Touch Therapies

Reiki

Its important for Christians to familiarize themselves with various forms of Alternative Medicine because so much of it is spiritually toxic. Of the many alternative choices that are available, touch therapies are among the most insidious. One of those "touch therapies" is called Reiki.

You may wonder exactly what Reiki is. Reiki was developed by Dr. Usui Mikao in the latter half of the 19th Century. A former Bible College professor and a graduate of a prestigious seminary, Usui turned his back on his Christian faith and converted to his former belief in Buddhism. Dr. Usui became very interested in the healing ministry of Jesus and wanted to learn how he also could practice healing. Failing to find the answers he sought in Christianity, he reverted to his former religion, went on a 21 day fast and miraculously received three power symbols. These symbols supposedly gave him the ability to heal. Usui continued to live the rest of his life in Japan teaching and spreading his method of healing.

Reiki uses the three power symbols in conjunction with corresponding mantras to create a vibrational frequency which allows the energy of the universe to be accessed. The practitioner serves as a channel that this energy can pass through to the patient.

There are three levels ( or attunements) of initiation in Reiki. The first initiation enables the practitioner to heal himself and others. The second initiation enables him to heal others at a long distance. The third degree of initiation qualifies the practitioner to become a Reiki Master. Reiki Masters have the power to initiate students into the three levels of Reiki.

Reiki healing sessions begin with entering a trance-like state in which the therapist contacts spirit guides to gain information and receive assistance in the healing process. The Universal Life Energy is channeled (trans-medium ship) through this process and directed into an system of chakras, meridian lines and marma points in the clients body. The touch of the therapists hands on the client's body is the activating mechanism in the practice of Reiki.

Reiki is diabolical because its practice includes: contacting spirits, the deceased and the spirits of animals. It is based in a Buddhist method of healing outside of God's provision for healing. It is relies on an all-encompassing energy found throughout the atmosphere. As Christians, we understand that Satan is the "prince and power of the air". Satan's power is the mechanism that energies the use of Reiki.

This is a small introduction to Reiki but gives a good overview of its practice. Christians must become aware of Reiki's existence and its growth within the medical system. Currently 15% of hospitals use Reiki and that number is growing exponentially every day. We need to share the dangers of Reiki with others before they become ensnared by its practice.

Health Care

Responding to Alternative Medicine

We have found that there are many frightening and ungodly practices incorporated into many forms of alternative medicine. The three alternative methods of care in my book, (Reiki, Therapeutic Touch and Healing Touch), are Satanic in origin. Nevertheless, the use of these spiritually dangerous touch therapies continues to grow. More and more patients and health care professionals are encountering them. The question remains, "How do I as a Christian respond to the insidious therapies that are becoming so common place?"

If you know that you are going to the hospital as an inpatient or that someone you love is entering hospice or another medical facility, it would be wise to assk if alternative therapies are used at your facility. Many institutions advertise the use of alternative therapies and all you need to do is go to their web site or look at their literature. You might also contact family and friends that have had care at that particular institution. Call their spiritual care office and see what kinds of alternative care is available and what kinds their chaplains provide. These are just a few of the information gathering techniques that you can turn to.

If you are a nurse or another health care professional the sponsorship of alternative therapies by your health care facility may present unique difficulties. As a Christian, you may find yourself in an "unfriendly environment". Christianity is diametrically opposed to the occult practice of many alternative therapies. These practitioners are aware of this and they don't want you around even as you don't want them to practice in your work place. There are many factors that determine your response as a Christian in your work environment. These can include: "Is the use of the therapy mandatory? Am I required to support it? Am I required to take training and implement it? Another question is how does it affect me? Can I avoid alternative therapies or are they pervasive and I can't avoid them?"

How should nurses and other health care professionals respond to a non-Christian health care workplace? Sometimes professionals can simply refuse to participate, at other times they may have to take the extreme position of finding other employment. Whatever response you find necessary, know that the "gifts and calling of God are without repentance" -- God will always have a place for you to use the gifts and talents He has given you. The old axiom is true, "God never closes one door without opening another". Whatever place you find yourself today, patient or professional remember to "Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:13).

Chaplains

"Is Universalism Biblical?"

Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved. There are many people today who hold to universal salvation and believe that all people eventually end up in heaven. Unfortunately, most chaplains are from mainline churches which clearly state that it is unnecessary for people to accept Christ because everyone is on their way to heaven already. They believe that Christ didn't just die so people could be saved potentially by grace through faith, but that they are saved simply because Christ died. Their is no personal responsibility for sin, the need of forgiveness or for repentance. They do not have a grasp of John 14:6 where Jesus declares, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except though me." Because of this, most chaplains have little concern for people's souls.

Perhaps it is the thought of men and women living a life of eternal torment in hell that causes some to reject the teaching of Scripture on this issue. For some it is an over-emphasis on the love and compassion of God—and the neglect of the righteousness and justice of God—that leads them to believe God will have mercy on every living soul. But the Scriptures do teach that some people will spend eternity in hell.

First of all, the Bible is clear that unredeemed men will dwell forever in hell. Jesus’ own words confirm that the time spent in heaven for the redeemed will last as long as that of the unredeemed in hell. Matthew 25:46 says, “Then they [the unsaved] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” According to this verse, the punishment of the unsaved is just as eternal as the life of the righteous. Some believe that those in hell will eventually cease to exist, but the Lord Himself confirms that it will last forever. Matthew 25:41 and Mark 9:44 describe hell as “eternal fire” and “unquenchable fire.”

How does one avoid this unquenchable fire? Many people believe that all roads—all religions and beliefs—lead to heaven, or they consider that God is so full of love and mercy that He will allow all people into heaven. God is certainly full of love and mercy; it was these qualities that led Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross for us. Jesus Christ is the exclusive door that leads to an eternity in heaven. Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” If we choose to reject God’s Son, we do not meet the requirements for salvation (John 3:16, 18, 36).


With verses such as these, it becomes clear that universalism and universal salvation are unbiblical beliefs. Universalism directly contradicts what Scripture teaches. While many people accuse Christians of being intolerant and “exclusive,” it is important to remember that these are the words of Christ Himself. Christians did not develop these ideas on their own; Christians are simply stating what the Lord has already said. People choose to reject the message because they do not want to face up to their sin and admit that they need the Lord to save them. To say that those who reject God’s provision of salvation through His Son will be saved is to belittle the holiness and justice of God and negate the need of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

Occult Deception

Is Yoga an Exercise Program?

Most Americans see Yoga as an exercise program. To us, it seems like a benign way to improve your health. In fact, Yoga is taught at many exercise facilities and hospitals and clinics. Yoga is a fast growing therapy.

However, if you travel to India, where Yoga originates from, you will not find that Yoga is offered as an exercise class. To Hindus, Yoga is not an exercise but a worship practice. Hindus use Yoga to clear the mind and relax the body for the purpose of communication with the spirit world. Hindus worship 330 million god's and goddesses and without sounding too simplistic Yoga is the chief means used to connect with the. There are over 6 methods for practicing Yoga and each focuses on the worship of this pantheon of divinities.

When I was in graduate school in my chaplain's training program, one of our instructors had us greet each morning using the word "Nameste". This word is used in a cable exercise program called "Nameste Yoga". My supervisor told our class that the word means, "the divine within me greets the divine withing you". This is not quite accurate. The word "nameste" means, "the Buddha within me greets the Buddha withing you", yet another religious twist.

What are the implications for the use of Yoga for Christians. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 instructs believers to "avoid the appearance of evil". Think about it for a moment, if the police catch you robbing a store with a toy gun won't they still arrest you for armed robbery? The answer is "of course". Using a counterfeit of the real thing still makes you guilty. Using Yoga as an exercise program, when it was intended for the worship of the demonic still puts us spiritually at risk and opens the door to the occult in our lives.

Worship practices like Yoga were never designed to be "exercise programs, they were designed to be a form of worship. Christians should think twice about using a practice steeped in Eastern religion and false worship as a means for improving their bodies. The Bible tells us, "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? You are not your own, you have been bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19). I think that the underlying issue is do we want to please God. We must recognize that we belong to Him body, soul and spirit. Our bodies are not our own and we should not use them in a way that would dishonor Him.

Christian Beliefs

Should Christians be Tolerant
of Other People's Religious Beliefs?

In our age of “tolerance,” moral relativism is touted as the supreme virtue. Every philosophy, idea, and faith system has equal merit, says the relativist, and is worthy of equal respect. Those who favor one faith system over another or—even worse—claim a knowledge of absolute truth are considered narrow-minded, unenlightened, or even bigoted.

Of course, different religions make mutually exclusive claims, and the relativist is unable to logically reconcile outright contradictions. For example, the Bible makes the claim that “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), while some Eastern religions teach reincarnation. So, do we die once or many times? Both teachings cannot be true. The relativist essentially redefines truth in order to create a paradoxical world where multiple, contradictory “truths” can co-exist.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). A Christian has accepted Truth, not just as a concept, but as a Person. This acknowledgment of Truth distances the Christian from the so-called “open-mindedness” of the day. The Christian has publicly acknowledged that Jesus rose from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). If he truly believes in the resurrection, how can he be “open-minded” concerning an unbeliever’s assertion that Jesus never rose again? For a Christian to deny the clear teaching of God’s Word would indeed be a betrayal of God.

Note that we have cited the fundamentals of the faith in our examples so far. Some things (such as the bodily resurrection of Christ) are non-negotiable. Other things may be open to debate, such as who wrote the book of Hebrews or the nature of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” We should avoid becoming bogged down in disputations over secondary matters (2 Timothy 2:23; Titus 3:9).

Even when disputing and dialoguing over prominent doctrines, a Christian should exercise restraint and show respect. It is one thing to disagree with a position; it is quite another to disparage a person. We must hold fast to the Truth while showing compassion to those who question it. Like Jesus, we must be full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). Peter strikes a good balance between having the answer and having humility: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Recommended Resource: The New Tolerance by McDowell and Hostetler.

Christian Values

The Difference Between Spirituality and Religion

Before we explore the difference between religion and spirituality, we must first define the two terms. Religion can be defined as “belief in God or gods to be worshiped, usually expressed in conduct and ritual” or “any specific system of belief, worship, etc., often involving a code of ethics.” Spirituality can be defined as “the quality or fact of being spiritual, non-physical” or “predominantly spiritual character as shown in thought, life, etc.; spiritual tendency or tone.” To put it briefly, religion is a set of beliefs and rituals that claim to get a person in a right relationship with God, and spirituality is a focus on spiritual things and the spiritual world instead of physical/earthly things.

The most common misconception about religion is that Christianity is just another religion like Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. Sadly, many who claim to be adherents of Christianity do practice Christianity as if it were a religion. To many, Christianity is nothing more than a set of rules and rituals that a person has to observe in order to go to heaven after death. That is not true Christianity. True Christianity is not a religion; rather, it is having a right relationship with God by receiving Jesus Christ as the Savior-Messiah, by grace through faith. Yes, Christianity does have “rituals” to observe (e.g., baptism and communion). Yes, Christianity does have “rules” to follow (e.g., do not murder, love one another, etc.). However, these rituals and rules are not the essence of Christianity. The rituals and rules of Christianity are the result of salvation. When we receive salvation through Jesus Christ, we are baptized as a proclamation of that faith. We observe communion in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. We follow a list of do’s and don’ts out of love for God and gratitude for what He has done.

The most common misconception about spirituality is that there are many forms of spirituality, and all are equally valid. Meditating in unusual physical positions, communing with nature, seeking conversation with the spirit world, etc., may seem to be “spiritual,” but they are in fact false spirituality. True spirituality is possessing the Holy Spirit of God as a result of receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. True spirituality is the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a person’s life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Spirituality is all about becoming more like God, who is spirit (John 4:24) and having our character conformed to His image (Romans 12:1-2).

What religion and spirituality have in common is that they both can be false methods of having a relationship with God. Religion tends to substitute the heartless observance of rituals for a genuine relationship with God. Spirituality tends to substitute connection with the spirit world for a genuine relationship with God. Both can be, and often are, false paths to God. At the same time, religion can be valuable in the sense that it points to the fact that there is a God and that we are somehow accountable to Him. The only true value of religion is its ability to point out that we have fallen short and are in need of a Savior. Spirituality can be valuable in that it points out that the physical world is not all there is. Human beings are not only material, but also possess a soul-spirit. There is a spiritual world around us of which we should be aware. The true value of spirituality is that it points to the fact that there is something and someone beyond this physical world to which we need to connect.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of both religion and spirituality. Jesus is the One to whom we are accountable and to whom true religion points. Jesus is the One to whom we need to connect and the One to whom true spirituality points. Are you interested in discovering true religion and true spirituality? If the answer is yes, please begin your journey by contacting me on my web page web page  to talk about receiving Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior

Touch Therapies

Contacting The Dead

One of the most interesting stories in the Bible is found in 1 Samuel 28:1-25. It is the account of Israel's King Saul visiting the Witch of Endor to conjur the spirit of the prophet Samuel. The Bible relates the story verse 7-11.

"Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

And the woman said unto him, Behold, you know what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then why do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel".

Saul was facing an imminent threat from the Philistine Empire. He longed for deliverance from his enemy and desperately wanted to know the outcome of the battle. The Bible records that Samuel did in fact appear to King Saul and prophesied that the next day he would be killed.

People who are chronically sick, facing major surgery or a terminal illness are also desperate to know their future and experience deliverance from their illnesses. Touch therapists take advantage of their fears. They promise supernatural insight about the future and a method of healing that offers hope when conventional medicine fails. The problem is, like King Saul, they don't turn to God for help. Instead, they turn to the occult.

Touch therapist will tell patients plainly that they contact spirit guides and angels to provide the insight and healing they long for. They will take things a step further and reassure patients that they can also depend on the help of deceased family members as well. It is common for touch therapists to reassure patients that there is life after death, and that it is possible to gain insight and receive help from loving family members who have died.

The Bible calls the practice of contacting the dead "necromancy". Necromancy is a spiritualist method involving the use of mediums and seances. God's Word declares that it is an abomination before the Lord. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 records God's own words concerning the matter, "There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

Or a charmer, or consults with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee".

Practitioners of touch therapies like Reiki, Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch will assure you that there alternative avenues of healing. They will tell you that although they are dead, people you love are very much alive and are available to help you during your medical crisis.

Christians must recognize that touch therapists are dabbling in the occult. They cannot contact deceased family members. However, they can channel the demonic and procure the help of the Enemy of your soul. As Christians, not only must we be wary of the use of touch therapies, but it is our responsibility to open the eyes of family, friends and people we know to the reality of spiritual darkness and the power of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Animism

Talking Birds

The founder of Therapeutic Touch incorporates the practice of Animism into her alternative therapy. Animism is the practice of communicating with inanimate objects such as plants and trees, rocks, water and mountains, as well as animals, fish and birds.  One of the founders of Therapeutic Touch openly admits that she regularly consults with trees and seeks their advice.

Animism is an ancient religion rooted in the cultures of the American Indian and Central Africa. Many American Indian tribes believed that all things have a spirit. They offered prayer to the four elements, had holy sights where they worshiped mountains, rivers and other natural formations. They immersed themselves in contacting animal spirits and taking on their characteristics. They went so far as to name their offspring after the spirits of particular animals. They assumed names like "Running Deer", Big Bear" and "Flying Eagle". Religious ceremonies were replete with animistic methods of worship.

African culture is similar. To many Africans, animism is a way of life. To illustrate this, I want to share about a long talk I had with a close friend of mine from Ghana. He grew up in a pagan household but later became a Christian and a missionary. Nii shared with me about his family's practice of animism as he grew up. As a boy, he visited his grandparents on a regular basis. Just outside of the front door of their house, they had totems of their familial gods. Nii remembers one of these gods in particular. It was made in the shape of a bird. He related that whenever he walked by this god, it would talk to him. This was not just an inner voice, but an actual vocal manifestation. With time, he was able to communicate with this "bird", ask it questions and seek its advice. Eventually, his grandparents became Christians and destroyed all of their family gods.

Touch therapists are encouraged to consult the spirits of inanimate objects, to ask questions and gain insight and guidance in their healing practices. We may ask ourselves how anyone in our technologically astute age believe and practice such ancient and foreign religious ideas? It is because, the occult fascinates us. The occult taps into real spiritual power, but the power they embrace is the power of the demonic. Deuteronomy 18:19,20 prohibits Christians from becoming involved in anything that smacks of such religious ideas. Animism is antithetical to the God of the Bible. He calls it an "abomination" and states that all who practice it are "worthy of death". God condemns any practice which circumvents His power and fails to acknowledge that He is God.

Touch therapies embrace occult practices such as animism and encourages their followers to do the same. Those who receive alternative medical treatments from these practitioners, open the floodgate and expose themselves to the dangers of the Enemy. 1 John says that, "God is Light and in Him no there is no Darkness". Christians are children of the Light. Let us walk in the Light, even as He is in the Light.

True Story of Healing

How God Healed Me

Less than a year ago, On December 17th 2008, I woke up one morning with global amnesia. My wife noticed that my speech was slurred and I had difficulty walking. She called our pastor who helped get me to the emergency room right away. No one knew it, but I was unaware of anything although I interacted as people talked with me. After testing negatively for stroke, I was admitted. Within a few hours, I was unable to talk, couldn't walk, had tremors of the upper extremities and couldn't remember what people told me. According to reports, Nurses couldn't keep me in bed so I had to be tied down by four-point restraint and every chance I got prior to this, I was combative and hit anyone within reach. My children came to visit and cried when I didn't recognize them.

After extensive testing, the doctors had no idea what was wrong with me other than the fact that my vitamin B-1 level was mildly low. After four days of hospitalization, I was finally give B-1 injection. Within 15 minutes, the haze began to lift and the doctors were shocked that I began to respond to them. They told my wife that my symptoms and response to the vitamin was only seen in alcoholics. She assured them that I didn't drink. It was only later that they determined that I had a vitamin deficiency due to weight-loss surgery that I had 8 months previously.

I remember finally breaking out of the amnesia early one morning. I didn't know where I was, but it looked like a hospital room. A man came into my room and I asked him where I was. He informed my that I was in the hospital. I also asked who he was. He told me that he was my doctor. Finally I asked what was wrong with me. He simply said, "I don't know". Even though I was responding, my speech was still affected, I had sever tremors of the upper extremities, I walked like I was drunk and I had difficulties with short term memory. Through all of this, my wife remained strong, standing on her faith in Christ. She had informed our church, our friends and others had in turn told other people of my illness. Literally, hundreds of people were praying for me.

After about a week, I was able to go home, just in time for Christmas. I remember what a blessing that was for me to be home with my wife, kids and their spouses and all the grand kids for the celebration of Christ's birth.

Weeks after being released from the hospital, I was diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsarkoff's Syndrome, an alcoholic syndrome now being exhibited in a rare number of bariatric patients. In fact, I was one of 45 patients out of 200,000 procedures to get this syndrome. The next nine months were spent in speech therapy, traumatic brain injury group, occupational therapy and physical therapy. I had three relapses where I had to be readmitted to the hospital because one of my doctors took me off of vitamin B-1 in favor of B Complex which was a huge mistake. Little by little I progressed from using a wheel chair, a walker and now a cane. I continue to have persistent vertigo and have not driven a car in a year.

I have made lots of progress. My brain function isn't perfect, but it has markedly improved. I learned that the losses could have been permanent. My speech is almost problem free and the tremors have totally disappeared. Short-term memory and speech problems are hardly noticeable. For someone who has made a living in ministry and has had to talk and think for a living this has been a huge blessing. How have I been healed? It isn't because of any alternative therapy. No one performed Reiki, Healing Touch, or Therapeutic Touch on me. There are three reasons that I have been healed: 1.) because of the faith of my wife, 2.) because people prayed for me using the Biblical method of laying on of hands, 3.) because of persistent obedience to God to stay with my therapy and vitamin programs. God gave me lots of good people to pray for me, stand with me in faith and provide medical treatment.

Folks, God is my healer. He is Jehovah Rapha, "The Lord Our Healer". I had never been seriously ill in my entire life before last December. However, now I know personally the healing touch of the Holy Spirit in a way I have never known it before. If you need healing today, don't turn to alternative sources, turn to God. Just as Jesus healed people during His earthly ministry, He continues to heal the sick today.

Touch TherapiesWho Uses Alternative Medicine?

In a recent quote I received from Donna Bingenheimer, R.N. Education Specialist at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, New Jersey stated that, "Statistics compiled by the National Institute of Heath (NIH) as recent as 2008 in the United States found that approximately 38% of adults,  4 in 10,  and 12% of children, 1 in 9, are using some form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).  The delivery of patient centered care obliges health care providers and practitioners alike to know, understand, appreciate and support patient choices about their care related to complementary/ integrative therapies.  Hospitals are offering touch therapies such as reflexology, Reiki and gentle massage to help with relaxation, pain management and symptom relief".  

A 2002 survey of US adults 18 years and older conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine indicated,

    • 74.6% had used some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
    • 62.1% had done so within the preceding twelve months.
    • When prayer specifically for health reasons is excluded, these figures fall to 49.8% and 36.0%, respectively.
    • 45.2% had in the last twelve months used prayer for health reasons, either through praying for their own health or through others praying for them.
    • 54.9% used CAM in conjunction with conventional medicine.
    • 14.8% "sought care from a licensed or certified" practitioner, suggesting that "most individuals who use CAM prefer to treat themselves."
    • Most people used CAM to treat and/or prevent musculoskeletal conditions or other conditions associated with chronic or recurring pain.
    • "Women were more likely than men to use CAM. The largest sex differential is seen in the use of mind-body therapies including prayer specifically for health reasons".
    • "Except for the groups of therapies that included prayer specifically for health reasons, use of CAM increased as education levels increased".
    • The most common CAM therapies used in the US in 2002 were prayer (45.2%), herbalism (18.9%), breathing meditation (11.6%), meditation (7.6%), chiropractic medicine (7.5%), yoga (5.1%), body work (5.0%), diet-based therapy (3.5%), progressive relaxation (3.0%), mega-vitamin therapy (2.8%) and Visualization (2.1%)

In 2004, a survey of nearly 1,400 U.S. hospitals found that more than one in four offered alternative and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and massage therapy.

Why are people turning to Alternative Medicine?
 
 In the CDC report noted above, respondents were asked why they utilized alternative treatments. Fifty percent said they thought CAM “would be interesting to try.” Such a response is indicative of the postmodern attitude that there is no truth, so anything goes. There are, however, other reasons people turn to alternative medicine. First, many are unsatisfied with conventional health care for various reasons, such as the bureaucratic mess it often becomes and the rising costs.

Second, some are discouraged by the lack of solutions offered by conventional medicine for chronic conditions, such as arthritis, fatigue, cancer, and AIDS.

Third, conventional medicine is viewed as primarily offering two limited options: drugs and surgery. In a world where “natural” remedies are often considered to be better than conventional remedies, these options seem severe. Alternative health-care practitioners, on the other hand, are generally known for spending more time with patients than do conventional doctors, viewing patients as whole persons, and in many instances offering “just the right thing” for the condition in question.

People are happy to have such optimistic assurances regarding their health, especially when such solutions are presented as “natural.” Many Christians, not surprisingly, find alternative approaches appealing because they offer natural (i.e., “God-made” rather than “man-made”) solutions and because alternative practitioners sometimes attend to the spiritual dimension — an area too often neglected by the scientific naturalism (i.e., the view that matter is all that exists) that permeates much of conventional health care.

Let me emphasize that not all Alternative medicine is based in non-Christian practices. Many use God-given ways to help those who are sick. Nevertheless. The touch therapies discussed in my book "The Occult Invasion of Health Care" are anything but benign - they are spiritually dangerous. The problem is that the public and even may Christians are unaware of the occult implications of touch therapies. My intention is to educate Christians and Christian medical workers concerning the sinister side of Alternative Medicine and Touch Therapies.

Biblical Healing

How God Heals the Sick

It is important that as Christians we not only are aware of Satan's deceptive healing practices, but that we are aware of the Biblical means of healing. The scripture is filled with true accounts of individuals being healed throughout the Bible. I want to point out several of these methods that God has used to heal the sick. All of these ways of healing are still available to us as believers today. Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever." If you or someone you know is sick, please stand on faith in God's Word for His miraculous healing touch. God loves you and does not want any of us to be in poor health. The Apostle John wrote in 2 John to his friend Gaius, "I would your body prospers even as your soul prospers." This is God's will for all of us.

It has been noticed, in relation to other spiritual experiences, that God is a God of variety. His methods are not stereotyped by any means. This is true also in relation to the manner in which God's Healing is administered. The following are six different ways in which people receive healing from the Lord.

A. Pray for Yourself.
James 5:13 says: “Is any among you afflicted, let him pray.” Apparently, it is scriptural to pray for yourself when afflicted.

B. Ask Someone Else to Pray for you.
James 5:16 instructs: “… pray one for another that ye may be healed.” Any sincere Christian who believes can pray for another. No ministerial credentials nor special gifts of the Spirit are necessary.

C. Call for the Elders of the Church. James 5:14-16 has often been called the New Testament Healing Covenant.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for an other, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

This should be the regular procedure for those in fellowship with a local church. These verses clearly teach that God is no respecter of persons, but that all may be healed. The promise stipulates “Is any sick among you?” There is no discrimination whatever. It is God's Will to heal any and all who will call. “The prayer of faith” would be that prayer offered by the elders. There is a responsibility resting upon them. The sick exercises his faith when he calls for the elders. The elders pray the prayer of faith. Some have gone so far as to say that the elders were supposed to “massage” the sick person with oil, and this was the cause of his recovery. There certainly is no oil known to medical science which can guarantee healing, regardless of what the affliction is.

The text does not say that the oil healed the sick; it was “the prayer of faith,” “and the Lord will raise him.” We believe the oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, Who quickens our mortal body (Rom 8:11). Some associate the oil, as the means of healing, with Hezekiah's poultice of figs (2 Kings 20:7). It is amazing how people can have more faith in a little oil, or in a bunch of figs, than they do in the Power of God!

D. By Laying On of Hands.
“These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name … they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17,18). It should be carefully noted here, that no mention is made of anointing with oil, or of praying for the sick. All that is said is that those who believe shall lay their hands on the sick in the name of Jesus. This is the method which Jesus used on a number of occasions. In the following scriptures Jesus is said to have touched the sick, or laid His hand or hands upon them: Matt 8:15; Mark 6:5; 8:23,25; Luke 4:40; 5:13; 13:13. Today, when the believing one lays his hands on the sick in the name of Jesus, it is as though the hands of Jesus were laid thereon.

E. Special Miracles Through Handkerchiefs and Aprons.
“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11,12). These were “special miracles” in that there were no scriptural instructions concerning them. Paul must have simply been guided by the Holy Spirit in this matter. Many churches have followed a similar pattern and have given out small pieces of cloth, over which prayer has been made, and sometimes they have been anointed with oil. Some most remarkable miracles have been reported from the use of this method. It is understood that the “prayer cloth” has no virtue in itself, but provides an act of faith by which one's attention is directed to the Lord Who is the Great Physician.

F. Spiritual Gifts of Healing.
“For to one is given by the Spirit … to another the gifts of healing …” (1 Cor 12:9). “God hath set some in the church … then gifts of healings …” (1 Cor 12:28). Inasmuch as this subject is covered thoroughly under the Gifts of the Spirit, it will not be elaborated on here. Two things are of special interest. First, this is the only gift of the Spirit which is in the plural. Suggested reasons for this are given in the study of the gifts. Second, in the list of healings wrought through the Apostles as recorded in the book of Acts, previously listed in this chapter, it is of interest that in no case did the apostles pray for the sick to be healed. In several cases, there was prayer about the sick person; but, the healing seemed to be administered by the power which had been given them for this ministry. They probably had the “gifts of healing.”

There are many other questions that Christians may ask about biblical healing. Those cannot all be addressed here. The central point I am making is that God's will is to heal the sick based on His love for us. God uses different methods to heal us as Christians. God's means of heal are very different than the occult methods described in my book, "The Occult Invasion of Health Care". They are but cheap substitutes and devilish deceptions for the authentic healing power of God.

Paranormal

The Housewife Who Confounded Two Countries

I thought I would include a story for you today about the most successful medium of the last 200 years, Lenora Piper.  Her story shows that there is a reality to Satan's power that we must be careful with. We are not to be fearful of this power. The Bible declares that, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." However, we must be careful for the souls of people around us. We must be fearful for them that they do not become enamored with the works of the enemy. Please read this story today and let it motivate you to pray for those you know and love who may be involved in alternative healing or the paranormal.

In the city of Boston in 1885, Mrs. Leonora E. Piper, wife of a Boston merchant, and possessed of but limited education, began what was to be a 40 year career as a spiritualistic medium, a career which was to be confounded the best minds in psychic research in both the United States and Europe with scientifically validated evidence which has never been refuted. Mrs. Piper became interested in spiritism after visiting a clairvoyant for the relief of severe pain after the birth of her first child. It was during sessions with and she lapsed into trances during which. She could answer with amazing accuracy questions concerning persons who had died.

For some 26 years she continued under the various spirits controls that possessed her during her trances as a medium and stopped only 1911 when the spirits suggested that her health would not bear the strain of their manifestation.

In 1924 Mrs. Piper conducted a special series of séances and the records of these séances run more than 3000 pages in length with a fantastic score for accuracy.

Mrs. Piper gave some 88 sittings, for example, carefully observed at all times by members of the British Society for psychic research. Prof. Oliver Lodge, later Sir Oliver Lodge, one of England's most brilliant scientist and a careful psychic investigator, complied a checklist complied a checklist compiled a checklist of some 41 specific incidences were in Mrs. Piper stated facts and general information concerning those who attended her séances, facts which were unknown to those persons at the very time the séances were in session! This was carefully verified in his beyond reputation.

Mrs. Piper also had the amazing capacity to find lost objects and to relate incidents which were taking place menu hundreds of miles away from where she was in a trance. Prof. William James testified to this when Mrs. Piper informed him that his handsome living over 200 miles away in New York had died earlier that very morning. According to James:

"On reaching home an hour later I found a telegram reading as follows: aunt Kate passed away a few minutes after midnight."

Dr. James, undaunted by Mrs. Piper's capabilities, went so far as to bring visiting professors from foreign universities with the Mrs. Piper was not acquainted only to have her give the correct names of the professors, some of their parents, from which they died. James once wrote of her:
I now believe her to be in possession of the power as yet unexplained.

The British Society for psychic research enlisted the aid of detectives and investigators who observed Mrs. Piper under all conditions while she was in England, and Dr. Richard Hodgson, during the course of three months of exhaustive investigation. During the course of that investigation she told them the exact movements of persons in distant cities, and at another time under the control of the Spirit who identified himself as George Pelleuw, Mrs. Piper informed Dr. Hodgson of events and facts which were subsequently verified by more than 30 of Pelleuw's friends. Pelleuw correctly rejected more than 100 persons claiming to have known him in life and showed only those whom he had known!

Under the control of Pelleuw, Mrs. Piper translated perfectly a Greek phrase composed on the spur of the moment by classical Greek scholar. Mrs. Piper knew no Greek whatever, but George Pelleuw did. She also reported under Pelleuw's control with complete accuracy what Pelleuw's father, who lived in another city, was doing at that moment.

Prof. James Hyslop of Columbia University was totally the world are by Mrs. Piper win with the cooperation of Dr. Hodgson, he interviewed Mrs. Piper in science 17 times, only to be told by her his correct name in perfect answers to the questions which he addressed to her though she could not possibly have an access to the answers. Dr. Hyslop ended up believing that through Mrs. Piper he had actually communicated with the spirit of his department father!

Mrs. Piper herself believed that the powers which he possessed were not supernatural. In fact, she stated:

"I never heard of anything being said by myself during the trance which might not have been latent in my own mind or in the mind of the sitters or in the mind of some absent person alive somewhere else in the world. The theory of telepathy strongly appeals to me as the most plausible solution of the problem."

Despite this modest statement Mrs. Piper convinced Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir William crooks, Dr. William James, Dr. Hodgson and Dr. Hyslop , after more than fit $150,000 was spent on the most prolonged investigation in the history of psychic research, that she was indeed possessed of supernatural capacities and as the American Mercury pointed out, "Mrs. Piper is the only famous medium against whom no charger fraud was ever brought."

Conclusion
Evidence such as this cannot be dismissed but must indeed be studied carefully and will, I believe, demonstrate beyond the question of the doubt not only the existence of a spiritual dimension of reality of which the Bible speaks consistently but other capacity of some to penetrate this dimension. In the terms of Scripture such penetration can only culminate in a liaison with the forces of darkness of whom, in the light of Scripture, Mrs. Piper was a vehicle of communication.

Martin, Walter, F., Bethany House Minneapolis Minnesota. 1977, pp. 202-203.

Touch Therapies

Prince and Power of the Air

This phrase taken from Ephesians 2:2 reads like this, " As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient".  This verse is key to understanding Touch Therapies.

All "touch" or "energy" therapies claim to channel the "Universal Life Energy" from the air that surrounds us. This energy is supposedly a combination of the life energy radiated by all living this. While their is no proof for the existence of this energy in a physical sense, it is a reality in a spiritual sense.

Ephesians 2:2 states that Satan is the "prince and power of t he air". "The air" in this context in the Greek language refers to the air around us (the sky, or lower atmosphere) that is the dwelling place of Satan and his demons. It is the sphere of their influence and is their dwelling place. They live here for one reason, because it is where humanity lives and enables the evil hoards opportunity to attack us. Satan and his demons are the energy field to whom Touch Therapies looks to for their power.

Scripture states that Satan is the chief ruler of this realm and has authority over every devil which inhabits it. In fact, his reign supersedes every power system here on this planet because he is the prince over the world (society and its inhabitants) in which we live. This world, era or epoch, is dominated by "the children of disobedience. Meaning, people who act like small children, disobedient and out of control in their outbursts. This is what the founders of Touch Therapies are, out of control children or brats, disobedient and rebellious toward God. Their rebellion has resulted in turning their backs not only on God's provision for healing, but on God Himself.

We must remember when we are dealing with Touch Therapies that we are not dealing with simply a alternative medical treatment. We are not dealing with some misguided people. We are dealing with people blatant in their rebellion against God. We are dealing with the Chief Ruler of the empire of the demonic. We are dealing with the capacity for great evil who's energies surround us, working to bring spiritual death to all who live in this world.

Touch Therapies are Satanic, they are enacted by the demonic and they destroy people spiritually, deceiving them and leading them into spiritual death. Instead, let us not be deceived as Christians. Let us keep our eyes of Christ, "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Fisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Christ and His power supersedes every demonic force in this world. As scripture declares in Philippians 2:10, "Every eye shall see, knee shall bow, every tongue will confess to the glory of God that Jesus is Lord".

Alternative Medicine that Works

Try Prayer Instead!

There are several major medical studies conducted at the Mayo Clinic and other leading institutions find that there is a lack of evidence concerning how well Touch Therapies work. However, there is one alternative therapy that has been proven to be very effective in healing people who are sick -- prayer!

For example, out of 191 randomized, controlled studies of healing, 124 demonstrate significant effects that exceed a probability of 0.05 or better. Until recently, medical journals routinely rejected studies and articles on healing, and most healing studies had to be published in parapsychology journals. Fortunately this is changing. In the past dozen years, some of the most impressive studies were published in respected medical journals.
 
For example, Randolph C. Byrd 1988 explored intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit. The experimental group received prayer sent by Christians praying many miles from the hospital. The prayer group scored significantly lower than the control group on a scale for severity of problems devised by Byrd. Significantly fewer patients in the prayer group needed intubation/ventilation or antibiotics, had cardiopulmonary arrests, developed pneumonia, or required diuretics.
 
William Harris 1999 replicated Byrd’ study in another randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel group trial of 990 consecutively admitted patients on the CCU. There were 466 in the prayer group at 524 in the control group. The prayer group showed significantly more overall improvement than the control group.
 
Fred seeker 1998 arranged a randomized, double-blind trial of distant healing on 40 volunteers who had against AIDS. At six months following the initial assessment, the prayer group had significantly fewer AIDS related illnesses and lower severity of illnesses. Visits to doctors were less frequent, as were hospitalizations, and days in the hospital.
 
These are three of the best published healing studies. It is also of note that they were published in respected, conventional medical journals.

The best advice that Christians can offer to friends, their family members and themselves is to pray when they are sick. Scripture and medicine both agree that alternative therapies are not the answer we need -- they just don't work. Both clearly state that "we should try prayer instead!"

Media Blitz

Media Supports Harmful Alternative Therapies

This is a rather lengthy article but I think its a particularly excellent record of how the media supports the use of dangerous alternative therapies. This is a free  excerpt from Dr. Paul Reisser's article on The Christian Research Institute's website. It also contains information not included in "The Occult Invasion of Health Care" so read it as added bonus material!

A Time cover story entitled "Faith and Healing" (24 June 1996) painted its subject with broad strokes, encompassing traditional faith in God, meditative techniques, and biochemistry. It described "controlled studies" designed to determine whether patients who were the recipients of prayer — defined in a variety of ways — fared better than others.

A bumper crop of books on alternative therapies now line the shelves of the "Health and Medicine" section of the typical neighborhood bookstore. No longer limited to the off-label and self-published material that was once the staple of New Age outlets, the newer titles come from mainstream publishers, and place unconventional treatments on equal footing with Western medicine. One prominent example is The Medical Advisor: The Complete Book of Alternative and Conventional Treatment,2 published last year by Time-Life Books. This handsome volume describes health problems in encyclopedic detail, noting for each the conventional medical approach and then listing several alternatives: ancient Chinese, homeopathic, herbal, and so on.

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has repeatedly broadcast presentations of alternative healing. Bill Moyers’s 1993 series, Healing and the Mind, attracted almost twice the normal PBS viewing audience. Andrew Weil, M.D., a popular author who now teaches "Integrative Medicine" at the University of Arizona School of Medicine, has offered articulate distillations from his book Spontaneous Healing on a program of the same name. Deepak Chopra, M.D., a publishing hot-ticket and America’s foremost purveyor of India’s ancient healing system known as Ayurveda, captivated viewers in the PBS specials, "Body, Mind and Soul: The Mystery and the Magic" and "The Way of the Wizard."

Websites devoted to alternative therapies abound on the Internet. If one tells the Yahoo search engine to look for "alternative medicine," he or she will be escorted to more than 200 sites, many of which provide links to dozens of others. On the other hand, cautionary notices and critical analyses by organizations such as the National Council against Health Fraud and the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP, a humanist think tank that publishes Skeptical Inquirer) are few and far between.

Periodicals promoting alternative therapies are now available both for the general public (for example, Natural Health) and health care providers. The monthly journals Alternative and Complementary Therapies and Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine contain articles and studies of variable quality, which in some cases (unlike standard medical journals) freely wade into metaphysical and promotional material.

The most striking foray into the realm of conventional medicine occurred last November when American Family Physician, the official journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians (normally a reliable resource), published as its cover article, "Alternative Medicine and the Family Physician." Authored by James M. Gordon, M.D., who directs the Mind-Body Center in Washington, D.C., the article offered a bland overview of alternative care, admonished family physicians to "convey a sensitive acceptance and an openness to....their patients’ interest in alternative therapies," and encouraged practitioners to explore this realm themselves — starting with Gordon’s own book, Manifesto for a New Medicine. An accompanying editorial strongly endorsed physician involvement in alternative therapies, and a duplicable information sheet did likewise for patients. Nowhere in these materials was there a note of caution or concern about any of the approaches mentioned.

Paul Reisser, M.D., is a family physician in private practice in Southern California. He is the coauthor of several books, including New Age Medicine (InterVarsity Press, 1988) and the upcoming Focus on the Family Complete Book of Baby and Child Care (Tyndale). He is a member of the Focus on the Family Physicians Resource Council and medical commentator for the radio broadcast "Family News in Focus."

Satan's Role

The Prince and Power of the Air

The entire systems of touch therapies rest on a single premise -- the existence of The Universal Life Force. This force supposedly is made up of the life energy emitted by all living things. It is universal in that it surrounds us and permeates the very air that we breathe. The key operative word is "air". The Universal Life Force fills the "air" that surrounds us.

The spiritual domain which permeates this world is under the authority of Satan. Ephesians 2:2 affirms the authority of Satan over this realm. The apostle Paul tells us " Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience". Satan's lordship over the "air" is demonstrated in Matthew's gospel where Satan took Jesus to a high place and made the glories of the kingdoms of this world to pass before him, offering to exchange this world domain in exchange for Jesus' worship. Satan is the prince and power of the air.

When touch therapies claim the existence of a universal life energy that they draw upon, they are instead, drawing upon the powers of the Evil One -- Satan.

One of God's most precious gifts that He has given us is the gift of healing. Satan attempts to mimic this gift for many reasons: to draw attention from God to himself; to give those without Christ a false hope of being healed; to confuse Christians and cause them to turn to other sources of healing outside of God's provision and still others.

The complete provision for healing God is through the atoning death of His Son Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ there is no healing. The truth is that God earnestly desires to heal His children and make us well. Why everyone that comes to Him is not healed of every physical ailment is a valid question. We may not always know the answer to this, but we do trust God that His answers, whether yes, no or wait, are always for a set purpose with our best in mind.

Origins of Alternative Medicine
Blame It On Nixon!

It is a little known fact that when President Richard made his historic trip to China that this occasion opened the doorway to the use of alternative medical therapies in the United States. It so happened that the White House photographer Richard Maxwell developed a serious case of appendicitis while in Beijing. After medical consultation, it was determined that he must have an immediate appendectomy.

However, the surgery was unconventional by Western standards. The Chinese doctors used acupuncture to treat Maxwell and he was able to stay conscious and pain free throughout the procedure. Surprised by the effectiveness of the treatment and shorter recovery period than he expected, Maxwell became a huge fan of acupuncture and wrote articles supporting its use in the New York Times, Saturday Evening Post and Time Magazine among other media outlets.

Maxwell's endorsement provided a huge amount of credibility to the practice of acupuncture in this country. It also helped raise the public's interest in other alternative practices. Nixon's trip to China became one of the great springboards of the use of alternative medicine in this country. To quote Richard Ripley . . . "Believe It or Not!"

Dedicated to Health Care Professionals

Nurse Appreciation Day!   

Unfortunately, the target of sinister alternative therapies is nurses. That is primarily because nurses have the greatest access to patients. However, we want to be very clear that in writing about spiritual changes in health care that no one is misled into thinking that we are minimizing to goodness, kindness and work ethic of nurses.

Nurses are some of the most loving, caring people that are found in the workplace. Whether, they are Christians or not, their role fulfills a Biblical mandate found in Isaiah 35:3. The prophet Isaiah records here, "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees". This admonition to minister to the needs of the sick is something that nurses do everyday. Anyone who has ever been a patient at the hospital, nursing home, hospice or any other health care facility has a deep appreciation for the RN's, LPN's, HHA's and CNA's that have cared for their most basic needs tenderly and with compassion.

By and large, most nurses who get involved in the non-Christian practices of alternative medicine are unaware of what they are getting into. Satan is the master deceiver and makes loving, compassionate nurses believe that certain alternative practices are value free. He is deceitful in that on the surface, alternative care appears to open up pathways to healing where conventional medicine has failed. This is unfortunate, and the goal of "The Occult Invasion of Health Care" is to open the eyes of health care professionals and all believers alike so they may understand the sweeping changes that are taking place in spirituality in the health care system.

Nevertheless, it must be remembered that teachers and purveyors of Reiki, Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch are perfectly aware of the spiritual nature of the therapies they teach and have not simply wandered into an occult experience by happenstance. Knowingly and willingly they have accepted the occults with eyes wide open. Not only are their minds depraved, they also seek to deprave the hearts and minds of others. It is as Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but of those who can kill the soul".

We should be extremely grateful for the nurses who serve us when we are ill. They do so because they care about their patients and want to help them in any way they can. Let's remember to honor them as God honors the work they do. But let us also help them to be aware of the spiritual nature of some of the practices that they are being asked to participate in.

We do not want any nurse who has been exposed to the dark side of alternative care,to feel guilty or condemned. Romans 8:1 reminds us, "There is therefore now now condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not by the flesh but according to the spirit." God can take the worst of situations and redeem inestimable value from them. Romans 8:28 tells that, "All things work together or good, to them tat love God and are called according to His purpose". Perhaps God will take your experience and redeem value from it, by making you a beacon to those that need to be awakened to the spiritual dangers within medicine? This is my prayer.