The Occult

Coral Ridge Ministries

The Occult

Leviticus 19:31

October 27, 2023

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them …”
— Leviticus 19:31

Have you noticed the recent explosion of the occult, witchcraft, and Satanism in our society? If you pay attention, you can see it everywhere—in movies, in television programs, in many of the songs of our pop culture. Drive down Main Street, U.S.A., and you’ll most likely see the storefront office of a psychic or a palm reader. The work of the Devil and his demons takes many forms and has many names. It ranges from Satan worshipers to those who experiment with parapsychology and read horoscopes. And our country has embraced it all.

Why do people turn to the occult? Some people hunger for the supernatural. Ignorant of the Gospel and unacquainted with Christ, these people seek a supernatural connection in the occult world. Others seek power. They don’t care where they get it; they just want as much of it as they can grab. Yet others just play with the occult. It serves as an entertaining diversion for them, a game to play. And as the occult gains more and more popularity, many dabble in it out of curiosity.

God created us as spiritual beings for a realm beyond this world. For this reason, people hunger for spiritual things. But many don’t understand that their spiritual needs can only be met in Christ. So they turn to the dark side. The occult becomes an illegitimate way to fulfill a legitimate need.

This all sounds very dark and depressing, but as Christians we can have, and share with others, hope. Jesus came into this world to defeat Satan and destroy his works. By His death, Christ accomplished this once and for all, and He set the prisoners free. You and I need to share the Good News of Christ, who alone can truly satisfy the longings for the supernatural. Zig Ziglar suggests that rather than listening to the stars by following our horoscope, we should listen to the One who made the stars by reading the Holy Bible.

Have you allowed the occult to take hold of you? If so, you needn’t feel possessed by it. Confess your involvement to Jesus Christ, and repent of it. As you do, Christ will forgive and cleanse you from all sin. And whether or not you’ve experienced the occult, pray today that God will break the hold the occult has on our nation, setting people free from Satan and drawing them to Christ to experience the most potent supernatural power—the power of the Gospel.

QUOTE:
“Satan works best where his existence is denied.”

Luther's Quest For God

October 31, 2023

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” — Romans 1:17 While our culture sets this day aside as Halloween, I think a much more fitting event to celebrate happened on this day in 1517—the Reformation of the Church, when Martin Luther, a humble monk, made public ninety-five reasons the Church needed to reform. Luther knew how desperately the world and the Church needed to know we could gain grace only through faith. He dedicated his life to discovering and preaching this truth. Luther was born November 10, 1483, into a poor family of German woodcutters. Realizing that their son was gifted, Luther’s parents scrimped and saved to send him to the university, where he studied law. Returning home from school on foot, he and a friend were caught in a thunderstorm and his friend was struck by lightning and killed. This terrified Luther and he vowed to enter a monastery so he could search for God. One question plagued him without ceasing: How could he, a sinful man, ever become pure enough to stand in the awesome presence of a holy God who was an all-consuming fire? Luther spent years trying every way he knew to purify his soul. He spent hours each day confessing his sins. He beat himself with a whip until he became bloody and unconscious. He prayed for six weeks, fasted, and slept very little. He stayed out all night long, naked, in the deep snows of Germany. But one day the Lord spoke to him through the Scriptures, specifically Romans 1:17: “The just shall live by faith.” Suddenly Luther saw the Gospel. He discovered God’s grace. He realized that only those justified by faith in Christ’s blood will live and those who seek to justify themselves in any other way shall not live. Luther spent the rest of his life promoting and defending this truth. Even when he was on trial, faced with being burned at the stake, he clung fiercely to it. Justification by faith is still our great hope and joy. QUOTE: “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen!” — Martin Luther

To Win The Warfare Within

October 30, 2023

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” — John 3:6 When we become born again, we inherit a spiritual battle. Our old nature wars against our new one. Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade used to tell a story that described these old and new natures as two dogs: a black dog and a white dog that were wont to fight viciously. Dr. Bright said, “Which dog will win is determined by which dog you feed. Feed the black dog and starve the white dog, and the black dog will win; feed the white dog and starve the black dog, and the white dog will win.” Which nature are you feeding? Much in our culture feeds the “black dog.” We feed our sin-filled natures often—not always, but often—when we turn on the television set; go to a movie; read a newspaper, magazine, or novel; or listen to modern music. But we have a bountiful feast with which to feed the “white dog”—God’s Word. As we read Scripture, God prepares us for the spiritual warfare we face. To be strong warriors for Christ, we need to dwell less on things of the flesh and instead delve into the Bible. We need to write God’s Word on the slates of our minds and the tablets of our hearts. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” We can also feed our new nature by spending quiet time with God, especially by praying for forgiveness, guidance, and counsel. If we are ever to win the warfare within, we need to engage evil with God as our guide. Do you need to reevaluate your spiritual “diet?” Choose to feast on God’s Word and on time spent with Him. Do so, and you’ll gain all the strength you need for the battles ahead. QUOTE: “Two natures beat within my breast. The one is foul, the other blest. The one I love, the other I hate. The one I feed will dominate.” — Anonymous

The Warfare Within

October 29, 2023

“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” — Romans 7:19 Have you ever felt the aggravation of doing the very sin you wanted to avoid? Or of not doing a good work you had intended to do? Why do we find ourselves in this bind on such a consistent basis? When we hand our lives to Jesus, He gives us a new nature that is spotless and clean, incapable of sinning. But as fallen people we also carry within us a nature capable of vile and hideous deeds. And herein lies the battle. Our regeneration sets up a dichotomy of the new and old natures, and when the Spirit of God dwells in our hearts, we recognize just how wretched we truly are. Only when Paul identified his God-given nature was he able to comprehend his captivity, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me?” St. Augustine, poignantly aware of his sinfulness, wrote, “By these links, as it were, a chain was I held, shackled with a hard bondage. So these my two wills—the one old, the other new; the one carnal, the other spiritual—contended together, and by their discord disturbed my soul.” Does your soul cry out for deliverance from your sinful nature? Then nurture your new nature. Read God’s Word daily, and spend quiet time with the Lord. My friend, I urge you to act on God’s directive: “Be still, and know that I am God.” If you want your new nature to conquer the old, you must allow Him to feed your soul. And no matter how tough the battles get, always remember that on the cross Jesus Christ won the war—once and for all. QUOTE: “I make it a rule of Christian duty never to go to a place where there is not room for my Master as well as myself.” — John Newton (Author Of “Amazing Grace”)