1 John 4 1Dear friends, 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. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (NIV from Biblegateway.com)
Some are asking why believers would embrace "Raindrop Technique", as taught by Gary Young, who does not share publicly what faith he practices, leaving us to speculate who he means when he tells us that God gave these oils for healing.
There are websites accusing Young of promoting demonic activity. So, I'd like to share my thoughts as I have dug into the Bible, and experimented with using the Raindrop Technique as a method of "laying on of hands". (Hebrews 6:2)
1. I like the use of the word "Essential Oil" use in the place of the historic words "perfume" "resin" "fragrance", because these words have come to include synthetic, poison smells that dominate health and beauty products. But, when you see the word "essential oil" understand, that it basically means the smelly part of a plant.
2. The Bible clearly mandates the use of oils by the "priesthood of believers". It was normative in scripture, from before Moses hired perfumers at God's direction, through the Psalms, and on to James 5:16, where believers are told to call on the elders to pray with oil.
3. However, the Church has been remiss in this, losing the practice altogether. Except for symbolic use of olive oil applied as a token, and incense at funerals, the use of aromatic resins (Genesis 2:12) perfumes (Exodus 30:25), anointing oils (Psalm 45:7) and poultices (2 Kings 20:7) has been totally lost among God's people.
4. As a missions aficionado, I have seen that sometimes traditional cultures are illustrators of Bible concepts, which were not explained in context because the original readers needed no explanation. We don't know what, for example, "elders in the city gates" or "babbling like pagans" looks like, until we see it in another culture. Farmers in America turn to Asian farmers to learn how to grow without chemicals, because the art has not been lost there.
So it is with the use of oils. While we will not imitate the spiritual practices or ideas of other faiths, we may observe the PHYSICAL aspect of what they do traditionally - knowing that they may share these traditions with the peoples of biblical times. This way, we may learn what the Bible meant when it says "anointing the feet" or "The Messiah" (The Massaged One) or "laying on of hands".
5. I note that the essential oils are just essential oils. They have verifiable physical properties. They are not charms or fetishes imbued with power by religious ritual.
God indicated their use. Where the Bible is silent, I allow liberty. There is no use of oils forbidden in the hundreds of passages I have looked at. The only negative use of oils had to do with natural manipulation, as in the case of the adulteress in Proverbs using myrrh as an enticement, or Simon the Magician thinking that the power of God could be "bought with money". There does not seem to be any warning against the use of the oils. We know that generous use of oils was smiled on, as in the case of the woman who used a large amount of very precious oil on the feet of Jesus. The widows who were full time ministers were to be known to "wash the feet of the saints". Might we speculate that more than soap and water was part of that?
6. Gary Young seems to be a cross between a mad scientist and a storyteller. He has discovered many oils that have healing properties, created stories and protocols that are simple and memorable and get the oils into people in a methodical, relaxing way. David Stewart has collected data to verify that these protocols do enhance the feeling of well-being in people, at least, and stimulate actual healing, at best.
I have read the attacks on Gary Young on the net, and they appear to be baseless. The oils I have used do act as advertised. The protocols allow people of faith to use the words they prefer. Does that mean New Agers may call on the Goddess Isis? It sure does. Does that remove the oils from God's sovereignty, and make them belong to the Kingdom of Darkness? That would be a warped perspective!
Young tells the story of researching the healing essence of oils, and also seeing a healing massage technique some AmerIndians developed. He sprinkled the healing oils on first, and gave a light massage and named it "Raindrop" because the oils would be sprinkled in drops.
Is any of that "demonic"? Which part? The oils dropping, or the back rub? Seriously! Do we pray as we do it? If so, healing virtue from God may be added by Him. If not, then the natural healing may still flow. In either case, I find no scriptural basis for shunning the use of anointing oils, or for praying for healing, or for avoiding "massage" - as we "have the massage of the Holy Spirit".
1 John 2:20
"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."
NIV
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Nice!
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