America – the Land of the Free and the Home of the Cool
The title stems from my research finding that sixty-four percent of Americans are for legalizing marijuana. In fact, thirty states already approve of medical marijuana and nine states plus D.C. approve recreational marijuana. Therefore, narcotic usage is not growing; it is exploding. There is even a free guide now available listing the best marijuana stocks to become a new millionaire. Medical marijuana does not contain the highness element and is useful for certain medical conditions
Scripturally, there are numerous references to sorcery or sorcerers as a translation of the Greek word pharmakeia (from which we get the English word pharmacy). The meaning is the usage of drugs to induce hallucinations. God is very firm in his admonition about the practice of swaying people to such actions. You cannot mistake His command, “Do not allow a sorceress to live” (Exodus 22:18). The main problem with drugs is the possibility of association with evil spirits. However, there are other methods Satan uses to influence people.
Just Games
The first such approach is the seemingly innocent parlor game with the Ouija Board. The name is a compound word from the French (oui) and the German (ja), both of which mean “yes.” This so-called game has intrigued all ages. The younger ones are curious if it works; the teens want a date partner; and the adults are more serious and want to reach a dead family member or have a question answered.
Regardless of the intent, by playing with the board, you can touch the occult. You are literally playing with fire as you let your hand move unguided across the board. It is not harmless fun, and therefore should be avoided. There is the true God and Savior, and there is the deceitful Satan. Seek God directly, not the confusion of an evil spirit through a game.
Tarot Cards are another apparent demonic personal attraction. The origin of the word Tarot stems from taroch which was a synonym for “foolish” in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In Europe, they are used for card games. In English-speaking countries, the manipulation of the cards is used for divination purposes such as psychic predictions and to provide answers for your future life. The bottom line is that the cards are used in fortune-telling, psychic readings, and probing the past, present, and future events.
Astrology
Here is another area of confusion as astrology could be mistaken for astronomy, which is a natural science dealing with the study of celestial objects. By contrast, astrology is the study of movements and relative positing of celestial objects as a means of divination for human affairs. The confusion is rendered by the daily horoscope reading that folks believe. Supposedly, the Zodiac signs affect your future. The official astrology site provides free horoscope readings, tarot readings, psychic readings, different types of astrology, numerology, as well as Zodiac and sun sign readings.
The problem with any of these occult games, habits, New Ageisms or other isms is seeking answers rather than the true God. Our Lord once let me know this: Place your trust in me always for nothing is too big nor too small. Consider what I can do with a few fish or a stormy sea. I can feed you and calm your fears, but you must trust me as your Lord.
Newer Concerns
There are many other areas of confusion. The first is artificial Intelligence which is a science that is increasing in every field of endeavor, especially the military. There is a report that recently two robots communicated with each other in a new language that the programmers could not understand. AI seems to be rather new science. However, many of us have already experienced artificial intelligence especially in grammar school. Remember taking a peak at a nearby kid’s test papers? Voila! That was artificial intelligence.
A related area of confusion is the reality of the UFO’s. Yes, they are real. In fact, the Canadian Defense Minister confirmed that by saying, “The UFO’s are as real as the commercial airliners overhead.” The confusion comes as some folks believe that they are extraterrestrials or alien beings. Hogwash! They are the disembodied spirits from the giants. We know that the unholy ones occupy the second heaven. This explains how the UFO’s can appear and disappear from the first heaven, our abode. We also believe that the pilots are demons, which explains the violent maneuvers that no human body could stand.
Ephesians 6:12 seems to confirm this belief as it says that our struggles are not against flesh and blood creatures but against the powers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in regions above. The concern is that when the rapture occurs, the report could be that we are with the extra-terrestrials, not with our Lord.
One final thought is that the disembodied spirits could take refuge in robots just as they did in human beings and pigs as referenced in scriptures. That would really cause confusion. Regardless of any of these possibilities from the evil world, God knew the future and provided the Armor of God so that, when the day of evil comes, we can be shielded from any attack (Ephesians 6:10-18).
The Clergy
We look to ministers and priests for guidance. As a result, it is a real blow to our understanding when they falter. Of course, we believe they are fellow human beings, but inwardly we probably expect more. With homosexual, pedophile Catholic priests and homosexual Protestant ministers either being revealed or openly approved, there is great confusion. The result can be a clear-cut belief that the supposed tolerance in their lives has been compromised. This has caused some folks to abstain from church attendance. I do not know whether their belief in God was affected, but have personal knowledge that some were totally bewildered and quit their church. Is a feigned repentance or “sorry” enough for the average person?
Me First
The new marvel, the cell phone, has given rise to the “Me first” phenomenon and a new action stressing the individual. The “selfie” is well-named as they always need a photo of themselves. It is an addiction regardless of age or gender. I must be informed every second of everything in every day. What is the confusion here? It is twofold: God cannot get through the busy cell phone, and it is the new American family problem, the forgotten scope of conversation.
We have all seen a family with a few children sitting in a restaurant with heads bowed only just viewing their cell phone. We have noticed kids together texting each other, but without the old-fashioned verbal method. I have personally viewed this when they were sitting next to each other and texting each other. Could this be a future job hunter on the internet?
Are you looking for a job? AAMOF (as a matter of fact)
AAF (Yes, I am)
AMA (ASK ME ANYTHING)
ARE YOU QUALIFIED NP (NO PROBLEM)
YOU DON’T SEEM THAT INTERESTED W (MHAT)
I’M AFRAID WE ARE NOT INTERESTED NW (NO WAY)
BYE WAJ (WHAT A JERK)
I Was High & Mighty
This was the opening song line from a 1954 movie, “The High and the Mighty.” Despite pot, weed, Mary Jane, cannabis, hemp or any other name for marijuana, it is an illegal drug. Incredibly, 600,000 Americans are arrested each year for possession of the drug. Evidently, a lot of Americans can paraphrase that song into “I was Mighty High.” The reason for the continued usage is that high feeling. Our major concern should be for the high teenage usage as statistics show that most users started below age 18, and drugs do affect the brain.
The initial draw for teens is peer pressure or indeed to be cool, completely oblivious that drugs are harmful chemicals. The belief is, “Nothing will happen to me; I can control it.” Meanwhile the smoked, eaten, inhaled, or injected drug thinks otherwise. This is due to the drug influencing the reward part of the brain. After repeated usage, the drugs cause deviated dopamine which reduces the high. This results in more drug usage which is necessary to repeat the previous euphoria. It also shows why drug addiction is hard to quit. The desired high usually leads to heroin, a more expensive drug, but just as lethal.
Consider the growing list of entertainers and Hollywood celebrities who have overdosed as well as the everyday folks overdosing on opiates.
Satan provides the confusion in drug usage to mimic the peaceful action of the Holy Spirit in the Christian lifestyle. If you have ever experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in worship or at a conference, it is just a little tickle from the Lord of what it means to abide with Him with such happiness. It clearly influences our lifestyle to be closer to Him.
All these items we have examined are about escapism, the need to get away from the world’s problems.
The bickering among political parties is a living example of what is sin. Fake news is well named, but lying and being a false witness is cursed by God, so much so that it is even one of the commandments. However, the parties involved could care less about the stain on their soul.
Another confusion is the trend toward socialism. You do not need a degree in civics to realize socialism was a failure in the former Soviet Union, Cuba, and Venezuela. Capitalism continually fills the pot; socialism empties the pot.
People are indeed seeking answers, but they are looking in the wrong places. As Christians, we need to tell folks about salvation. I remember a pastor explaining salvation to a clergyman. His comment was that it seemed too simple; and he left, still a quasi-Christian. I believe each of us has met someone like this person.
How many people have you met that absolutely do not know whether they are going to heaven or not? They are the people for us to connect with 1 John 5:13 where he says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that that you may know that you have eternal life.” Our actions could be a life-changing event for them which would bring such peace.
While these topics border on escapism, the aspect is trying to know the future. They are completely unaware that God knows our interests and the Bible knows the answers to all our questions, including our eternal future. We need to connect with them?
A Few Scriptures to Meditate Upon
Leviticus 19:26b “Do not practice divination or sorcery” (i.e. the act of predicting the future or taking or distributing drugs).
Leviticus 19:31 “Do not go to mediums or consult fortune tellers for you will be defiled by them.”
We can also add channelers, or wiccans. The reason is that these actions can lead to being influenced by demons, by actually contacting them or ingesting them. There is only one God as He has stated: “I am God; there is no other. I am God; and there is none like me” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
“I am the first and I am the last; there is no God but me. Who is like me? Let him stand up and speak, make it evident, and confront me with it” (Isaiah 44:6b).
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).
“But they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds, their sins engulf them; they are always before me” (Hosea 7:2).
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and a house divided against itself will fall” (Luke 11:17).
The following is a Pauline epistle to Timothy written about 65 A.D. It is also a prophecy of the culture of the last days and a mirror image of 2018. We are reading today’s media written almost a thousand years ago.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves; lovers of money; boastful; proud; abusive; disobedient to their parents; ungrateful; unholy; without love; unforgiving; slanderous; without self control; brutal; not lovers of the good; treacherous; rash; conceited; lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
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