Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

God is jealous for His own Name and for the worship of His people.

Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech…

God had a prohibition for his people and their children in how and to whom they were to worship. He alone was to be worshiped and this worship did not include passing one’s child through ‘the fire’ in worship to ‘Molech’. In other words, God was very interested in how His people worshipped and to whom His people Israel worshipped.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus said in John 14:1-6 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The Lord Jesus Christ according to His own words said He was the ONLY way to God the Father and heaven. Without Him, a person cannot enter heaven but will spend eternity in the lake of fire, Revelation 20: 14,15.

John the immerser said in John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. That’s pretty clear speaking.

Peter proclaimed in Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Now, true born-again Bible-believing Christians believe all those verses just quoted and in fact they believe all the verses between Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21!  Too mix idolatry with Biblical Christianity is anathema and yet that is exactly what occurs at least for one week each year in Australia, known as NAIDOC week. NAIDOC stands for the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.[1]

It is during this week that the false beliefs of the Australian Aboriginals are promoted by all forms of Governments from the Federal to local councils. In their recognition of the Aboriginal people, the government holds events where the Aboriginal flag is raised and a smoking ceremony is observed.

The man in the top job, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, is a professing Pentecostal Christian and he has said the smoking ceremony should be ‘…a prime ministerial tradition of warding away evil spirits with indigenous leaders on Australia Day eve.’[2] This is a man that professes to be a Christian and believes a pagan ceremony should be performed each year to ward away evil spirits?! Unbelievable!!!!

The PM in his 2019 address to the Country said ‘Here, 65,000 thousand years (The PM shows he is definitely not a young earth creationist) of Aboriginal culture meets mere centuries of Westminster tradition, which the Leader of the Opposition and I represent, being here together and I acknowledge Anthony as I do all of my Parliamentary colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister who joins us here today.

We gather in respect – acknowledging the Ngunnawal elders, the ancient ceremony of fire and smoke that will commence shortly has become part of the tradition of this building, and thankfully so.

It was just over a decade ago that the first ever smoking ceremony accompanied the opening of Parliament, and I thank the Speaker and the President of the Senate for their continuing support of this as it shall always be in this place (emphasis added).’

What is a smoking ceremony and should a professing Christian participate in the ceremony?

‘A smoking ceremony is an ancient custom among some Aboriginal Australians that involves smouldering various native plants to produce smoke which they believe has cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits.’[3]

Another source adds that a smoking ceremony ‘…has been believed to have cleansing properties and the ability to ward off unwanted and bad spirits, which was believed to bring bad omens.’[4]

The smoking ceremony is plainly a pagan practice that professing Christians should not participate in. Nevertheless, one probably shouldn’t be amazed to read that ‘The Aboriginal Catholic Ministry incorporates the Smoking Ceremony in its liturgical expression.’[5]

Then there is the Aboriginal lady who said she ‘…combines Aboriginal spirituality and Christianity when the need arises.’[6] Sadly, this lady will go to hell as her spiritual foundation is certainly not the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone!

Then there are the religious schools such as the Roman Catholic’s St. Augustine’s in Narromine, NSW which will celebrate NAIDOC with a mixture of Romish ‘…liturgy and smoking ceremony’.[7] I guess this is trying to have the best of both worlds.

At the local level we find many city councils throughout Australia promoting Aboriginal spirituality even though in the end it will send people straight to hell as they bypass personal saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For instance, ‘The City of Greater Bendigo will kick off 2019 NAIDOC Week celebrations with a civic reception and flag-raising ceremony…and Smoking Ceremony…’[8]

Last year (2018) ‘The Sydney Anglican Diocese has backed down on a controversial policy banning smoking ceremonies on any property owned by the church following outrage from Indigenous leaders, school principals and priests who work closely with First Nations communities.’[9] Controversial perhaps but it would have been Biblical for as Paul said in Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.!

Christian believers should understand that a pagan Smoking Ceremony will not fend off the Devil and his demons but is rather a celebration and invitation to more demonic activity! That is why white and Aboriginal Australians should be celebrating the arrival of the First Fleet! There the Lord God had His man Reverend Richard Johnson preach his first sermon on this great island known as Australia on Sunday 3rd February 1788, from Psalm 116 and verse 12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

From that beginning the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was preached around Australia to both Europeans and Aboriginals. When however, there is always the need for more Gospel preachers and some years later Charles Spurgeon asked ‘Who will go? The men who ought to go are young brethren of good abilities who have not yet taken upon themselves family cares.

Each student entering the college should consider this matter, and surrender himself to the work unless there are conclusive reasons for his not doing so. It is a fact that even for the colonies it is ‘very difficult to find men, for I have had openings in Australia which I have been obliged to decline. It ought not to be so.’[10]

Australia as with all nations needs not just Christians but Gospel believing separated living sin-hating Scripture loving Christians. Definitely, Australia and the world doesn’t need more compromising weak-kneed Christians!

Now, to answer the question asked earlier, ‘should a professing Christian participate in the ceremony’ the answer is a resounding NO! Again, quoting Paul when he said in the inspired Word of God to the Ephesian church ‘have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness’! Pretty plain language if words mean anything at all.

Today, the compromise of the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with the pagan aboriginal Smoking Ceremony by compromising professing Christian politicians and ecumenical conceding denominations has led many aboriginals and non-aboriginals straight to hell. It MUST be understood there can be ABSOLUTELY no compromise between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the ‘doctrines of devils.’

[1] https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/history

[2] https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fnews%2Fqueensland%2Fcleansing-ceremony-should-be-tradition-says-pm%2Fnews-story%2Fc37716216431201fceb7ff5a76305d10&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium

[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ceremony

[4] https://www.aboriginal-art-australia.com/aboriginal-art-library/aboriginal-ceremonial-dancing/

[5] http://www.winnunga.org.au/uploads/docs/Spirituality%20Review%202009.pdf Page15

[6] http://www.winnunga.org.au/uploads/docs/Spirituality%20Review%202009.pdf Page 40

[7] https://www.wnswphn.org.au/uploads/documents/Event%20Flyers/NAIDOC%20Week%20Events%20UPDATED%20040719.pdf

[8] https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/About/Media-Releases/flag-raising-celebrate-start-naidoc-week-celebrations

[9] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-22/sydney-anglican-church-property-smoking-backdown/10403548

[10] LECTURES TO MY STUDENTS Volume 3 Page 28