My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
+++
GENUINE AND FALSE EXPERIENCES OF THE GRACE OF GOD (Part III)
By Archimandrite George of the Holy Monastery of Gregoriou- Mount Athos
False Experiences of the Grace of God (continued)
A young man who had become a monk at the Holy Mountain after first becoming involved in Hindu Yoga (you should know that there are approximately 500 Hindu heresies in Greece), described to me what experiences they strive for in there. Whenever they desired to see light, they would rub their eyes until they could see little stars. Whenever the desired to hear unusual sounds they applied some sort of pressure on their ears so that they could create sounds.
Similar psychological experiences that are produced artificially, are attributed by some heretics to the Holy Spirit.
Other experiences in heretic gatherings are not only psychological. They could also be demonic. The devil manipulates the seeking of such experiences by some people and presents them with various "signs" that are not from God but from them; i.e., diabolical. These people cannot understand that they allow themselves to become victims of the Devil. They actually believe such "signs" to be heavenly and brought by the Holy Spirit. The Devil can also give them some prophetic abilities, the way he does to the various "mediums" and "psychics". The Lord has however forewarned us: "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (St. Matthew 24:24). They won't merely perform miracles and wonders, or scary signs: just like the Antichrist, who will not do bad things when he comes. He will perform good deeds, heal the sick and various other impressive things that will deceive people, if possible even the elect, so that they will acknowledge him as a savior and follow him.
That is why we must be careful. Everyone who can perform signs and prophesies is not always from God. Again as the Lord says: "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practiced lawlessness!" (St. Matthew 7:22-23).
I knew a young man who was led astray by occult and Pentecostal heresies, who admitted that the various experiences they had when they were members of these heresies, were obviously diabolical.
A former Pentecostal man for example admitted that during the Pentecostal gatherings when some "prophetess" would utter a "prophecy' he could feel a disturbing demonic presence and that when he tried to say the prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me the sinner", the "speaking in tongues" would again begin, and would drown out his attempt and impede him from saying the prayer.
Given that the devil can transform himself into an angel of light, we must be careful with experiences. The holy Apostle John advises us "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). Not all the spirits are from God. Those who have the Apostle Paul's gift of discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10) can discern if the spirits are from God or from the devil. The Confessors of the Church have this gift. That is why when we have such problems we must see out our Father Confessor and he will determine the source of every experience.
Even Monastics can be deceived. We have had cases at the Holy Mountain where monks were deceived by such experiences. For example, an angel appeared to a monk - which was in fact the devil - and told him "Come to the peak of Athos, so I can show you great miracles". He guided him there and he would have fallen off the precipice, had he not invoked Divine help. He made the mistake of believing that the vision was from God when he shouldn't have. Monastics know that when they have a vision, they must tell it to their Geronda (Elder) and he will tell them if it is from God or from the demons. Where there is pride, deceit is very possible.
Every Saint of our Church is a Spirit-bearing man or woman, full of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In this very critical time, any Orthodox Christian who perseveres in his Orthodox faith in Christ, will receive great blessings and great rewards from our Holy God. And this is because in this evil and corrupt time he was not led astray by contemporary idolatry and false gods, nor did he bend a knee to them, but remained steadfast and immovable in Our Orthodox Faith.
We wish therefore that no Orthodox Christian become a traitor, a Judas and apostate of our Holy Orthodox faith. May all those who were led astray by the Evil One due to their ignorance into deceits and heresies, be illumined by God and return to our Holy Orthodox Christian faith, so that they may have the hope of salvation.
We may all be sinners but when we are within our Holy Orthodox Church we have the hope of salvation. On the contrary, even if were "righteous" outside the bosom of the Church, we have no hope of salvation. All of us who are within the Church shall repent, shall confess, shall be forgiven and God will have mercy on us. Outside the Church who will save us? What Holy Spirit will forgive our sins and which Church will intercede after our death for our souls? Therefore, any Orthodox Christian who dies Orthodox should know he/she has a hope of salvation. However, anyone who departs from the Church, even if he believes he had done good works, has no hope of salvation.
For this, our brothers, let us remain within our Orthodox Church, faithful and immovable, with a holy stubbornness on our part so that we may all have, with the grace of God and the blessing of the Theotokos hope for our salvation. (Source: Pantokratoras)
____________________________
"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom
+++
With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George