Tag Archives: Occult

Idols, Demons and Believers

Question: “When a people who have for generations worshiped the spirits become Christians they often adapt their local spirit worship practices into Christian rituals. How does one teach or help them break off these practices?” [Note: This comes from a native missionary in Southeast Asia.]

My Answer: Dear brother, thanks for the question. I understand that this is both a serious and a delicate matter. It is difficult for people to renounce what is basic to their culture. At ANM we have the utmost respect for individual cultural distinctives. We always try to accommodate our attitudes and practices to honor the various cultures we deal with. However, biblical values and Scriptural truth always takes precedence over culture. There is no culture that is more important than a Word-based “Christian culture.” Continue reading →

What’s New On Fall TV?

I have seen some commercials lately announcing the fall line-up of new TV shows. Some interesting fare coming up. Let’s review some of the fresh autumnal offerings.

Betrayal (ABC) – A step beyond Scandal or Revenge. This is an show devoted entirely to an adulterous affair. Continue reading →

Snapshot: Swedenborgianism

You may not have heard of Emmanuel Swedenborg, but in his lifetime and for quite some time afterwards he was a man of renown. He was an 18th century genius, likely on par with Leonardo da Vinci. He was born in Sweden in 1688, the son of a Lutheran pastor. Early in life he was noted for great achievements in math, science and engineering. In 1724 he was appointed to a prominent government position on the Swedish Board of Mines.

But then in 1743 things began to change. Swedenborg began to have strange dreams and visions. He believed that ancient sages and religious figures were appearing to him. He supposedly had conversations with Jesus, Moses and other biblical figures. He went on spiritual journeys to heaven and hell. Angels reportedly showed him great spiritual truths. He also developed psychic powers, especially clairvoyance. Out of these visions he developed a unique brand of religious philosophy. This included a prophecy that there was coming a new era of universal spiritual understanding, which he called the New Jerusalem. Continue reading →

Snapshot: Spiritualism/Spiritism

It all officially began in 1848 in a small town called Hydesville, New York. It was there that three sisters of the Fox family began to experience unusual things. They heard strange rappings, which the Fox sisters believed were the manifestations of a departed spirit. They called this spirit “Mr. Splitfoot,” and believed that it was the ghost of a man who had been murdered in the house. Soon neighbors heard about the ghostly encounters and came to see what was going on. Within a short time an entire movement was born. It was called Spiritualism and its main focus was on communication with the dead. Continue reading →

By the Pricking of My Thumbs

I remember counseling a woman who was suffering from a great deal of fear in her life. Over the course of several weeks, I discovered that this woman had had several experiences with occult undertones. I felt that an intensive exploration of occult influences in her life was necessary. We sat down one evening and spent about two hours diagnosing her exposure to the occult. Although she was raised in church, and had a rather ordinary life, we found that she had experienced about 25 different instances of involvement in things of a demonic nature. This included everything from yoga and seeing ghosts to ouija boards and seances. No wonder there was a spirit of fear in her life! Continue reading →