October 19, 2009

“Spiritual Sweat”

Blessings Folk

Most of us have seen the sad story of recent deaths that occurred at a “spiritual warrior” retreat. Apparently at least three folk died as a result of period of time spent in a “sweat lodge.”

Here is one account.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/18/third-sweat-lodge-death

These type of things are not new. They will continue to increase.

I first heard of such some 25 years ago. A good friend had a family member that was intensely involved in the “sweat lodge” movement...for lack of a better term.

Do not be deceived.

These folk are serious.

Most are “highly educated” with advanced academic degrees bestowed by man.

They know much.

They do not know the Truth.

They actually suppress the truth.

The Lord told us of such…we have spoke of this repeatedly...but it bears another hearing in light of all that is occurring today. Read the following...


Rom 1:18-23
18 For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,
19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.
20 From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.
21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

(from Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 by Holman Bible Publishers.)

Note these truths.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. The truths is there, yet they choose to suppress it...to ignore it… to hide it.

What is this this truth? There are two things here.

  • God has shown it to them. God has made evident among (“within&rdquoWinking them that God is. God has placed within every person the awareness of Himself. Therefore, we have a “inner” testimony.
  • All mankind has an “outer” testimony that God is. God reveals His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature (or as the KJV states better “Godhead&rdquoWinking through that which He created. Again, the Lord reveals through His creation His eternal power and Godhead. All mankind sees this.
  • All mankind has the inner testimony.
  • All mankind has the outer testimony.

What does this have to do with the “sweat lodge” story?

The Word shows us.

  • Even though they knew God, they did not glorify God nor show gratitude.
  • They reject God.
  • Their thinking becomes as nonsense.
  • Their senseless minds become darkened.
  • Claiming to be wise, they become fools.

This is what we are seeing today.

The sad folk in the lodge were seeking “spiritual enlightenment.”
They are deceived with a darkened mind.

The same thing is happening within every arena of our culture.

Politically, darkness and deception reign.
Economically, blindness prevails.

Many believe that we have endured the hardest part of the most recent challenges.

I do not believe this to be so.

More trying times are directly ahead, especially economically.
I believe this based upon pure, scientific observation of what happened historically in the 1920s and 1930s.
I believe this based upon the Word of God.

The balance of the chapter in Romans 1 gives even more insight…
“God gave them over…” Repeated 3 times….well here...take a couple of minutes and read it.

Sounds like news reports of the day.
We exalt evil in the name of enlightenment.
We are what is described in the Word.

Rom 1:24-32
24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual intercourse for what is unnatural.
27 The males in the same way also left natural sexual intercourse with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty for their perversion.
28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.
29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, disputes, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful.
32 Although they know full well God's just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

(from Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyrightß © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 by Holman Bible Publishers.)

Shudder and tremble.
Repent and confess.
Receive the forgiveness of the Lord.
Let the power of the Most High be released through His love.
Those who are truly saved are vessels of the Lord for the Kingdom of God.
Allow the Kingdom of Light to shine in the darkness...

Blessings!