July 17, 1991
According to one study, 70% of all crimes committed by teens under 17 are motivated by occult involvement. Without verifying those figures, the fact that any teens are involved in the occult is distressing. What is this mysterious fraternity and why is it so fascinating?
Webster defines OCCULT as: “to hide... not revealed or secret” and “matters involving the action or influence of supernatural agencies or some secret knowledge of them.” In this case, supernatural refers to “an order of existence beyond the visible... spirits or devils.”
Some folks consider the dark side of the spirit world pure imagination but those in the occult will testify differently as will people who know their Bible and its Author. That God created spiritual beings, both obedient and disobedient, is well documented. In the New Testament alone, there are 112 references to “devil” or “devils”, 36 references to Satan, 7 to Beelzebub and 4 to “the prince of this world” (names of Satan), 12 to evil spirits, principalities and powers, 2 to the “tempter” and 4 calling Satan an “enemy.”
Scripture does not intend however to give glory to the evil side of the invisible realm. Satan is merely a created being, an angel that decided he would “be like God” and set himself in rebellion against God. According to the Bible, he has great power to deceive and destroy but he is not invincible.
Nevertheless, it is the power of Satan that fascinates some people. In his realm are extraordinary phenomena that dazzle those who do not know these phenomena are mere imitations. Occult power entices, but not to give life or meaning to life; the real power belongs to God.
Jesus, when speaking to some Jews who professed to believe in Him, described Satan. He said, “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it...”
THE AUTHOR OF LUST: Lust (not just sexual but for many things) is a strong desire that grows stronger when it is fed and pampered but it is never satisfied. The person who lives to feed their lusts always feels empty and unfulfilled, a victim of the false promises made by an evil enemy.
A MURDERER: But Hebrews 2:14,15 tell how God the Son became a human being so He could participate in death. Then, through death, He destroyed the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil. The sacrifice of Christ delivers those who have been in bondage because of their fear of death. In other words, Jesus came to give eternal life and defeated this rebel Satan, taking the power of death away from him.
A LIAR AND DECEIVER: Revelation 12:9 says: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” According to another verse, he actively seeks those he can devour, leading them astray from faith in Christ and deliverance from eternal death.
His deception is so strong that the Bible says he seems transformed into an “angel of light” and his angels (demons) appear as “ministers of righteousness”. That is, up front he seems like truth from God and offers shortcuts to the deepest desires of our hearts... but it is deception.
Why does occult activity lead to crime? With such a leader behind it, it cannot lead to anything else. Lust, murder, lies, deception are at the root of criminal activity.
The antidote to the occult is personal knowledge of the true God through His Son. He represents love not lust, life not death, and truth not lies.
Showing posts with label occult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label occult. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
God warns of hidden dangers ............... Parables 221
(June 13, 1990)
My husband once yanked one of our children, who was oblivious to the danger, from the path of a truck. Other tots toy with matches -- fire is “pretty.” Some play in sewer systems - that’s “exciting.” A few teenagers spin the chamber of a loaded gun in a game of roulette - what a “thrill.” A youngster inhales his first snort of cocaine - someone told him it’s “harmless fun.” Danger that is obvious to a parent is not always obvious to a child.
But what if the danger is not obvious, even to an adult? How can we know what is too hot to touch? If we touch it to find out, we may be burned. In such cases, a wise child consults his even wiser heavenly Father. He gives instruction about “poisons” and “fatal toys” of which we may not be aware. For instance, consider this list: “There shall not be found among you any one that... uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a counselor with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer...” (Deuteronomy 18:10).
In case anyone thinks witchcraft is a fairy tale and this warning is out of date and related to superstition, take a look at the occult section in a book store. These days, with the New Age movement advocating activities like channeling and consulting spirit guides to discover the “god within,” this Old Testament passage needs to be reconsidered. What does it say for our time?
First of all, God hates this kind of thing. Verse 12 says: “For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD...” Whatever the human reasons for seeking guidance from spirits, conducting seances, even reading a horoscope, God detests it. No doubt His hatred is based on His knowledge that He alone knows what is best for the creatures He created. Certainly a medium or a witch does not. Some may declare that God is either dead, useless, uncaring, or something other than He has revealed Himself to be, but those who reject Him and follow tarot cards and the like are guilty of a form of idolatry, in this case a particularly dangerous form.
Secondly, it was nations in the land of Canaan that practiced these activities and God said “because of these abominations the LORD thy God drives them (those nations) out from before thee.” These people lost their homes and their land because they were dabbling in fortune-telling and other so-called “harmless” activities. It may or may not have been serious stuff in their minds but it was worthy of judgment in God’s mind.
God went on to tell His people (verse 15) that He would give them One to listen to, a prophet that would tell them all they needed to know. He would be from God and like God. This is a definite reference to the One who later came and proclaimed Himself to be God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Jesus came, He opened the way to the true God; not the god within but the One who would come in, if invited. He also gave those who believe in Him a promise for their future and a faith for right now. God’s people don’t need the vague generalities from a horoscope nor the deception of “spirit guides.” What we do need is the truth of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, with the discernment that only a loving heavenly Father can provide.
“Baby” Christians don’t automatically know which “harmless” fun is really harmless, so we need to watch out for each other, warning and admonishing in love, just as the New Testament says. We also need to pay careful attention to our Parent... who knows the danger and wants to protect us from what might appear to us as “harmless fun.”
My husband once yanked one of our children, who was oblivious to the danger, from the path of a truck. Other tots toy with matches -- fire is “pretty.” Some play in sewer systems - that’s “exciting.” A few teenagers spin the chamber of a loaded gun in a game of roulette - what a “thrill.” A youngster inhales his first snort of cocaine - someone told him it’s “harmless fun.” Danger that is obvious to a parent is not always obvious to a child.
But what if the danger is not obvious, even to an adult? How can we know what is too hot to touch? If we touch it to find out, we may be burned. In such cases, a wise child consults his even wiser heavenly Father. He gives instruction about “poisons” and “fatal toys” of which we may not be aware. For instance, consider this list: “There shall not be found among you any one that... uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a counselor with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer...” (Deuteronomy 18:10).
In case anyone thinks witchcraft is a fairy tale and this warning is out of date and related to superstition, take a look at the occult section in a book store. These days, with the New Age movement advocating activities like channeling and consulting spirit guides to discover the “god within,” this Old Testament passage needs to be reconsidered. What does it say for our time?
First of all, God hates this kind of thing. Verse 12 says: “For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD...” Whatever the human reasons for seeking guidance from spirits, conducting seances, even reading a horoscope, God detests it. No doubt His hatred is based on His knowledge that He alone knows what is best for the creatures He created. Certainly a medium or a witch does not. Some may declare that God is either dead, useless, uncaring, or something other than He has revealed Himself to be, but those who reject Him and follow tarot cards and the like are guilty of a form of idolatry, in this case a particularly dangerous form.
Secondly, it was nations in the land of Canaan that practiced these activities and God said “because of these abominations the LORD thy God drives them (those nations) out from before thee.” These people lost their homes and their land because they were dabbling in fortune-telling and other so-called “harmless” activities. It may or may not have been serious stuff in their minds but it was worthy of judgment in God’s mind.
God went on to tell His people (verse 15) that He would give them One to listen to, a prophet that would tell them all they needed to know. He would be from God and like God. This is a definite reference to the One who later came and proclaimed Himself to be God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Jesus came, He opened the way to the true God; not the god within but the One who would come in, if invited. He also gave those who believe in Him a promise for their future and a faith for right now. God’s people don’t need the vague generalities from a horoscope nor the deception of “spirit guides.” What we do need is the truth of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, with the discernment that only a loving heavenly Father can provide.
“Baby” Christians don’t automatically know which “harmless” fun is really harmless, so we need to watch out for each other, warning and admonishing in love, just as the New Testament says. We also need to pay careful attention to our Parent... who knows the danger and wants to protect us from what might appear to us as “harmless fun.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)