CULTIC TREND ALERT: October 20, 2007

“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”
Leviticus 19:31 (NIV)

Dear friends,

Think Halloween is only once a year?

Think again.

In a recent edition of the New York Times, television critic Alessandra Stanley observes that it’s “weird, and even a little freaky, that so many [TV] shows this season prey on the paranormal. Vampires have day jobs as detectives, store clerks reap souls for the Devil, reporters time-travel to get their stories straight, cheerleaders walk through fire and people of all kinds talk to dead people, sometimes quite chattily. Even reality television is getting swept up in the surreal….” She adds, tellingly: “Right now Satan appears to be more of a draw than his opposite: only ‘Saving Grace,’ a TNT drama about a dissolute police detective (Holly Hunter) who is visited by a country-western angel named Earl, hints at a benevolent, all-powerful God.”

Having gained our attention through entertainment, the Devil offers even meatier tricks and “treats”: Oprah Winfrey and other mainstream media stars promote necromancers (like psychics John Edward and Sylvia Browne) and magical make-believe (like the bestselling book/video The Secret) — making unbiblical paranormality palatable, and leading millions into a subtle trap. Given such conditioning, is it any wonder that Wicca is increasingly popular among America’s teenagers?

Around the world, the Centers address such spiritual obstacles on a continual basis. Dima Rozet, senior researcher of CFAR Russia, sent me an article from this week’s issue of the well-known magazine Ogonyok, which reports that in today’s Russia “not only illiterate peasants but middle-class people — educated and wealthy managers at the operating level — are the main consumer audience for various esoteric cults…Russian managers are baking ‘lucky cakes’ and turning their office equipment toward the East to ensure the inflow of chi-energy, while their Ukrainian counterparts prepare for entrance exams in scientific astrology.” One recent study of religious beliefs in Russia demonstrated that only a third of the Orthodox Russians surveyed believe that Jesus even existed! Far more people believe that the number 13 causes misfor¬tune; nearly half of all Russians are afraid of black cats, witches, and sorcerers. In fact, research indicates that Russia has the fourth-largest population of pagans among the nations of “Christian” Europe.

Sadly, the Christians among us aren’t immune to the seduction of syncretism. For example: Reading your daily horoscope isn’t just a trivial pursuit; it’s a not-so-subtle slap at God’s sovereignty — and a rejection of a commandment given for our good (e.g., “You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes,” Leviticus 19:26b).

How to cut through the confusion? Three points to remember from a biblical worldview:

• There is no neutral supernatural force or energy. Manifestations of paranormal power originate either with God or with Satan. The universe offers no impersonal magic that we can freely manipulate.
• There are no neutral supernatural beings. There only two possible identities, two options: either they’re good angels or they’re bad angels (demons). No discarnate dead, no fairies, no “safe” spirit guides — only the one, true Holy Spirit of God or “unclean spirits.”
• Correspondingly, all supernatural activity has a meaning — a message — behind it. It bears witness to the truth or to a lie. And God’s Word is your key to knowing the difference.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have no choice but to confront such evil. And your prayers, your support this month help to keep the Centers on the front lines: Debating deceivers, analyzing and answering the arguments of the occultists, giving Christians the “ammunition” to speak the truth in love to those taken captive by the cults and occult.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

Deeply grateful for your partnership in ministry,

Paul Carden
Executive director

P.S. Discernment depends on data, and clarity brings conviction. Sometimes Christians just need help knowing where the boundaries lie. If you want biblical answers to the errors of everyday occultism, I recommend 10 Questions and Answers about Magic, Spells, and Divination. It could be a lifesaver for a young person (or parent) you know. To request a copy, contact us.