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Sorcery or the Savior?

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August 10, 2010

Can a sorcerer inherit the Kingdom of God?  The World English Dictionary defines sorcery as: “the art, practices, or spells of magic, esp black magic, by which it is sought to harness occult forces or evil spirits in order to produce preternatural effects in the world.”  In God’s Word there are many things forbidden and for those who practice these things, their’s is not the Kingdom of Heaven.  In Revelation 21:8 it says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” 

When examining the subject of sorcery there are four quick questions that will hopefully be helpful in growing in discernment and understanding.   To better understand a thing, it’s often best to go back to its roots.  So the first question asked is who was the very first sorcerer? Before answering this it might be needful to add another couple definitions here.  In painting a broad brush one could say that generally sorcery is the ritualistic practice which attempts to discover and use certain phrases and actions which allows a person to tap into the power supposedly available to them.  Sorcery might also be defined as:  seeking to use physical objects along with certain discovered spiritual laws to attain spiritual power and enlightenment. For example, let’s look at the sorcerer’s wand.  To the sorcerer, the wand is a physical tool that can help channel or direct certain spiritual energy to and from the sorcerer.  So most simply stated, sorcery is the act of using something physical to attain something spiritual.

Okay, so with all this said, who was the first sorcerer?  See if you can figure it out.  Who was the first person to seek wisdom by eating something physical?  If you are thinking Eve you’re correct.  Even though Eve never went to Hogwarts School of Wizardry, she was taught by the top professor himself- The Serpent.  “And when the woman saw that the fruit was…to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat…” Genesis 3:6  Wisdom is not a physical item, yet Eve sincerely believed that by eating the physical fruit that she would magically attain wisdom.  This act of reaching out to something physical to tap into the spiritual is not new age, rather the oldest lie in human history.  Satan’s promise to Eve was not subtile, but extremely enticing.  “You shall surely not die.  For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods…”  Genesis 3:4-5  Here Eve’s heart is revealed.  She desired to be as one of the gods.  This is the heart of all sorcery. 

The next question: “Isn’t it just make-believe?”  There are many books, movies and video games that are designed to both entice many into magic and also make it seem like harmless fun.  But a simple Google search reveals that sorcery is not designed to be harmless and for many it is much more than fun.  For many, even in today’s technological society, sorcery and witchcraft are a way of life.  We might never question if adultery, fornication, or murder is harmless, and go to great lengths to keep young children from these actions. Nor do we tell our children it’s okay to watch these things as long as we know they’re just pretend.  Yet too often we let our guard down when it comes to the subject of sorcery.  However the Word of God does not separate them.  The Bible puts them all together and has nothing good to say about any.  See: Galatians 5:19-21.

Thirdly, why does God forbid the practice of sorcery?  Hopefully it should be obvious by now why God forbids sorcery and witchcraft.  To God these practices are not make-believe, fantasy, nor fun.  Sorcery enslaves and binds just as any sin, but even more so, it opens doors to demonic teachings and an unseen world bent on destroying mankind.  Whether intentional or not, doors can be opened, ones that are very difficult to close.  God has never winked at such actions.  Before Israel even entered their land, God clearly forbade them from practicing such things.  See: Deuteronomy 18:10-11. 

The final question: So now what?  The answer is simple.  In fact, God made sure He gave us a crystal clear example from His Holy Word.  In Acts 19:19 it says, “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”   May we all be willing to say goodbye to those curious things in our lives that only lead to destruction.  

If you had to choose between sorcery or the Savior, which would you choose?  As for me, I choose the Savior!

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Is Christianity Like Going on a Diet?

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August 7, 2010

Too often too many people find themselves falling off the ‘diet wagon’.  When asked why people have a hard time staying on their diets, many nutritionists and dietitians would agree.  Most people have a difficult time staying on a diet because of how they understand the changes in the foods they eat.  There are two basic misunderstandings that can trip us up. 

The first one has to do with our access to certain kinds of food.  If we begin a diet without letting go of the idea that we can eat any food at any time, then a diet merely becomes a system of withholding food.  Instead of thinking of a diet as withholding certain foods, maybe we should finally admit that certain kinds of foods are just not good for us.  The second belief has to do with the overall idea of a what we’re doing when going on a diet.  We call it a diet because it has a starting and a stopping point.  Instead of thinking “diet”, perhaps we should think of food changes as if we’re making a life long, lifestyle change for our benefit and the benefit of those we love.  This way, we’re not hopping on and off anything, rather making a change for good simply because it’s good. 

Perhaps the same could be said for those who have become born-again Christians.  It is easy to come to the Lord without counting the cost.  There is definitely a cost in becoming a Christian.  But once we count the cost, too many tend to look at this new life much like a diet instead of a life long, ‘lifestyle’ change.  Christianity isn’t a diet.  Christ isn’t asking us to withhold certain actions and attitudes as if we’re some kind of hero to God for giving up our sinfulness.  “Look God,” we sometimes think.  “Look at all I’m giving up for You!.”  Really?  If we’re honest God isn’t asking us to give up anything of value.  All that we have before coming to Christ is temporal and fleshly.  All of it will burn.  If we are truly willing to allow the Holy Spirit to open our eyes, all that we held so tightly to- the world, the flesh, and the devil, was only keeping us from our blessed Redeemer.  And again, it will all perish some day.  To the Christian, we were not holding onto anything of ‘nutritional’ value, rather bags of rotten potatoes, rancid meat, and moldy bread at best.   We are not called to enter into some kind of straight-laced, narrow-minded way of living that we have to white knuckle through, gritting our teeth until one day we finally get to Heaven.  That isn’t Christianity, that’s just religion.  Jesus said, “Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Christianity should not be like a diet because it does not start and stop when we feel like it, giving ourselves permission to go back to our old ways of ‘eating’.  Rather, we are called to reckon ourselves dead that we might fully live in Christ.  This new life is eternal and has no stopping point.  May we beware of putting our relationship with Christ into compartments, only allowing our Lord access at certain places and times.  May Jesus truly be our All in All, no matter the cost because we know that any cost on our end is nothing compared to the cost He already paid to redeem this rotten sinner from the chains of the flesh.  God is good all the time.  Nothing He asks us to do is for anything but the eternal good for both us and those we love.  

Let us not think we are dieting from this world, rather died from it, letting Christ renew our minds daily in His Word so that we may grow in Him, bearing much eternal fruit to feed to those who are starving around us.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:11-14

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God is Not ‘The Force’ -Quotable by Dave Hunt

Filed under: Edifying Quotes, Truth — 1 Comment
July 19, 2010

“Rejecting the truth God has revealed to everyone, man perverts the witness of creation and conscience and creates his own gods. The very appeal of the “Star Wars Force” or some “higher power” is that a force, being impersonal, cannot hold one morally accountable but, like atomic power, can be used by man to his own ends. Clearly, God has to be a personal Being to create and relate to mankind.

The Bible gives the factual account of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven itself and how Eve believed the lie that she, too, could become one of the gods. To this day that lie remains the great hope and motivation of mankind. The remainder of the Bible is a recital of the devastating consequences of that rebellion, and the working out of God’s plan to restore mankind into the “new heaven and…new earth” (Rev 21:1) which He has planned in His love and grace.”

Justice and Justification, The Berean Call, Feb. 1, 2002, Dave Hunt.

Referring to the Antichrist, the Holy Spirit through Daniel writes, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor…” Daniel 11:38-39

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The Majesty in the Heavens- A.W. Tozer Quote

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July 13, 2010

“But the God we must see is not the utilitarian God who is having such a run of popularity today, whose chief claim to men’s attention is His ability to bring them success in their various undertakings and who for that reason is being cajoled and flattered by everyone who wants a favor. The God we must learn to know is the Majesty in the heavens, God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, the only wise God our Savior. He it is that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, who stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in, who bringeth out His starry host by number and calleth them all by name through the greatness of His power, who seeth the works of man as vanity, who putteth no confidence in princes and asks no counsel of kings.

Knowledge of such a Being cannot be gained by study alone. It comes by a wisdom the natural man knows nothing of, neither can know, because it is spiritually discerned. To know God is at once the easiest and the most difficult thing in the world. It is easy because the knowledge is not won by hard mental toil, but is something freely given. As sunlight falls free on the open field, so the knowledge of the holy God is a free gift to men who are open to receive it. But this knowledge is difficult because there are conditions to be met and the obstinate nature of fallen man does not take kindly to them.”

A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, Chapter 23.

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To Be or Not to Be… Consistent

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July 10, 2010

Consistency is basically defined as carefully sticking with what you believe both in word and deed. No matter the profession, sport, or trade, consistency usually demonstrates mastery over a particular practice.  Even though consistency is many times looked at as an admirable trait, an important question must be asked. In the areas of religion, philosophy, and spirituality, is consistency always a good thing? I believe the answer to this is no.  I, for one, am glad that most who claim to be spiritual are not consistent.  Let me briefly explain. 

Although there is much to be said in this area, for sake of time let us look at those who fall under the category of spiritual relativism.  There are many who would say that there is no such thing as absolute truth.  They would say that spiritually speaking everything  is relative. They would also say that nothing can be known with certainty, and meaning is up to the individual.  Those falling under this loosely defined category would most likely say that experience is the best way to determine truth, and knowledge is trumped by one’s personal experiences.  With regards to Heaven and eternity, they would say that all roads lead to the same place and that many different beliefs, regardless of contradictions all basically mean the same thing. 

What if those who hold to spiritual relativism decided to express their philosophical and spiritual beliefs consistently in their day-to-day lives? If this happened, it would actually lead to the world being a much more dangerous place.  Before you say this is ridiculous, let’s say I believe there are no absolutes.  Let’s say I  think I can create reality any way I want. One morning it occurs to me that I have not been consistent with my beliefs in every area of my life.  So I pledge to practice consistent relativism throughout my days from that point forward.  So while driving to work, I am emotionally moved to drive on the opposite side of the road.and despite the obvious consequences I obey my feelings.  After causing several accidents,  I decide to continue practicing consistency in my belief that all roads lead to the same place by driving in the opposite direction of my job, blindly hoping that I will eventually end up at my place of employment.  After driving for hours, I’m finally forced to put my spiritual beliefs aside for a time, turning on my Garmin to prevent getting fired for missing a full day of work.   

In the same vein, I’m very glad the spiritually relativistic man who is a doctor does not practice his beliefs while I’m on the operating table.  Even in education, most teachers who pride themselves on being relativistic use assessments that are far from it.  Can you imagine answering questions on the test any way you feel, then after receiving an F, you protest to your teacher?  You argue, saying, “Excuse me Mrs. Teacher, I believe my way is as good as yours.  After all, there really are no absolute truths.  What’s right for you may not be right for me.”  Then your teacher realizes her inconsistencies between belief and practice, changing your grade from an F to an A.  While you might rejoice in the short run, after graduating high school you realize that you have actually learned almost nothing. 

Not only would the world be more dangerous and unlearned,  it would also be a much less productive place. From the factory to the construction site, once relativism is put into practice, all would basically come to a stand still. So as for me, I must say I am elated that most who show signs of relativistic beliefs are not consistent. By taking spiritual relativism to its logical conclusions, I must say that it is not good for every spiritual and philosophical belief to be practiced consistently.   

So do consistency and spirituality ever come together in an eternally beneficial way?  Absolutely!  Let us quickly consider the one belief system which is different from any other in the world- that which is found in the Bible.  While relativism, when practiced day-to-day would logically lead to degradation, those born-again, Bible believing Christians who practice consistency will bring true Light and Life to the dark and dead world around them. 

So the question to everyone who believes that the Bible is the exclusive and absolute true Word of God is this: Are you consistent with what God has revealed in His Word? Israel serves as a good example of inconsistency.  Even though redeemed by the True and Living God, Israel chased after other gods, to which the Lord spoke through Jeremiah saying, “Has a nation [ever]changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but My people [Israel] have changed their glory for that which does not profit.” Jeremiah 2:11 

A word of encouragement…

Thank God that the Christian’s consistency is not left up to him to accomplish alone.  The Lord has sent His Spirit to dwell within all those who have accepted the Gospel of God, turning from sinful self to the one and only Savior of mankind, Christ Jesus.  “Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:6 “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12 

Conclusion…

So I rejoice in the inconsistencies of those who hold to lies, and pray that they would see their own folly, but am saddened by the inconsistencies of myself and fellow brethren who hold to the Word of God.  May all earnestly seek to allow the Lord to reveal those areas which do not line up with His perfect Word so that we might more fully know and reveal the truth and love of Jesus both in word and in deed. 

To those who have ears, let them hear.

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The Captain of Souls- A.W.Tozer Quote

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July 5, 2010

“God has given us our free will in order that we may choose the right pilot.  He has also provided the Pilot, Jesus our Lord.  We only need to acknowledge our own ignorance and cry out in faith,

“Jesus, Savior, pilot me,
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal;
Chart and compass come from Thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”

A.W. Tozer, This World: Playground or Battleground?, p.125.

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Is Counseling a Spiritual Gift?-Great Quotable from the Bobgans

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June 30, 2010

God's Word is True

“Where is the office of counselor in the New Testament? Is there a specific calling of counselor as there is for evangelist, pastor and teacher?  Are there specific offices for a counselor as there are for elders and deacons?”

“There is no one-up/one-down relationship of counselor and “counselee.” Instead there is the mutual care, encouragement, and edification of all members of the Body of Christ.  Counsel may be given and received, but the real position of counselor is reserved for the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer, who sees into the inner man, who applied the Word and  makes it effectual in the believer, and then who enables the believer to glorify God through the love and obedience, as most clearly taught in Romans 8:26-27: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”   

“It has been said by some, and we agree, that those who take the position of counselor in someone’s life may be usurping the role of the Holy Spirit.  Believers are called to comfort (1 Thessalonians 5:11), instruct (2 Timothy 2:24-26), edify (Romans 14:19), admonish (Romans 15:14), forgive (Ephesians 4:32), and restore (Galatians 6:1) one another.  However, the only one who can accurately see inside a person and therefore be the real counselor is the Lord Himself.”  Martin and Deidre Bobgan, Person to Person Ministry, Soul Care in the Body of Christ, pp. 45-47

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Playground or Battleground?

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May 26, 2010

During World War 2, three neighborhood children living in England were allowed to go out and play each afternoon.  Their parents gave them only one rule.  Each night they were to come home before the sun went down.  One day, as the children walked past a long alley way, one of them carefully gazed to the end of the alley and saw something amazing.  “Look!”, he shouted, “it looks like a playground.”  The children excitedly ran across the broken stone road, and to their enjoyment discovered an amazing playground.  They played and played until one of the them noticed the sun was going down.  “We need to go”, she cried!  They all quickly made their way home. 

Each afternoon, the trio returned to the playground and played and played until one day they were all having so much fun, not one of them noticed the dimming light and growing shadows.  Before they knew it, darkness was upon them and the children were forced to stay over night.  As the night grew on, they couldn’t help but worry about all the horrible things that might happen to them.  Awaking the next morning, they were surprised to discover they were just fine.  Each began to smile, then went back to playing. 

At this point the children decided to stay at the playground.  This went on for days.  The children deceived themselves into thinking that nothing bad could happen when in reality, something bad already had and none of them even realized it.  The children were having so much fun playing, they forgot that the playground was not their home.  Then one day, one of the children suddenly stopped.  He turned to his friends, “I’m done playing and want to go. How do I get home?”  They all looked at one another and it was at this point that they all realized what had really happened.  They could no longer remember how to get home.  They were…LOST.  

Although there is a time for play, may we never forget that this world is not our personal playground. To those who’ve had their sins fully and feely forgiven by Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God; to those who are born again by the Spirit of God, who are now the children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, this world is neither our playground nor our home.  May we always hold lightly to those things which are quickly perishing, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! Philippians 4:7

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“Christian + Psychology = ?”

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May 8, 2010

“Well-meaning psychologists who profess Christianity have merely borrowed the theories and techniques from secular psychology.  They dispense what they believe to be the perfect blend of psychology and Christianity.  Nevertheless, the psychology they use is the same as that used by non-Christian psychologists and psychiatrists.  They use the theories and  techniques devised by such men as Freud, Jung, Rogers, Janov, Adler, Fromm, Maslow and others, none of whom embraced Christianity or developed a psychological system from the Word of God. 

The Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) is a group of psychologists and psychological counselors who are professing Christians.  At one of their meetings the following was said:  “We are often asked if we are “Christian psychologists” and find it difficult to answer since we don’t know what the question implies.  We are Christians who are psychologists but at the present time there is no acceptable Christian psychology that is markedly different from non-Christian psychology.  It is difficult to imply that we function in a manner that is fundamentally distinct from our non-Christian colleagues….asyet there is not an acceptable theory, mode of research or treatment methodology that is distinctly Christian.”

“Christians who seek to integrate psychology with Christianity have actually turned to secular, ungodly sources for help.  But, because these unbiblical, unsubstantiated theories and techniques have been blended into the dough, they are well hidden in the loaf.  Thus many Christians honestly believe they are using only a purified, Christianized psychology.  Instead, they are left with a contaminated loaf, not with the unleavened bread of the Word of God.” 

Martin and Deidre Bobgan, “James Dobson’s Gospel of Self Esteem & Psychology”, pp. 192-193.

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Christ In You- Is Christ Prominent or Preeminent?

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May 6, 2010

“The Christian life is not what I can do for God, but what Christ wants to be in me.  Therefore, when my purpose, goal, and aim in life is simply to know Christ — living a life of intimate, abiding fellowship with Him — then He will initiate and fulfill His good works through me (Ephesians 2:10).  His good works are the overflow of my daily walk with Him — His life being lived through me —without my even realizing that which He is doing.  And this will bring praise and honor and glory to christ, the Preeminent One, “Christ in you, [which is] the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).”  Jerry Benjamin, Simply Singular Is Christ Prominent or Preeminent?, p.14.

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