In Part 1, I shared the story of ministering healing to many people who asked if I was doing Reiki. I learned they were afraid that a healing practitioner could become very sick with the diseases he “takes off” of other people. This is so different than ministering healing in Jesus’ name! Last week, in Part 2, we continued to see how practices such as Reiki and Spiritism bring more affliction in the long term and can only transfer problems, but never permanently deal with them.

In fact, I just talked to another person two days ago who was concerned that she could get sick by practicing healing. She was thinking according to the principles of Spiritism and not according to a revelation of Christ’s death and resurrection. I’ve been healing the sick in Jesus’ name for about ten years, and I never even think about a possibility of the sickness coming on me when it leaves them! In fact, I myself have even been spontaneously healed as I was ministering to others. That’s a big difference from any practice that’s not based on Jesus’ sacrifice and victory!

Gnosticism And Secret Knowledge

One of the greatest opposing forces that the early church faced was a cult called Gnosticism. The apostle John focused on opposing Gnostic teachings in the epistles of First and Second John, calling the Gnostics “anti-Christs.” The apostle Paul refuted Gnostic heresies in the book of Colossians.

The word “Gnostic” comes from the Greek word for knowledge. Among other things, Gnostics believed in salvation through special, secret knowledge. On the contrary, the gospel is plain for everybody to see. It’s simple. Paul told they Colossians that they had everything they needed in Christ. If you have Jesus, you have everything! All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in him.

Colossians 2:2-4 (NRSV) I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments.

Colossians 2:8-10 (NRSV) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

Paul was clear. He was telling the Colossians “Don’t let anybody trick you into thinking that you need some spiritual revelation beyond what’s found in Jesus. You have all you need in Christ!” In Ephesians, we see from Paul’s writing that his intention was to make “God’s Mystery,” Jesus, plain to everybody. There was no “secret knowledge” needed!

Ephesians 3:8-9 (NRSV)  Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.

Reiki And Secret Knowledge

Look at the explanation of what Reiki is at www.reiki.org:

“Rei” as it is used in Reiki is more accurately interpreted to mean supernatural knowledge or spiritual consciousness, universal good. This is thought to be the God consciousness which is all-knowing.

Here’s a quote from another article:

In the second degree, Reiki knowledge and power is expanded using secret mantras and symbols.

Reiki and several other healing methodologies operate “according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.” They operate on what the ISV Bible version calls “the basic principals of this world.” There are spirits and spiritual principles at work. But none of this can come close to comparing with what Jesus does. A child with faith in Jesus can accomplish much more than a person with all of the “special knowledge” in the world.

Here’s an excerpt from the testimony of a former Reiki master. You can read the rest here, at probe.org. Notice the similarities between these thoughts and Paul’s words in the book of Colossians:

If it is so good and right, why do practitioners go on to other things once they hit Master level? The teacher who taught me was going on to accupuncture and other new Reiki teachings. Always something else, something new, something you NEED to be a true master. Sound familiar? It is like everything else in this world, but Christ.

There is no lasting peace, no connection with the universe, there is a big void in your soul that is not going away. WE ALL NEED CHRIST! I told my wife when she questioned my stopping in my search for peace once I found Christ (she had followed my years of searching through New Age theologies, etc) that Jesus Christ filled the hole. All the puzzle pieces fell into place and everything suddenly made sense.

For a long time after that I tried to make Reiki fit into Christianity but it didn’t. I prayed a lot about it. God firmly and solidly showed me in Scripture how it couldn’t work. The two major things against it, regardless of how well it works, are 1) it does not point anyone to Christ and in facts points people away from a single triune God, and 2) it is no different than all the pagan rituals in the Old Testament that would have people pray to the rain god or fertility god, etc. They must have worked or people wouldn’t have kept praying to them, and God’s people wouldn’t have been attracted to them. But either way it isn’t what GOD has asked us to do. Everything we need is in Him.

The Apostle John was clear when he gave instructions to the churches about the Gnostics and others who brought “secret” teaching. The gospel is simple. Don’t welcome any teaching that goes beyond the teaching of Christ or claims that you need some “special knowledge.”

2 John 1:7-11 (NRSV)  Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.

Included in the practice of Reiki are certain symbols in which trust is placed. Reiki is anti-Christ in that it opposes the revelation of Christ by teaching people to misplace their trust, putting it in special knowledge and symbols instead of in Jesus.

Next week, I’ll share about some ways that Christians are often seduced into walking according to the “basic principles of this world” instead of according to Christ. Christians are sometimes guilty of the same errors as those who use Reiki, Macumba, and other deceptive practices.

Meanwhile, listen to this testimony of an ex-Reiki master who met Torben Søndergaard (of The Last Reformation) and turned to Christ. She saw the difference between Christian ministry and Reiki when she watched Torben’s Youtube videos. Her words were “Look how simple that is! Look how beautiful it is!”

If you liked this post, you may want to check out the Heaven Now book trilogy. It contains many insights into understanding simple gospel truths and exercising heaven’s dominion on earth. It’s also filled with testimonies of what happened when I put these truths into practice. I’m sure these books will encourage you and help you learn to walk as a heavenly person. Not only that, but your purchase supports our missionary work in Brazil and in every other place we go!