Deepak Chopra on the teaching of Christ

Following Hannity's interview with the Illustrious Mr. Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life, which Mr. Hannity proudly pointed out is the most-sold book, only to the Bible. In page 91 of his Purpose Driven life, Warren suggests for people to use "breath prayers," which are also know as "centering prayer," "contemplative prayer," or in Hinduism "transcendental meditation." Yoga is Sanskrit for "being yoked to the divine." As one Hindu yogi said, "There is no such thing as Chrisitan yoga." I digress.
Hannity's interview was "smoothly" followed by an interview with new age guru Deepak Chopra, promoting his new book, detailing the before unknown rebellious teen life of Jesus, and the resulting spiritual development (out of His rebellion), to be such a great spiritual leader, pionting people to find the divine within.
Sunday our pastor mentioned John 10 was one of his favorite chapters in the entire bible, and encouraged us to read it. Yesterday morning I did. Watching Hannity's show last night, Chopra referenced this very chapter (thank God for providence), citing the words of Jesus: "My Father and I are one (v. 30)," not mentioning the preceding verses which would void his argument.

31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him.

32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?”

33 “We aren’t stoning You for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because You—being a man—make Yourself God.”

John 10:31-33 (HCSB)


From here, Chopra goes on to say how Jesus explained from that point, Jesus explains how we are all god. He goes on later in the interview to explain that we all have that spark of divinity within us, "all" referring to all people, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, agnostic, Baptists, Sikhs, Jews, etc. But is that really what Jesus was saying. Let's look at the text:

34 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, I said, you are gods? 35 If He called those whom the word of God came to ‘gods’—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?
John 10:34-36 (HCSB)


The passage cited by Jesus is Ps. 82:6:

6 I said, “You are gods;
you are all sons of the Most High.
Psalms 82:6 (HCSB)


This is one of the most often misquoted verses used by cults like the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and New Agers, to point out that we all either can become gods, or we have the "spark of divinity" within us. What is this verse, which Jesus referred to, actually mean? A VERY IMPORTANT principle in Bible study, is to read the verse in the context of its surrounding text. What does the next verse say?
7 However, you will die like men

and fall like any other ruler.”

Psalms 82:7 (HCSB)


So the following verse tells us that these so called 'gods' will die like other men, or like any other ruler. A look at the preceeding verses will show that the 'rulers' are ruling in injustice, showing partiality to the wicked (v.2), being admonished to provide justice for the needy and fatherless; to uphold the rights of the oppressed and destitute (is wealth a right?). These rulers, gods, are referring to the judges of Israel, who stood in the place of God to render His decisions and judgments for the Israeli people, as Moses was God to his brother Aaron (Ex. 4:16).

This is not a passage where Jesus is saying that we all have god within us, or that we can attain a 'God' conciousness. Let's look at what he said in the preceeding verses of John 10:

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11 (HCSB)


14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15 (HCSB)


27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”
John 10:27-30 (HCSB)


Jesus and the Father are one. This was His teaching. And He lays down His life for the sheep, and gives them eternal life. He also teaches later in the good news of John, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." Not even Deepak Chopra!

Greatest Killer - War or Convenience?

Each morning I receive a news mailing from israelnationalnews.com (Arutz Sheva). While reading an article there how the Israeli government approved a homosexual couples adoption, I was noticing on the side the different links for reparative therapy and couseling for homosexuals.

I also noticed an add at www.friendsoferfat.org, which had a banner stating that 50,000 babies die annually in Israel due to abortion! I thought, "That's insane! I'm sitting here, keeping up with all this news about the war going on in and around Israel, being covered by many media, reporting on the deaths caused by all the bombings and katusha rocket attacks, and it pales in comparison to what the peoples are doing in comparison to themselves!"

If you have high speed access, the video is good at www.friendsoferfat.org. And while all the killings done through abortion far surpasses that done of any wars, here are a few sobering reminders about ourselves:

- Of the 1.6 million abortions performed in the U.S. each year[Talk about insane!!!], 91 percent are performed during the first trimester (12 or fewer weeks' gestation); 9 percent are performed in the second trimester (24 or fewer weeks' gestation); and only about 100 are performed in the third trimester (more than 24 weeks' gestation), approximately .01 percent of all abortions performed.
- Approximately 1.5 million U.S. women with unwanted pregnancies choose abortion each year. Most are under 25 years old and unmarried. Women who are separated from their husbands and poor women are more likely to choose abortion than other women. More than two-thirds of the women who seek abortions have jobs. Nearly one-third are in school. More than two-thirds plan to have a child in the future.
- Approximately 6 million women in the U.S. become pregnant every year. About half of those pregnancies are unintended. Either the woman or her partner did not use contraception or the contraceptive method failed.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,880,00.html

Certainly we are to aim for peace and reconciliation among the nations. But if we want to stop the biggest form of murder, we need to focus our efforts against the abortion industry, and insist that our government support abstinence-only education. My wife has repeatedly pointed out how if we could keep one of God's commands, we'd not have divorce, broken families, STDs, aids... The wages of sin is death... but praise God, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. For all of you who have, and for this who will have abortions, there is forgiveness and a new start for you in our gracious Lord Jesus Christ. "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11