Daily Devotional: Calling on God for Help

It happens, Christians fall, fail, and falter. When these things become a pattern in our lives, its time to start over. The wonderful thing about God's grace is the assurance that we can start afresh. God is ready to help. The danger in not recognizing one's need to start over often results in greater complicity with vain pursuits and the diminishing of discernment.

The Christian life is possessed with a perpetual state of needing help. Asking God to help will always be desirable when the heart has an understanding of the grace of God. Christians who are growing fervently and faithfully in and by the grace of God are aware of God's dependability. There is nothing more obvious about God than His faithfulness. A Christian will never be an imposition to God. Yet, many Believers feel very unsure and uncomfortable in asking Christ for help.  It is this thinking that is the number one reason why believers inflict themselves with unnecessary  problems... it is rooted in unbelief.  Very dangerous!

It is an absolute fact that each of us will experience the bitter sting of desperation? Desperation literally means to: suffer unbearable anxiety and despair. Sometimes, our lives will experience, even require a major disruption in order to fix our attention firmly on the Lord. Never disregard your moments of desperation as obstacles. They are tools in the hand of our Master. Though sometimes painful, these times can become our most life-altering moments, depending on how we respond.

Take a moment to be still before God. Meditate on the person of Jesus and His friendship. Thank God, that He is forever with you.. Although we may not realize it, moments of desperation reveals what we truly think about Christ. God wants you to be comfortable with asking Him for help (Hebrews 4:16). The longer you wait to ask, the weightier your burdens will become. Asking God for help is not impossible. If you will not ask God for help, you will find yourself becoming impossible. Yes, it will likely cost you much to ask God for help; if you don't, it will cost you the most. Remember, the day you stop asking God for help is the day you start asking for trouble.
Starting over must begin with a determination to identify with Jesus Christ as His disciple. There is no other way to be stripped of the blinding effect of self-interest. We are not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ as God's only means for life that makes living so meaningful. Amen!
Sincerely Dr. Arthur Belanger              

Christians Serving God...

The deception that many of us ignore or are ignorant of is the tendency of measuring our devotion to God through our service for God.  True devotion to Christ is compelled by who Christ is and not merely demands to serve.  Devotion to God is a direct result or outcome of God's faithfulness and graciousness to us  (2 Corinthians 5:14a). 

It is quite possible to serve God without devotion to Him(Matthew 5:8).   However, it is impossible to be devoted to God and not serve him (Joshua 24:15).

If you are a believer attempting to walk in the likeness Christ, you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will be assertive within your spirit when confronted with a situation or decision that would take you outside the will of God. Because it all boils down to a life of unreserved dependence upon Christ.

Many Christians are very discouraged because they lack a sense of  accomplishment or success in their service for Christ.  Success as a goal is a cruel slave master masquerading in a deep rooted  and subtle display of pride.   There is only one thing a Christian can succeed in... Faith in God (Hebrews 11:6).  Faith in God acknowledges the faithfulness of the living God.  Success is a finite  treasure. 

A biblical devotion is always instigated and nurtured  by the grace of God and is an infinite treasure of eternal value.  God's grace is the standard of service that becomes the statement of our service and life.

Sincerely Dr. Arthur Belanger 

Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality by Ray Yungen from A Time Of Departing

Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality by Ray Yungen from A Time Of Departing

Kundalini is a Hindu term for the mystical power or force that underlies their spirituality. In Hinduism it is commonly referred to as the serpent power. Philip St. Romain, a substance abuse counselor and devout Catholic lay minister, began his journey while practicing contemplative prayer or resting in the still point, as he called it. What happened to him following this practice should bear the utmost scrutiny from the evangelical community-especially from our leadership. Having rejected mental prayer as “unproductive” he embraced the prayer form that switches off the mind, creating what he described as a mental passivity. What he encountered next underscores my concern with sobering clarity:

Then came the lights! The gold swirls that I had noted on occasion began to inten- sify, forming themselves into patterns that both intrigued and captivated me ... There were always four or five of these; as soon as one would fade, another would appear, even brighter and more intense ... They came through complete passivity and only after I had been in the silence for a while.1

After this, St. Romain began to sense “wise sayings” coming into his mind and felt he was “receiving messages from another.”2 He also had physical developments oc- cur during his periods in the silence. He would feel “prickly sensations” on the top of his head and at times it would “fizzle with energy.”3 This sensation would go on for days. The culmination of St. Romain's mystical excursion was predictable:

When you do Christian yoga or Christian zen you end up with Christian samadhi as did he. He proclaimed: “No longer is there any sense of alienation, for the Ground that flows throughout my being is identical with the Reality of all creation. It seems that the mystics of all the world’s religions know something of this.”4 St. Romain, logically, passed on to the next stage with:

[T]he significance of this work, perhaps, lies in its potential to contribute to the dialogue between Christianity and Eastern forms of mysticism such as are pro- moted in what is called New Age spirituality.5Many people believe St. Romain is a devout Christian. He claims he loves Jesus, believes in salvation and is a member in good standing within his church. What changed though were his sensibilities. He revealed:

I cannot make any decisions for myself without the approbation of the inner adviser, whose voice speaks so clearly in times of need ... there is a distinct sense of an inner eye of some kind of “seeing” with my two sense eyes.6

St. Romain would probably be astounded that somebody would question his claims to finding truth because of the positive nature of his mysticism. But is this “inner adviser” St. Romain has connected with really God? This is a fair question to ask especially when this prayer method is starting to spread within a broad spectrum of Christianity.

[T]his practice has already spread extensively throughout the Roman Catholic and Protestant mainline churches. It has now crossed over and is manifesting itself in conservative denominations as well—ones that have traditionally stood against the New Age. Just as secular society has been hit by a tidal wave of practical mystics, so also has the religious world. St. Romain makes one observation in his book that I take very seriously. Like his secular practical mystic brethren, he has a strong sense of mission and destiny. He predicts:

Could it be that those who make the journey to the True Self are, in some ways, demonstrating what lies in store for the entire race? What a magnificent world that would be-for the majority of people to be living out of the True Self state. Such a world cannot me, however, unless hundreds of thousands of people experience the regression of the Ego in the service of transcendence [meditation], and then restructure the culture to accommodate similar growth for millions of others. I believe we are only now beginning to recognize this task.7

A book entitled: Metaphysical Primer: A Guide to Understanding Metaphysics outlines the basic laws and principles of the New Age movement. First and foremost is the following principle: “You are one with the Deity, as is all of humanity ... Everything is one with everything else. All that is on Earth is an expression of the One Deity and is permeated with Its energies.”8 St. Romain’s statement was: “[T]he Ground [God] that flows throughout my being is identical with the Reality of all creation.”9 The two views are identical!

St. Romain came to this view through standard contemplative prayer, not zen, not yoga but a Christian form of these practices. The lights were also standard proce- dure as one contemplative author suggested:

Christian literature makes reference to many episodes that parallel the experiences of those going a yogic way. Saint Anthony, one of the first desert mystics, fre- quently encountered strange and sometimes terrifying psychophysical forces while at prayer.10

Unfortunately, this experience was not confined to St. Anthony alone. This has been the common progression into mystical awareness throughout the centuries, which also means many now entering the contemplative path will follow suit. This is not just empty conjecture. One mystical trainer wrote:

[T]he classical experience of enlightenment as described by Buddhist monks, Hindu gurus, Christian mystics, Aboriginal shamans, Sufi sheiks and Hebrew kabalists is characterized by two universal elements: radiant light and an experience of one- ness with creation.11

Without the “radiant light,” there can be no oneness. The second always follows the first. Here lies the heart of occultism.

Footnotes

1. Philip St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality, Crossroad Pub. Co., 1995, p. 20-21. 2. Ibid., pp. 22-23. 3. Ibid., pp. 28-29. 4. Ibid., p. 107.

5. Ibid., pp. 48-49. 6. Ibid., p. 39. 7. Ibid., pp. 75-76. 8. Deborah Hughes and Jane Robertson-Boudreaux, Metaphysical Primer, Metagnosis Pub., 1991, p. 27. 9. St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality, op. cit. p. 107.

10. Willigis Jager, Contemplation: A Christian Path, op. cit., p. 72. 11. Michael J. Gelb, The How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci Workbook, Dell Publishing, New

York, NY, 1999, p. 142. This article is an excerpt from A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen.

What is Contemplative Prayer? Is it Biblical? Is it dangerous?

Question: "What is contemplative prayer?"

Answer: It is important to first define “contemplative prayer.” Contemplative prayer is not just “contemplating while you pray.” The Bible instructs us to pray with our minds (1 Corinthians 14:15), so, clearly, prayer does involve contemplation. However, praying with your mind is not what “contemplative prayer” has come to mean. Contemplative prayer has slowly increased in practice and popularity along with the rise of the emerging church movement—a movement which embraces many unscriptural ideas and practices. Contemplative prayer is one such practice.

Contemplative prayer begins with “centering prayer,” a meditative practice where the practitioner focuses on a word and repeats that word over and over for the duration of the exercise. The purpose is to clear one’s mind of outside concerns so that God’s voice may be more easily heard. After the centering prayer, the practitioner is to sit still, listen for direct guidance from God, and feel His presence.

Although this might sound like an innocent exercise, this type of prayer has no scriptural support whatsoever. In fact, it is just the opposite of how prayer is defined in the Bible. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:23-24). These verses and others clearly portray prayer as being comprehendible communication with God, not an esoteric, mystical meditation.

Contemplative prayer, by design, focuses on having a mystical experience with God. Mysticism, however, is purely subjective, and does not rely upon truth or fact. Yet the Word of God has been given to us for the very purpose of basing our faith, and our lives, on Truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What we know about God is based on fact; trusting in experiential knowledge over the biblical record takes a person outside of the standard that is the Bible.

Contemplative prayer is no different than the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults. Its most vocal supporters embrace an open spirituality among adherents from all religions, promoting the idea that salvation is gained by many paths, even though Christ Himself stated that salvation comes only through Him (John 14:6). Contemplative prayer, as practiced in the modern prayer movement, is in opposition to biblical Christianity and should definitely be avoided.


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Christians Turning to Cremation...Is that Ok?

The reasons provided are compelling enough to convince us that the practice of cremation is unscriptural.

#1: THE BIBLICAL PATTERN IS CONSISTENTLY BURIAL Genesis 23:1-4; 25:8-10; 35:19,20;29; 49:33; 50:1,3; 50:26; Josh 24:29,30; 24:33; 1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Kings 2:10;Matt. 14:10,12; Acts 5:5,10; 8:2 Note Deut. 34:5,6... God Buried Moses. But most importantly, note John 19:38-42 concerning Jesus and burial.

#2: EVEN WHEN BURIAL SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE Even under difficult circumstances God's people practiced burial. For example, Joseph's body was kept for over 400 years in Egypt and then carried through the 40 years of wilderness wanderings before being buried in the Promised Land. Genesis 50:24-25; Exodus 13:19. From this account, we observe that even if cremation is considered more convenient than burial, it is still rejected, as the Israelites refused the convenient and simpler way and chose to carry Joseph's remains to the Promised Land.

#3: CREMATION IN THE BIBLE IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH HEATHEN AND SATANIC PRACTICE. In particular, Hindus practice cremation because of the indoctrination of reincarnation.

#4: GOD DECLARES CREMATION SINFUL "Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime" (Amos 2:1).

#5: CREMATION IS INDICATIVE OF GOD'S WRATH Throughout the Bible the destruction of a human body or of an object by fire is used as an indication of God's wrath. Note The Following: The example of Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Peter 2:6) The example of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1,2) The example of the men who rebelled with Korah (Numbers 16:35) The example of idols (Exodus 32:20; Deut. 7:25; 2 Kings 10:26. The example of magic books (Acts 19:18-19) The example of unsaved cast into the lake of fire for eternal punishment (Revelation 20:15)

#6: BURIAL ANTICIPATES A RESURRECTION "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body" (Rom.8:22-23). See also 1 Cor. 15:20-23; and 1 Cor. 15:51-57; 2 Cor. 5:1 The physical body is LIKENED to the seed for the resurrection body. When planted, a seed decomposes, and the new plant comes forth. The Bible uses this to illustrate resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:35,44

Heathenism Conflicts with this reality. They possess no such knowledge or hope. The Hindus and Buddhists, for example, believe in reincarnation. They believe the soul will be reincarnated in another entirely unrelated body, or into a non-physical sphere of existence. God's people have always buried their dead with a glorious hope instilled in their soul.

Please know that the manner of one's burial does not affect his or her resurrection. Cremation of a Christian does not prevail over God's ability to resurrect the cremated remains of a Believer to a glorified body. However, we must understand that whether in life or death. we do all to the glory of God. This includes a determination to be consistent with the biblical pattern of burial., In these dark days of obvious and rampant apostasy and doctrinal error, a biblical emphasis in all matters of Bible teaching is rightly demanded of us by the Spirit of God.

Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17

Christians Doubting Their Salvation... Is That Possible?

Many Christians often wrestle with the need to know for sure that they are saved. For many, it is an up and down proposition.  Is it really possible to know that one is saved and on the road to heaven? 
The Bible presents salvation as an obvious experience whereby, God by His grace has justified all who have trusted Jesus Christ (1 John 5:13). The assurance of salvation is not based on feelings (though the Christian may feel saved), but on the absolute authority and authenticity of God's Word. The most obvious or pressing clue that a person is saved will be realized in a certain gravitation to know and obey the Word of God.

Here are certain things to look for in your life if you are saved:

#1: Have you enjoyed spiritual fellowship with God,, with Christ and with fellow believers? 1 John 1:3,4 
#2: Do you have a sensitivity to sin - 1 John 1:7

#3: Are you basically obedient to the commandments of Scripture? 1 John 2:3 

#4: What is your attitude toward the world and its values? 1 John 2:15

#5: Do you practice sin less (not sinless) now that you have professed faith in Christ? 1 John 3:6

#6: Have you experienced answered prayer? 1 John 3:22

#7: Do you have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit? 1 John 4:13

#8: Do you have the ability to discern between spiritual truth and error? 1 John 4:1

#9: Do you believe the basic doctrines of the faith? 1 John 5:1a

#10: Have you experienced persecution for your Christian position? Philippians 1:28

#11: Ultimately, do you find yourself gravitating to the Word of God for counsel, comfort, direction and instruction? 1 Peter 2:2

If you can answer yes to all of these, you are saved (period). If not, then know that you can be saved (Rom 5:8; John 3:16). God is willing and able to save you. Ask God by faith for forgiveness of your sins

Pray this prayer...   Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I believe you paid for my sins with your blood, and that you rose from the dead. I repent of my unbelief and place my trust in you and you alone to be my Savior. Amen!

If this is your prayer, Romans 10:13 is God’s answer: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The assurance of salvation is made possible by a sound and structured study of God's Word.

Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger       

TheTragedy of Self Deception

One of the most prevalent and poisonous rationalizations of sin is that, I can handle this. If I sense that I'm losing control, I'll just quit. I won't let it get out of control. The problem with such thinking is that in sin's erosive grip, the heart of a person is dulled ever more by repeated sin.   A calloused heart cannot sense the deception and increasing danger of the sin barraging it.   

The only advantage a Christian can employ under pressure and overcome is an unveiled openness before God. The opposite of this is a self-willed, miss-guided heart that ultimately results in a sense of futility in all that we do and become. We impoverish and weaken ourselves all because we will not trust and obey God with ALL our heart.   It is for this reason that God applies pressure in our lives. Unless we experience the pressure of facing every deception about ourselves,  we will claw to the depths of our hearts before we give Jesus our consideration.  The tragedy will  be a stunted  growth  that leaves one at a disadvantage to the grossness of one's  own personal ambitions.

If you are a believer attempting to walk in the likeness Christ, you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will be assertive within your spirit when confronted with a situation or decision that would take you outside the will of God. Because it all boils down to a life of unreserved dependence upon Christ.
If you are faced with the question of whether or not to open, to surrender your heart; then make a determination to go through whatever pressure God has permitted;  surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. You will take great pleasure in knowing that you are not your own. Amen.

Sincerely Dr. Arthur Belanger       

God's Will For Your Life

God's Will For Your Life

How can I be sure that I am in the will of God and not just influenced by my good intentions? A Christian who mistakes God's will for something else will remain intimidated by the influence of fear.

The will of God ultimately is the influence of God that breeds discernment which reveals the will of God verses one's good intentions. With that being said... how can a Christian be absolutely sure they are in the will of God?

#1: Be sure that you are already in the habit of obeying God (James 1:22 ). This is key. Obeying God consistently will protect you from self-deception and build your sense of discernment about others and the environment around you.

#2: Always determine that you will glorify God spiritually and physically. The Holy Spirit will use that ambition to weed out or diminish the strength of one's own understanding. 1 Cor. 10:31.

#3: Read and study the Bible consistently. This will help direct your steps away from darkness. Your orientation will be principle over preference. Col. 3;16

#4: Associate with Believers/Church in whom you can receive godly counsel. Don't under-estimate the experience of godly influences in your life. Psalm 1:1,2

If all four of the above are in place, you are ready to discern God's will through prayer and if necessary: adding fasting to your prayers. Phil. 4:6,7.

Ultimately, the Bible is the key. The Holy Spirit will always exhibit the undiluted sternness of the Word of God. Why? There is no greater necessity for the believer than an unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God. This will inevitably result in the withering of our personal preferences which will result in clarity of God's will in all matters of life... making void the taunting influence of fear.

Faithfulness to the Word of God accepts the fact that there are no other reserves to draw upon. All other means apart from the stern and sure admonition of God's Word will only leave us unpredictable, discontented and irrational. We are afforded God's demand to reject any and all substitutes for the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will never make this a matter of debate. God's Word and our obedience to it is the only pattern to knowing and enjoying God's will (Eccl. 12:13).

Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger

Jesus breaks through all our barriers...fear, anger, hopelessness, doubt...He brings us to Him and changes our hearts of brokenness to hearts of gold. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!

2nd Chapter of Acts - Mansion Builder

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 KJV

Take My Life I am Yours - Michael Neale arrangement

The Truth, The Life, The Way

Let what God puts in your heart be what you do. Listen to the Lord and you shall walk in peace and light forever. He will guide everything in total divine perfection and grace. Trust in Him alone and you will have "the peace which passeth all understanding". God's love shall always be with you on the Path of Life in Jesus Christ...the Truth, the Life and the Way.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6