Shocking

[HumbleServant94]

I haven't posted in a while, but I found something really shocking. I had this Barnes & Noble gift card for $50. I decided to look around at the books. I went through section after section. Then I went to the other side of the room. The sections I found frightened. There I saw book upon book about astrology, tarot cards, psychic energies, and the New Age Movement. I was frozen solid, but inwardly all of my insides were screaming at me to get out of there. I was so scared. I sprinted a little and never went to that part of the room again. I was so shocked. After that happened, I found more books about the same subjects in different sections. I heard about things like this, but I have never experienced it.
What are your thoughts on the matter?

 

[eldermike]

In our culture we have become desensitized to such things. It's good to see a young person that knows what offends the Holy Spirit. Keep guarding your eyes and your heart. Thanks for reminding us of something important.
God bless you!

 

[sealacamp]

I haven't posted in a while, but I found something really shocking. I had this Barnes & Noble gift card for $50. I decided to look around at the books. I went through section after section. Then I went to the other side of the room. The sections I found frightened. There I saw book upon book about astrology, tarot cards, psychic energies, and the New Age Movement. I was frozen solid, but inwardly all of my insides were screaming at me to get out of there. I was so scared. I sprinted a little and never went to that part of the room again. I was so shocked. After that happened, I found more books about the same subjects in different sections. I heard about things like this, but I have never experienced it.
What are your thoughts on the matter?

People, in their desperate search for a savior and truth, will embrace anything other than God because they reject that God is truth and real freedom. So there are tons of baloney that mislead people and take them away from God. It has always been so and will always be so. Except during the time of the inquisition there have always been some idol to lead us away from God.

As for looking at such garbage remember the song: Be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little mouths what you say. There is a lot of wisdom in that song to be sure. And if you can't stand the mystery go in with eyes open knowing that God is the author and finisher of our faith. God is in control and no amount of tarot or astrology will make Him any less the Lord of all, including those that intend to deceive.

Sealacamp

 

[HumbleServant94]

What shocked me was that everything inside me told me to run, but I was frozen solid in place for a little bit.

 

[arunma]

Hello HumleServant. Most of us have been desensitized to these sorts of things. It's encouraging to read about your (I think proper) response to the idolatry and godlessness of other religions. Alas, what you saw is not at all uncommon. The Bible says to flee from idolatry, and so you've done. At the same time, it's important to not be uninformed on these things. Astrology, tarot cards, and other forms of divination are common for book material in America. I think they even have television shows about this. It's important to know that these things exist, to become informed about them (by asking believing Christians, not unbelievers), and to know what the Bible says about all of this.

 

[Abbadon]

Most of that stuff is cheap commercial feel good rip offs of anything substantial. Oddly enough the Tarot cards on sale were probably those designed by Arthur Edward Waite, a Christian who actually wrote against the legends about Tarot cards (and a bunch of other subjects) to show that they are just playing cards. He created the Rider-Waite deck not for fortune-telling but as a thought exercise of "how would the cards look if the legends about them were as true as possible without going against what really happened?" The resulting deck contained pretty much just medieval Christian symbolism (the High Priestess card, for example, represents Christ's Bride the Church).

Also, as arunma pointed out, knowledge and practice are two different things. Some folks like to study what sort of stuff different people believed at different times (although anything good in Barnes and Noble will probably be in the history section or somewhere like that). I haven't seen a copy of the Lemegeton or the Grimoire Verum in B&N so I'm actually more worried about prosperity go$pels written by televangelists than the new-age section.

 

[Rhamiel]

it is good that you felt bothered by such occult books, witchcraft is a horrible sin that too many people treat as being "normal"
But Barns and Noble also has a lot of good books, did you end up getting anything interesting?

 

[arunma]

Indeed, Barnes and Noble has some great books on science for the general public. All written by godless atheists of course, but great nonetheless.

Honestly I would stay away from the "Christian" section at most bookstores too. Most Christian literature is heresy. If your church has a bookstore, that's probably a better resource for you.

 

[edie19]

Honestly I would stay away from the "Christian" section at most bookstores too. Most Christian literature is heresy. If your church has a bookstore, that's probably a better resource for you.

You beat me to it Arunma - I was going to say about the same thing.

Even Christian bookstores are fairly iffy - there's more on increasing church attendance, building personal wealth, weight loss, and other such nonsense than there good sound theology. It's very sad.

 

[RedLioness]

I'm glad you could step away when you did.

 

[arunma]

You beat me to it Arunma - I was going to say about the same thing.

Even Christian bookstores are fairly iffy - there's more on increasing church attendance, building personal wealth, weight loss, and other such nonsense than there good sound theology. It's very sad.

It bothers me too that many of these people who call themselves Christians write such anti-Christ things in their books. It's a reminder that we need to anchor ourselves to God's word instead of being innovative. That's why I think it's important to find a local church that is faithful to the Bible and has a high view of Scriptural revelation. The church is a pillar and buttress of the truth, and thus needs to be a place where we can go for godly councel on a multitude of issues.

 

[Abbadon]

Considering more than 80% of Christian book stores in America that carried music refused to carry one P.O.D. album because they thought the Christian symbolism was "occult," it is a good idea to stay away from them.

The cover of the album "Payable on Death" features a figure with their arms crossed, butterfly winged, crowned, and wearing only a banner saying "glory." This represents a Christian ascending into Heaven rather well, the arms crossed are a traditional way of arranging a corpse's arms, the crown and banner show that the figure is now glorified (and their sins are covered), the use of wings shows that they are higher in nature (which one of the reasons is why many spirits in many culture are depicted with wings) but the use of butterfly wings indicates that it is not an angel but something that transformed into its current state (from sinner to saint).

I'm not even a fan of P.O.D., I just don't think it was right to dismiss it as "occult."

 

[TheDarkestHour]

Just avoid the Occult section at Barnes & Nobles. Also, I see nothing wrong with Christian Bookstores. Thank God for them! Some Christians have become way too critical of everything.

 

[Rhamiel]

Considering more than 80% of Christian book stores in America that carried music refused to carry one P.O.D. album because they thought the Christian symbolism was "occult," it is a good idea to stay away from them.

The cover of the album "Payable on Death" features a figure with their arms crossed, butterfly winged, crowned, and wearing only a banner saying "glory." This represents a Christian ascending into Heaven rather well, the arms crossed are a traditional way of arranging a corpse's arms, the crown and banner show that the figure is now glorified (and their sins are covered), the use of wings shows that they are higher in nature (which one of the reasons is why many spirits in many culture are depicted with wings) but the use of butterfly wings indicates that it is not an angel but something that transformed into its current state (from sinner to saint).

I'm not even a fan of P.O.D., I just don't think it was right to dismiss it as "occult."

that is a good point, symbolism does not equal occult

 

[Lightkeeper55]

I read through the thread and I'm still wondering why anybody would be shocked. (or even surprised)

The Bible states that "as in the days of Noah"....

As we tred through time, anybody who has studied prophecy should NEVER be shocked or surprised by the events that transpire in this world, ruled by Satan. Astrology, tarot, divination, psychic energies, and the New Age Movement. The gay movement, abortion, wars and rumors of wars, pestilence, starvation, greed......on and on.

Rather, we as Christians should understand that we are in the last days; therefore we should be saying to ourselves, "Ummmm, another sign of the last days. Will Christ come back today?"

And each day as we draw closer to the Rapture, we need to witness to our friends and family even more. No sense in leaving them behind, eh?

I wouldn't have been shocked, nor "frozen" in place, but I would have looked through the material some; trying to learn what teachings were being passed along. Better to combat the enemy. I once took courses on cults, just to learn more so when the come to my door........

Unfortuately, too many Christians don't bother to read some of the material but rather totally shun it. I feel sorry for people who close off the "things of the world" like that. They can never fully witness effectively to people who believe in those things.

 

[HumbleServant94]

You beat me to it Arunma - I was going to say about the same thing.

Even Christian bookstores are fairly iffy - there's more on increasing church attendance, building personal wealth, weight loss, and other such nonsense than there good sound theology. It's very sad.

The Christian books I buy are nothing like that. At all. I throw books like that away.

 

[arunma]

The Christian books I buy are nothing like that. At all. I throw books like that away.

Good for you. Glad to hear that you use your God-given discernment in your reading. It's very encouraging to see that the younger generation has a passion for worshiping God in spirit and truth.

(Shoot...saying that makes me feel old.)

 

[-~Truth_N_Trust~-]

lol arunma, we're just old fogies now, us 20-somethings!

I am glad that you are listening to the discernment of the Holy Spirit and obeying HumbleServant94! However, we have nothing to fear in Christ Jesus from such things. Stand firm in Christ and satan will flee from you!

And I agree with those who have said that discernment needs to be doubly sharp when looking at 'christian' books... My husband theorises that the church has become so soft that we won't critisize anything, so every stupid thing will get published and acclaimed (also goes for music imo.)

 

[arunma]

My husband theorises that the church has become so soft that we won't critisize anything, so every stupid thing will get published and acclaimed (also goes for music imo.)

I agree with him. Weak theology produces weak Christians. The church in America embraces one size fits all, everybody goes to heaven doctrine. It changes the way you think and live, and ultimately produces Christless Christianity, and apostasy.

 

[-~Truth_N_Trust~-]

I agree too arunma, many parts of the church are (imo) re-making the same mistakes of Israel, looking to the world and wanting to be like them - like asking for a king, under the banner of winning souls. How do you win souls to Jesus without Jesus? I've been reading Tozer lately and he's pretty scathing about weak christianity, churchianity.