Participants: Ivor Myers, Atonte Myers
Series Code: BOF
Program Code: BOF000010
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00:16 Welcome to Battles of Faith, I'm Atonte Myers
00:19 And I'm Ivor Myers 00:21 On today's program we are going to be talking about the 00:24 martial arts, and I'm very excited about this program 00:27 Because if you have been watching this hole entire series 00:30 you will know, that we have been talking about 00:32 the entertainment industry 00:33 and we can pair it to a black hole 00:36 and if you feel very trapped by that black hole 00:39 like you can't escape 00:41 this program is going to be specially encouraging to you 00:44 because by the end of the program 00:46 you will know how to escape 00:48 that black hole 00:49 you will be able to 00:50 spiritually fight the war 00:52 more effectively 00:53 Amen. You know Atonte this is a very special program 00:57 because we felt that we needed to do something 01:01 on this, when you look at the martial arts industry 01:04 it is definitely an industry 01:05 that is growing by leaps and bounds 01:07 you look at video games 01:09 you look at movies 01:10 such movies like 01:12 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 01:14 Enter the Dragon House of Flying Daggers 01:16 these movies that maybe some of our listeners, 01:19 our viewers are familiar with 01:21 or your children maybe familiar with them 01:25 the martial arts it's making it's way into 01:28 a lot of these media 01:32 venues, and it's becoming popular 01:34 among young people, I remember 01:37 one movie came out 01:39 maybe ten years ago 01:41 The Karate Kid 01:42 and after that movie came out 01:44 every young person was going to learn 01:46 this martial art 01:50 and so we felt it definitely. 01:52 I have a background in the martial arts 01:54 My brother 01:55 younger brother was born in 1973 01:59 my mother was at a drive in movie theater 02:02 watching the opening night 02:04 it was the opening night of 02:05 Enter the Dragon 02:07 so my younger brother came 02:09 was delivered 02:11 She had to leave that movie theater 02:12 go deliver him, she came back the next night 02:14 to finish seeing the movie. 02:16 My brother, from his birth has been 02:21 was, I should say 02:22 addicted to the martial arts, as was I 02:25 and so we have a background 02:27 in the martial arts, my uncle, 02:28 my fathers brother actually thought us the martial arts 02:32 >From age of 10 we learned the art of Wing Chun 02:36 He was a student of a classmate of Bruce Lee. 02:41 My uncle that is 02:43 He began to teach us this art and we were just all into 02:47 the movies, and everything dealing with the martial arts 02:50 and we watched as this phenomena 02:52 actually just grew 02:56 and now be believe it is an issue that we need to deal with 03:01 when we're talking about the entertainment industry 03:04 yes, well people like myself who are not as familiar 03:08 with the martial arts because 03:09 growing up, it didn't really interest me 03:12 but, I know that its a huge thing 03:15 the movies are taking it on 03:18 and they are making movies about it 03:20 and they are very popular 03:21 and the video games 03:24 as I am passing young people 03:25 with these little game boys or what ever you call them 03:28 and passing the TV screen I see all this Kickboxing 03:31 and all this type of martial arts 03:33 I know it's very huge with the young people 03:37 Yes, and it's appealing Atonte 03:38 because as you look at these movies 03:40 or watch these video games 03:42 You've got one person, one guy 03:43 beating up fifteen, twenty, thirty people at one time 03:48 and you've got this supernatural feats going on 03:51 witch we are going to talk about in a little wile as well 03:53 as we have seen, the enemy of souls 03:55 is behind a lot more 03:58 then we imagine 04:00 and we're going to see it front 04:02 this is one of those feels 04:05 where we are going to have our eyes open 04:07 to see what the enemies plans are 04:09 and how he is succeeding 04:11 to further his plan to deceive and to destroy souls 04:17 as Christians there is a war going on 04:20 and God does want us to fight 04:21 but it's a spiritual fight 04:23 and He wants us to train spiritually 04:25 That's right. A lot of people don't realize this but 04:29 the martial arts, if you would go to your internet and type in 04:34 new age or spiritualism and martial arts 04:37 you would find that there is a very strong connection there 04:39 infect, we are going to look at our first slide 04:42 and we are going to nodes something that is in 04:45 the Encyclopedia of New Age Believes 04:47 and the Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, basically states 04:51 that martial arts represents 04:54 forms of spiritual education 04:57 that function as means towards self-realization or 05:01 self-enlightenment. 05:03 So the power is within yourself 05:07 within yourself, right 05:08 you advance stage by stage until you reach 05:12 a final level as it were of self realization 05:16 and it's amazing Atonte that people don't realize that 05:19 when you look into a book like this 05:22 the Encyclopedia of New Age 05:24 people would say, what is the martial arts doing 05:26 in a book like this 05:28 why would they even talk about that 05:29 well the fact is as we're going to learn 05:32 there is a lot of spiritualism 05:34 that is tied into the martial arts 05:37 So, they don't give the glory to God 05:39 for their training as they go to each level 05:43 higher and higher 05:45 the power is within themselves 05:47 There are a lot of superhuman feet 05:50 that are performed in the martial arts 05:54 there is something called Dim Mac 05:57 the Death Touch, where 05:58 a martial artist is supposed to be able 06:01 to hit a person that person will not really feel the blow 06:09 but they will die days later 06:11 there are supposedly these powers of martial artist 06:17 ho are able to break 06:18 you may have five or six bricks 06:20 and they send what they call Chi Energy 06:23 we're going to look at that in a moment, but Chi Energy 06:25 they'll hit these stack of bricks 06:28 and the bottom brick will brake 06:31 but the top four remained intact 06:35 and again I will ask, where does this Chi Energy come from? 06:39 Is this within yourself? Are you empowered by a higher being? 06:42 Does it come from God? 06:43 Let me give you the definition of Chi Energy 06:45 We're going to go to our second slide here 06:48 and the Chi Energy is basically described as 06:51 Universal energy that can be accessed or channeled into 06:56 through meditation. 06:59 Atonte, a lot of times you will see the martial artist 07:02 he is sitting on the floor 07:04 either before or after he has practiced 07:07 and he is doing breathing exercises 07:09 and these breathing exercises 07:12 are actually to try to channel 07:15 this Chi Energy that is supposed to be out there 07:18 in the universe 07:19 because the more Chi Energy a martial artist has 07:21 he becomes more stronger. 07:25 Atonte as you look at this 07:28 and you look at spiritualism 07:30 you see that these practices are basically one and the same 07:34 different form, but the same thing 07:36 and this is why in the Encyclopedia of New Age 07:41 the martial arts is found there 07:44 because involve these things such as Chi 07:46 and these super human feat 07:49 Wow. It's amazing 07:52 that power can come out of someone 07:57 or trough another entity 08:00 and do these things 08:02 We're going to look at another sign 08:03 because we're going to sea where to source comes from 08:06 and I just want to put up a picture 08:07 on the screen right now 08:09 of something called the Yin-Yang symbol 08:12 and some of you may have seen the symbol before 08:14 you sea that all over the place but you don't always 08:17 know what it is 08:18 it's a dominant sign in the martial arts 08:19 it is the Yin-Yang symbol 08:21 you notice how half of the symbol is black 08:23 and half of the symbol is white 08:24 and there is a little white dot on the black side 08:31 I'm going to read to you 08:32 This is from another book 08:34 called Black magic, white Magic 08:37 and listen to what this book has to say about 08:38 the Yin-Yang symbol 08:40 It says: Another ancient magical sign 08:44 called the yin-and-yang first appeared 08:48 sometime before the 3rd century B.C in China 08:51 This emblem became the favorite of sorcerers 08:55 and mystics throughout the orient because 08:58 it too, embodies so many possible meanings 09:02 So Atonte, it's amazing that the dominant sign 09:06 of the martial arts, this yin-yang symbol 09:10 is again in another book, that happens to be called 09:13 Black Magic, White Magic 09:15 is described as a favorite 09:18 magical symbol for sorcerers 09:21 As we begin to look 09:24 at this issue of the martial arts 09:27 we begin to understand that there is much more here 09:30 than meets the eye 09:32 We would shrink back in horror 09:34 in getting involved with open sorcery 09:38 but, the devil has a way of masking 09:43 and putting in a different and more pleasant form 09:46 some of the same spiritualistic concepts 09:49 and we accept it more easily 09:51 because it's more pleasant 09:53 So, basically it is representing that darkness and light 09:56 can be mingled together or evil and good? 10:00 the ying-yang represent principles, opposites 10:04 and the opposites must be together in order to exist 10:08 if there is good, there must also be evil 10:12 there is soft-hard, light-darkness 10:16 and the Yin-Yang symbol 10:18 actually represent these two principals 10:20 the Yin would represent the internal aspects 10:25 and the Yang would represent the external aspects 10:28 So, we want to look at, very quickly 10:30 the internal aspects of martial arts 10:32 Should a Christian be involved in the Yin 10:35 so the speak of martial arts 10:37 the internal aspects. 10:39 we think, clearly, that meditation, Chi Energy 10:44 all these things are actually sorcery, another form 10:49 of spiritualism that connects us, or channels 10:52 so called energy, we channel so called energy 10:55 into ourselves, not going to use it myself, but 10:58 the practitioner channels so called energy into himself 11:01 and that is clearly a firm of channeling 11:04 or sorcery, or magic 11:06 You know, we're thinking about meditation 11:09 we should only be meditating on God 11:12 and the things of God, and His word 11:14 so unless the martial artist is meditating solely on God 11:19 to get his power I would say no. 11:21 When a person gets involved in the martial arts 11:26 you start of at a very simple level, but you advance 11:30 and step by step you are required to go deeper and deeper 11:34 into these meditational practices 11:36 if you want energy, you have got to harness the Chi 11:41 you have got to meditate, and you have got to do all these 11:45 different things that the Bible will se here, actually 11:49 goes against the Bible 11:51 it is channeling, it is sorcery 11:53 and as a Christian I believe, that 11:55 God sends a red flag, when you read things like this 11:59 that this is a magical sign 12:01 and that this is the dominant symbol in the martial arts 12:03 we should know that a Christian should have nothing to do 12:07 with the Yin, or the internal aspects of martial arts. 12:10 Because if we meditate on God and His word 12:13 we will have power, because there is an enemy out there 12:16 that we should be fighting, and it is the devil 12:19 and God wants us to have victory, and to win over Satan 12:22 and if we do, the meditating, like a martial artist would 12:26 the long hours, or the concentrating 12:30 on whatever it is that they are concentrating on 12:32 if we would just focus on His word and on Him 12:34 and pray to Him, He would give us that power. 12:36 The bible does not condemn meditation 12:39 But we are to meditate on God and upon His word 12:42 and it's amazing Atonte, that the martial artist 12:45 will sit there for hours in meditation 12:47 and so often, we as Christians 12:51 pray for five, three minutes, and we're off 12:55 the martial artist know, that in order to get power 12:59 this Chi Energy, they have got to meditate 13:01 and as we should realize 13:03 that we're not trying to get Chi Energy, we are trying to get 13:06 the power of the spirit of God 13:08 witch by the way with Chi Energy 13:10 say this simply, often a counterfeit saying 13:12 don't you want this energy, don't you want this power 13:15 no, as we want the indwelling of the spirit of God 13:18 witch is not an energy, He is a person 13:21 we want the indwelling of Jesus Christ in us 13:24 and we get it trough meditating upon His word 13:28 and upon His promises, and we sea here Atonte that already 13:33 the devil uses that principle 13:35 wherever there is a genuine there has to be a counterfeit. 13:37 Isn't it amazing how the world flax 13:40 to something like the martial arts, their in classes to learn 13:45 they are training, learning how to meditate, but when it says 13:49 why don't you come to a bible study course 13:52 and learn how to pray to God 13:54 and to meditate to God 13:56 the world is not flocking that way 13:58 unless you know that does not want that 14:01 he knows where the real power is 14:03 and he knows where the false power is 14:05 the internal aspect of the martial arts is 14:07 eastern mysticism, that's what it's called 14:10 the mysticism of the orient 14:14 and I believe as Christians our eyes should be opened 14:18 to say, we can't 14:20 consciously partake of this aspect of the martial arts. 14:24 Now, the other question is 14:25 should a Christian, we said that the Yin represents 14:28 the internal, the Yang represents the external 14:30 should a Christian partake in the Yang of the martial arts 14:34 the external, because some say 14:36 we practice the martial arts, but we don't practice 14:40 the evil side of it. 14:41 and Atonte that Yin-Yang sign reminds me of 14:47 black and white magic 14:48 There are a lot of people, who say, I read Harry Potter books 14:51 but I'm not into sorcery 14:53 I'm just reading it for entertainment 14:56 the question is, can we separate the martial arts 15:00 from it's inherent I believe, mysticism 15:08 as we look at the Yang of the martial arts 15:12 the external aspects, we have got to ask, did Jesus exercise 15:16 the principle of studying how to fight 15:19 because that's what the martial arts is, 15:22 it is studying how to fight. 15:24 Now, let me say this upfront, that I don't believe that 15:27 we should allow ourselves to be 15:30 you see somebody being 15:32 assaulted on the street, you're not jut going to stand by 15:34 and say I'm a Christian, I can't do anything, 15:36 I can't help this person 15:38 or if you're getting assaulted 15:40 that you're just going to stand there 15:42 and just be beaten, of course you want to defend yourself 15:45 you want to defend your family, and your children 15:47 to get involved in the martial arts, to learn how to do that. 15:52 You know, I grew up in New York city, 15:54 and none of the kids there knew martial arts 15:57 but they all new how to fight. 15:58 I'm saying, even then 16:01 I believe as Christians, we ought to seek the face of God 16:06 and the spirit of God 16:09 instead of seeking our own strength and willpower 16:12 to save us, just in case something happens 16:16 That's right. The real fighting, if something like 16:21 that happened, if an incident happened 16:23 I believe God would give us the power at that time 16:27 to do what we needed to do 16:28 but the things that we need to deal with daily 16:31 is the spiritual attacks and assaults that 16:33 puts on us daily 16:35 and we're totally unprepared 16:37 I mean you're studying for the martial arts 16:39 and you're real enemy is attacking you spiritually 16:43 and you're loosing on every battle on that form, 16:46 but you're preparing for a fight that may take place? 16:48 Doesn't make sense. 16:51 It's interesting Atonte that one of the other major symbol, 16:54 or the other major symbol of the martial arts 16:56 is the dragon. 16:58 and when we look throughout the bible 17:01 the dragon is always connected to and is personified 17:05 as Satan himself 17:06 so as for a Christian to enlist himself 17:09 under the symbol of the dragon and the Yin-Yang sign 17:13 to me that is just, you know 17:16 God says light and darkness can not dwell together 17:19 Good or evil can not 17:23 coexist, or in the Christian they should not coexist 17:27 we should separate, light and darkness 17:29 have nothing to do with one another 17:31 and I believe as a Christian we shouldn't actually be involved 17:37 in the martial arts, in the sense that 17:40 internally it is full of spiritualism 17:44 externally, it is the dragon, the force of the dragon 17:48 the dragon is all about force 17:49 the lamb on the other hand, Atonte 17:52 is about gentleness and peace. 17:54 When we are constantly training ourselves 17:59 just in case of a physical conflict 18:02 we are training ourselves in war 18:05 and the bible tells us, that there is another war, 18:08 another conflict, 18:09 that is the conflict that we're supposed to be fighting 18:13 and like I said at the beginning of the program 18:15 we have done this series, and we have been talking about 18:20 the entertainment industry, and the black hole 18:22 and many of you are probably saying 18:24 Hey, I want to get out, I want to stop doing this 18:27 and I want to stop doing that 18:28 but I don't have the power to do that 18:30 and God is saying trough me, you do have the power. 18:34 Pray, meditate on Me, seek Me, and you will have the power 18:39 to escape and get out. 18:40 Jesus beat Satan on the cross, when He died 18:45 and God wants to give us that same power, 18:49 that Jesus had, on the cross. 18:51 There is a beautiful verse, Atonte in the 18:53 Ephesians chapter 6. 18:55 It's just amazing as we look at the context and the content 18:59 of this verse in light of what we are talking about right now 19:03 In Ephesians Chapter 6, Paul says this: 19:08 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, 19:10 and in the power of his might. Put on the hole armor of God, 19:14 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 19:17 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 19:23 the Christians warfare is not against flesh and blood 19:25 but against principalities, against powers, 19:29 against the rulers of the darkness of this world 19:33 against spiritual wickedness in high places. 19:37 Satan has gotten our young people all exited 19:40 to go out there and try to learn this art, the martial arts 19:44 not realizing that it leads into spiritualism 19:48 and instead of getting exited 19:50 about this verse here Ephesians 19:52 our kids should go out and say 19:54 today, Lord I know, it is your wish Lord 19:59 that I have power over the evil one in my life today 20:02 and they should be exited about that 20:05 and they should be training for that 20:08 When Paul says here that we wrestle not 20:11 against flesh and blood 20:13 there is a very interesting history behind this verse 20:18 because in Paul's time, just before Paul's time, 20:20 the Olympic games of that time 20:25 culminated with a particular event called the pancration 20:30 and the Pankration was a Greek martial art 20:36 it was a Greek martial art of wrestling and boxing 20:39 so when Paul says in first Corinthians 9-26 20:42 Not as one, that beats the air, 20:48 there is box, some translations it will say box 20:51 it was this martial art of wrestling and boxing 20:54 and when Paul referred to, he said, we wrestle not 20:57 against flesh and blood 20:58 he was using a martial art to symbolize 21:03 to spiritual fight of faith with another words Paul says listen 21:07 as a Christian we're not engaging 21:12 in a physical wrestling match 21:14 we're not engaging in the physical martial arts 21:17 our fight is something different 21:20 we have got a spiritual enemy to face 21:22 and I believe Atonte, that Paul here is telling us 21:26 I want you to learn how to be a spiritual, not a physical 21:30 a spiritual martial artist. 21:33 A fighter who fights with grace. 21:36 When we look at the martial arts, 21:39 what do we sea? Graceful fighting. 21:41 It's a beautiful art form 21:43 but Paul says, don't get into the physical thing 21:46 because our fight is spiritual 21:49 and so he says don't box as one who beats the air, 21:53 don't hit aimlessly, I want you to fight gracefully. 21:57 We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but 21:59 we're wrestling against supernatural forces 22:02 and Paul here invite us, the word of God invite us 22:05 to learn how to fight just as gracefully as the martial artist 22:10 but in the context of the spiritual realm 22:13 and when we learn this concept, this principle 22:18 and you want to see the world marvel 22:21 after what is going on in your life, the all say 22:24 how are you able to fight spiritually like that? 22:28 Why isn't Satan able to get you? 22:31 in the way, as he is getting 22:32 me, or the person over here, or the person over there 22:35 and that's when you'll be able to share 22:37 the gospel of Jesus Christ with them 22:39 and say, I am getting this power from Jesus 22:42 and He is empowering me. 22:44 My meditation is not in Chi, it is in Jesus Christ 22:47 my fight is not a physical one it is a spiritual one 22:51 Psalms 18, verse 34, the bible says there 22:54 He teach it, my hands to war, so that a bowl of steel 22:59 is broken by mine arms. 23:01 Are we talking about God is going to give me 23:04 power to actually break a physical bowl 23:07 No, that is not, what he is saying. 23:09 He is using this in the context of this spiritual battle. 23:13 God wants to teach our arms, how to war 23:17 so that when the devil comes, with his hard blows 23:20 that they will be broken by our arms 23:22 He wants to teach us how to fight 23:25 this good fight of faith. 23:26 There is a beautiful verse, Atonte 23:28 a story, rather, well we can't call it beautiful 23:31 it is found in Genesis Chapter 4 23:33 the story of Cain and Able 23:35 and God here is coming to Cain, because Cain at this time 23:40 is angry with his brother, 23:41 and he is on the verge of doing something, 23:43 that is going to ruin his life. 23:45 in Genesis 4, verse 6, the bible says here 23:49 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why are you angry? 23:52 Why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou 23:58 not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, 24:01 sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire 24:07 and thou shalt rule over him. 24:08 What's happening here is, these feelings of anger 24:12 are bubbling up in Cain, 24:14 and he is angry at his brother Able 24:20 and God has rejected his sacrifice, and accepted Abel's. 24:24 and so, God come to him and says 24:26 Cain you're wrestling, with feelings 24:29 and I understand this 24:31 But I want you to rule, or to dominate over those feelings. 24:36 It says here, thou shalt rule over him 24:40 The word there Atonte for rule is MASHAL M A S H A L 24:45 does that word sound familiar? 24:46 The word means to dominate, to rule over 24:50 God is telling Cain here, Cain don't allow sin 24:54 to rule over you, you rule over it, dominate it Cain 25:00 fight against it. 25:01 He is calling Cain here to fight to good fight of faith. 25:07 He is calling Cain to become a spiritual martial artist. 25:12 Not against some person, but against his own fleshly desires. 25:17 And you know what Cain does, Atonte? 25:19 He takes the advice, that God gives him, 25:21 and he turns it physical. 25:24 When God was telling him what to do, 25:28 there was power there, because when God speaks, there's power 25:31 that is why we believe in His word, and claim His word 25:33 and at that point when God said, 25:37 Cain MASHAL sin, dominate it, 25:41 there was power there, and he could have beat it. 25:44 There was power in God's word, and Cain chose to reject that. 25:48 It's interesting Atonte, that in the NIV 25:51 translation of this verse 25:52 it says: sin is crouching at your door 25:55 and I can't help, but think about that 25:58 blockbuster movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 26:01 sin is crouching like a crouching tiger 26:04 at the doors of our hearts, 26:07 and we have got to be aware 26:09 that we are in a spiritual battle 26:11 and sin is right there at our door 26:14 crouching, like a crouching tiger, and a hidden dragon. 26:17 God says you can master it, 26:19 if you come to the lam Jesus Christ, 26:23 I will give you the power, to defeat the dragon. 26:27 I will give you the power to fight 26:29 against to forces of sin. 26:32 I will give you the power to wrestle 26:34 against spiritual wickedness in high paces. 26:37 the devil is following the physical stiles of fighting 26:42 and God says, I want to draw you to a higher battle 26:47 a higher fight, and to think that we can seat 26:50 under the feat of the grand master Jesus Christ. 26:54 The master of the fight of faith, and learn from Him. 26:58 What greater honor? 27:04 It's so neat, that Jesus symbol is a lamb, and 27:09 and Satan's symbol is a dragon 27:11 and normally a dragon should be able to beat a lamb 27:14 but Jesus has supernatural power 27:18 with Jesus, acting and living as a lamb, 27:21 we can beat the dragon. 27:22 We can beat the dragon and all his forces 27:25 his music, his movies, his entertainment, all those things 27:28 Jesus says: in the lamb 27:31 when you follow the lamb, 27:34 He will give you that power to overcome 27:37 all the assaults of the enemy. 27:40 I encourage our listeners out there 27:44 to enroll in the school of Christ. 27:48 He is the man of war, the bible says 27:51 not a physical war, but a spiritual war 27:54 and when we seat under His feat when we learn from Him 27:58 the devil tumbles. 28:01 Jesus wants you to have that power 28:02 and we pray that you receive that power 28:05 We're all out of time, until next time 28:09 God Bless |
Revised 2014-12-17