Against the cultural grain--Some things I've been convicted about.

Magic (or witchcraft), violent, gory video games, vampires, werewolves...these things are glorified in our society. They may seem intriguing and empowering on the outside.

I volunteer at a library part-time, and so I spend a LOT of time scouring the shelves, section by section, re-arranging books and media. Those shelves are packed with every adventure and fancy you can imagine...and I love reading all the book spines as I weave through the library. But it also poises a dilemma for me personally---every time I scan the Young Adult shelves, I see dozens on dozens of books on Fantasy (involving magic, spells, wizardry, and so on..), which appeal to millions of people. I have to admit--I am drawn to fantasy, and I've watched movies and read books that make magic seem innocent and appealing, not really allowing myself to stop and question: is this something a Christian should be watching/reading? People are drawn to power, no doubt about that. But lately I have felt convicted. 

 We go along with the crowd, saturating or dipping our minds into what we may know to be questionable... but we fear to ask, "what does GOD say about this?"

Over this weekend, God has been helping me find Scriptures that deal with magic and sorcery. Here's a wee bit of what I found:

"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 their 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; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God." -- Deuteronomy 18:9-13

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.’” --Ezekiel 13:20-23

  “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. -- Malachi 3:5

Wow... VERY powerful verses! So is there any record in the Bible of God saving people involved in sorcery? Yes! Check it out:

"Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We^[a] exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered^[b] them, and prevailed against them,^[c] so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed."

--Acts 19:11-20

Never forget that GOD is more powerful than man or magic. Evil must flee before HIM. If you are a Believer in Christ, a born-again Son or Daughter of God, and you know someone who is practicing witchcraft/sorcery/magic--they need the Lord. They need your prayer! 


Thanks so much for reading, guys. =) If you think of it, please pray for me...pray that I will live in the power of the Holy Spirit and continue to seek after God's truth. 

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." --Romans 8:38-39