Rich Gifts: halloween

I have always been drawn to things mysterious so it's not surprising that in my youth and as a young adult, I became involved in things of an occult nature. Many of us have played with a Ouiji board at some time in our lives thinking it was a harmless game. Then there are the *innocent* séances that kids, teens, and sometimes even adults will have when a group gets together and start talking about all things mysterious. By the way, using a Ouiji board is a form of a séance.

These things held an interest for me and I looked into a variety of occult practices. I have had my palm read and did some studying in palmistry. I studied a little numerology and looked into the power of crystals. I touched on witchcraft, white witchcraft of course because I didn't want to do anything evil. White witchcraft, I was told, is the kind that is only used for good, black witchcraft is the evil kind. Fortunately I didn't step into the realm of witchcraft but if the culture had been what it is now, I'm sure I would have.

I studied astrology in depth and learned how to create an astrological chart and how to read it. I was always looking at where the planets were and how they lined up with the planets in my chart and how they were affecting my life. Much of the astrology that I learned and practiced is still embedded in my mind and comes to the forefront when I see someone's astrological sign even though I push that thought right back out. But what's the harm in reading your daily horoscope? After all it's just for fun. So does that make it okay? By the way, did you know that your blogger profile displays your astrological (zodiac) sign unless you specify that it doesn't?

I also learned to read Tarot cards and have been to a number of psychics. Most that I went to knew very little and I found to be a waste of my money, but there were a few who knew their stuff. Oh they weren't 100% accurate but a lot of their predictions came to pass. One of the ladies I went to on several occasions, kept a picture of Jesus sitting on her table and prayed before each reading. I also used to pray in Jesus Name before I would give myself a reading. Did that make it okay? If I was doing it in Jesus' Name then did it insure that my readings were not coming from an evil source, and that I wasn't participating in evil?

That's what I thought. That's what I believed. But as I continued to read my Bible, I found many references to such things and I took them to heart.

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." Deuteronomy 18:9-12

Psalm 47 makes references to astrologers.

It became clear that even though I was doing all of it in Jesus Name and covering it all in prayer, I was still participating in an evil practice. It didn't feel or look evil in my opinion, but God didn't ask my opinion, He showed me what His Word says. I could choose to obey or disobey. I had to ask myself what was more important, continuing in my long-time practices or pleasing God? I gathered up all of my books and supplies and tossed them all in the dumpster.

Even the simple reading a daily horoscope just for fun is participation in astrology. That alone makes it evil according to God's Word. The spiritual battle is very real. It's at the point where a sin or an evil appears fun and innocent that the devil gains his foothold, and he will do everything he can to keep his foot in that door. And as long as he has his foot in the door, he will attack not only the person who gave him the foothold, but their children, and spouse, and grandchildren. The only way to prevent or stop that attack is to close the door.

...do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:27

You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. Psalm 5:4

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Definitions:

A Ouija board, also known as spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with letters, numbers, and other symbols, theoretically used to communicate with spirits. Ouija is a trademark for a talking board currently sold by Parker Brothers.

A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits.

Palmistry (“divination”), is the art of characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm, also known as palm reading.

Numerology is any of many systems, traditions or beliefs in a mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and physical objects or living things. Numerology and numerological divination were popular among early mathematicians.

Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers.

Astrology is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs which hold that the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details can provide information about personality, human affairs, and other terrestrial matters.

Tarot reading revolves around the belief that the cards can be used to gain insight into the current and possible future situations of the subject. Some believe they are guided by a spiritual force.