the Father all other practices lead to the wrong destination the end thereof is eternal damnation with the author of lies satan
Well, we have a lot near death experience testimonies, I don't know what the New Age mean, but ppl who don't know each other tell the stories about light they meet, what which call God here is so limitless, and ppl after NDE do not choose Christianity, or Islam, or Judaism, because it's impossible explained utterly another realm, where they were to books, to words, or whatever. So..
What're your feelings on Christian mysticism? Have you read any works from the monastics throughout church history? Some of the greatest church fathers and theologians were Mystics - St Augustine for example
I haven't read much Catholic mysticism. A bit of Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich. Not sure what to think. what I've seen of modern contemplative prayer teaching is that it's just eastern meditation techniques re-packaged in Christian terms which I am very suspicious of. From the little I know (so maybe I'm wrong) it seems that mystical monks' writings have something in common, they don't mention the Gospel much, if at all. I read "Practicing the Presence of GOd" by brother Lawrence and found the basic premise inspiring but also found it odd that he doesn't mention Jesus really at all. Any kind of Christianity that talks about God in abstract personal experience based terms and which isn't centred on the Gospel I feel is potentially suspect. Jesus didn't teach his followers to retire into monasteries and live a secluded contemplative life like Therevada Buddhists. He told them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel and love people. Some things I've read left me with the feeling that Jesus was an irrelevance and we have no need for his death on the cross at all. I didn't know Augustine was a mystic, although I have read confessions. What makes a Christian "mystical" ? Bit confused about the term really. Is it having personal supernatural revelations. What's your opinion?
Jonathan LR To me mysticism is essentially direct experience of God - mainly through inward awareness. It's an interesting and tricky subject. I feel that looking within and growing a sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit is essential. I come from a new age background, studied shamanism and eastern paths as well as nonsensical new age nonsense, and had a series of demonic encounters and Holy Spirit encounters which led be to Jesus. It's funny, when I first became a Christian I completely wrote off everything I had ever learned as demonic, and became super dogmatic and bible bashing, and overtime noticed my fruit was rotten, even though my intention was to spread truth. So as I've stated to read the bible myself, instead of following man's interpretation of it, I've found that a lot of the mystical experiences and lessons I've gained thereof are all over scripture. One time I was holding my bible and heard "Deuteronomy 12", in which the Lord tells the Israelites to stop DOING what they think is right for they had not yet entered the RESTING PLACE and INHERITANCE He has for them. What a heart warming verse. To me it confirmed, what I've found to be true, is as we learn to cultivate a faithful, surrendered, but righteous atmosphere within, everything flows from there. From our inner beingness and rest, flows our doing, and a natural inclination for righteousness. Or Psalm 4:4, "meditate in your heart upon your bed". Or the fact that Jesus says the kingdom of God is within us, which He said to the Pharisees!!! And I agree, you do often find a lack of the gospel in mystical writing, but more of a reverence for the presence of the Holy Spirit. Though this can seem offensive or as a red flag, I think it's necessary, because, there's so many people walking around whom have given their life to Jesus and recognize what He did for us, but they're complete messes on the inside because there's no inner awareness. Jesus told us we'd be PERFECT as our Heavenly Father is. I think there's a lot we don't understand. With that said, earlier I was reading writings by Catherine of Siena, more mystically oriented, but very focused on the blood of Jesus. Have you ever heard of the book "Devotional Classics" by Richard J Foster? It's a seminary staple. It has writings from evangelicals, charismatics, Mystics, etc. it's a beautiful balance of the whole thing. Any how, thanks for your reply. Would love to chat sometime! Feel free to add me on Facebook: Christian Padron (you can see my face in my testimony video) Be blessed! ✝
@@LoveAlreadyWon thanks. I can relate to what you're saying. I like this literal translation of Hebrews 11.1: "now faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen". "Substantiation" = something being made real/substantial....We all depend on the relationship we have with our lord from day to day as a real living experience which depends on us turning to the spirit through prayer, thinking about the things of God and reading the Bible, and also anointed teaching through other Christians. I get your point that for some Christians there may be more of a head only knowledge of God which isn't going to yield the peace that comes from God. I sometimes can fall into this if I neglect to have time for that personal inner relationship. I guess where I feel very unclear is in referring to this experience of Christ as mysticism. I agree it's complicated issue. New age and Eastern mysticism teach that direct knowledge of God resides and must reside beyond words, thought and belief. So specific religious beliefs are seen as something we must go beyond, even as being limiting or enslaving. This I feel contradicts and is a denial of the truth. Because our inner experience of the truth of Christ depends on faith (in him and the gospel) and this faith depends on the promises of God revealed only in god's word. Our salvation is by believing the gospel which is a very specific message. It is a definite belief in which we have to stand and continue . My wariness of Christian mysticism is that it may subtly lead away from centrality of faith in the gospel into the territory of universalist mysticism. People may be drawn to seeking special transcendental experiences and believing that the gospel isn't really important or even true and no longer believing in the literal meaning of scripture concerning salvation. This seems like a road that can end up in full blown gnosticism which is luciferic.
@@Unfoldedwarrior it depends what you mean by mysticism. If you mean what new age believers and pantheistic religions mean by it, I totally agree with what you're saying. Got to say this is very confusing and potentially deceptive area. I listened b to one teacher explaining and endorsing Christian mysticism. He was universalist, which means he basically doesn't believe the gospel by which alone we can be saved.
Jonathan LR I feel deeply in my heart that Jesus is the answer and the truth or else I wouldn’t watch these videos every single day and keep seeking him. I just feel like I’m very scared to give my whole life completely to him because I think I’ll lose myself. I’m 22 and still figuring out what I want to do with my life. My parents are sort of anti religious and think Jesus was just some dude who was cool a couple thousand years ago but nothing more than that. So it’s hard to give my life to someone when I have to worship in private or feel like I can’t mention his name to the people around me. The fact that I never can be single and always distracted by boys I know are wrong for me could also be an issue too. Ugh Wow I got off topic that wasn’t even my question! Lol okay here it is: just hypothetical- Do you think that everyone who traveled down the path of the new age actually found the truth.. that the world is a scary and sad place and actually IS meaningless and then our last resort is to cling to the thing that makes us most comfortable/hopeful, which is the belief in Jesus? I don’t think that’s necessarily true because I have the same experiences that you have had; I had a dream that a tsunami was coming and at the last second I screamed “Jesus Christ!”, in a way of saying HELP ME. and I also just cry and cry whenever I worship or feel Him. Anyway, sorry that was a lot and I appreciate your willingness to answer. Hopefully I got my question across correctly. 😊
@@HannahBirzes Thanks. I'd say there's zero chance that life is meaningless and Christians are clinging to a delusion that gives them comfort. For so many people who got born again, Jesus is not the thing that they felt most comfortable with. Just the opposite - Christ and Christianity was the very last thing they wanted to believe - atheists, Muslims , Jews , even Satanists. Yet at a point in their lives , they encountered Jesus through the spirit and have no choice but to believe. This proves that their conviction that Jesus Christ is real comes supernaturally from outside them and not from their own minds. This doesn't happen in any other religion. I think the Tsunami dream is a clear picture of spiritual truth. And your crying is the true voice of your heart. Trust your heart - I have no doubt it's telling you that he is your Lord and that's why you feel the way you do. YOu won't lose yourself, you'll find yourself! If you choose a life without him as Lord , THEN you'll lose yourself: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25)……"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?". (Luke 9:25) Don't worry about your circumstances with your family or about the boy thing. He'll take care of it. You won't feel the way you think you will. Everything is transformed completely. Praise God - he's awesome! Do you have any genuine Christian friends or acquaintances?
Jonathan LR wow. Just wow. That Matthew verse... amazing. Thank you. I SO agree! With my heart! :) I do belong to a women’s bible study at my church and have a friend from there who is the same age as me which should be helpful but I sometimes get resentful towards them because I feel like I’m not fully at their level (they’re mostly age 30+) and I just worry the whole time I am there and am self conscious. So I sometimes don’t go. Then I worry about not going. It’s a whole issue lol. Sunday church services are a different thing.. I feel super connected during them and thankful and praise Him in a very connected way. But my (now) ex boyfriend goes to the same church, he started going there years before I did, so I feel sort of weird about going now. But yes I do have good Christian people around me. I just sorta feel behind and like an outsider in that climate and feel as though my relationship with God is a very private thjng so to talk about it so openly is definitely super uncomfortable especially because I am a little bit ignorant to some of the history of the Bible and they just talk about it like it’s super factual. Does that make sense?
@@HannahBirzes Thanks. I think there is zero chance that Christians are just clinging to a delusion that gives them comfort. The testimony of countless people who got born again is that before they believed, Christ and Christianity wasn't something that they felt comfortable with, but just the opposite - it was the very last thing they wanted to believe: Muslims , atheists, Jews , even Satanists. This proves that their conviction that Jesus is real didn't come from their own mind but from outside them. I the Tsunami was a clear picture of spiritual truth. And your crying is your heart speaking truth to you. It's the same for me. Trust that feeling, it's truth. YOU won't lose yourself , you'll find yourself. If you choose a life without Jesus as Lord - THEN you'll lose yourself: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” - (Matthew 16:25) “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” - (Luke 9:25). Don't worry about your circumstances with family , or about the boy thing. God will take care of it. You won't feel the way you think you will. Everything is completely transformed. It's awesome! Do you know any genuine born again Christians? it's a good idea to talk to someone and not be alone with this ( as long as they are genuine,) a lot of people identify as Christians but that doesn't mean they really have a personal relationship with the Lord? You can tell if they're for real because they'll want to share their faith with you.
In my 30s I was consulting psychics, astrologers, reiki, tarot readers, etc. I had adrenal fatigue the entire time. When I repented and decided to follow Jesus Christ, that fatigue (spiritual oppression IMO) lifted. I’m 50 now and my energy is fine and normal. I’m healthy.
Wonderful!
”Let every thing that hath breath Praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
Psalm 150:6
I was against Christianity too. I read tarot cards, and I was involved in many new age practices. Little by little I became disinterested in them until the one day Christ revealed himself to me. I was aware in that instance of all the sin I had done throughout my life, and it made me feel deeply sorrowful that I had hurt God that much. Several days after grieving over my sin, God lifted my spirit, and I had a similar experience of being a child again. I too remember looking at all the trees and seeing them so bright and vivid. Creation looked completely different, and I marveled how I never saw it in such a way before that moment. I have been a Christian for fourteen years now. It has been a difficult road, and I have lost many friends and family for becoming Christian. I even lost my beautiful husband of twenty years. I pray God heals him too. I have lost many things, but I love God so much that I am happy to have been given this gift from Him. I pray God blesses you in all good things. Thank you for sharing.
I too new age to Jesus!! There are a lot of us!! Happy I am not alone.. I got a lot of crap when I told my new age friends that I was leaving it. I think it is easier for us to believe because we have encountered the spiritual experiences.
I really was touched by your testimony, especially when you spoke of your dreams. I had set myself on a quest for spiritual truth after a car accident and it led me down a new age/reiki path. Because of the progressive Christianity movement, I was practicing reiki(essentially witchcraft) while still saying I believed in Jesus. Didn’t know the word and held all new age beliefs. I was only involved in reiki for about 2 years but during that time I was in a full blown existential crisis. I had PTSD(catastrophic thinking) which I now know was just extreme demonic oppression. I would have dreams at night where I was going into different realms of consciousness, nights where I could feel my soul being sucked out of my body, and just a preoccupation with death/dying. Just empty. My spirit was shattered. Funny thing is I had a physical aversion to reiki, sage, binaural beats etc right from the get go, but I blamed it on my anxiety. About four months ago I was sitting in my room just broken and all of a sudden I was in the presence of Christ and was baptized in the Holy Spirit(didn’t know that at the time.) I kept hearing the name Jesus in my mind’s eye and felt an overwhelming sense of peace, of love I didn’t know possibly to feel and of being forgiven all at once. As well as deep remorse. I woke up the next day and I knew I was different, the world wasn’t what I thought, and I actually thought that my third eye had opened lol. I now know it was the Holy Spirit. I knew that Jesus was the truth and had an insatiable desire to read the Bible and to know the story of Christ. Since then I read the Bible, pray a lot, speak to God honestly all day everyday sometimes I wonder if He gets sick of hearing from me lol. It’s been a huge change. I’ve lost some friends, my family doesn’t understand but I’m okay because God is with me. That part has been a little rough lately. I pray for God to put Christian friends in my life. I tell my story all over the place on forums, new age sights, and just everywhere I can but I want to do more. I know God will let me know in His timing what that will look like and until then I will be patient. Thanks again for sharing this beautiful testimony. Crazy how many of us go searching for truth when the truth was right in front of us all along! God bless 🙏
Thanks for your testimony! I love hearing how our God saves people. Reiki is demonic alright. My wife was initiated and had visions of symbols and stuff. I live in North Scotland, very out of the way and traditional, yet reiki, mantra meditation and false doctrine is going on in the churches in my small town. Incredible how new age is trying to take over.
@@jonathanlr4167 oh yes. New age and witchcraft have really infiltrated the churches. But God is pouring out His Holy Spirit on His children now. I believe we are in end times. End time Bible prophesy happening before our eyes. What a time to be alive! Glory and praise to God!
Thank you for your testimony! Praise the Lord for His great grace in your life!
Thank you for this testimony! I see there are many out there. Christ saved me from New Age and Satanism.
Praise the Lord! All glory to God in the highest! Thank you for your testimony video.
Thanks for your testimony and witness too - a great encouragement for many people ! GOd bless
@@jonathanlr4167 No, she's a fraud. She's still selling all her New Age divinations cards and books everywhere and also writes at an "astrology section" for a weekly maganize. She gives conferences in Europe presenting herself like a New Age guru, never mention she has becomed a christian. She sells herself to americans as a christian and for the rest of the world a N.A teacher. Your testimoy looks very sincere and beautiful, dont' let yourself contaminate with wolfs pretending be sheeps. I'm so happy you had find Lord Jesus Christ, he is indeed the only way! God bless you! You have a new suscriptor here! I'm also a New Age survivor, now I only follow King of Kings Jesus Christ.
@@laly5288 thanks, I'll check that out. She said she can't stop publishers selling her old work. Once you sell your book to a publisher you no longer have any rights.
@@jonathanlr4167 Thanks for answer me. Yes, please check that out. She also "delete" the 2 first testimonies of her "convertion" to Christ and she always change what she says. Thank God some people saved the first one to compare with the others and she always says something different. I used to follow her and watch her videos, she almost got me. In her official website you can buy her "version" of the Holy Bible! So heretic! There's many people who exposed this false teachers and "gurus", but most of what I 've found is in spanish ( I'm from Argentina, that explains my bad english, 😅😅😅 ). Blessings
Beautiful testimony!
Praise and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ!!
I love Him so much!!! ❤❤❤
Thanks for sharing!
This was the most powerful testimony I have watched to date. From someone who is just coming out of the New Age and still struggling with being pulled backwards, I just want to thank you for allowing me to hear your story. All I could think when you spoke of what happened once you crossed that threshold into what most people would probably consider “Christ consciousness” was “yeah, that’s what people are seeking- nothingness.” Glory to Jesus, He loves us so much!!!
Thanks for your encouragement. I have to acknowledge that mystical "Christ consciousness" type experiences happen and are very persuasive on a deep emotional level. It's only after being born again that you can know it for what it is - a glittering prize that turns out to be empty. A psychological experience that though powerful, has nothing to do with our God -who is the only true God. The truth is awesome!! WHat used to appear to me like the height of wisdom - that you need to deconstruct your thinking mind in order to know God - now seems just foolish.
" there is a path that seems right to a man but it's end is death" Proverbs 16:25
What a beautiful powerful testimony! Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ, He is so merciful. Thank you so much for sharing, Jonathan. I have traveled through selflove, selfhealing, selfmastery, Twinflame experience, Buddism, Hinduism, New Age. All of it ended up a total deception and I was saved just like you by our Lord Jesus Christ by his pure Grace. I am so so happy for you. God bless you and your family.
Great to hear of your experiences of GOd's grace!
Powerful testimony dear brother. I share something a bit similar. I'm a ex psychonaut that went from new age to Yeshua. Prais God! =) So happy to have come across your video. God Bless you!
Thank you so much, brother, for letting God use you to impact the lives of OTHERS for His glory and their eternal salvation!
Thank you for your testimony Jonathan. You are extremely well spoken and I hope this reaches far and wide to help people see the deception of these New Age/ Ancient Practices and come to the realisation that Jesus is the truth, the way and the life.
It's quite humbling to realize that Jesus was seeking us out. Nothing that we have done has earned this (or disqualified us). The God of the Universe knows who I am? And He wants a relationship with me? That's so mind blowing. So many people have the totally wrong impression of the Lord. He is not mean or cruel or angry or vindictive. Quite the contrary, He is the kindest, most beautiful, sweetest, and most generous Person ever. His smile lights up the universe. I'm forever grateful that Jesus gave me a new heart and a new spirit...He turned me into a totally new creation. Being born again is the most important event in my life. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was huge too. All I know is Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
I was in the new age for over a decade and occultic rituals etc....this is my third time back with Jesus...and my last!
Thank you for this beautiful Teatimony ! It was powerful. The Lord is telling me now to share mine. I've been putting it off for awhile. I came from Shamanism and New Age and Christ pulled me out of it just like you. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior
Thanks, great! I'd love to see your testimony. Our testimonies of Jesus are so valuable to those lost but seeking. I talk with spiritual seekers and they have many barriers against the Bible , the Gospel , the "church" etc. but the amazing testimonies of so many people like us who were pulled out of false spirituality really can reach people at the heart level. Go for it...
I'm going to have a go too! I wrote it down and put it in a blog tarabell55.wordpress.com and now I'm gaining confidence to share it in a video! I realize that it doesn't have to be polished, just sincere! We work for Jesus now! Hallelujah x may the Lord bless your testimony, that it blesses others and leads them to Christ, our Lord.
He saved me from a twinflame demon. I really want to tell my story along with the knowledge he gave me. I struggle im a mom and technology ignorant. He deserves sooo much from us
Thank you Jonathan! I was on a very similar path as you, I dabbled in every religion and spiritual tradition you could think of, except Christianity of course! Their beliefs seemed childish. They're brainwashed, they couldn't think for themselves, I could. I tried everything, Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, Wicca, Hermeticism, Sacred Geometry, Quantum Physics, everything. I eventually came to believe the ultimate truth was emptiness and I was 'better' and 'special' cause I knew this, I thought I was some kind of superhuman cause I spent every minute in meditation. It is all the devil, taking me anywhere but to the name of Jesus Christ, the name above all other names. The devil took me everywhere and to everything but to the one thing I need, which is Jesus Christ, the Truth, the Way and the Life. God is real, Jesus is real. Jesus is the Truth. The Bible is Truth. Jesus thank You for allowing me to see, Jesus thank You.
Thanks for sharing! The lies only make the awesomeness of the truth of God more awesome!
And make use realise what self deceiving idiots we all are by nature- awesome!
Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life. Happy you found the only truth before he returns. I don't see this wicked world lasting much longer.. Prophecies after prophecies are being fulfilled.
Beautiful testimony. When you meditate, and empty the mind, you also leave it unguarded, and anything can come into it. It is like leaving your door open to your house when you are away. Many have been fooled by these other religions but if you really read the bible you will find out about where God takes a stand in the divine council, gives judgement in the midst of the gods, (Psalms 82). Also read chapter 6 in Genesis and keep searching until you see the truth. You may want to start with the new testament but the old testament is very important in understanding what truly has happened and how it leads to the new testament. Do your studies, even listen to the bible scholars such as Michael Heiser or Chuck Missler . Jesus is real, for I too have had an experience from the Holy Spirit that showed me so. Godspeed
Thank you for sharing your testimony with us all. God is so loving and patient. Another brother in Christ...
Hallelujah brother in Christ Jesus. Praise the Lord and King, Jesus Christ. 🙏🏻
PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE THE LORD JESUS MY BROTHER HE SAVED YOU FROM THE OCCULT AS HE DID ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL FOR HIS GLORY!!!!!
You are on the right path and I love to hear stories like this!!! Just don’t judge other people for their practices because everyone doesn’t travel the same path!!! Play the seed that Christ is the truth light and the way and let people make their choices!!! The Blood of Christ pretexts you and leads you
Thank you for being so vulnerable, and sharing God's love for us all!
I love your story. Like you I tried studying ACIM and did a 10 day Vipassana Meditation retreat along with so many things for over a decade and this year I found my way back to JESUS this time truly. 🙏 💙👣 I look forward to sharing my story when the Lord tells me it's time. Bless you
That's great! I look forward to hearing your testimony. God bless you.
ALL Glory and Thanks be to the Living God for your deliverance and obedience for your testimony. Hallelujah... Praise God .... isn't it WONDERFUL to see things NOW in Christ Jesus... such TRUTH it is. Only in Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior a man is made NEW.
I pray you continue your walk with ALMIGHTY GOD and strengthen your Faith MUSCLE through all days TRUSTING ALMIGHTY GOD for EVERYTHING.
Looking forward to seeing you in HIS Kingdom in the Very Very POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS CHRIST... AMEN. Blessings+Love+Scripture...
Thank you! God bless you. Yes the truth is awesome , amazing. Let's get the word out to those who are being deceived like I was.
@@jonathanlr4167 ....
.... each day I carry my Cross and am title a cRaZy person/ Jesus Freak hahahaha... Amen
(PHIL 3:13-14) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I DO, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(PHIL 3:18) "For many walk ,of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ,".... Blessings+Love+Scriptures, ALL PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING BELONGS TO THE TRUE LIVING God. Hallelujah...
I’ve had a similar path including the tears and overwhelming joy every time I walked into a church or heard the name of Jesus...... I absolutely found this testimony to be beautiful, this man to be beautiful, and his soul to be beautiful.... God bless you in the name of our lord and savior, Jesus!
Blessed be in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah
Father I pray for Jonathan, Caroline and his family. Thank you for saving them and delivering on your promise to save anyone who calls on the Lord. I pray that you keep him and his family in your Word. That you would continue the good work you started in them to fulfill the purpose for their lives for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen. Glad to call you brother, Jonathan!
Thanks for your prayer❤
Thank you for sharing your testimony. I too was involved in the New Age since my teens. And I also have had a similar experience a few years ago, praise The Lord. I am so grateful my Lord Jesus Christ didn’t leave me in the outer darkness when I cried out His name. May your testimony and the testimonies of others who had similar experience bring many out of the darkness to Jesus Christ. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.
I love that you originally published this on Valentine’s Day; Jesus is the lover of our souls and I praise Him for the work He’s done in you, brother!!! And I pray He’d give you another dream to show how He’s renovated that old church you saw...I reckon it symbolized/was your heart at that time - all closed off to the Light. How different now! May the true and only Lord Jesus bless you and your family and bring you closer to Him. PS - pray for the church in the UK. It comes as no surprise that the ancient seats of Christianity, like Canterbury, are under spiritual attack. God bless x
Similarities in my testimony, glory to God you are alive in Christ now! Thank you God! I have to admit I belly laughed out loud when you said what one of your teachers taught .. 'there are no people' ha ha ha.. thanks for sharing, much love.
Great testimony Jonathan! Reminds me of do many things. Thank you. There seem to be revival amongst New Age friends.
Yes, there's a lot of former new age testimonies out there and growing. Thanks for the encouragement,
A powerful testimony! Thank you so much for sharing! So glad I came by to take a listen. Praise God!
Thank you for this wonderful testimony of Jesus and His amazing grace! God bless you!
Ezekiel 36 -24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. 25I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Welcome to the family :)
Thank you!
Amazing testimony brother! I myself have studied many many different religions and philosophies, but I know deep in my heart that Jesus is the truth. It’s seems that every time I get close to giving my life to the Lord something pulls me away or distracts me and I have to start all over again almost like a loop or vicious circle. I feel I truly need to be baptized, and rid my life of these ugly sins...it’s exhausting
I do b think it's essential too get baptized. Might help in your in problem. Jesus says " if anyone acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before my heavenly father" baptism is the public acknowledgement of Jesus as lord. Also Romans 10 says if you confess with your mouth that n Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved, for be it's with your heart that you believe and are justified and with your mouth that you confess and are saved'". - " repent and be baptized, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit". Acts 2:38. . I think we need to rely ultimately on god's word, which says that there is salvation in and through Jesus alone, and that apart from this way the only end for us is eternal destruction ( Matthew 7:13). This includes all other religions and " spiritual paths". If you're not fully convinced of this it'll be hard to make that step of commitment. Do you feel certain that this is the truth?
Have you given your life to Jesus yet? 🙏
This is such an amazing testimony, may God continually bless you.
I really resonate with your story, mine has been the same. My husband is Muslim and I had the same experience with crying under conviction. Here asked why but I didn't have the best words then. Please pray for God to work in my marriage because being unequally yoked is miserable.
I will. Stay strong in the lord.
Ah yes! I totally relate to everything you’ve said it’s really so amazing how we just don’t even realize how much we’re disconnecting when we think we’re on this path of ascension.
Yes, disconnecting from yourself! Not surprising it doesn't work in the end. It's not having a self that's the problem, like Eastern religions teach. It's yourself being a rebel against God and into what's sinful. "The human heart is above all things deceptive and incurably sick. Who can understand it'? Jeremiah 17:9
Great Testimony! I have friends that actively refuse Jesus, so it's so good to hear your testimony. I pray for them and love them. I pray that they too will eventually accept Jesus into their hearts. Thank you for sharing!
This is a beautiful, touching testimony, thank you for sharing, I’m you’re 61st subscriber, from Aussie. Please make more videos, this was so inspiring 🙏🏻
Hi down under! I'm working on a few. What do you think is an important topic for a vid?
I thank God for your life🙏
We need to pray for the salvation of every person on the planet. God is willing for none to perish. We also need to pray that God will speed up the saintification of His children and that we all will be walking out our callings. That God will turn us into a spiritual army and that we all will reach a new level in Him.
Thank you for sharing your story. I too have spent many years involved New Age teaching. Many of the names, books and organisations you mention I know very well. I was always looking for a new teaching or technique that would help me. Now I know Jesus I see how empty they all were. - Heathet
It's amazing one day something can seem profound and spiritual and after the light of Christ shines on you, you see it's just empty! Love it! Immediately after I was saved I saw the foolishness of trying to mess about with the way your brain and body function and thinking it'll lead to truth or God. I have friends who are into techniques, it's frustrating when they won't listen. I didn't though for years.
Did you ever visit findhorn?
@@jonathanlr4167 No. I always wanted to but never made it. Although I am English I have lived in New Zealand nearly all of my life and been involved in New Age things over here. Back in the mid 80s there was a One Earth Gathering in NZ that my mum went to. That was when we became involved. Now I have realised the truth of Jesus all the new age teachings look empty and hollow. Hope you are have a blessed day. - Heather
@@helpfulhabits5217 you too, God bless.
I would love to ask you a question, but not in a public forum. I have had a similar journey, but there is an experience that I would like your views on.
God bless you, Jonathan!
I keep watching those testimonys of people that felt like i do nowadays, but i still don't feel that change from god that you all talk about, i pray and i pray and i pray, and nothing happens, please pray for me, because i am almost giving up, i think Jesus does not want me.
I Will pray for you. Do you believe Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins and rose again so you can have eternal life? This gift is for you, just believe it. It is for all.
John 6:37 and 40
Thank you Jonathan!!
@@pedroab100 i don't know if you go to church. it's important to be be part of a Bible believing spirit filled Christ centered church. The holy spirit is there in the fellowship of believers. It is where we can be strengthened and renewed by the spirit. As well as having time alone with god. I am sure god will answer your prayers. Matthew7:7-11
prayers. Matthew7:7-11
Jesus does want you..that voice you hear is not from him
Thank you, I hear the phrase all roads lead to the same god so much, in every walk of life now Buddhist & Hindu ideas & themes are spoken about and practiced and its all so acceptable & cool but as soon as Jesus is mentioned it has a strange effect, you can feel the atmosphere change the , truth fills the vacum, your testimony bears witness to the futility of New age thinking, but it is everywhere in the air around us, isn't the devil the prince of the air
Absolutely! All roads are equal is the new orthodoxy and biblical truth the new heresy . More important now than ever for the body of Christ to speak the truth of the gospel. By staying quiet we allow this deception to grow unchallenged. I feel convicted to do more...
What a beautiful story, I can so relate 🙏🏼
Very nice. Thank you for posting!
Thank you. God bless you.
Thanks for sharing the testimony Jonathan
that testimony is beautiful !!!
Great testimony brother . Nice to hear from a fellow Brit !
All glory to God.thanks for sharing your testimony.
God bless you brother for sharing the truth. Love you in Christ Jesus.
Beautiful testimony. Thank you.
Thank you sharing your testimony .
Thank you for your testimony!
This is so sad but God is so merciful and kind
Brother Jonathan I am so happy for you that Jesus has chosen you to be child of God. Welcome home
Jonathan please please pray for my husband john who has left myself and our severely autistic son last December and is involved in Buddhism and new age teachings and now Hinduism its scary he is being so decieved it's unbearable watching the man i love being decieved by the devil.
Will do. Was he a Christian?
Is it possible to send him some links to spiritual deception? Would he look at them? Does he know anything about this from a Christian perspective?
@@jonathanlr4167 yes Jonathan he was a Christian but went away from the lord 20 year's ago. Jonathan my heart is broken 😥
@@shereenesbitt777that must be extremely tough for you. I'll pray he comes to his senses.
@@shereenesbitt777 the doctrines are so seductive, when they come in the name of Christ it' s just too much. There needs to be more awareness of this in the church. One church in my town is advertising Christian meditation. When you look at the promo talk, it's just zen doctrine mixed with Hindu mantra chanting. Nothing Christian about it at all. A church of Scotland minister is leading Christians into pure heresy! I'm planning making some videos about this, new age teachings need to be exposed by the word of God.
Hi Jonathan, thank you for the powerful testimony. I have been saved recently (11/20) at 46 y/o after decades of self help and new age entanglements. The love and forgiveness felt and feels (the sensation comes and goes) so real. J gave it all to the Lord, I really did. Someone in my Church pointed out that most new Christians become so in their early twenties, and that older folks have a more difficult process. I really felt saved. How old were you when you found Christ? Thank you (your grey beard gives you away 😉)
I was 40. I read the other day a stats table about the ages people get born again. There highest percentage is in the 20's and it goes rapidly down with each decade. Getting saved in your 70's is extremely rare. Still holding out hope for my dad though. Thanks for replying, God bless you in your walk with him.
@@jonathanlr4167 thanks for replying. Sometimes we need some assurance. Scrolling through the Testimonials, and most were so young! Thank the Lord he found me. God bless you as well on your walk with The Lord, Brother.
I started crying too when I went I think that is when holy spirit seed gets planted and sprouting and growing and that happened 5 years ago and I'm no longer the same I gradually come closer and then I have a human moment and play music or argue
Great testimony brother. I should forward this to my uncle who is deeply in the new age
I made a playlist of my favourite new age to Jesus testimonies.powerful evidence. Maybe you could forward it to your uncle. It's on my channel, titled "the second and final awakening "(I think) thanks for your comment
@@jonathanlr4167 - Thank you brother. I'll take a look
Thank you for your testimony, which is very similar to mine. Non-duality - being "life itself, lifeing" was the ultimate in PRIDE! I thought I no longer was a separate "me" and there was no where to go, and the emptiness of it was a counterfeit, dead, delusional, "peace" but in no way anything like the true peace of everlasting life given as a free gift by Jesus Christ our Lord! He is, indeed, the only way to the Father! And yes, the God in the Bible, particularly the King James Bible, is our creator, God Almighty! Thanks again for this powerful testimony!
Great to hear from you and to hear someone else has been through the same journey - thanks . I totally agree -the non dualism "way" is totally empty - without the true life that comes from, - -that IS Christ!
It is only through Jesus that you can receive repentance and salvation. You will become a new creation. You will be set free from your past.
I loved when you talked about seeing the tree and how it was a whole new life. It is such a beautiful experience being born again. The greatest gift God can ever give. God bless you brother, I will see you one day:)
Whenever i meditated i felt dead emotionally and spiriitually until one day i decided to empty my mind them fill myself with the spirit instead and for the first time ever i smiled and started to cry and felt whole. This happened after i saw witchs explaing choosing a diety, but saying the diety chooses you. After i asked the universe for a diety to worship the one to show up was infact Jesus and YHVH in a book about quabalic magic. I had a similar story to yours
Thank you for sharing your testimony. Praise God! 🙏
Praise God 💙🙏🏼
Amazing testimony
Great testimony man, thanks. Stay blessed.
Great testimony!!Welcome to the truth!
Glory to God! He is so good!
Thank you for this.. I'm going through something similar right now.. utter meaninglessness.
Thanks for your reply. I'll be putting up another video soon about new spirituality and Jesus and why I think the path of detachment, mysticism and meditation just leads to a spiritual void. God bless.
I really enjoyed your testimony .may GOD bless you always
Love the testimony. Has some similarities to my experiences. There is bible study led by Dan Mohler (51 day for about 2.5 hours per day) - you can find it on TH-cam by searching HCSKL 2011 (HCSKL stands for "Harvest Chapel School of Kingdom Living"). I find it very helpful and wanted to share.
Edit: a word
Thanks, will check it out.
What a wonderful testimony. I personally believe that god may have been following god all along, and that in the end - you found him. Because I have certainly taken a different path in life that has led me to surrender to Jesus, and now Jesus/holy spirit is taking me along a path that is very alike the meditation proccess that you did that led you into darkness. The path of darkness and light seem to be very similar but end up in worlds apart. The path of darkness is a path of acceptance and letting go, an acceptance of self with sin and a defiled concience. The path of light seems to be the path of acceptance of forgivness of ones sin and the restoring of conscience through Jesus. In an esoterical sense. My 2 cents anyways.
Thanks for 2 your cents.. do you mean you're practicing some kind of meditation?
@@jonathanlr4167 My pleasure! Kind of.. By abiding in the holy spirit given by Jesus as much as possible. Also in wordless prayer that can last for 1 - 2 hours. And letting go of everything else but the holy spirit, and what you have left is pure spirit, pure life. I basically die to myself as often as I can, die to my world. I let go of it. Addictions, personal problems, thoughts, worldy things, you name it. But the more I do it the more sharp and light life gets. Just by letting go. I've literally done it when having the sun infront of me, seeing the sunlight get stronger and stronger and clearer for every heartbeat.
I was into meditation for a short while before being saved, and tried hinduism as well, and I that's where I found out the process, but then and there it did NOT have the same results.
@@AndrewFerrer3d Interesting. I couldn't say that I can seperate the holy spirit from Jesus. ( the SPirit's job is to testify to/reveal him - John 15))the closest I get to anything like that is sometimes I just say his name a lot , or think quietly of him, like an inner gaze on him , but my heart is set on Jesus. Without my mind being involved, like with a blank empty mind, there's no connection for me. What is the Holy SPirit? he is Jesus in us. Eckhart Tolle talks about a "vast inner spaciousness that you can experience through stillness. I used to experience this sometimes in my old life and practices, one time it was so powerful, I was lying in bed with close eyes, floating deliciously in a vast peace filled space . Suddenly a vision appeared , like I was seeing with my eyes open in super real 3D right in front of my face, I was able to study the image in detail - it was the head of a deadly snake! For this and many other scriptural/ personal experience reasons I am very suspicious of relinquishing my conscious mind in the way i used to. I wish you well on your path, if it ever leads places that contradict scripture I'd advise caution.
On a further note, I do actually think that Jesus and the Holy spirit are somewhat separable. The fruits of the holy spirit are not graspable and render only to ones experience, however, all of which Jesus is seems to be graspable, as he is the personification of god. The graspable image of god. This verse from John 16:5-16 came to mind after my message; “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
My thoughts anyways.
@@AndrewFerrer3d. I understand the fruits of the spirit in the light of Galatians 5:22, love peace, joy , patience, self control, gentleness, kindness etc. I think Paul's referring not so much to a subjective experience but sanctification and outward character transformation being the "evidence" of the Spirit in us. So you could say the working of the SPirit is made tangible by our growing in these traits ( frustratingly slowly it seems at times!)Because of my new age past, personally I'm just wary of seeking or prioritising spiritual experience in and of itself. I'm not trying to invalidating your experience though, I appreciate your comments. . Of course there is a connection between whether we're manifesting these fruits and our subjective experience of Christ in the Holy Spirit. Like if I neglect to spend time with God in prayer and reading & meditating on the scriptures regularly , I start falling back into old negative patterns. We need to turn to God by the Spirit to having our minds renewed. Praise the Lord we can always do that and he will always be there pouring out living water! "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”…JOhn 7:37
Thank you, Jonathan for your moving testimony. It's funny, I came across a book on the origins of Findhorn just yesterday & was wondering what to think of all that. Decades ago, when I felt mangled by the 'heavy shepherding' of the church I'd had to leave, but then felt lost in a no-man's land - coming across a book by Eileen Caddy totally restored my faith & bridged the gap. For a long time I managed to keep my faith & develop a closer relationship with Jesus; then - ah, well, the long slow slide into new-agey stuff, until Now - when I can see how dangerous and deceptive it all is. But, yesterday - I wondered about Eileen and Findhorn again - and lo! I came across your video precisely by typing in New Age to Christianity - what to believe. I'm having to review so much old material/ ways of thinking. Did you stay at Findhorn? Did it become incompatitble? I'd so love to know. Thank you. Blessings to you & your family
I stayed for a year after coming to faith. I moved out because of getting married. I wouldn't have minded staying because people need to hear about Jesus. I met Eileen caddy, she was a very nice lady. Buy Jesus says about false teachers that we'll know them by their fruit. When Eileen first started hearing the voice she thought she was going mad. The voice that claimed to be god persuaded her to leave her husband and family to go off with another man - Peter caddy. This is how findhorn community started. Good would never command someone to commit adultery. If you measure everything by god's word and the boundary lines come v clear. Thanks for your reply, how do you feel now about Jesus and New age after your experiences?
Great! xx
Oops! Did I delete our conversation or did you? I'm not very technical you see!! Yes, I lived in findhorn for about 2 years. I didn't know Jesus then, but I do now! He truly is 'the way, the truth and the life!' May God bless your ministry, I really appreciate your clarity. I can relate to so many of your experiences. I followed non duality teachings, Zen Buddhism, and Osho in the past, but now, only JESUS CHRIST. Hallelujah!
Thank you for your testimony brother...love u.
#teamJesus💖 #SavedbyGrace #LostnFound
My son is where you were, thank you for sharing. God bless brother in Christ!
Hi Bernie. If you don't mind me asking, is there a particular thing/teaching your son is into? Is he open to talking to you about spirituality?
@@jonathanlr4167 he is into lucid dreaming, alittle bit of Taoism, Buddhism, healing arts. He reads all the time, on so many different subjective subjects. He travels and works on his art and organic farming. I have been praying for freedom and his spiritual eye's open. He still believes in prayer, when he's having down times he reaches put for me to pray for him. I know he is deep into spirituality, when i feel him thinking of me or the Lord will wake me up to interceede for him. How else can i reach him? Any suggestions? Thank you
@@networkbernie4715 Network Bernie Hi, thanks. there's a young man called Steven Bancarz who is a fomer New age teacher who came to Christ. He's now really committed to communicating the gospel to people with a new age type background and the like, presenting apologetics to compare and refute the teachings of new spirituality with scripture. He is extremely gifted at it. His website is " reasons for Jesus" - tons of video and other material dealing with every topic you can think of. very clear & thorough. there's also some very good interviews with him on you tube worth viewing.
His testimony is also on youtube which is very compelling. I think maybe your son would like him. God bless
reasonsforjesus.com/category/world-religions/new-age/page/3/
th-cam.com/video/V5qto5o0s_k/w-d-xo.html
@@jonathanlr4167 thank you, 😃
I was new ager more then 20 years. I always belived in the Father, and Jesus, but did not understand that Jesus is the only way. I liked budism, gnosticism, had a guru, meditation, yoga, tarot, angels, numerology, was a healer and so on. I always known the story about Lucifer and it's funny that I never noticed that new age I am god statment is the same lie lucifer told Eve. My eyes opend when I stumbeld on a youtube video luciferian doctrin. I was shocked when I realised that my way of acting and thinking is in fact luciferian. Tjey say they are not satanist but this is satans principle "do what you want" "my will over God's will. Then I read article about Anton Levay father of satanic church and he said that he is angry that new age took everything from satanist!!! Also Helena Blavatsky was the mother of new age movment and full blown luciferian. My analysis took me far and I was done with all new age stuff. Maybe If he likes to read like I do, he will want to read this things and come to Jesus. God bless you. I will pray for your son. 🙏
So many people discover Jesus after they have tried all the religious paths, and say Christianity is the only true religion - and myself including: Buddhism, astrology and other stuff and then Christianity. I even know one person who so wanted to know the truth and felt so exhausted after his religious search [and some other negative things happening in his life] that he was about to suicide, but was calling for God with all heart and he said that a fire collumn appreared to him with a voice (like in the Bible) and his life changed for all times. Also, I heard from someone else who was visited by a speaking fire (Jesus).
How did you get back an internal dialogue and a sense of meaning I’m struggling with the same exact thing
Only by being born again. It completely changes you. Do you believe in Jesus?
Sorry if my reply was abrupt or made no sense. I lost my sense of meaning through a long process of searching for truth. I got to the point where it just became so very clear to me that there was absolutely nothing I could do to change either my outer circumstances of my inner reality - my personality, behaviours, responses and my basic feeling I always had of not being connected to life. I had nowhere left to go - I was in a place where my self had to be ended and I had to start again with a new one. I didn't know this was possible but it is. This is what the Holy Spirit does, makes you new again. The old feelings of emptiness disappear and everything is made new and filled with meaning but it's a meaning and a life that you didn't know existed. All this happens through Jesus. Hope that makes some sense
@29:40 You got baptized in the Hot Tub !!!!
Act 2:38 with bubbles
Brilliant , .... Im jealous.
Happy For Ya Both : )
Please help me I am so deep into that nonduality that you speak of sometimes I dont know what is real. I have a baby to take care of please. Is there a way I can talk with you? I am so disconnected from reality I don't know how my mind can heal. I know that hopeless feeling that eternal despair. Please help me.
Please seek Jesus Christ, he can help you, he can heal you, and turn darkness into light. he is the way -The only way. The way to do this is to ask. Find some time alone and speak to God your Father or to Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if you don't believe or not sure if they are real. You just come as you are, say exactly what is true for you, how you feel, and what you need , just like you are to me. YOu can say, "God , I have no idea if you're real or exist but if you do , please show me, please help me and tell him exactly what is in your heart. It's important to speak this out loud, not just in your head. The only thing God needs from you is your honesty. The reason God brought me out of the darkness I was in was because I called out to Jesus to save me. This is his promise: "for everyone who calls on the NAME OF THE LORD will be saved" (Romans 10:13). There are 2 more things you can do - read the Gospels. Make sure you read John's gospel, especially chapter 6 , also Matthew. Say a prayer before and ask God to give you understanding of what you read. The other thing is to find some genuine born again Christians where you are and ask for their help and tell them what's going on. The place to find them is Church - not surprisingly! But there are churches too where you will not find or hear too much of what really counts or spirit filled people. Ask God to lead you to the right place. I will pray for you. GOd bless, you , you are doing the right thing in calling out for help. I f you have any questions, please ask. I will give you any help I can. The Lord bless you and keep you, The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.
"
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Jesus - Luke 10:27-30)
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7 :37)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened".(Matthew 7:7)
Jonathan LR Your testimony is so encouraging. I’ve been praying for a friend who’s on a journey that sounds so much like yours. I’ve been educating myself by reading the Bible, Christian philosophers and historians in the hopes that I can be ready to answer hard questions and know how to share the gospel. My friends in new age culture all seem to rotate thru a series of spiritual experiences all in an effort to reach some higher self and it grieves my heart. I feel called to pray for each of them everyday and so I do. Listening to your story has just encouraged me so much to keep on praying and trusting God to bring them out of darkness.
I’ve been on a protracted spiritual quest away from nonduality since the 80s (had no term for it.) I finally asked Jesus for help. I’ve been reading the chronological bible and watching Doreen Virtue’s (New Age author now Christian -Baptist ) encouragement and support videos on Vimeo. There are probably others as well. They’ve helped with understanding what I’m reading and keeping things organized. I’ve also started going to a small humble brethren church near me. Blessings to you.
God Loves you very much and hr longs to have a relationship with you. Rreach out to him and read his word.
@@klagomorgan7804 It's hard to have the desire to share Christ with those in the new age, there are so many doctrinal strongholds - frustrating at times!. There is an excellent book that addresses how to share the Gospel with new agers, from a former new age teacher. Great apologetics answers for all the typical issues and objections: It's called " the second coming of the new age" by Steven Bancarz. His online ministry is dedicated to this, it's very valuable. God bless! & thanks for responding
Only partway through...it is clear your dreams meant you were NOT finding true knowledge!! Emptiness only...God is good to speak to us through dreams. Wow.
Ahhhh...if you had the gospel preached to you before, you had the seed of the gospel in you...your spirit man knew to call to HIM, even if your flesh did not. Have you ever read what Job 33 has to say about dreams? It is incredible!
How do you know if you've been born again? How do you know if you have heard his voice? I'm pretty sure I have but maybe it was something else in the spiritual realm....
He speaks through his word - the Bible. Either by reading the Bible or hearing it preached by someone who genuinely believes and understands it. Have you read the new testament? It's all truth but I could suggest some particular bits to read if you like.
@@jonathanlr4167 I would love that thank you.
@@kristimacleod6174 hi. the whole Bible is true and it's all good , but to start with I'd recommend:
gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew; Luke 24 and book of Acts.
1 Corinthians chapter 15: verses 1-11;
Galatians Ch 1
2 Corinthians (different book from 1Corinthians)4:1-6 and 5:11-21
Collossians 1 - 2:15;
Romans 1:16-32; 3:9-28; & chapters 5. 8 and 10:6-13
Ephesians 1, 2 &3;
Hebrews 1,2,9:11-28 and 10:1-18;
1 Peter 1; 1,2
and 3 John;
Revelation chapters 1,4,5, 19, 21 &22. God bless!
@@jonathanlr4167 thank you!
I think your experience is beautiful. It is just such a shame to me that these kinds of experiences are directly interwoven with intolerant fundamentalism. The price one pays to be saved seems to be the inability to see the goodness in any other walk of faith or Spiritual practice. Its very fascinating but it is also quite dangerous. What a bizare world we live in.
Thanks for you reply. By fundamentalism, do you mean the belief that there is only one way to God and that way is Jesus Christ? IN John 18:37 he says - " for this reason I was born and came into the world - to testify to truth, everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me". Any one who listens to Jesus, trusts him and believes him must be a fundamentalist. because Jesus himself teaches clearly in many places in the New testament that there is no way to know God or to be saved except by through (faith in ) him. The apostles also teach this. For me - I have both Jesus word, and also my own experience that convince me that this is the truth. There is some misunderstanding about this - people often think "fundamentalism" in Christianity is something that "the church" through history has kind of invented. Actually The ONLY REASON born again Christians are fundamentalist is because they believe and follow the teaching of Jesus. You could say that if there is a problem with fundamentalism, the problem lies with Jesus he was a fundamentalist and so were the apostles - if you believe the scriptures. I know this is impossible for people to accept. It was impossible for me too until I came to know Christ personally. Fundamentalism has become a dirty word , but for me it's an uncompromising faith and trust in what Jesus says.
@@jonathanlr4167 yes that's exactly what I mean by fundamentalism. And exactly what I mean by interwoven. It seems that part and parcel of the born again experience is the conviction of it being the one true faith and adopting a literal interpretation of the bible. Yet it is precisely this conviction that has lead to staggering atrocities comitted in the name of Christ. They May not be happening as prevelently these days but they have happened, there are still horrid things happening and the potential for more to occur is certainly always there. Which is why it appears to me that one of Christianitiy's most profound miracles is also its most dangerous symptom.
@@lioneye108 what things in the Bible do you feel that born again Christians take literally that shouldn't be taken literally?
I don't think you need to be worried about this as a danger, - the people who perpetrated the crusades, Spanish inquisition , the burning and torturing of people etc. were not born again. There's no way they would do these things if they were - Jesus commanded his followers to "love your enemies, bless those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you". The bloody history of the Roman Catholic church isn't because they took the BIble's teachings literally, it's because they entirely departed from it's central teaching about salvation. The Gospel message had over the course of a millennia, been lost by the RC Church establishment. That's what the reformation was about , people like Luther re-discovered the gospel message, and challenged the Papacy's false teaching and hypocritical behaviour. Born again believers like Luther were top of the RC church's hit list. People like Wycliffe were burned for translating the Bible into English so people could read it for themselves and come into a personal relationship with God .
You say horrid things are still happening now . I'm not aware of this, what are you referring to ?
@@jonathanlr4167 Its not hard to find if you do a Google search, the list of fundamentalist evangelist Christians who have committed acts of terror in the name of Jesus. You May feel that this is not your experience of salvation. However the doctrine which you espouse is inherently intolerant of All other faiths. This by virtue of its dogma unavoidably sews the seeds for such acts. Its very easy to brush aside these things and say "oh well they weren't really Christian" or "they weren't 'saved'" but you don't know that - they committed these acts in the name of your Lord. And so I will Even Grant you that the catholics were not Christians in the way you experience Christ but you cannot absolve yourself of the responsibility or accountability of the terrorism associated with your own church of thought. If you do then you can never point the finger at any islamic terrorist and place the responsibility on the church of Islam as it is hypocrasy. I don't know if you personally have done this but many born again Christians do just that. I am not muslim I'm just using it as an example. I think its Great you found a way through your dark night of the soul. But the New found fervour for intolerant dogma I see as a dangerous cost. Its as if in absolving the weight of ones own shadow it gets cast as a projection onto all others who do not exist within your New paradigm. In terms of personal experience - No matter how profound or life transforming, one must tread with caution as there are always a thousand more 'personal experiences' that directly contradict it in narrative substance.
I,ll check out what you're saying. I can't remember ever hearing on the news of someone claiming to be an evangelical Christian committing a terrorist act in the name of Christ or god. I certainly would remember that, at least for the last 10 years of being Christian. So you believe that all religions are the same essence and equally valid?
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
When the sun shall be turned d to darkness and d the moon into blood that is the sign Fourth Seal events have concluded to move forward to the single day events of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Seals.
At the Fifth Seal they will say, “Peace and safety. At the Sixth Sea; the great and notable day, the day of Jesus Christ, is come.
How do you know when you are born again?
You know deep down that the true God is the God of the Bible alone and that Jesus is the Christ, that he's real and lives, that you are a sinner in need of god's mercy and God has called you to believe. That's the side of repentance, then things just change inside you without you doing anything. Worldly or sinful Things you once loved don't attract you the same way any more. You start loving the things of God- reading the Bible, fellowship with other believers, worship etc. You just love it. Jesus says the role of the holy spirit is to bring glory to him so when you receive the spirit through being born again, you want to bring glory to Jesus. Have you experienced something and are unsure?
And there is an experience of new life and inner peace and joy, although I think the intensity of this can vary between individuals.
@@jonathanlr4167 I've been following a lot of new agers for a few years but for some reason, just now fell upon testimonies like yours and I think I am transitioning! Funny thing is that I didn't even know I was a into that group, when you are in it, you just don't realize
@@thelambofgod8027 that's really good news. It's about knowing him for yourself, one to one. not about religion, philosophy, not externals, not even theology . Just you and Jesus Christ, being born again by the Spirit is something that happens between you and your heavenly father in the depths of your heart. Has this happened yet for you?
@@jonathanlr4167 I'm still following some new agers on youtube, but opening myself slowly to christinity, I'm still curious about their ascension and their whole made up movie - I'm obsessed by it because of the current world events and I have been stocked on ufo sightings etc. It's like if I needed my fix on what's going on.
Great testimony! I was wondering. At what point after the weird Tony Parson's thing did you return to a normal experience of life? Was it the night of the dream when you called to Jesus? Or had it sort of wore off before then? Or was it not until you started going to church? Just curious to know what it was that got you back to your normal self and allowed you to form thoughts again?
HI , The Tony Parsons "experience" took about 3 days to wear off although I had sort of flashbacks for weeks afterwards. I guess I started having normal thoughts again the following day but was in and out of that state. It was 2 years afterwards before I had the dream about Jesus. During that 2 years I was still seeking non duality by passively observing my thought and emotional life. So I was functioning and thinking normally normally but had became emotionally empty like I couldn't identify with feelings because absolutely nothing had any meaning at all any more. The day all that ended and I was made new was the morning I went to Church and heard and believed the Gospel and was born again. I didn't go back to how I was before Tony Parsons though. I was made new at age 40 , like a total spiritual re-boot, the Bible calls it being made a new creation - being born again. It wasn't like things were Ok before I got into non duality practices. I believe that even if I had never got into spiritual practices and had gone a different road in life, I would have got to this point of emptiness and hopelessness anyway and been found by Jesus. The problem wasn't meditation really , the problem was me. I believe that meditation and non duality are offered as a way to spirituality, peace and knowledge of God. My experience is that this is false and deceptive and directs people like myself away from and blinds them to the true source of spiritual life - Jesus Christ.
@@jonathanlr4167 Interesting. Thanks! I would agree that all this Eastern stuff makes a lot of promises it doesn't deliver on. You seem to be describing just a state of dissociation, rather than the unending bliss that is promised. It's totally irresponsible for these Buddhists to play with people's psychology, not knowing at all what they are doing. So glad you're back with us! Thanks for your testimonies.
@@keenanhooper6094 Thanks! Keenan Hooper One of the difficulties trying to talk to people about this is that through meditation techniques you can experience real altered states of consciousness which can feel really powerful and mind blowing while they last. But they don't change your heart - you just come back to the same sinful nature unchanged. So it leads to a constant seeking of transcendent spiritual experience. This is a kind of escapism that leads eventually to disassociation from normal life and personhood. It has nothing to with God but because these states are so powerful , people having them assume it does. developmental psychologists say that in infancy a child's perception makes no distinction between itself and the world outside. I wonder if the mystical type experience of "merging into oneness with everything" is simply flipping into an infantile pre-thought state of perception in which we all lived in before we learned language. The memory of it is there in our brains somewhere. This makes sense because these spiritual techniques are all about stopping one's internal dialogue. That's just my own take on it.
@@jonathanlr4167 check out this presentation th-cam.com/video/YveT0AyIx-8/w-d-xo.html
The Bible declares there is only one way to the Father all other practices lead to the wrong destination the end thereof is eternal damnation with the author of lies satan
Well, we have a lot near death experience testimonies, I don't know what the New Age mean, but ppl who don't know each other tell the stories about light they meet, what which call God here is so limitless, and ppl after NDE do not choose Christianity, or Islam, or Judaism, because it's impossible explained utterly another realm, where they were to books, to words, or whatever. So..
What're your feelings on Christian mysticism? Have you read any works from the monastics throughout church history? Some of the greatest church fathers and theologians were Mystics - St Augustine for example
I haven't read much Catholic mysticism. A bit of Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich. Not sure what to think. what I've seen of modern contemplative prayer teaching is that it's just eastern meditation techniques re-packaged in Christian terms which I am very suspicious of. From the little I know (so maybe I'm wrong) it seems that mystical monks' writings have something in common, they don't mention the Gospel much, if at all. I read "Practicing the Presence of GOd" by brother Lawrence and found the basic premise inspiring but also found it odd that he doesn't mention Jesus really at all. Any kind of Christianity that talks about God in abstract personal experience based terms and which isn't centred on the Gospel I feel is potentially suspect. Jesus didn't teach his followers to retire into monasteries and live a secluded contemplative life like Therevada Buddhists. He told them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel and love people. Some things I've read left me with the feeling that Jesus was an irrelevance and we have no need for his death on the cross at all. I didn't know Augustine was a mystic, although I have read confessions. What makes a Christian "mystical" ? Bit confused about the term really. Is it having personal supernatural revelations. What's your opinion?
Jonathan LR To me mysticism is essentially direct experience of God - mainly through inward awareness.
It's an interesting and tricky subject. I feel that looking within and growing a sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit is essential.
I come from a new age background, studied shamanism and eastern paths as well as nonsensical new age nonsense, and had a series of demonic encounters and Holy Spirit encounters which led be to Jesus.
It's funny, when I first became a Christian I completely wrote off everything I had ever learned as demonic, and became super dogmatic and bible bashing, and overtime noticed my fruit was rotten, even though my intention was to spread truth.
So as I've stated to read the bible myself, instead of following man's interpretation of it, I've found that a lot of the mystical experiences and lessons I've gained thereof are all over scripture.
One time I was holding my bible and heard "Deuteronomy 12", in which the Lord tells the Israelites to stop DOING what they think is right for they had not yet entered the RESTING PLACE and INHERITANCE He has for them.
What a heart warming verse. To me it confirmed, what I've found to be true, is as we learn to cultivate a faithful, surrendered, but righteous atmosphere within, everything flows from there. From our inner beingness and rest, flows our doing, and a natural inclination for righteousness.
Or Psalm 4:4, "meditate in your heart upon your bed".
Or the fact that Jesus says the kingdom of God is within us, which He said to the Pharisees!!!
And I agree, you do often find a lack of the gospel in mystical writing, but more of a reverence for the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Though this can seem offensive or as a red flag, I think it's necessary, because, there's so many people walking around whom have given their life to Jesus and recognize what He did for us, but they're complete messes on the inside because there's no inner awareness.
Jesus told us we'd be PERFECT as our Heavenly Father is. I think there's a lot we don't understand.
With that said, earlier I was reading writings by Catherine of Siena, more mystically oriented, but very focused on the blood of Jesus.
Have you ever heard of the book "Devotional Classics" by Richard J Foster? It's a seminary staple.
It has writings from evangelicals, charismatics, Mystics, etc. it's a beautiful balance of the whole thing.
Any how, thanks for your reply.
Would love to chat sometime! Feel free to add me on Facebook: Christian Padron (you can see my face in my testimony video)
Be blessed! ✝
@@LoveAlreadyWon thanks. I can relate to what you're saying. I like this literal translation of Hebrews 11.1: "now faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen". "Substantiation" = something being made real/substantial....We all depend on the relationship we have with our lord from day to day as a real living experience which depends on us turning to the spirit through prayer, thinking about the things of God and reading the Bible, and also anointed teaching through other Christians. I get your point that for some Christians there may be more of a head only knowledge of God which isn't going to yield the peace that comes from God. I sometimes can fall into this if I neglect to have time for that personal inner relationship. I guess where I feel very unclear is in referring to this experience of Christ as mysticism. I agree it's complicated issue. New age and Eastern mysticism teach that direct knowledge of God resides and must reside beyond words, thought and belief. So specific religious beliefs are seen as something we must go beyond, even as being limiting or enslaving. This I feel contradicts and is a denial of the truth. Because our inner experience of the truth of Christ depends on faith (in him and the gospel) and this faith depends on the promises of God revealed only in god's word. Our salvation is by believing the gospel which is a very specific message. It is a definite belief in which we have to stand and continue . My wariness of Christian mysticism is that it may subtly lead away from centrality of faith in the gospel into the territory of universalist mysticism. People may be drawn to seeking special transcendental experiences and believing that the gospel isn't really important or even true and no longer believing in the literal meaning of scripture concerning salvation. This seems like a road that can end up in full blown gnosticism which is luciferic.
@@LoveAlreadyWon thanks for the book recommendation and your Facebook address. It would be great to chat more. Grace and peace to you brother.!
@@Unfoldedwarrior it depends what you mean by mysticism. If you mean what new age believers and pantheistic religions mean by it, I totally agree with what you're saying. Got to say this is very confusing and potentially deceptive area. I listened b to one teacher explaining and endorsing Christian mysticism. He was universalist, which means he basically doesn't believe the gospel by which alone we can be saved.
I’m a Christian but I have a question id love if you could answer if you have the time
Sure, of course. What's the question?
Jonathan LR I feel deeply in my heart that Jesus is the answer and the truth or else I wouldn’t watch these videos every single day and keep seeking him. I just feel like I’m very scared to give my whole life completely to him because I think I’ll lose myself. I’m 22 and still figuring out what I want to do with my life. My parents are sort of anti religious and think Jesus was just some dude who was cool a couple thousand years ago but nothing more than that. So it’s hard to give my life to someone when I have to worship in private or feel like I can’t mention his name to the people around me. The fact that I never can be single and always distracted by boys I know are wrong for me could also be an issue too. Ugh
Wow I got off topic that wasn’t even my question! Lol okay here it is: just hypothetical-
Do you think that everyone who traveled down the path of the new age actually found the truth.. that the world is a scary and sad place and actually IS meaningless and then our last resort is to cling to the thing that makes us most comfortable/hopeful, which is the belief in Jesus?
I don’t think that’s necessarily true because I have the same experiences that you have had; I had a dream that a tsunami was coming and at the last second I screamed “Jesus Christ!”, in a way of saying HELP ME. and I also just cry and cry whenever I worship or feel Him.
Anyway, sorry that was a lot and I appreciate your willingness to answer. Hopefully I got my question across correctly.
😊
@@HannahBirzes Thanks. I'd say there's zero chance that life is meaningless and Christians are clinging to a delusion that gives them comfort. For so many people who got born again, Jesus is not the thing that they felt most comfortable with. Just the opposite - Christ and Christianity was the very last thing they wanted to believe - atheists, Muslims , Jews , even Satanists. Yet at a point in their lives , they encountered Jesus through the spirit and have no choice but to believe. This proves that their conviction that Jesus Christ is real comes supernaturally from outside them and not from their own minds. This doesn't happen in any other religion. I think the Tsunami dream is a clear picture of spiritual truth. And your crying is the true voice of your heart. Trust your heart - I have no doubt it's telling you that he is your Lord and that's why you feel the way you do. YOu won't lose yourself, you'll find yourself! If you choose a life without him as Lord , THEN you'll lose yourself: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25)……"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?". (Luke 9:25)
Don't worry about your circumstances with your family or about the boy thing. He'll take care of it. You won't feel the way you think you will. Everything is transformed completely. Praise God - he's awesome! Do you have any genuine Christian friends or acquaintances?
Jonathan LR wow. Just wow. That Matthew verse... amazing. Thank you. I SO agree! With my heart! :)
I do belong to a women’s bible study at my church and have a friend from there who is the same age as me which should be helpful but I sometimes get resentful towards them because I feel like I’m not fully at their level (they’re mostly age 30+) and I just worry the whole time I am there and am self conscious. So I sometimes don’t go. Then I worry about not going. It’s a whole issue lol.
Sunday church services are a different thing.. I feel super connected during them and thankful and praise Him in a very connected way. But my (now) ex boyfriend goes to the same church, he started going there years before I did, so I feel sort of weird about going now. But yes I do have good Christian people around me. I just sorta feel behind and like an outsider in that climate and feel as though my relationship with God is a very private thjng so to talk about it so openly is definitely super uncomfortable especially because I am a little bit ignorant to some of the history of the Bible and they just talk about it like it’s super factual. Does that make sense?
@@HannahBirzes
Thanks. I think there is zero chance that Christians are just clinging to a delusion that gives them comfort. The testimony of countless people who got born again is that before they believed, Christ and Christianity wasn't something that they felt comfortable with, but just the opposite - it was the very last thing they wanted to believe: Muslims , atheists, Jews , even Satanists. This proves that their conviction that Jesus is real didn't come from their own mind but from outside them.
I the Tsunami was a clear picture of spiritual truth. And your crying is your heart speaking truth to you. It's the same for me. Trust that feeling, it's truth. YOU won't lose yourself , you'll find yourself. If you choose a life without Jesus as Lord - THEN you'll lose yourself:
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” - (Matthew 16:25)
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” - (Luke 9:25).
Don't worry about your circumstances with family , or about the boy thing. God will take care of it. You won't feel the way you think you will. Everything is completely transformed. It's awesome! Do you know any genuine born again Christians? it's a good idea to talk to someone and not be alone with this ( as long as they are genuine,) a lot of people identify as Christians but that doesn't mean they really have a personal relationship with the Lord? You can tell if they're for real because they'll want to share their faith with you.