Biblical Meditation

 New Age is an alternative religion. In New Age, feelings and experiences are emphasised. In New Age meditation the imagination and especially the visual imagination is encouraged and developed.

Christians must of course avoid false religions. This is particularly emphasised in the Bible.

“You shall have no other gods before me. Ex 20:3 NIV

God's people must not only reject other gods. In the Old Testament, the Jews were not allowed to imitate the worship practices and religious customs of other religions.

Many Christians therefore avoid all intense meditation because meditation is very prominent in Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga and New Age.

But this causes problems because the Bible teaches us that we must not only read, learn and study the Bible, but that we must also meditate intensively.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. Ps 1:1–2 NIV 

 What is the Hebrew word ‘hagah’?

to roar, growl, groan, to utter, speak. to meditate, devise, muse, imagine. (Strong's Lexicon)

What does this mean? Our relationship with God and his word involves all aspects of our thoughts and emotions, including our imagination.

So are we allowed to meditate and visualise?

In the Bible, God's truth is repeatedly presented with vivid visual illustrations.

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, I am about to set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.

I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of jewels, and all your wall of precious stones. Is 54:10–12 NRSV

Should the Holy Spirit express himself in this way, but forbid us to think in this way?

New Age does not come from God, but from darkness. The devil cannot create anything. He copies everything from God, the Creator of all things.

He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Mt 22:37 NRSV

Your thought world includes maths, logic, memorising, music, making plans, etc, etc.

But your world of thoughts also includes memories, dreams, daydreams, musing, meditating and all kinds of imaginations, including visual ones.  

Dreams and daydreams can be sinful or sacred. We must not abolish our imagination, but sanctify it with the Holy Spirit through God's Word.

Jesus and Other Religions

 God has given us the Bible. The Bible is God's map, a totally reliable revelation. In the Bible, we find everything we need to recognise God.

In the Bible, we read that God created everything.

In the Bible, we read that many people believe in a god or gods that are different from the God of the Bible, but they are false gods.

This idea is horrible and repulsive to post-modern tolerant people, but that is exactly what the Bible says.

Many religious people claim to believe in the Ten Commandments, but they don't understand what that really means. The first commandment excludes all the other world religions.

“You shall have no other gods before me. Ex 20:3 NIV

Buddhists do not believe in an almighty creator.
The Hindus believe in many gods.

“This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Is 44:6 NIV

Muslims also believe in an almighty God who created everything, controls everything and is supposed to be the judge of all people.

But is the God of the Muslims the same God? Is the God of Mohamed the God of Israel? The muftis and imams would find this idea repulsive.

But Jesus identified himself with the God of Israel.

But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you,
‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Mt 22:31–32 NIV

Many post-modern people speak of the Abrahamic religions. The father of the Arabs was Ishmael, not Isaac and Jacob.

In our time, countless Muslims are converting to Jesus, but in the Bible the King of Israel, one hundred per cent Jew and Son of God, is not an Islamic prophet.   

Jesus said to him: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

The Qur'an teaches that Jesus was a prophet of Allah, but not the son of God.

The God in the Qur'an is Creator and Judge, but there is no Father God in the Islamic scriptures.

In Islam, Allah is the ruler God and judge but not a father. He has no children. This is said to contradict his nature.

‘Believe in Allah and his Messenger (Muhammad), but say nothing of a trinity. There is only one God, far from him, that he has a son. Verily these are unbelievers who say: Allah is Christ, the son of Mary. Whoever joins someone to Allah, Allah excludes him from paradise, and his dwelling place will be hellfire’ (Suras 4, 172; 5, 73f.)

But the core of our Christian faith can be found in this wonderful statement by Jesus.

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. Jn 3:16 NIV

Do you find this teaching too narrow-minded? But have you read the Bible yourself?

It is not wise to reject a book if you have not read it.

There are also people who think they believe in the Bible to some extent, but also in other religions to some extent.

But have you really read the Bible? I know Christians who were convinced Muslims until they read the Bible for themselves.