Christian Yoga: Does it Really Exist?

 Christian Yoga sounds like an oxymoron to me. How can bitter and sweet flow from the same fountain? What does light have to do with darkness? The Bible tells us in Romans 12 not to conform to the ways of the world. Therefore it's not necessarily Godly just because everyone says it's O.K.. In fact it usually means the opposite for believers. God doesn't think like man, the book of Isaiah says that his thoughts are as high as the heavens are from the earth from our thoughts. We often see the world doing things and want to join in but we know that we can't do it exactly like them because God won't be pleased so we think of other ways to make it o.k.. Instead we put the name Christian on it and hand it to God and expect him to take it. Putting the name Christian on sin doesn't make it right, it just makes us look like hypocrites in the world eyes. This makes God disgusted. It's amazing to me that the world knows more about how we should be living than we do. Think of the story of Cain and Abel. They both gave sacrifices unto God but Cain sacrifice wasn't good. God told him that he knew the right thing to do and chose to do otherwise. He wanted to give God what he wanted instead of what God required. This is what Christian Yoga is, Trunk or Treat on Hallelujah Night instead of calling it Halloween, Easter and Christmas. The list goes on and on and God is not pleased with us conforming to the world. We continue to give God what we want instead of what he requires. Practicing Yoga opens the door for demonic possession because you're not on guard when you open your soul up to the spirit realm through the higher consciousness that Yoga promotes. Yoga is also Hinduism. Yoga isn't separate from Hinduism, it is Hinduism. Why would a Christian participate in a Hindu practice?

Yoga's History

Yoga begin as an ancient practice in India thousands of years ago. Yoga hasn't always been popular in the west. Yoga was for the Royals and scholarly class of India in the Middle Ages. It was taught to students and gurus with the passing of many tests. In recent history around 1950's religious leaders in India decided to open the door so that the common man and anyone who wanted could practice Yoga. Yoga is the union of body. mind, and spirit. There are 8 limbs of Yoga: Yama (attitudes towards the environment), Niyama (attitudes toward ourselves), Asana (physical postures) Pranayama (restraint of expansion of the breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) and Dharana (concentration). When Yoga is performed it encompasses these 8 limbs.

The Source of Yoga

According to Hindu Philosophy lord Shiva is the source of Yoga. Shiva is one of the gods in the Hindu triumvirate. The word Yoga means to "Yoke" or "bind" and is often translated as to "unite". With Yoga, you are taught to do poses or postures in the form of stretching while controlling your breathing to center your mind. These poses are usually named after gods, goddesses and animals. Yoga is connected to the Kundalini Spirit that can be awakened by a Guru. This spirit is nothing to play with. People have gone to the hospital because of vomiting, mental anguish, stomach pains, etc. The spirit world is real and Christians shouldn't be no where near this. The Kundalini Spirit is believed by the Hindu to be wrapped around your spine. Through meditation and breathing techniques you can awaken it and cause it to move until it reaches your pineal gland (third eye). Once you transcend you are able to leave your body, read minds, talk with spirit guides, etc. You may say this is just stretching. I haven't experienced this. This doesn't happen all at once. It takes a lot of meditation. Once you are centered you're able to commune with ungodly spirits that masquerade as angels of light. This is deception 101.

Mystic Meditation

Yoga comes from the school of mysticism. Yoga has a physical side and a spiritual side. Remember the 8 limbs and what they represent. With Yoga you are to bring your breathing under control as you position yourself in a pose. They teach you to bring your mind, body and spirit into unity. As you control your breathing and clear your mind to the point where your guards are down then you can reach the fullness of Yoga and awaken the Kundalini. Many people think they are just stretching, I thought the same thing until I did some studying of my own. I've even went to a couple Yoga classes ignorant of what I was doing. This is a prime example of the scripture "My people parish for a lack of  knowledge". The information is there but many are not looking for it. I question everything, even when I'm afraid of the answer. the Bible says "with all thy getting, get an understanding". We are to question everything. We are to always ask God for guidance because we will mess up every time. We can't lean to our understanding but we must allow God to direct our path. Christian Yoga doesn't exist. If you want to stretch thats fine but don't call it Yoga. If you want to read scriptures or recite scriptures while you stretch thats fine but don't recite repeated mantras and namastes. Stretching is good and also needed for the body, Yoga is not.

Turn and ask for Forgiveness

Whenever I find out that I've done something that goes against what God says I ask for forgiveness. I do this because I never want to grieve God's heart. This is what we do every time we want to follow the status quo of the world. Many say it's not a big deal. Well I beg to differ, my soul is a HUGE deal to me. I'm living with eternity in mind. I don't want to be connected to the enemy in any type of way. I also don't want to help him in his agenda to steal, kill and destroy mankind. Most things are not what they seem, there's always a bigger picture. For this reason we must seek God's revelation knowledge daily for guidance. We must ask for forgiveness daily to be in right alignment with the father. This was just a brief introduction as to why Christians (believers) shouldn't have any part in Yoga or anything else that's not rooted in God. There are many testimonies of people messing with Yoga and found themselves in need of deliverance. This is not to be taken lightly. If you want to reach a higher conscious seek the Holy Spirit. Jesus made sure we had a link to God on the cross. He is the source. God says seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened. You don't have or need to take other avenues that lead to destruction.

Nag Hammadi Scriptures: Should they be apart of a Christian's Library?

This is an age of Knowledge. Everyone wants to "Know" and be aware of all things. The Bible speaks of a time such as this. Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. I believe we live in that time Jesus warned Daniel about. Knowledge increases daily and they're coming up with new ways to make even more knowledge accessible. You can find yourself with a case of knowledge overload. As a believer in Christ we must test everything by the spirit. We can't just run and pick up any and everything. I've stated before that I read and watch documentaries that others wouldn't because of the calling on my life. Nevertheless, I don't advise many to do the same. These different things can shatter your faith into pieces if you are not grounded. My calling is to teach and make believers aware of what God requires of us and the schemes of the enemy. I never study anything without praying and making sure I'm asking for God's revelation knowledge. I don't want knowledge from anything ungodly. This will happpen if you don't cover yourself through prayer. You will be deceived out of your inheritance just like Eve in the Garden of Eden. Daily I'm asking God if there is anything I need to strip or release to have a closer walk with him. I don't want anything blocking my communication with him. Discernment is very important in these end times.

What are the Nag Hammadi Scriptures?

These writings were found in 1945 in Nag Hammadi Eygpt. They are also called early Christian Gnostic gospels. They have the gospel of Thomas, Peter, the origin of creation, etc. just to name a few. The creation story is totally different from what we believe. It states that the mother god Sophia is the almighty god and that our God is ignorant because he doesn't know that she is above him. It also states that she bore our God, which would mean he has a beginning of days. This is not true. It states that he did create the earth which made him arrogant and because of that he wanted everything to worship him (also not true). The Nag Hammadi goes on to say more about our God but you get the picture. In addition, it also depicts Jesus totally different. It says that he was closer to his women devotees vs. the 12 disciples. The Gnostics and Mystics often push the mother goddess. It's no different here. These scriptures have no place on your shelves unless God instructs you to read them. They are completely different from the Holy Bible. The Bible doesn't contradict itself. Scripture interprets scripture. Just like today there were groups who wrote their own gospels and made religions to suit their lifestyles. Historians don't believe Thomas and Peter actually wrote these by the way.  These texts simply show there is nothing new under the sun. The devil has been lying and deceiving since the beginning. This is one of his deception tactics to confuse the body. He wants to steal, kill and destroy us spiritually. He wants to strip us of our inheritance from the father through our faith in Jesus. Our faith is credited to us as righteousness just like Abraham, if we lose faith we lose righteousness and only the righteous will see God. The devil is clever but our God knows all , sees all and has all power. He doesn't leave us ignorant and defenseless. This is why he has certain individuals in the body to study and  reveal this to us, to make his children aware of the coming deception. 

 I have these two here because they go hand in hand. Gnosticism is a modern name for a variety of ancient religious ideas and systems, originating in Jewish-Christian( don't let the word Christian trick you) milieux in the first and second century AD. Gnosticism comes from the Greek: gnosis which means knowledge. Some religions and sects mostly in the few hundred years before and after Jesus are said to be gnostic or practice gnosticism. In Their beliefs they constructed an evil God and beings of the Old Testament to explain the ​creation of the world (matter) and considered Jesus Christ a wholly spiritual God. They also believe we are all gods. We must look within for the answers not above.  In Mysticism , they learn that there is a higher, holistic reality. This reality can be understood as a higher consciousness that encompasses everything and permeates everything. This is where Yoga, Terot cards, spirit guides, ect. come in. Yes I said Yoga. This is what the New Age teachings are all about, gnosticism and mysticism . I will go more in depth about New Age teachings in a later blog. 

What Should We do?

Take the advice of Paul Colossians 2:4,8,10 (4)And this I say, lest any man should beguile (deceive) you with enticing words. (8)Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments(elementary religious teachings coming from the world) of this world, and not after Christ. (10)For we are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power. 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down every imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. I believe we are in the endtimes. They are no longer coming, they are here. We have a lot ahead of us as believers in Christ. We must pray without ceasing, Read the Holy scriptures, Hold fast to what is good and abstain from all forms of evil (1 thessalonians 5:17,21,22)