It's Not that Strange, Doctor
Greetings in the Lord!
Today's word comes from Revelation 9, of which I will share verse 20-21:
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and the idols of gold, silver bronze, stone, and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Man, people can be really stubborn. Revelation 9 is a chapter that tells of all the destruction and hardship--"plagues"-- to come to the earth as a result of unrepentant sin before the coming of Jesus. Using colorful and vivid imagery, it paints a picture of how spiritual beings and demons will be released to cause these torments, and yet, people will not give up their magic arts, worship of false gods, or sinful lifestyles. They just go on obstinately believing in lies and deceptions because they want to, that's the bottom line. They want to follow the dictates of their own lusts and call evil good and good evil. It reminds me of a movie I started to watch recently called, "Doctor Strange."
I'm not going to give a full analysis of the movie or anything like that, but rather, I'll make one obvious point: this movie is about sorcery and witchcraft, or as the Bible calls it--"magic arts." Hollywood is working overtime to set the narrative on this subject, and I don't hear any push back from the Christian community whatsoever. Why is that? Mainly because it is packaged so creatively and excitingly and billed as harmless entertainment, that's why. But it is not harmless at all. In fact, practicing witchcraft and sorcery is like riding a bullet train into hell, with a first class seat to boot.
The thing about having Hollywood set the narrative on anything is that it will be a mixture of truth and lies. Enough truth to make it believable and enough lies to cater to your flesh and soulish nature. For example, in the early part of the movie a warning is given to Doctor Strange that seeking the "wisdom" and healing of the sorcerers will be costly, "but I'm not talking about money." True enough, it will cost you your soul...but that is for the unrepentant ones. Jesus will forgive and receive the truly repentant.
And the movie tells the truth when the sorceress calls the rituals she does "spells," and eludes to the fact that there is a spiritual partnership happening to pull off the magic she teaches, yeah, partnering with demons! In Islamic belief, this refers to the invoking of jinn (or in the West we say "genie"). However, with sleight of hand she maintains that these magic arts can be used for good (false), and she doesn't mention that the "partnership" is really a captivity where the practitioner really has no control over their "magic." They are going to places ("dimensions") they were never meant to go to and very dire consequences await them. No, she doesn't tell him any of that and more. But I'm really not sure if it would matter. You see, that is why the movie makes reference to pride and selfish ambition and disobedience so much. For spiritually, these are the prerequisite heart conditions for those who get tempted by sorcery in the first place. They are seeking an unholy power for some kind of earthly reward or gain, and by doing that they are rejecting God's commands that denounce sorcery of all kinds.
Actually, I believe that many people don't consider doing "magic arts" a sin. In fact, it looks like the common denominator of the sins listed in Revelation 9:20-21 is that people have a justification for their sin. For instance, murder--"they deserved it"; idolatry/false religions--"mine is the true god"; magic arts--"power of positive thinking", "it's white magic", "just spirit guides", "its only for fun," etc.; sexual immorality--"friends with benefits", "it's OK to be gay", "my marriage is boring", "I love my spouse, but they don't like sex like I do," "we don't need a piece of paper to be married," "porn is no big deal", and so on. People even justify their thefts by saying, "they're rich and I'm poor." But no matter what the justification used, it won't fly in the face of God. All sorcery is an abomination.
Now I must admit, I did not watch the whole movie, but I don't think that the earlier deceptions of the Hollywood narrative would be corrected later on. No, the usual routine is to lay out the details of their flawed narrative early on (i.e. sow corrupt "seeds" into the audience), then allow the weeds to grow following an exciting plot line of events to distract the audience from any real analysis of the flawed narrative. If it's done successfully, the only comment might be that "it was a little unbelievable at times," and the rest of the discussion would be about the over-the-top effects or ending instead of focusing on the details of the corrupt seeds that were sown. I mean, it's just a movie after all. No need to over-analyze the theories, beliefs, and values being taught and injected into our souls and minds (sarcasm intended). And I won't even go into the layering of subliminal audio and visual cues that effects our minds unknowingly. Yes, Hollywood is very crafty and full of pagans and proficient sorcerers.
It's beyond time for Christians to separate ourselves from the onslaught of witchcraft and sorcery being used in TV shows, movies, games and books and repent of our embracing them as harmless entertainment, even spending large amounts of money to collect such things. Entire households are filled with unclean spirits because of the amount of occult material in their homes, yet we read article after article on how millennials are so different from the older generations. Duh, they were raised on sorcery and witchcraft entertainment; then parents act so baffled as to why their kids reject church, disregard authority and morality and are plagued with problems, but are quick to join false religions or become hostile atheists. Really? And honestly, parents are not much better.
So if you're ready to clean house and replace with godly entertainment, let the truly repentant say:
Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.
Remember, Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You, Lord, are good.
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of His covenant. For the sake of Your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose....My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.
Psalm 25:4-12, 15
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Today's word comes from Revelation 9, of which I will share verse 20-21:
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and the idols of gold, silver bronze, stone, and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Man, people can be really stubborn. Revelation 9 is a chapter that tells of all the destruction and hardship--"plagues"-- to come to the earth as a result of unrepentant sin before the coming of Jesus. Using colorful and vivid imagery, it paints a picture of how spiritual beings and demons will be released to cause these torments, and yet, people will not give up their magic arts, worship of false gods, or sinful lifestyles. They just go on obstinately believing in lies and deceptions because they want to, that's the bottom line. They want to follow the dictates of their own lusts and call evil good and good evil. It reminds me of a movie I started to watch recently called, "Doctor Strange."
I'm not going to give a full analysis of the movie or anything like that, but rather, I'll make one obvious point: this movie is about sorcery and witchcraft, or as the Bible calls it--"magic arts." Hollywood is working overtime to set the narrative on this subject, and I don't hear any push back from the Christian community whatsoever. Why is that? Mainly because it is packaged so creatively and excitingly and billed as harmless entertainment, that's why. But it is not harmless at all. In fact, practicing witchcraft and sorcery is like riding a bullet train into hell, with a first class seat to boot.
The thing about having Hollywood set the narrative on anything is that it will be a mixture of truth and lies. Enough truth to make it believable and enough lies to cater to your flesh and soulish nature. For example, in the early part of the movie a warning is given to Doctor Strange that seeking the "wisdom" and healing of the sorcerers will be costly, "but I'm not talking about money." True enough, it will cost you your soul...but that is for the unrepentant ones. Jesus will forgive and receive the truly repentant.
And the movie tells the truth when the sorceress calls the rituals she does "spells," and eludes to the fact that there is a spiritual partnership happening to pull off the magic she teaches, yeah, partnering with demons! In Islamic belief, this refers to the invoking of jinn (or in the West we say "genie"). However, with sleight of hand she maintains that these magic arts can be used for good (false), and she doesn't mention that the "partnership" is really a captivity where the practitioner really has no control over their "magic." They are going to places ("dimensions") they were never meant to go to and very dire consequences await them. No, she doesn't tell him any of that and more. But I'm really not sure if it would matter. You see, that is why the movie makes reference to pride and selfish ambition and disobedience so much. For spiritually, these are the prerequisite heart conditions for those who get tempted by sorcery in the first place. They are seeking an unholy power for some kind of earthly reward or gain, and by doing that they are rejecting God's commands that denounce sorcery of all kinds.
Actually, I believe that many people don't consider doing "magic arts" a sin. In fact, it looks like the common denominator of the sins listed in Revelation 9:20-21 is that people have a justification for their sin. For instance, murder--"they deserved it"; idolatry/false religions--"mine is the true god"; magic arts--"power of positive thinking", "it's white magic", "just spirit guides", "its only for fun," etc.; sexual immorality--"friends with benefits", "it's OK to be gay", "my marriage is boring", "I love my spouse, but they don't like sex like I do," "we don't need a piece of paper to be married," "porn is no big deal", and so on. People even justify their thefts by saying, "they're rich and I'm poor." But no matter what the justification used, it won't fly in the face of God. All sorcery is an abomination.
Now I must admit, I did not watch the whole movie, but I don't think that the earlier deceptions of the Hollywood narrative would be corrected later on. No, the usual routine is to lay out the details of their flawed narrative early on (i.e. sow corrupt "seeds" into the audience), then allow the weeds to grow following an exciting plot line of events to distract the audience from any real analysis of the flawed narrative. If it's done successfully, the only comment might be that "it was a little unbelievable at times," and the rest of the discussion would be about the over-the-top effects or ending instead of focusing on the details of the corrupt seeds that were sown. I mean, it's just a movie after all. No need to over-analyze the theories, beliefs, and values being taught and injected into our souls and minds (sarcasm intended). And I won't even go into the layering of subliminal audio and visual cues that effects our minds unknowingly. Yes, Hollywood is very crafty and full of pagans and proficient sorcerers.
It's beyond time for Christians to separate ourselves from the onslaught of witchcraft and sorcery being used in TV shows, movies, games and books and repent of our embracing them as harmless entertainment, even spending large amounts of money to collect such things. Entire households are filled with unclean spirits because of the amount of occult material in their homes, yet we read article after article on how millennials are so different from the older generations. Duh, they were raised on sorcery and witchcraft entertainment; then parents act so baffled as to why their kids reject church, disregard authority and morality and are plagued with problems, but are quick to join false religions or become hostile atheists. Really? And honestly, parents are not much better.
So if you're ready to clean house and replace with godly entertainment, let the truly repentant say:
Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.
Remember, Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You, Lord, are good.
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of His covenant. For the sake of Your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose....My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.
Psalm 25:4-12, 15
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Comments