I flipped through the television channels looking
in vain for something worth watching. I had gone through all the channels
from top to bottom twice. I don't know why I bothered the second time.
It's not as if something more interesting would have been on the second
time around. Just a bad remote control habit I guessed.
Disregarding a couple of
documentary style programs (actually many of them should be called Mock-umentaries
because they present anything but the unbiased truth) on uninteresting
subjects and some obscure sporting events, most of what was left had
something to do with the occult in some fashion or another.
We're being constantly
bombarded with occult and New Age information in all areas of the media.
I'm always astounded at the number of "Christians" who are involved in
many ways with both the occult and the so called New Age. They seem to
view these things as harmless fun.
Scripture takes a totally
different view.
When you enter the land the
LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable
ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices
his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery,
interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a
medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these
things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable
practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will
dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as
for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. Deuteronomy
18:9-14 NIV
Do not practice divination
or sorcery. Leviticus 19:26b NIV
I will destroy your
witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. Micah 5:12 NIV
There is nothing harmless
about cultic practices. White magic; horoscopes; tea leave readings;
séances; palm readings; ouija boards; tarot cards and more are not of
God. Much of it is simply scam, but the enemy does have power and can use
these things as a powerful way to gain access to your life. It's like
playing Russian Roulette with half the chambers full. Are you really
willing to take the chance that it's okay to dabble in something that is
at best a scam and at worst detestable in the eyes of God. God says don't
play around with it in any form.
If you have been dabbling in
these areas, STOP! Get rid of any paraphernalia that you have and repent
of it.
The people of Ephesus saw the
power of God compared to the power of the things they had been
practicing. They quickly came to fear God and destroy the accursed things
they were involved in.
God did extraordinary
miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had
touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and
the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil
spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were
demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul
preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish
chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them,
"Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man
who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He
gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and
bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in
Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus
was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly
confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought
their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated
the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In
this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. Acts
19:11-13 NIV
We need to do the same.
Is there power in the occult?
Yes. Can it match the power of God? No! Do you really want to be messing
with it? I pray not!
Until next time, examine your
life. Are there occult or new age practices that you have been involved
in? If so put them aside today and get right with God.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!
Kevin
