THE DANGER OF NON-SCRIPTURAL FORMS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. — 1 John 4:1
In this current generation in the USA that has seen the rise and acceptance of Harry Potter, witchcraft, and various forms of the occult everywhere, with much of it even creeping increasingly into the Church, we need to be on guard for paganistic ideas that might attempt to be mingled with our pure praise and worship of YHVH.
One example of this is the recent popularity of "banner, flag, and veil dancing" in Churches. While in and of itself, for example if only used as choreographing in dance, in a presentation, or a play, it would basically not be harmful; but that is not what we are increasingly seeing done today. Instead of colors of banners and veils being chosen simply because they are pretty - what we see is that banners and flags have become routine and even mandatory in praise and worship groups in many cases, and that some worship teams are ascribing "spiritual" qualities, even powers, to physical mundane objects and characteristics. Granted, in many cases I'm sure this is just born out of an innocent zeal of certain worship teams to enhance their form of praise and worship - but sadly I have little doubt that most Believers don't even begin to realize the danger associated with such practices.
The danger lies on two levels. First is the more obvious one that any articles used in worship that are elevated can of themselves become the focus of attention rather than simple heartfelt praise and worship, in song and dance, unto YHVH. Think for a second, that if every time you went to Church during the song service there was a display of fireworks and pyrotechnics - would you then be focused on the music to YHVH, or a dazzling show. The same thing can happen in some worship teams. This can happen both for those elevating the symbol, and for the Congregation who is more intent on the symbol, then on themselves praising YHVH, or at least in seeing those around them simply praising YHVH. To see choreographed beautiful dance to YHVH can be inspiring, to see little children in joy up front during praise and worship dancing as they are led in their heart is also inspiring. But misplaced elevated uses of physical objects during praise and worship can become, at the very least a distraction, or at the worst, pagan. Addressing the pagan aspect, let me continue....
Secondly, but more dangerous, there are those increasingly assigning to their banners, flags, and veils, colors that they say have "spiritual meaning". This is where the biggest danger lies. Anytime a spiritual value is attached to a mundane thing in the creation, it borders, or has crossed the border, into: shamanism, animism, and various pagan and occult beliefs (more on this in the last two paragraphs below.) While trying to defend their practice by using Scripture to back up their color choice, it's easy to see for anyone being honest, that such practice in praise and worship is not mentioned at all in Scripture, and any attempt at using an analogy in Scripture in association with a color, can just as easily be refuted with another use of the same color in Scripture. For an example, one author writing on this subject stated that white represents purity, (and while robes of white and others examples exist in Scripture that are relating to purity, other examples of white are not speaking of purity), in her example she says she chose white for purity as the first of the four horsemen in the Book of Revelation is white. Yet this use of the white horse in the Passage is speaking of judgment by one who is going out and conquering one nation after another militarily, and it is NOT speaking of Christ at all. In fact, several scholars say it could be referring to the anti-Christ. So not a good apologia to use for her banners color choice I'd think! (I'm glad I didn't know all of this as a child growing up, or I would have been terrified of my crayons!)
Read the following taken from a web site to see if you can discern anything else wrong with this picture....
Spiritual Warfare—False Clichés - http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/warfare/warfare.htm - ...9. Flags & Banners: The latest spiritual warfare technique is the use of "flags and banners," suggested by its advocates to be "spiritual power tools." The act of flag waving becomes the causal reason why God's special presence occurs. The flag (termed "worship and warfare flags") processionals, so popular in some charismatic circles today, are not just a witness of faith, but become a force in themselves ("intercessors with flags") in the spiritual warfare game. These flags and banners are used to coax the Holy Spirit to respond. Man becomes proactive and the spirit world becomes reactive. The "head" of the flag-waving ministry in some churches is called a "master flag minister." One flag ministry proponent states: "I can tell you that something incredible happens in the spirit when we purposefully and prayerfully raise our flags. ... I create worship and warfare flags suitable for the beginner through advanced flag ministers, in sizes geared to the home, the sanctuary, and presentation dances. You will find a variety of styles and colors to suit all the moods of the Holy Spirit." (The flag minister has the responsibility to lift the right banner at the right time. This flag ministry relies heavily on the symbolic use of color in worship. Colors include; Red: the blood of Christ; Purple: authority, and Sonship; Blue: revelational knowledge; White: the Bride, purity; Turquoise: River of God; Orange: passion, power, and fire. Flags and banners are then spiritually choreographed by the flag minister in association with dance and timbrels.) (Source: "Flags and Banners … Spiritual Power Tools?," Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Nov/Dec 2002.)...
Whenever one ascribes a "spiritual" power, reality, or influence, to an object or element of the mundane/physical, it is an attempt to manipulate, control, influence, or appease either a "spiritual principle", an aspect of God, or even God Himself, "from the flesh up" -(so to speak), as we see alluded to in the above article's quote. This belief in a spiritual power belonging to, or being assigned to, a physical object can run into the same type of error as idol worship, like in Catholicism where we see a "spiritualization" of statutes or religious artifacts, or in Orthodox Christianity with an icon centered worship. Specifically then as related to assigning "spiritual" principles to colors, it becomes a carnal form of worship that steps off into "Colorology" - which is one of the main believes in witchcraft and various pagan religious belief systems. To indicate that one color can be anything other than a color when it is being waved, has as about as much validity as saying there is a cosmic spiritual principle at work when one holds up a bagel with cream cheese. - In short - nothing! -(John 6:63 - It is the Spirit that quickeneth/gives-life; the flesh profiteth/adds nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.)- Yet in the mind of one who thinks they are releasing "spiritual principles" to work by their physical mundane actions, their worship focus has shifted then - from the Heavenly - to the mundane. This causes a bondage in ones life, and is trying to limit and put in a box, even if only in a small way, the All Powerful Creator YHVH, or His attributes and Gifts, into the realm of the reasonings and control of the physical creation, and it is a dangerous trap. It can lead directly to a subtle form of Deism that one may not even realize they've crossed over into, as a belief that God is a force that can be controlled or manipulated into action by physical devices of man. It may bring with it a warm-fuzzy feeling of a form of godliness, but it can also tap into another demonic angel-of-light "power" that is apart from God.
White is also the color of the plague of leprosy folks; let’s not mingle the Holy and the profane!
wmc
NOTE (Later comment):
While one might choose colors for their banners to represent something 'blue for Heaven, white for purity, etc...'; that notion however STOPS being valid when one ascribes powers to colors ! and believes that the colors one chooses manipulate the Spiritual (or think the colors of themselves have spiritual power to change the mundane). Anytime someone uses a mundane thing to 'move' the anointing of YHVH, they've crossed over into a cultic practice, or at the very least are at the border of doing so. It's the Anointing of YHVH that 'MOVES' us, and that changes the 'mundane', not the other way around! This article was to make you aware of a dangerous trend and influence some are falling into. - And yes...there ARE teachers who DO teach this dangerous practice that's found in many occult false-religions.
YHVH didn't send His 'color' and heal us, nor did He Atone for us by the 'color' red. - Again: The Spiritual moves the mundane, the mundane does not control the Spiritual.
"It is the Spirit that quickeneth/(gives life); the flesh profiteth/(assists/is useful) nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." - John 6:33.
In this current generation in the USA that has seen the rise and acceptance of Harry Potter, witchcraft, and various forms of the occult everywhere, with much of it even creeping increasingly into the Church, we need to be on guard for paganistic ideas that might attempt to be mingled with our pure praise and worship of YHVH.
One example of this is the recent popularity of "banner, flag, and veil dancing" in Churches. While in and of itself, for example if only used as choreographing in dance, in a presentation, or a play, it would basically not be harmful; but that is not what we are increasingly seeing done today. Instead of colors of banners and veils being chosen simply because they are pretty - what we see is that banners and flags have become routine and even mandatory in praise and worship groups in many cases, and that some worship teams are ascribing "spiritual" qualities, even powers, to physical mundane objects and characteristics. Granted, in many cases I'm sure this is just born out of an innocent zeal of certain worship teams to enhance their form of praise and worship - but sadly I have little doubt that most Believers don't even begin to realize the danger associated with such practices.
The danger lies on two levels. First is the more obvious one that any articles used in worship that are elevated can of themselves become the focus of attention rather than simple heartfelt praise and worship, in song and dance, unto YHVH. Think for a second, that if every time you went to Church during the song service there was a display of fireworks and pyrotechnics - would you then be focused on the music to YHVH, or a dazzling show. The same thing can happen in some worship teams. This can happen both for those elevating the symbol, and for the Congregation who is more intent on the symbol, then on themselves praising YHVH, or at least in seeing those around them simply praising YHVH. To see choreographed beautiful dance to YHVH can be inspiring, to see little children in joy up front during praise and worship dancing as they are led in their heart is also inspiring. But misplaced elevated uses of physical objects during praise and worship can become, at the very least a distraction, or at the worst, pagan. Addressing the pagan aspect, let me continue....
Secondly, but more dangerous, there are those increasingly assigning to their banners, flags, and veils, colors that they say have "spiritual meaning". This is where the biggest danger lies. Anytime a spiritual value is attached to a mundane thing in the creation, it borders, or has crossed the border, into: shamanism, animism, and various pagan and occult beliefs (more on this in the last two paragraphs below.) While trying to defend their practice by using Scripture to back up their color choice, it's easy to see for anyone being honest, that such practice in praise and worship is not mentioned at all in Scripture, and any attempt at using an analogy in Scripture in association with a color, can just as easily be refuted with another use of the same color in Scripture. For an example, one author writing on this subject stated that white represents purity, (and while robes of white and others examples exist in Scripture that are relating to purity, other examples of white are not speaking of purity), in her example she says she chose white for purity as the first of the four horsemen in the Book of Revelation is white. Yet this use of the white horse in the Passage is speaking of judgment by one who is going out and conquering one nation after another militarily, and it is NOT speaking of Christ at all. In fact, several scholars say it could be referring to the anti-Christ. So not a good apologia to use for her banners color choice I'd think! (I'm glad I didn't know all of this as a child growing up, or I would have been terrified of my crayons!)
Read the following taken from a web site to see if you can discern anything else wrong with this picture....
Spiritual Warfare—False Clichés - http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/warfare/warfare.htm - ...9. Flags & Banners: The latest spiritual warfare technique is the use of "flags and banners," suggested by its advocates to be "spiritual power tools." The act of flag waving becomes the causal reason why God's special presence occurs. The flag (termed "worship and warfare flags") processionals, so popular in some charismatic circles today, are not just a witness of faith, but become a force in themselves ("intercessors with flags") in the spiritual warfare game. These flags and banners are used to coax the Holy Spirit to respond. Man becomes proactive and the spirit world becomes reactive. The "head" of the flag-waving ministry in some churches is called a "master flag minister." One flag ministry proponent states: "I can tell you that something incredible happens in the spirit when we purposefully and prayerfully raise our flags. ... I create worship and warfare flags suitable for the beginner through advanced flag ministers, in sizes geared to the home, the sanctuary, and presentation dances. You will find a variety of styles and colors to suit all the moods of the Holy Spirit." (The flag minister has the responsibility to lift the right banner at the right time. This flag ministry relies heavily on the symbolic use of color in worship. Colors include; Red: the blood of Christ; Purple: authority, and Sonship; Blue: revelational knowledge; White: the Bride, purity; Turquoise: River of God; Orange: passion, power, and fire. Flags and banners are then spiritually choreographed by the flag minister in association with dance and timbrels.) (Source: "Flags and Banners … Spiritual Power Tools?," Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Nov/Dec 2002.)...
Whenever one ascribes a "spiritual" power, reality, or influence, to an object or element of the mundane/physical, it is an attempt to manipulate, control, influence, or appease either a "spiritual principle", an aspect of God, or even God Himself, "from the flesh up" -(so to speak), as we see alluded to in the above article's quote. This belief in a spiritual power belonging to, or being assigned to, a physical object can run into the same type of error as idol worship, like in Catholicism where we see a "spiritualization" of statutes or religious artifacts, or in Orthodox Christianity with an icon centered worship. Specifically then as related to assigning "spiritual" principles to colors, it becomes a carnal form of worship that steps off into "Colorology" - which is one of the main believes in witchcraft and various pagan religious belief systems. To indicate that one color can be anything other than a color when it is being waved, has as about as much validity as saying there is a cosmic spiritual principle at work when one holds up a bagel with cream cheese. - In short - nothing! -(John 6:63 - It is the Spirit that quickeneth/gives-life; the flesh profiteth/adds nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.)- Yet in the mind of one who thinks they are releasing "spiritual principles" to work by their physical mundane actions, their worship focus has shifted then - from the Heavenly - to the mundane. This causes a bondage in ones life, and is trying to limit and put in a box, even if only in a small way, the All Powerful Creator YHVH, or His attributes and Gifts, into the realm of the reasonings and control of the physical creation, and it is a dangerous trap. It can lead directly to a subtle form of Deism that one may not even realize they've crossed over into, as a belief that God is a force that can be controlled or manipulated into action by physical devices of man. It may bring with it a warm-fuzzy feeling of a form of godliness, but it can also tap into another demonic angel-of-light "power" that is apart from God.
White is also the color of the plague of leprosy folks; let’s not mingle the Holy and the profane!
wmc
NOTE (Later comment):
While one might choose colors for their banners to represent something 'blue for Heaven, white for purity, etc...'; that notion however STOPS being valid when one ascribes powers to colors ! and believes that the colors one chooses manipulate the Spiritual (or think the colors of themselves have spiritual power to change the mundane). Anytime someone uses a mundane thing to 'move' the anointing of YHVH, they've crossed over into a cultic practice, or at the very least are at the border of doing so. It's the Anointing of YHVH that 'MOVES' us, and that changes the 'mundane', not the other way around! This article was to make you aware of a dangerous trend and influence some are falling into. - And yes...there ARE teachers who DO teach this dangerous practice that's found in many occult false-religions.
YHVH didn't send His 'color' and heal us, nor did He Atone for us by the 'color' red. - Again: The Spiritual moves the mundane, the mundane does not control the Spiritual.
"It is the Spirit that quickeneth/(gives life); the flesh profiteth/(assists/is useful) nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." - John 6:33.
