How Paganism Has Infiltrated the Christian Church...Part One

Chapter Seventy-nine: 

If we are to fight a war, we must know and understand our enemy. We must not only understand our enemy’s end goal, but also be intimately familiar with the tactics that are to be used against us.  Throughout the centuries, the Church has had to fight off false teachings and false doctrines that sought to demolish the very foundation upon which it had been built. When that didn’t work, the enemy navigated his forces into infiltration, and weakening of the building itself, by enticing Christians to weave erroneous beliefs into their faith.  The encroachment of paganism is one such method of infiltration that seeks to ensnare, and make useless, a generation that has been poorly taught in the teachings of the Bible.

There has been a resurgence in paganism over the past number of years amongst those who have either outright rejected parts of what the Christian faith teaches, or have added in different parts of these other beliefs/rituals to their Christian faith. It has morphed into what many consider to be their own personal brand of faith.  I’m reminded of the term many have adopted to explain their modern-day life’s philosophy, “spiritual, but not religious”.   Sadly, even those within the Church have been drawn to paganism in its many forms, seeing the addition of these practices as simply a way to be free from the need to adhere to long-established moral standards, or core Biblical principles. The result is that it causes one to value their own individuality, and live their  lives in a way that’s more preferable.  Add in to the mix that social media abounds with those calling themselves Christian, while also admitting they are sorcerers, witches, and spell casters.

Due to a weak knowledge of how the enemy works, many unsuspecting Christians are tempted, and craftily drawn in to learning how to gain power, success, popularity and notoriety.  This distorted perspective not only inevitably leads a person to be unable to distinguish between light and darkness, good and evil, but it also opens the door for the enemy to come in and affect them. Scripture warns us in Second Corinthians 6:14b, “…what fellowship can light have with darkness?”. And Ephesians 5:11 reads, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Paganism is simply a term used to describe those who have abandoned, or ignored, what we would consider to be mainstream forms of religion.  They have been drawn to, or added into their Christian beliefs, practices that are rooted in different ideologies.  Some of these include the belief that there are many gods, not just one (polytheism), and the worship of nature itself rather than worship of the Creator. Some will venture so far as to learn the art of casting spells or dabbling in altered states of consciousness in order to receive special knowledge.  Some terms you may be familiar with, or have heard of, are Kabbalah, Wicca, the occult, witchcraft, New Age, and druidism.  All of these are but a few that fall under the overarching term “paganism”.

 Pagan practices include nature rituals and worship, celebrating festivals that invoke specific deities, casting spells and curses, ceremonial magic with the intent of gaining spiritual enlightenment, and communing with higher spirit guides or angels.  Altered states of consciousness are achieved through techniques such as drumming, chants and dances or taking elixirs/potions/drugs that open one's mind to other realms. Often mythology, astrology, folklore and dark magic are used in the hopes of enhancing one’s power. New Age users often use crystals, and other metaphysical objects, as a way to tap into what they consider to be the divine consciousness in order to achieve wisdom and oneness with the universe.  They seek to gain insight, special knowledge and power.   Many are seeking a way to blend their views on nature with a higher form of spirituality. The end result is that the blending of several beliefs leads one into creating their own personal belief system and ultimately a different way of perceiving life that is anti-Biblical.

Christians are exposing themselves to demonic entities without even realizing it. Many still consider yoga to be simply an exercise routine, without understanding the spiritual implications that are at its foundation, and can lead one astray. One of the seemingly harmless objects that are often carried around are crystals, which many believe to have healing properties that channel “good” energy. Some even believe they will bring such things as happiness and financial prosperity.   Playing around on a Ouija board is simply considered to be entertaining.  Many believe that they are experiencing visitations from dead relatives or friends as a result, or getting some special insight into life. Some go a step further and go to seances, or tarot card readers, in order to communicate with their departed love ones. What is not realized is that these practices are absolutely forbidden in the Bible. Talking to a dead relative or friend is called necromancy. 

In Deuteronomy 18: 9-12 God warns against having anything to do with supernatural affairs that are outside of a relationship with Him.  He warns His children, the people of Israel…“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”.

 A story of necromancy can be found in First Samuel 28: 3-25. It tells the story of King Saul secretly going to see a witch because he wanted to know if he would win the upcoming battle. God chastised him as he was invoking dark magic, using necromancy, by asking to speak to someone who was dead, rather than praying to God and seeking His counsel.  God’s word strongly warns against having anything to do with such practices as He knows they can ultimately lead to our ruin. What a person thinks is a departed loved one interacting with them is actually a demon, and any information that is imparted comes from a demonic source.

Unfortunately, many are into seeking alternative ways of getting information or achieving power, apart from having a relationship with Jesus Christ, and Satan is only too happy to help them get it.  First John 2:16 warns, “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father, but is of the world.”  Satan uses the same lures he has used for a millennium, and he is especially eager to ensnare, and cause the ruin of, a Christian. 

 

 

 Another area that has gained the attention of those seeking otherworldly experiences, and extra-Biblical knowledge, has been fueled by the United States’ 2024 Congressional Hearing, which discussed the potential government coverup of UFO/UAP’s (Unidentified Flying Object/Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). The highlight of the hearing was the retelling of a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer’s statement that he would refer to those types of  UFO beings as "inter-dimensional, not aliens”.  This has thrust the phenomena of UFO/UAP into center stage. Many believe these beings are of a more developed lifeform, and those who would seek to deceive, are giving fodder to the belief that they are somehow benevolent beings who will come to help mankind.  For those of us who are believers walking in the discernment of the Holy Spirit, we understand them to be demonic in nature, but to those who are not discerning, nor forewarned, they do not see them as such. This is appealing to many, as it is yet another way of seeking guidance and information from beyond what the Bible cautions is safe and permissible.

The Apostle Paul indicated in his second letter to the Church in Corinth that he was well aware of the dangers of holding on to pagan practices while becoming a new Christian.  He wrote in Second Corinthians 6:14-18 “ Do not be yoked (connected) together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (another name for Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” He was giving a strong reminder that believers, followers of Christ, should have no interest, nor desire, to combine their Christian faith with practices rooted in paganism or demonic influences.

Unfortunately, many Christians today are downplaying these warnings in Scripture and are risking opening themselves up to be influenced by those who are in stark opposition to God and His Word.  While trendy, and promoted by those who say they are Christian, these practices lead Christians away from a Christ-centered faith and introduce them to things that are more in line with pagan or occult philosophies than with the Bible.

Anything that is added into one’s beliefs, that do not have their root in Scripture, quickly causes the Christian to depart from traditional faith, lured by the mystery, caught up in searching for the unknown.  If you discover due to the warning from the Holy Spirit that you have taken part in any of these aforementioned practices or belief systems, you must run from them.  In the next chapter, we will look at what Scripture says we must do to untangle ourselves from anything we have exposed ourselves to, in order to get back on track in our walk with God and rid ourselves of demonic influence.

 

Why Christians Should Not be Anti-Semitic...

Chapter Seventy-eight:

As we watch current cultural and political issues play out, especially here in the United States, many will have noticed an ever-increasing chasm developing within the Church. Sadly, this is over the topic of anti-semitism.  Many believers are confused as to what to think and believe about the Nation of Israel. I believe Satan's strategy has always been to drive a wedge between Christians and the Nation of Israel by vilifying the Jewish people.  He's currently using social media and those who have a limited understanding of the Bible, and Biblical prophecy, to bring it about.  

As a Bible-believing Christian, I decided to look into what the Bible has to say about Israel's beginnings, and what it says about Israel's role in history, past and future.  While loud voices on both sides are speaking their opinion, the Bible is where we need to go to get clarity. We will look at the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, to see what it says about the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people.  

The first place that records the beginnings of the Nation of Israel occurs in Genesis 17:5-8. This is where God tells Abram to leave his home, the Ur of Chaldees, which is located in current day Iraq, in order to follow Him. The Scripture reads, “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.  I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you”.  God went on to tell Abram that “the whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” I believe this establishes the fact that God declared it to be an everlasting covenant, that would entail every descendant that Abram would have. I believe this covenant (promise) extends from Abram to the current day, and yet to be born, Jewish people.

 

 

 In Genesis 15:18-21 we read of the size of the land God was declaring would belong to Abram and his many descendants. From reading the boundaries God laid out, you can see that it is much bigger than what is currently known as the Nation of Israel. These verses read “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”  To many Bible scholars, this encompasses an area that extends North to the town of Damascus in Syria, from the border of Egypt to the South, to the Euphrates River in modern day Iraq on the East, and West to the Mediterranean Sea.

Given Israel’s perpetual habit of following after other gods and idols, and not worshiping the one and only true God (I and II Kings), He allowed them to be overrun, captured and taken away to various parts of the world.  But remembering His covenant, God declared that He would someday bring the Jewish people back to their own land.   Isaiah 11: 11,12 reads, “In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean”.

Jeremiah 31:10 is another proclamation telling us of God’s promise to bring Israel back to their land.  It reads, “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd’ ”.  

Nehemiah, who was allowed to return to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the city's broken-down  walls, knew his mission was to help restore to the Jews that which they had lost, the city's walls. Nehemiah 1:8,9 recounts what was told to Moses by God, God's words of warning to the Jewish people, "If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commandments, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name."

In Matthew 23:37-39 we read of Jesus's words as he overlooked the city of Jerusalem, anguishing over the fact that they had refused to accept who he truly was, the Son of God, the Messiah for which they had been waiting.  It reads, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"  

Another Scriptural reference is found in the Old Testament, Ezekiel 36:24. It reads “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land”.  Many believe, as I do, that this occurred in 1948 when the Jews were brought back and given the land that is current day Israel.

God has returned His people to their homeland of Israel, however Scripture goes on to warn of a coming future battle, where all nations will go up against the tiny Nation of Israel. Zecheriah 12:2-4 reads, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.  And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.  In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness”.

It is during this time, when Israel is totally surrounded by the nations of the world, that the Jewish people will finally call out to God for His help, and He will answer them. Luke 13:35 reads, “ Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^”.  This is referring to Israel having ignored Jesus Christ, their Messiah, when he came, died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. When they finally cry out to God, in repentance for their not accepting Christ’s sacrifice and atonement, and pleading for His help, God will answer them and come to their rescue in such a way that all will know that it was God who rescued Israel from their enemies.   

Joel 3:1-3 goes on to tell about the aftermath of this future battle, and how it will end with God judging all the nations that rose up against His covenant nation, Israel.  It reads, “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine to drink”.

According to Scripture, the only conclusion a Bible-believing Christian can reach is that the Jewish people have always had an everlasting covenant with God, and that up until the end, He honors that by saving a remnant and restoring to them the land that was promised to Abram and his descendants. This should be very encouraging to those of us who follow Christ and are not Jewish.  If God is going to keep His word with the Jewish people, regardless of how long it takes, then we as Gentile believers can be assured God will keep His word with us.