We like formulas, I think. If I do such-and-such, then “that” result will occur. I have power in the situation.

I checked out the first “Lord of the Rings” movie from the library, (”Fellowship of the Ring”) and was watching it last evening. I have seen it before. Great music, and an intriguing plot, I think. But watching it again last evening reminded me of its plot components.

There are hobbits, and dwarves, and elves, and rangers. Oh, and those mean, bad orcs! Both the good guys and bad guys (per the world in the movie) cast spells to orchestrate what they want to happen. There are … rules as they do this. Spells and counter-spells. Interesting.

Frodo puts on the ring and he enters a parallel “dimension” of reality where certain things become invisible, but other things suddenly appear as real.

…I am thinking of atheists. Most are actually anti-theists, of course. (They are angry at God. Often due to hypocrisy they’ve seen in the past, etc.) No God; no Satan; no angels; no demons. The physical is real; the spiritual is (sic) imaginary. It must be frightening for one to openly profess that there are no spiritual realms. (Richard Dawkins may stand there proudly, but his very heartbeat is at the mercy of another; what a foolish man.) Atheism: a human-centric existence in but a visible cosmos. Nothing else is allowed to exist. Pre-Galileo in thinking, as all that is (to such thinking) must necessarily answer to and revolve around human understanding - or else it must not exist, according to them.

Have you ever entered a building or a room and felt something? … Have you ever had a premonition? The spiritual realms do not exist? Ridiculous.

“Prove it!”, they demand - as if human capabilities and wherewithal can successfully encounter and measure what is out there in its entirety.

The Earth:  A Pale Blue Dot in space....

All that is, answers to us? … us on this little bluish planet in the corner of a galaxy? …How illogical.

Okay, so: magic. LOTR relies on it, and we in a “temporary suspension of disbelief” can adjust to such a reality. Isn’t this interesting?

I think we can relate to it in a formulaic sense. It provides a set of rules to abide by. It may add power. For my own “research” … I saw the first Harry Potter film a couple of years ago (but only clips from the others, which get darker, as I understand).

A few years ago in Berkeley I was witnessing to a witch (wicca) one day. I skipped any discussion of creation-evolution. Unneeded. She knew very, very well that the spiritual world is real. She communicated with “good” and evil spirits daily. I tried to reason with her regarding their power compared to what humans are. She knew that they are more powerful than humans. Okay. How smart are they, per her experience? - She affirmed that some of them are extremely intelligent. So I asked her if some of them ever try to deceive humans. She affirmed that to be the case. And then I cautiously asked her if it was possible that some of the “good” ones may be deceiving her into thinking they are good. She was not sure what to do with that. I could see some fear. -My intent was to help her, not to try to corner her.

She told me at once that she rejected all the organized religions. Okay. So I (while praying for her) asked her if perhaps, since some of the spirits are smarter, maybe organizing is the only way humans can be successful in trying to not be deceived by the evil ones? She was not sure what to do with that one either. She talked about staying balanced and appeasing the “good” ones for protection. I was moving towards discussing Christ as being more powerful than any of the “good” or evil spirits whom she had been interacting with, but unfortunately we were interrupted at that time. I was not able to continue to discuss such things with her.*
 

When one tries to use a formula to get God to do his or her bidding, is he relying on faith or on his or her own abilities (to manipulate a set formula)?

Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Does God answer to us? Or do we answer to God?

Is it God’s responsibility to reveal Himself to us? Or is it our responsibility to seek Him out?

Matthew. 7:7 [Jesus said]  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

The verse, Revelation 3:20a  “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice…” should NOT be used in Christian tracts, as the context is quite different. Jesus is standing OUTSIDE of a church! They are supposed to be believers, but with Christ on the outside of what they are doing inside.

The Creator of the universe must answer to us and our understanding? Such nonsense.

Faith is needed. We need to put our trust in Him alone. Each person must seek, ask, and knock. It is our responsibility to seek the truth humbly!

Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Formulas are for evil spirits. But when Christians try to use formulas they are leaving Christ on the outside, and trying to rely on their own abilities to gain acceptance and desired outcomes. But we can never be “good” enough. We must instead seek to be - forgiven. That is the essence of the Christian message; the Gospel; what we know of as: the Good News. “…but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Oh, interesting. I just paused from writing this - to view the trailer from that anti-Creator film, “The Golden Compass” (released in Dec. 2007). Okay, … so the very first words in the trailer are, “There is a world where witches rule the northern skies….” And you see a “hot babe” flying (but sans broom) over a mountain range. And “…every human is joined with an animal spirit, who is as close to them as their own heart.” Terrible.  Hell on Earth. How disturbing! What will kids “learn” from such a demon-calling film? Animal spirits? … Witches? … Magic spells - to try to get what you want.  The nightmares that will follow ... the fear ... the pain.

It may be anti-Creator, but the makers of that movie have not learned about the wonders of atheistic evolution. Don’t they know that all that “spiritual stuff” is just “imaginary”?

Western culture continues to fall into deceptions.  And interestingly, some of the deceptions contradict some of the other deceptions.  Evolution is but one of a host of deceptions being played upon us in these Last Days.

Matthew 24:4  “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”

Mark 13:5  “And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you.”

Luke 21:8a  “And he [Jesus] said, Take heed that ye be not deceived…” 
 

* - If you are a person tormented by demons, help is available!  Pray right now, "God, if you are out there, please help me.  Please help me to find a Bible believing Christian who can help me and pray with me.  I ask for Christ's help, please.  Amen."

In your city, using the phone book or the Internet, locate a church that believes the Bible is completely true.  Do you have any friends from work or school who may be able to help you find such a church?  Any past friends or acquaintances like this?  The first thing you need is prayer and one-on-one Biblical counseling.
 

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