Netflix's new KIDS movie, "K-Pop Demon Hunters," just textbook exposed the spirit realm behind musical idols and their demonic influence on their fans and wrapped it in a fiction candy wrapper. And when you live in the end times where the new rising generations are obsessed with the supernatural (and unfortunately the demonic), it’s no surprise it’s become, not only the #1 film in Netflix history, but also one of the top soundtracks, first as the album of a fictional animated band. I watched it twice, once by myself, and the last with friends. I too was excited to see the film, but upon its release, I felt that it wouldn't be what I thought it was. I'm not into K-pop and I don't really listen to secular music (especially since I got baptized in the Spirit). I am known to "watch what I watch," to keep from accidentally opening portals in my home, but I am a sucker for good animation, especially one with a super-hero type trope; and at least they're killing demons and not accepting/joining/using for good/ etc. like most everything else I see these days. So, when they took the term "demon hunters" literally with parallel allegories to Satan, demons, the spirit realm, and exposed a major truth in today's world, I was taken back...and not in a good way.   Let’s review the spiritual tidbits of this film:   Satan himself "Gwa-mi" personified as a blazing wall of purple fire and his demons in hell are the antagonists. Jinu, one of the demons and lead star of his boy band in the physical realm, "Saja Boys," used to be a human who listened to the lies of the devil and sold his soul for himself, while casting out his family in the process. His reward? Eternal punishment in hell as well as becoming a demon himself who does Satan's bidding. The rest of the Saja Boys are also demons who disguise themselves as irresistibly cute/handsome/hot K-pop boys in the physical realm. Meanwhile, the main character Rumi (female), is half demon on her father's side, just like the Bible predicted where demons would procreate with humans. Her and her two best friends, Zoey and Mira have their own female band, "Huntrix". Ironically, they're "demon hunters," as the title entails. Her and her BFFs’ jobs are to kill demons and keep them from eating people's souls, mainly, their fans (gee I wonder why). Unironically, this is exactly what Satan does through musical artists. He gets people to IDOLIZE their favorite artists and their music until they start listening to the demons their music comes with. He gets them to meditate it and always go to their music as a sanctuary to their troubles instead of going to God and His Word. This causes them to willingly make their spirits vulnerable for Satan to pounce just as 1 Peter 5:8 warns. And the demon Saja Boy band's logo? A lion. 1 Peter 5:8- Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.   At the end of the movie, Jinu sings an equally demonic song with the rest of the demon "Saja Boys," who's lyrics are textbook Satan speaking, while their stage atmosphere resembles hell and a Korean-style male coven levitating on the stage amongst thousands of worshipping fans who were seen listening to Gwa-mi (Satan) just moments before. And the song's title? "Idol." Here are the lyrics (Korean lyrics not included):   (Intro) Pray for me now I'll be your idol (Verse 1) Keeping you in check, keeping you obsessed, play me on repeat in your head. Anytime it hurts, play another verse, I can be your sanctuary. Know I'm the only one right now. I will love you more when it burns all down. More than power, more than gold, Yeah, you gave me your heart, now I'm here for your soul. (Pre-chorus) I'm the only one who'll love your sins. Feel the way my voice gets underneath your skin. (Chorus) Listen, cause I'm preaching to the choir. Can I get the mic a little higher? Gimme your desire. I can be the star you rely on. You can't look away. Don't you know I'm here to save you. Now we running wild. Yeah, I'm all you need, Imma be your idol. (Verse 2) Fame, I'm your idol. Thank you for the pain, cause it got me goin viral. Fever, making you a believer. Don't let it show, keep it all inside. The pain and the shame, keep it outta sight. Your obsessed feeds our connection. Give me all your attention. (Pre-chorus) I'm the only one who'll love your sins. Feel the way my voice gets underneath your skin. (Bridge) Living in your mind now. Too late, cause you're mine now. I'll make you free when you're all a part of me. (Chorus) Listen, cause I'm preaching to the choir. Can I get the mic a little higher? Gimme your desire. Watch me set your world on fire. You can't look away, no one is coming to save you. Now we running wild. You're down on your knees, Imma be your idol. Scary, isn't it?   During this scene (the final boss fight), the demon Saja Boys band is performing without their human disguises in their demon forms, preparing to steal everyone's souls who have sold them, listened to Gwa-mi (Satan) and are currently worshipping them under demonic control of their flesh. Even Rumi's best friends are there under control after finding out she is half demon; and have let their own insecurities and Satan’s lies in the form of SHAME, DOUBT, and ANXIETY lure them to the concert.   The thing is, Zoe, Mira, and Rumi (who walks in at the last second) are the only ones who can technically see into the spirit realm. Everyone else only sees a music concert performed by their musical idols and have no idea what's happening, much less what's about to. Satan and his demons are in everyone's face preparing to attack their souls, while they believe it is simply the special effects of a hype and harmless Pop concert. They even hold up their hands to be taken as if they are worshipping them! And what else? Gwa-mi himself in a giant blazing wall of fire, not only makes his appearance on the stage, preparing to feast on thousands of human souls who are willingly selling themselves to him, but he opens portals on the stage, allowing a hoard of demons into the arena to collect the souls, while everyone is fixed on their idols and their textbook idol-worship song. I can't make this stuff up!   At last, Rumi, the half demon and lead of the female band (who’s just gone through a personal spiritual crisis with her demonic identity and family trauma), storms in, gets her friends' attention, and flips the music from demonic to...half demonic? But somehow, it turns all the darkness into light, even claiming it to be light in her own lyrics??? Long story short, the demon-hunter female K-pop band do their duty. Satan "Gwa-mi" and his demons (Saja Boys included) are banished back into the spirit realm with a shield created by Rumi and her friends' music, and all is right with the world. And as a believer in the spirit realm, lemme tell you that's not how that works; Two humans and one demon fighting other demons, implying there are good and bad demons and the good demon wins??? Even their clothes turn from black to white and night becomes day upon their victory. Rumi and her friends are just as much musical idols with fans who worship them just like the demon boy band who were actual demons from hell. But they've still implied that there is good idol worship and bad idol worship. And because Rumi is half demon, her voice has the same visible captivating effect on her fans' souls just like the bad demons. The only thing she doesn't do is direct them to Gwa-mi and instead, uses the energy from their souls to power the shield to keep the demons away by way of her singing voice. Let me deviate for a second and let you know that is EXACTLY what witches do. They practice witchcraft to supposedly repel demons and replace the dark with "light," when in reality, the demons are acting like they are leaving to deceive them; they always come right back. And with the witches who see demons as good, the demons will act like they are the ones bringing the light (that is, of their flesh) and helping them. This is the textbook demon deception Jesus talks about in Matthew 12:43-45: “When an evil   spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.   Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So, it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.   Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” When witchcraft convinces its own brother to cease its oppression, it is only temporary but purposeful in deceiving the victim; for if and when the victim continues its practice under them, their oppression will return even worse than when it stopped. This is exactly what’s happening to the new rising generations. They use idolization and/or new age spirituality to keep evil from oppressing them. Demons can see expression and they will head to the person’s practice in order to deceive them into believing it works; but eventually, they will begin oppressing again so that their master, Satan, can receive more worship, and the victim is trapped in an endless cycle of counterfeit peace and true oppression. SHAME and GUILT are heavy antagonizing themes in this movie. Y'know, the two things Satan uses to manipulate us with our sin and identity...which unironically, is what Rumi's storyline is. Her identity as half demon brings confusion, fear, and shame, which is what causes her demon side to surface anyway after years of hiding it from everyone. At first, she tries to be free from it, but after meeting Jinu and hearing his story of how he became a demon, she is instead persuaded to embrace her demon side and instead, use it as a force for good. This is another thing witches do. Some believe that they are "good witches," who want to help people, when deep in the back of their mind, their actions are to benefit themselves in the endgame. Which is great to know, because we find out later that this is exactly what we find out about Jinu. He uses Rumi, makes it seem like there's romantic chemistry, and makes it seem like he is helping her to the point of sacrifice, when in reality, he was fulfilling a deal he made with Gwa-mi to gain something for himself when it was all over. The endgame results in the same betrayal actions that condemned him to demonhood in the first place with his family, just as Judas did to Jesus.   The movie visualizes what happens in the spirit realm to people who idolize musical artists and the demonic effects which go on during live performances, but instead of good defeating evil, they defeated evil with...half evil and called it good, just like Isaiah 5:20 predicted. They had demon Rumi and her friends become "angels of light" (2 Corinthians 7:14) upon their victory over Gwa-mi and his demons to make sure they didn't lose their fans. They even expose what happens to the artists themselves behind closed doors as they "battle demons," but from a literal standpoint. The three of them also go through personal mental tribulations unique to their character and storyline: Shame, anxiety, and identity confusion. In the end, they didn't "save the day" as the demon slayer superhero trope tries to entail. They simply enchanted their affected fans from idols of darkness back to themselves as idols of light (but still idols). They redirected the victims from the obvious demonic back to the hidden demonic and played the rescue card, just like what Satan is doing to people today. What's worse is, some music artists genuinely believe they are for their fans and are trying to make people happy and make the world a better place, which is the case for Zoey and Mira, Rumi's human BFFs and co-artists. When in reality, they could be leading people to hell without even realizing it, because they are blinded by the exaltation the money, and the counterfeit happiness attached to it. Such influence is the case for Rumi. Not only is she half demon, but she is the leader of the group, and part of the main plot line of the film was that her demon side was kept secret and not even her BFFs knew about it. Her friends didn't know who they were being led by. They had been believing they were protecting people from demons, when they had been faithfully working alongside one the whole time, even though she claimed to be "not like them" that is, the other demons. She is the perfect representation of an angel of light the Bible warns against.   The movie's takeaway: So long as you fight your demons and win, you can still worship idols in the form of music and live a happy liberating life. Feel shame? Depression? Anxiety? Having trouble knowing your identity? Go listen to your music. Meditate on your favorite secular song. Worship idols of light and stay away from idols of darkness. Let your favorite music and your favorite artist be your sanctuary. Make yourself vulnerable so the lyrics can speak to you, so the artist can speak to you...even if the artist is obviously a demon in your ears. Don't worry, she's a good demon. She's here to whisper only positivity in your ears, not negativity; only your truth, not lies. There's that danger of relative truth again.   Satan isn't hiding anymore. He could literally show up in the physical realm without any alterations to his form, tell people that he was here to help, and 90% of the world's population would believe him! It's movies like these that are preparing Satan for his final move. Cinema fiction is not fiction. They are portraying the spirit realm in your face.   James 3:6 says, “ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” This verse specifies the tongue, but in Matthew 15:18, Jesus Himself teaches, “But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” What you meditate on in your mind will eventually come from your mouth whether you want it to or not. Speech is a form of expression , which is what Jesus was also trying to convey. Expression is not just speech, but creativity; speech is the verbal form of creativity, such as things like songs and books. So then, other forms of creativity (whose process involves mostly of speech and communication) are the creation of films and art, or visual creativity. Today’s creativity is directly inspired by hell and a master of manipulator to what sounds like truth and spiritual safety. The majority of today’s cinema is real in the spirit realm, but labeled with fiction, because even the producers don’t know who they are led by, just like Zoey and Mira, the characters they created.     A Quick Highlight on “Idol”   There's a rumor going around that the song "Idol" in Netflix's new K-Pop Demon Hunters was a Christian inspired song whose lyrics were meant to purposely expose what happens in the spirit realm when you idolize musical artists. Although this could be true, (and they nailed it) let me inform you of a very real situation regarding ANY "Christian inspiration," in a secular setting.   When you expose the works of darkness, if you don't circle the exposition back to God and give the ultimate solution of Truth, aka, Jesus, Scripture, and the counsel of God, your effort is going to backfire.  It is proof your inspiration came from hell and not heaven. Satan is a master theologian. He knows the Bible. He even tried to use it against Christ Himself. He knows your interests, and he knows where you’re weak. This is all he needs to inspire you to create something that will benefit himself instead of God, which can happen to both Christians and non-Christians alike.   This movie is NOT a Christian movie. In fact, it's quite demonic (duh). Even the "good guys" take on the same idolization as the demons, and once they exposed the truth in the song, they never showed the viewers who to turn to after turning away from the demonic stronghold. In fact, they instead, had the viewers turn to a "lesser counterfeit" that looked and sounded good, but was no lesser idolization than the demons (and one of the good guys is half-demon! Sounds exactly like something Satan would do, since he is the king of counterfeits, huh!). When you decide to create something based on the supernatural, if its intent does not draw people to God, it will always produce the wrong intent. Unfortunately, you can see this as the result of this movie. Everything this film has produced is far from God despite its spiritual truth, and you can see it all over social media. Rather than realizing the dangers of music, they are obsessing over the characters and the soundtracks; and some have even gone as far as sexualizing the characters into their own personal fantasies and visual creations. Just as the film exposed the darkness, rather than turn from it, its viewers are worshipping it. The song “Idol” is used as just another secular song to meditate on as they would with anything else aside from God. And as a result, rather than repelling demons, they are inviting them in (some on purpose).   If the producers were trying to expose how Satan traps people in idolizing music and their artists, they didn't help. They made it worse! The addressed the spiritual issue without giving them the real solution. They simply traded one evil for another and called it "good,” just what the book of Isaiah prophesied in the last days, which we are in. Here are some loving reminders of what God says about idols (idolatry). Exodus 20:3-6 (ESV) You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 1 John 5:21 (ESV) Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 Corinthians 10:14 (ESV) Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

We've probably read it dozens of times, but do we really know what Jesus was saying? A member of our church in Bible College of all places finally gave the best explanation I've ever heard, so much so, I wrote it down to share! The Responsibility of the Sower/Leader   Leaders are Sowers just as Jesus used a parable to teach in Matthew 13. A Sower’s job is to plant seeds. A Sower can be any form of authority, the highest and most important being God Himself as well as Jesus and the Holy Spirit. A Sower can also be a teacher, coach, pastor, mentor, boss, or a parent. But sowing is not limited to authoritative figures. As we all have the rights to authority and leadership as God’s children according to His Word, a Sower can also be a best friend, someone you met at an event, or a random person on the street whom God called to plant a seed.   But no matter who the person is, the art of planting seeds is actually the easiest part of the process, at least, it seems to be. Why? Because the only responsibility of the Sower is to plant the seed. I further it with saying, in some cases depending on the position of the Sower, they also provide the water, aka, the opportunity and all the tools necessary for growth, but they don’t actually pour it on the plant. What ultimately happens to the seed after planting them and giving them the watering can is not up to them. It’s up to the follower, aka, the seed.   The Responsibility of the Follower(s)   Leaders sow everywhere, planting seeds regardless of the soil. But despite the Sower’s job as the first and most important of the process (as they’re the ones activating the opportunity), it is not the Sower’s responsibility to know the condition of the seed’s soil (unless the Holy Spirit tells them), nor is it their responsibility to decide if the seed is watered, grows, and bears fruit in the end. Because in life, there are different kinds of soil. If the Sower knew the soil, whether it was good or bad, they may not even give the bad soil a chance, even if God gave it to them.   In Matthew 13, Jesus gave four kinds of soil. Verse 19 says, “ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.”  Wayside means there was no soil (the edge of a road) and without faith-filled covering due to lack of understanding, they were eaten by birds.   Verses 20 and 21 says, “ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.   But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” The soil is littered with stones and rocks, which shallowed the soil. As a result, the plants were quick to sprout, but the soil wasn’t deep enough for them to grow roots, and much like the wayside, there wasn’t enough covering below them to shield them in the youth of their faith. They were scorched by the sun and withered. A good example of this would be people who are led by their emotions, something God's Word says NOT to do (Ephesians 4:26). Being led by your emotions makes you shallow and when faced with difficulty, it causes you to make bad decisions. In this case, Jesus is saying that being led by your emotions as a seen as a seed in rocky soil can go as far as causing one to, not just sin, but lose their Salvation. Yikes!   Verse 22 says, “ The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.” This soil infested with weeds and thorns. These seeds are rooted, sprout, and grow, but over time, are choked out by the thorns and weeds, because their faith was tainted. In a world where books like the Gospel 4 (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and Revelation warn us of wolves in sheep's clothing in the last days, they would be considered thorns that choke out a seed. If you look at how a wolf kills a sheep, you'll realize how. Wolves go for the throat, not just for it to bleed out, but in the first dying moments, to suffocate it, so it can't get away. Similarly, when a thorn overtakes a vine, it wraps around to suffocate like a snake squeezing its prey (and we wonder why Satan is always depicted as a snake, and who is also responsible for birthing these wolves!) The weeds are very similar, but in the end, they don't suffocate the seed with thorns. They provoke them. Some pop up and annoy us, while others look pretty until they become bothersome in other ways...or they don't. A person's words may be what you want to hear, but not what you need to. They could be sweet like honeysuckle, but quickly invasive until nothing else can grow. It could be inspired by hell dressed as an angel of light, when underneath, they are leading you on a path that will shipwreck your faith or even destroy you; and both thorns and weeds start at the root. Example: You could be a worship leader, or a mega pastor, or someone of high vision by your followers...and then one day, it gets to your head and the thorns and weeds of the world gradually lead you to moral failure, sin. A pretty weed of flowering daisies in the congregation who isn't your wife could catch your eye, but instead of using self-control, you listen to the thorns who put you on a pedestal, and eventually, you go and "pick the daisy."   Verse 23 says, “ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” This soil consists of deep moist dirt without rocks, birds, or thorns. They can take root, sprout, and eventually, bear fruit with the true faith they were willing to hold onto, even if it meant to change. They listened to the Holy Spirit and obeyed and trusted God in all circumstances. They were faithful even as He remained faithful to them. And here's the best part. The "fruit" you bear lines up with the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5. And when that fruit ripens, it will hand out its own seeds to other people to grow more fruit!   But notice the Sower tossing seed didn’t even look or care about where he was throwing the seeds. He knew his job was only to plant, not to toil. Now, it doesn’t say that He didn’t care where he was planting. When Jesus went around healing, choosing His 12 disciples, reasoning with the Pharisees, and performing miracles, He wasn’t choosing people on a whim even though it sounded like it. The Holy Spirit told Him who to plant a seed in. But notice all of these people were planted in different types of soil. Peter’s heart was in good soil when Jesus planted him. Yeah, there were moments where his faith was wavering and he denied Jesus 3 times, but in the end, he never lost his faith. If anything, it grew, because those moments of failure were tests that were used to grow his faith. Just because you are in good soil and are willing to change by the time God plants you doesn’t mean your growth isn’t going to have obstacles. And I don’t even mean once you are above ground. Plants go through many other struggles than rocks, birds, thorns. Underground, they are prone to worms, moles, shovels…Roundup. Once they sprout, they’re prone to the open elements: Wind, rain, plant-eating animals, lawnmowers, getting trampled by snot-nosed kids…the debilitating heat of the snot-nosed Oklahoma sun. But Peter didn’t let any of that scorch him, did it? Because he was willing to change when Jesus planted that seed. He wasn’t only willing to be planted, but he was also willing to apply the resources Jesus gave him to grow his faith. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; what doesn’t kill your faith makes it stronger. One more rephrase: what you don’t let kill your faith will make it stronger.   Judas was one of the twelve. God still planted a seed in him even though He knew his soil was infested with thorns. His faith was already tainted, but Jesus still gave him a chance to change. In the end, Judas chose the wrong choice. He never pruned his thorns, and they choked him to a physical death. Those thorns had names. Pride, greed, and shame. He had a problem with stealing money, which gave Satan the foothold. He didn't always trust how Jesus did things. He was the classic example of people who say yes to God on their terms, people who don't want to fully surrender. The thorn of pride was used to justify the thorn of greed, which led to Jesus’ betrayal, which groomed the thorn of shame, which led him to hang himself. Every thorn you have in your soil is connected. Thorns grow on branches. Those branches are called pride and every thorn they produce are its fruit! Then after that desire (that branch) is conceived, it gives birth to sin (the thorns); and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (chokes your faith to death)” (James 1:14-15). Every thorn you don’t prune will feed another and if you let them choke you out of your faith, more will grow until your life is all thorns and no room for fruit to grow…or faith to come back.   The crowds Jesus preached to were perfect examples of individuals planted in rocky soil. The same people who worshipped him with palm leaves as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, were the ones who cursed and mocked Him as He was crucified. And by the way, the turn in their heart posture was within five days (Palm Sunday to Good Friday). Their faith was so shallow with rocks, they didn’t last a week.   The Pharisees are perfect examples of seeds planted on the wayside. Jesus reasoned with them over their own truths and gave them the chance to hear God’s Truth as opposed to their own. But in their stubbornness, they were unaffected by it and any chance of accepting it was devoured by a spirit of religion. They didn't want to be moved from the wayside to the soil.   When a pastor preaches to you, or a teacher or a coach teaches you, they don’t study or do your homework for you, do they? They plant you, and give you the opportunity, and all the resources to grow, (I like to say they hand you the watering can) but they don’t water you. It’s your job to take the water the Sower gave you and water yourself. A doctor will tell you to drink your water, but it's up to you to do it. He can't make you. For those of you planted on the wayside, they can’t move you to better soil. For rocky soil, they aren’t responsible for taking care of the rocks so you can root. And for thorny soil, they aren’t responsible for pruning away the thorns. It is your job to do those things as the seed. It is your job to change your heart posture, let go of the things God tells you to let go of, and cultivate your own soil so that you can grow. If not, you’re going to wind up devoured, scorched, or choked…and you won’t be able to blame the Sower!!! That’s not going to fly when you get up there for judgement! “God, You failed me! You planted me and handed me a watering can, but You never watered me! You just turned around and left me to die!” Jesus is going to look you dead in the eye and say “Oh, is that why I never knew you? I literally handed you the water of life. Why didn’t you drink it? I gave you the fruit from the tree of life, why didn’t you eat it? I gave you my physical body for bread and wine, why didn’t you consume it like I asked you to? I gave you My Father’s Word, why didn’t you read it? I gave you My Spirit, why didn’t you obey Him? Why did you keep ignoring Me every time I convicted you? I don’t know people who won’t talk to Me to tell Me who they are. And if I don’t know who they are, I can’t teach them and I can't have fellowship with them. I’m sorry, I don’t know you. Depart from Me.”   We have people today who do blame the Sower. Students are failing classes after not doing their homework (or do and then don’t turn it in) or studying and blaming the teacher. People are getting fired from their jobs after slacking off and disrespecting their coworkers and blaming their bosses. Churchgoers are leaving the church because of church-hurt and blaming the pastor. And MOST of those times, the pastor simply said something they didn't want to hear, so they left! And believers are leaving their faith, because of unanswered prayers, and a misunderstanding of religion versus relation, and blame God! You have to really think about it to understand that growing in your faith is a two-part process. It’s not all about you. If the Sower does their part, but you don’t do yours, don’t blame the Sower. The Sower hasn’t failed you. You have failed yourself! Let me repeat that: God did not fail you! It may be the Sower’s job to get the ball rolling, but it’s up to you to keep it rolling. When you first learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, your mom or dad held you and pushed you along, right? But once they let go of you, it’s your job to start pedaling to keep yourself both upright and going! If you were to fall, you wouldn’t blame your parents, would you? It's a bike, not a wheelchair (and even wheelchairs are designed to be rolled by the sitter!). If the teacher does their part in teaching you and gives you all the things needed to pass the class (turning in completed homework and studying), but you don’t apply them, how else did you expect to get good grades and pass the class? The teacher had nothing to do with that! You didn’t do your part! It’s the same with faith and literally everything else in life, like your job, your church, and your faith. Life is full of seed planting, Sowers, and leaders! You were specifically designed by a Master Creator to keep yourself going with His help once the Sower has done their job!   This doesn’t mean the people planted in the bad soil don’t have a chance, but Jesus didn’t give one in the parable, because He didn’t want to miscommunicate the role of the seed or the Sower. He didn’t want to lighten the heart posture of people who represent those seeds. He wanted it to be taken seriously, not for the people listening to give any foothold to the devil. Yes, one of the footholds the devil uses are truths not taken wholeheartedly. If you think Satan has a chance, he’s already taken it. Rocks can be plucked, thorns can be pruned, and even seeds on the wayside can be moved, but it’s not the Sower’s job to do it. It’s the follower, the seed. But we serve a God who moves people and motivates them to move or move back into good soil, and He uses His Holy Spirit to convict us to take out the rocks and pull out the thorns and weeds. Knowing this, let’s go back to Peter. Now that I’ve explained, we could actually argue that Peter’s faith was planted on rocky soil instead of good soil. But could it be that instead of letting it scorch him; he was willing to change and decided to move the rocks so he could root? “Master, wake up, we’re all going to die! This storm is going to wreck the ship!” * Jesus yawns * “It’s fine, just go move a rock, Pete.” “No, Jesus, we won’t let you die! We will defend you!” “You, Satan, get behind me! And you, Peter, go move a rock!” “Master, save me, I’m going to drown!” “I got you Peter! When you get back in the boat, go move a rock!” “No, I swear, I don’t know the man!” * Rooster crows * “I forgive you Pete, go move a rock!”   The Parable of the Sower Analogized   The different types of soil represent the condition of the human heart. Your heart posture determines whether or not you are willing to change in order to grow in your faith and keep it.   The wayside seeds represent people with empty faith; people who hear the Word, but are unaffected by it, and the moment someone comes along and contradicts or challenges it; or they realize they don’t want to change their heart posture, they lose it. I used the Pharisees as an example.   The rocky soiled seeds represent people with faith, but a shallow form of it; people who hear and further accept the Word, easily even, but they are too weak to keep it. They have no roots in it, aka, the understanding of how to take care of their faith and how to handle obstacles like the rocks. Without the holding, they become subject to the same things as a wayside victim and lose it. The only difference between the rocky seeds and the wayside seeds is the time in which they give up. I used the crowds of Jerusalem as an example.   I’ll give you a modern example: Atheists. Leading studies now show that 94% of atheists were once Christian. The problem? A rocky heart posture. Now, the situation differs. Their soil could have been wayside or thorny, but either way, their heart posture wasn’t healthy enough to sustain the seeds planted in them by their Sower. And for a good chunk of that 94%, the death of their seed was the result of God not answering their prayers the way they wanted, and that one misunderstanding was all it took to kill it.   The seeds among thorny soil represent people with real faith, who take root and grow in their faith without wavering, and in rare cases, bear fruit and other seeds. But amid their journey, they remain in attachment with ungodly things without a change. Secret habits or desires they hold onto or the shame of their past. Or it could be ungodly people they look up to remain in company with, or listen to, who ultimately choke out their faith. Over time, they become spiritually exhausted and damaged or are led astray by false teachings. Eventually, these thorns cause them to drift away from God and their faith. In worse unfortunate cases, they renounce Christ altogether in order to honor the things they refused to let go of when they had their faith. I used Judas as an example.   I have a friend whom this happened to, unfortunately, and even more wrenching, she was one of the rare seeds who planted other seeds and bore fruit before the thorns she had been holding onto choked out her faith. Well, not really her faith, but her philosophy on it. She and her husband were spirit-filled witnesses to children. They had their own freelance ministry, leading hundreds of children to the Lord. But she had three thorn plants in her life that she let grow too big and refused to prune them even when my family attempted to minister to her concerning them. Amid her faith was a mostly secret struggle with homosexual desires and thoughts. To this day, I don’t know if she ever honored them back when her faith was strong, but she did eventually fall into it once she drifted. The second was false teaching. Somehow, she became infatuated with the hyper grace message, which in turn, aided the first thorn’s growth. The third and last straw was the death of her husband, her life partner, and her ministry partner. She loved him so much that when he passed, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to heal her and let the thorns go, she let it fuel the other two. Eventually, she drifted away from the true faith and now lives a carnal Christian life, which has opened the door to new thorns to add to the three.   Conclusion   It’s the Sower’s job to plant you and give you the resources to grow, like water and nutrients, but it’s the seed’s job to apply those resources and grow yourself. It’s God’s job to work through His children to sow seeds in other people, but it’s up to the people they influence to change. It’s not God’s job to change you. It’s your job to change yourself so  that He can work through  you. If you’re a seed who was planted while they were sitting in bad soil, then it’s up to you to move off the wayside, pluck out those rocks, and clean out those thorns and weeds before you start applying, or that watering will only get you so far until you start exhibiting the consequences of your spiritual neglect! If you’re a believer who has a bad heart posture right now, God’s not going to magically change your belief system with a snap of His divine fingers all because He had somebody talk to you. You have to be willing to change your heart posture and your belief system in order to accept the truth of your faith for it to grow. If you don’t, your faith is already tainted, and it will eventually die. And it won’t matter who that Sower was or what they told you, because they did not fail you. They did their part and it’s up to you to finish it. But lastly, growing in your faith as a seed is not for the faint of heart. There are testing periods and obstacles associated with a healthy journey. God tells us in James 1:12, “blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”   To plant is the charge of the Sower. To listen, change, and endure is the charge of the seed.

I used to be the "moral Christian." I said the sinner's prayer, believed in God, believed that Jesus died and rose again, believed in the Bible (even though I never read it for myself), and believed everything ever taught to me by other believers. All I had to say to another Christian was that I was a "Christian," and I was liked, welcomed, and befriended...And then I decided to take it a step further and activate the Holy Spirit, the person I had in me upon Salvation, but never activated, because I didn't think I needed Him. Within a few months, I started seeing the world differently. Spirituality, whether it be God or Satan lies in LITERALLY EVERYTHING. I stopped listening to secular music as it became unappealing and even uncomfortable. I stopped following trends. I stopped watching and started avoiding most of today's media, movies, TV shows, etc. I avoid everything God discerns in me to be dangerous if I see, hear, or read it. I avoid every form of witchcraft I can possibly recognize no matter how crazy. And most importantly, I started warning fellow "Christians" about everything the Holy Spirit was helping me see now that I had turned on my spiritual flashlight. Now, all of a sudden, I'm the weird, extreme, boring, religious, judgmental, over-zealous, legalistic, narcissistic Christian. By OTHER CHRISTIANS. Talk about being blindsided. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know my total surrender offended you. Guys? Satan and his demons don't care that you said the sinner’s prayer and believe in Jesus, God, or even the mere existence of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't care if you read your Bible, believe what it says, and become a master theologian. You know why? Cause, he does all of that and IS a master theologian having lived with the Father Himself. And he still got kicked out of Heaven. It's the moment you activate the Holy Spirit that he becomes afraid, because so long as you live religiously without fellowship with God and keep His very breath inside of you dormant, you remain blind to all of his evil. You are still spiritually blind with salvation. His evil is only exposed when you activate the Holy Spirit. It doesn't matter if you've accepted God and His Son Jesus. You don't have access to either of them without the third. you have not truly accepted God if you don't accept all 3 parts of Him. You can't protect your own spirit without the Holy One who created it giving you directions. God the Father doesn't give directions. Jesus the Son doesn't give you directions. Only God, the Holy Spirit will do this. It's the whole reason He exists, and also the reason Jesus needed to die in order to permit Him to! Believing that Jesus died and rose again means nothing if you deny the Holy Spirit. Accepting Jesus into your heart means nothing if you deny the part of Him who put Him there! It’s the same as saying you believe in God, but you don’t believe He created you. The Holy Spirit is what separates religion from relationship.  The only real and true Christianity has the Holy Spirit in it. If you are saved and believe, but you don't activate the Holy Spirit, you are still subject to the god of the world. You still have one of your feet in the world and you are not totally surrendered to God. God is three persons, Father (mind), Son (body), and Holy Spirit (spirit) as we are made in His Image. To accept Jesus is to surrender your body. To accept God is to surrender your mind. To accept the Holy Spirit is to surrender your spirit. And guess which one is eternal? Guess which one really matters at the end of life, what Jesus means when He says God wants your HEART? Your heart isn't your physical heart, but your SPIRIT. You can't give Him your body and your soul, but hold onto your spirit, because it's not yours. It's His. Your job is to give the heart He made for you back to Him so He can fix it the way He designed it to be. If you don't let Him fix it, you are trying to run a "holy" body and mind with the rotten rusted out, sin-stained core you were born with on account of the curse. The Bible even says that the heart is deceitful and will in turn, affect your body and mind. Know what that means? It's impossible to live a holy life without giving God your spirit, no matter how much you believe in Him, no matter how much you believe in Jesus, and no matter how much you believe in God. And God has a name for people like you: Lukewarm. And written in His own Words in His own Book, He will spit you out of His mouth. You cannot understand correctly or apply anything you learn from His Word without the Holy Spirit . You cannot have perfect unity with the church without Him. You cannot have a proper marriage without Him. ANY benefit that comes with being a Christian written in Scripture, you cannot access without the Holy Spirit! Why? Because our flesh will always try to override our spirit through our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). That’s right. Logic and theology are useless without the Holy Spirit, and relying on them alone will guarantee that you will misinterpret the Scripture you’re reading! I saw a post recently: "Warning, rebuke, and correction are not judging" (@pastorpatrickk). God does this, so why do you get angry when a man/woman OF God does this? How do you know they weren't sent BY God to do just that, because you ignored HIM HIMSELF???"It's only judging to those who want to remain in their sins [for those who are unbelievers]." I want to second that: It's also judging to Christians who still have one foot in the world.The reason Christians get mad at Spirit-filled Christians is because their demons get angry. And these aren't spirits of possession, or witchcraft, or oppression, or all those other "extreme" spirits (although they very well could be). These are spirits of pride and religiosity, the demons which Christians are not exempt from, especially if they are not shielded by the Holy Spirit. And today, this is no surprise, because Biblical Christianity is unpopular, while popular Christianity is un-Biblical. Biblical Christianity involves the Holy Spirit PERIOD. NO EXCEPTIONS. We need to rebrand that phrase "Ya'll need Jesus," to "Ya'll need the Holy Spirit!" Because today, people want all of Jesus’ love culture without the Holy Spirit’s Truth culture. They only want the part of God that will tell them what they want to hear, when in reality, if Jesus were to appear to them and tell them the truth, it would offend them. Jesus said it Himself, “I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. You can only get to the Father through Me!” (John 14:6).   You can only get to the Father through TRUTH. Not relative truth. Not personal truth. Not even scientific truth. Holy Spirit Truth! Whether you are offended by the statement is up to you. Do you want to live a religious life relying on simply faith and a Bible, or do you want an actual relationship with God?

What happens when you associate and involve yourself in certain things?   The Bible says that we do live IN the world, but we are NOT to live OF the world (John 17:16). We live down here in the physical world (planet Earth) for a reason, and within this reason, we are not to associate with the god of the world, that is, Satan and his entourage. Why? Well, there's a reason he was kicked out of Heaven and put down here too, and just because we can't see him with our physical eyes doesn't mean he can't affect us. Satan is clever, crafty, and predatory like a lion. He isn't what the media portrays, a red human figure with horns, wings, and a pointy tail. He doesn't whisper bad things to do in your ear and make it obvious. Satan isn't an idiot. He makes the world look safe, enticing, appealing, good, and pleasurable, INESCAPABLE and he's GOOD at it. Meanwhile, he makes God, real goodness, and real truth look boring, demeaning, discriminatory, racist, fascist, sexist, hypocritical, fake, arrogant, weird, extreme, religious, judgmental, unstable, over-zealous, legalistic, narcissistic, and the list goes on forever. And the scary part? He's even BETTER at making God look bad than making himself look good. And it's even scarier to know that Christians are being affected by this. And what I talk about in this article is but an ever-loving fraction of Satan's influence, wreaking havoc on God's children. I’ve noticed that Christians who preach and warn against certain sins will still willingly involve themselves in media and writings that glorify the same sins and evils. Although I understand that all entertainment has sin in it and exposing yourself to it is inevitable, there are certain boundaries that have been crossed, which Satan is using to his advantage when people willingly expose themselves to it; particularly, the entertainment that sees sin as good or justifiable. And keep in mind that this involvement is done for their personal enjoyment, not for the protection of other Christians or themselves, the same personal enjoyment unbelievers indulge in.   I looked up the most popular shows, movies, music, and books of today. 99% of them contained themes involving witchcraft, the demonic/Satanic, explicit sex or sexual language, nudity, horror, graphic gore, profanity, blaspheming , or all of it. This doesn’t include the side emphasis on other sins, like sexual immorality, substance abuse, and murder. The only clean popularities were Narnia and Lord of the Rings, and even those franchises are indulged in for the wrong reasons despite their Christian allegories (and it sucks).   Back then around 2010, the craze was sexualized monsters, vampires from Vampire Diaries, werewolves from Teen Wolf, and “misunderstood” witches, wizards, and warlocks pretty much everywhere. Now, the Satanic origins behind these characters aren’t hiding anymore, but their popularity has only grown. In fact, characters with abilities or charisma derived from the demonic have been lifted on a pedestal, while those who oppose it are viewed as annoying, evil, or toxic. Witchcraft is seen as cool and even liberating, and monsters with satanic backgrounds are sexualized so they will also appeal to the audience (more notably, their flesh).   The same has infected reading, the hobby which is still referred to be healthy. The “educated” individuals claiming this don’t reveal that the content you read is the factor that determines this. The craze used to be romantic novels, and although the popularity has increased, it has only increased because of the increase in sexually explicit wordage. Today, these erotic novels are known as “smut.” Smut is the shortened word form for "sexual material." Romance and a need for gratification in the form of sexual fantasies has skyrocketed and normalized. “Everyone has a sexual fantasy, it’s normal.” People often use romantic fiction as a stencil to try and make it reality in their own real relationships. There has been an increase in swearing, and if it isn’t romance, then witchcraft is equally popular and horror, a close third, “because I’m reading it and not watching it on a screen, so it’s healthy.” What they fail to realize is, the condition of the reader’s spirit has been overtaken by the gratification of the flesh. Reading in question is scientifically proven to be good for your brain, but it is also proven to be unhealthy for your soul and your spirit, depending on the content of the pages.   Music is the greatest form of meditation, so it’s no surprise the same themes are used in it when there isn’t time for movies or reading. Music can be taken anywhere and at most any time. The most popular music was and still is roughly the same people. Any rising stars are easily loved because they follow the same patterns as the old, but now used in excess. These patterns involve swearing, and sexually explicit lyrics. There has also been an increase in darker themes including the demonic and witchcraft involved in the lyrics. But all secular music has one common theme: Self, in the form of worldliness and pleasure.   The Bible predicted it. People will see evil as good and good as evil.   The 360 Spirit Cam Guide – What NOT to watch these days Here are some more popular franchises (also not limited).  Our children and teens aren’t safe either, and neither are the older generations! (This list is updated to the best of our ability)   What to stay away from on a generalized level: Anything with Satan, hell, demons, witches, or any sort of witchcraft in their title, visual covers, or themes. This includes kids material!!! Movies whose themes surround false god/deity/religous/satanic worship/rituals Rated R movies (my exception is Passion of the Christ) Horror movies TV-MA rated shows are the series equivalent to rated R movies (sometimes worse) NC-18 and NC-18 are notoriously equal in strength to TV-MA and R, which is why you almost never see them. Any content that mocks or blasphemes God or Christianity. Adult Swim shows - they were designed to strictly emphasize sexual content in the form of "comedy."   What to stay away from on a more specific level: (Obviously, this list is eternally updatable as the years go by, so what you see here is not at ALL limited! This is why the Holy Spirit is so important!)   MOVES/TV SHOWS Marvel (Recently notorious for witchcraft and false god worshipping themes) Agatha All Along (Coven of Chaos) Dr. Strange/Multiverse of Madness Black Panther 2 Madam Web Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman Kraven Morbius   Disney (notorious for witchcraft) Wicked 2024 Wish (2024) Haunted House Once Upon a Time Sister Sister/TwitchesStarwars Acolyte Wizards of a Waverly Place Turning Red Owl House Evermore Chronicles Sulphur Springs That’s So Raven Star VS the Forces of Evil Gravity Falls   DC (Newer content involves witchcraft) Legends of Tomorrow Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom   Dreamworks (Newer content includes blatant witchcraft in kids material) Legends of Voltron- witchcraft She-Ra- witchcraft Tales of Arcadia (Trollhunters, Wizards)- witchcraft Fright Krewe- witchcraft   Cartoon Network (witchcraft in kids material) Adventure Time Steven Universe Summer Camp Island Ben 10 (Gwen is a witch)   Nickelodeon (Older classics included witchcraft in kids material) Danny Phantom Winx Club Every Witch Way Adult Swim (Heavy language, sexually explicit, and some involve blatant witchcraft/satanic as a theme) Family Guy Rick and Morty Loud Mouth American Dad Hellova Boss Hazbin Hotel FuturamaRobot ChickenArcher Anime (90% of anime contains some form of witchcraft. These are the top pics) Demon Slayer Naruto Pokémon Yokai Watch Spirited Away Dan Da Dan Devil May Cry Fullmetal Alchemist Netflix/Prime/Hulu/HBO/General Streaming (concerning all dangerous themes listed at the beginning of the article - all ages) Umbrella Academy Euphoria Of Shadow and Bone Wheel of Time The Magicians Cursed Sandman Squid Game The Witcher Charmed Lucifer The Originals Supernatural The Order Legacies K-Pop Demon Hunters Spellbound Luna Nera Fate the Winx Saga Resident Evil All of us are Dead The School of Good and Evil Pretty Little Liars Fifty Shades of Gray Wolf Blood Nancy Downs The Craft Hellboy The Witches The Worst Witch The Orville Mortal Combat (2024) Blood Zeus The Devil’s Plan Hearteyes Yellowjackets Demon City Sausage Party Mayfair Witches Witch Hunt Discovery of Witches Invincible Captain Laserhawk Blood Dragon Remix Blue Eye Samurai Children’s TV (Blatant witchcraft for kids) Wakfu Scooby Doo My Little Pony Monster High Vampirina Ghost of Molly McGee He-Man Masters of the Universe   Teen Raves (Top hits we still talk about - witchcraft/demonic/sexual) Teen Wolf Vampire Diaries Wednesday Sabrina the Teenage Witch Buffy the Vampire Slayer Twilight Saga Percy JacksonStranger Things   Videogames (most games are notorious for sexual content, witchcraft, violence, gore, and the demonic) Legends of Zelda Resident Evil Skyrim Halo Overwatch World of Warcraft The Witcher The Last of Us Final Fantasy Mortal Combat Halloween (no longer just a holiday) Hocus Pocus (& Sequel) Nightmare Before Christmas Corpse Bride Coraline Wendell & WildBeatlejuice (& sequal) Horror movies (generalized) Most of the movies and TV shows coming out today also include these themes. Even if the Christians stay away from films with explicit sensual content, they still bypass films with witchcraft “because it’s a Marvel movie” or attend horror films “just for the thrill.”   MUSIC ARTISTS   Travis Scott Taylor Swift Beyonce Katy Perry Justin Bieber Ariana Grande Doja Cat Niki Minaj Cardi B Lil Nas X Drake Snoop Dog Post Malone Lady Gaga Rihanna Eminem Miley Cyrus Britany Spears Jojo Siwa The Weekend Jay Z Lil Wayne Tupac Jennifer Lopez Selena Gomez Dua Lipa Billie Eilish Olivia Rodrigo Megan Thee Stallion SZA Ice Spice 50 Cent Kanye West Dr. Dre Kendrick Lamar Pitbull Usher P-Diddy Sabrina Carpenter Bruno Mars Harry Styles Adelle Shakira Suicide Boys Charlie XCX Music artists are now openly claiming to Satanic/demonic involvement and those who don’t verbalize it prove it in their concerts and music videos. Christians try to justify listening to their music by taking out the curse worse and some explicit lyrics, but still sing and enjoy the rest.   Movies/Shows Screens, although can be something enjoyed by all has become the most dangerous form of technology. It is pure imagination manifested into a visible reality, more stimulating as it effects both the eyes and the ears; But it’s not the physical health that is affected the most. It’s actually the mental and spiritual health that is most damaged depending on the content viewed. Like all forms of creation, what we watch can influence people towards Christ or serve as a means of innocent entertainment, but it can also do the opposite. Media, especially today’s media has an agenda which Christians know is directly from the devil himself. But this must be explained in greater detail for truth-seekers to understand. What you allow into your eye-gate will affect you spiritually whether you notice it or not. In fact, most of the time, you won’t. That’s why it’s so easy to believe it is harmless to watch something that revolves around the evil he stands for.   Today, the most popular sins emphasized are horror, the Satanic/demonic, profanity, sex, and witchcraft with side-emphasis on drugs, drinking, smoking, taking God’s name in vain, blaspheme, murder, sexual immorality, and more. Today’s PG-13 is the 90’s rated R. It is no secret they are pushing adult content on young children, but this doesn’t mean mature adults are exempt from being cautious. ALL eyes should be discerning of what they watch regardless of age or spiritual position, even the most “harmless” of films. Satan hides in everything and in recent growing cases, he isn’t. When you watch a movie/TV show, you aren’t just watching a fictional story, you are also watching the intentions of the creators, and the spirits they are dealing with manifested into the characters they created. You are subjecting yourself and allowing those same spirits into your home and into your life. Demons attach themselves to films which glorify everything the devil stands for, but they will also attach themselves to “innocent” films whose creators are producing with an ungodly heart posture. The only truly innocent films are films which glorify God rather than the flesh and the pleasures of the world; and in this day and age, nearly all media is dangerous to some degree. This doesn’t mean watching a movie/TV show in general is a sin (as all films are created by humans, therefore, contain the human condition of sin to some degree), but purposely subjecting yourself to a film whose emphasis rests on sin and calls it good can become a sin in itself and a threat to your spirit.   For example: Watching say, Iron Man , although has its own spiritual flaws, would be (at least) better than watching something like Harry Potter , because Iron Man is a superhero who, although deals with sexual immorality and pride (emphasized), learns to overcome both and humble himself in order to risk his lives for others instead of always thinking about himself. Meanwhile, Harry Potter  revolves around the sin of witchcraft and views it as good with no intention of realization and overcoming, but instead, celebrates and encourages it.   It’s never “just a movie.”   Music Music is tricky, because unlike witchcraft, music really isn’t evil. God created music and so does His creation, and we use it to worship Him. But some music has a dark side. Demons can still be invited into your life the same as movies through music. When music is recorded, it is not just the music itself that is recorded. The heart posture of the artist is also recorded. You aren’t just listening to the tune, the melody, the beat, or the lyrics; you’re listening and meditating on the heart posture of the artist. Heart postures that record music which glorifies sin such as explicit or foul language or glorifying the pleasures of the world aren’t designed with a Godly heart posture. The dangerous part is this recorded posture will in turn affect the audience who listens to it much like the influence that comes from a screen. Even Christians who listen to music with ungodly heart postures can in turn be affected by them. In a trickier instance, Christian artists and songs are no exception. ANY song can be recorded with the wrong heart posture, including worship songs whose lyrics directly worship God. In more serious cases, secular musical artists already suffer from familiar worldly spirits, whose struggles wind up attaching themselves to the people who listen to their songs and meditate on them. Meditation by definition is something that you listen to, read, watch, or think about over and over. So, if you’re meditating on music recorded in the wrong heart posture, you will become affected by the same spirits the artist struggles with. Just like objects which represent something against God work like contracts for demons to stay in your home, music (and whatever you expose yourself to over and over) work like transactions. It’s never “just a song.”   Novels Books and novels of MOST genres aren’t inherently evil. Reading is also proven to be healthy. But this health depends on the book’s content. Even if science proves it to be physically healthy, the content can still be damaging to your soul and spirit (which is more important than the condition of your flesh). God’s Word itself is the prime example of writings that bring physical, mental, and spiritual health. It is the ultimate history book/farmer’s almanac which can lead to Salvation, wisdom, knowledge, and every good thing God intended for us for all aspects of life when interpreted correctly. The Bible was written by men who were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit to record history, present, and future events, and truths. Their writings serve as direct examples of how modern authors should be. Authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien followed this example to make their fiction novels, and their fruit is proof that fiction doesn’t debunk truth when inspired by the Holy Spirit. But books with genres like romance, horror, and supernatural contain ideas, concepts, and wordage that deviate from truth and instead, although may bring physical health in the act of reading, can damage your mental and spiritual health. Just like meditating on music and allowing influence with what you let into your eyes through a screen, demons very much attach themselves to books which glorify what their master stands for; things like the demonic, witchcraft, swearing, fear, sex, and blaspheme. Even if you own them, but don’t read them, demons can still use them as contracts to be invited into your home undetected…or detected. When you write, you are not only writing a story, but you are also writing your heart posture, details only you know and no one else, that is until it is read. What you write can tell readers a lot about the contents of your soul behind closed doors. And when you meditate on their words, you in turn can be affected by that same posture and thoughts. The author’s imagination will affect your imagination, which includes the spirits they deal with like a transaction. It’s never “just a book.”   Conclusion In all genres of creation, whether it be film, books, music, etc. Our imagination must be decerned at all times.   Books, films, and music aren’t inherently evil but can be when spiritual boundaries are surpassed. Things like the Bible and worship music and visual art invented when technology came about is proof, we can assume without a doubt that the creation of these things is intended of us as God’s ultimate creation. But this doesn’t give us permission to create whatever we want and however we want. God’s intended design for us to write, compose, and record were ideas that glorify Him and make a name for Him, not ourselves, and most certainly not to celebrate sin. The moment we deviate from this original design is the moment we cross that boundary. Just because such genres, ideas, topics, etc. exist by way of imagination doesn’t mean they should be created. Just because our imagination was made for manifestation of creation doesn’t mean everything we imagine should be manifested. Our imagination was given to us by God, but that doesn’t mean everything we imagine came from Him. Ideas in our imagination can come from Satan just as often as God. Our job is to discern which ones will glorify Him and which will not; which ones will point our audience to God, and which will point our audience away from Him, or into sin.   Genres like horror solely revolve around fear in the form of the demonic, witchcraft, and gore among other things. The supernatural genre could have revolved around the miraculous works of God, but instead has been dedicated to similar themes as horror in an appealing and positive way to the human senses. The same has happened to fantasy and romance, which emphasize sexual immorality and more witchcraft. Every other genre seems to revolve around the wrong things, like fear, profanity, substance abuse, and more. In fact, anything that could potentially be aimed at God has its own genre: Religious. God doesn’t even have His place in most of mankind’s standard creation labels. This is why Christians with these gifts should be aiming their works to revolve around Him!   Furthermore, it’s not a sin to watch movies, read books, or listen to music any more to create them. In fact, God designed us to create and engage in these things. But whatever we eat, drink, or do (create), it is to be done for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our creations and engagements should reflect Him, not ourselves. Our creations should be used to make a name for God, not for ourselves. What our creations reflect not only reflect our own heart posture, but influence others into the same posture. Reading, watching, and listening things that glorify sin does not help our spirit. Instead, it can cause us to stumble, it can cause others to stumble, and it can pose as a distraction from the heart posture we should be reflecting on.   The conspiracy is that the higher powers have an agenda, but the reality is, Satan is the one with the agenda. He’s just fulfilling it through these worldly powers. He knows what we read, watch, and listen to can be spiritually threatening and he knows what our flesh craves. He will do anything it takes to pull mankind away from our Creator, which is why we are commanded in Scripture to be vigilant. Satan will attach himself to anything he knows he can take advantage of us in. He seeks to pervert God’s design for us and does so cleverly and deceitfully. He can make anything appeal to the flesh and appeal to be safe, just like a lion does to its prey (1 Peter 5:8).

Most people know what the 7 deadly sins are, and can list them by name, but never by nature. They are also often disregarded simply because the concept in phrase form or order isn't in the Bible. However, just because the concept isn't biblical doesn't mean the sins individually aren't. In fact, there are many references and stories in the Bible about the sins and the consequences which result from them. So, I've taken it upon myself to not only list them, but explain them and give Scriptural head to their importance! The 7 deadly sins are Satan’s greatest weapon. Why? Many reasons overlooked: They are the most concealed. They are the hardest to detect, because of how normalized they are in society. They are the hardest to acknowledge and own up to once detected. And worst of all, they are the hardest to get out of. The reason for this is the universal tie of all sin: Pride, the 7th. It is named last, because it acts as a bookend to the first 6. All sin is pride, and all 6 of the deadly sins are simply pride in categories. The truth is all sin can be placed in one or more of these 7 categories. You could commit one of these sins without even knowing, therefore, not repenting of it, furthermore, God cannot forgive you for it without His divine mercy (which He very much has and will very much use it!). This is why they are considered, deadly. They are the 7 silent sins. They are:   Lust Greed Gluttony Envy Sloth Wrath Pride   Lust  is at the top of the list, because in the modern world, it is the highest. Lust is the bookend of relationships in today’s society. The idea of sex is so emphasized, that it has become a part of everything, including things which aren’t inherently sexual. It is also the root of all sexual impurity as listed in the Bible. Sexual impurity is the hardest sin to overcome. Lust destroys the intended design of marriage and sex ordained by God. It destroys God’s intended design for social and sexual wellbeing.   Greed  is also near the top of the list. It is the bookend of all forms of selfishness in society; most often in the form of money but can also be in the form of the other 5. All economics are run by greed. Anything anyone does to benefit self, even at the expense of others or even themselves. Greed destroys the intended design of wealth and generosity from God. It destroys God’s intended design for financial wellbeing.   Gluttony  is listed next. Gluttony is the greed or even lust of food; food is worshipped or viewed as higher or more important than things which are actually important. The body loves food at the expense of others or even themselves, causing damage to the flesh instead of health. Christians may unintentionally put food over God, even in brief circumstances. There are many verses in the Bible, which prove that food can be a trap. Gluttony destroys the intended design for how God says we should nourish and take care of our bodies. It destroys God’s intended design for physical wellbeing.   Envy  is listed next. It is the bookend on the other side of greed. Envy and comparison of one side drives the greed of the other. Envy is ungratefulness for the things which God has given one. It is jealousy, covetous, and comparison. Instead, they drive to have or be like someone else; to strive to be someone God has not called them to be. It damages the wellbeing of the soul, and in some cases, the flesh. Instead of being content and grateful for what you do have, it only focuses on what others have. It is the father of insecurity. It is the sin that ignited Lucifer into pride. Envy destroys the gratefulness of blessing and contentment God commands in Scripture. It destroys God’s intended design for mental wellbeing.   Sloth  is the sin of laziness. It keeps the body from doing what it was designed to do, which in turn, can damage the flesh and soul of the person. Sloth dreads any kind of work, including the calling from God on one’s life and the Great Commission. Sloth keeps you from doing what God wants you to do. Sloth destroys the design of God’s calling on one’s life and to take it into action for the benefit of His Kingdom. It destroys God’s intended design for human purpose on the earth, and spiritual wellbeing.     Wrath  is the sin of anger. Anger makes it easier to sin in other ways. It hurts others and can even hurt the angry one. Because life and death are in the power of the tongue, wrath brings death in the form of all things negative. It casts away self-control of the tongue, and all other emotions to make room for it, even in brief circumstances. Wrath destroys God’s design for human emotions and speech. It destroys God’s intended design for emotional and verbal wellbeing.   Pride  is listed last because pride is the root of all sin. It acts as a bookend to the 6 above it. Without pride, none of the 6 would be considered, sin. All forms of sin are the act of the flesh, which resides in pride due to the Fall of man. Pride destroys God’s intended design for all forms of wellbeing, spiritual being the most important.   Galatians 5:22-23 lists the Fruit of the Spirit - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.   As there are 9 spiritual fruits from God, there are 7 rotten spiritual fruits of our flesh, which come from the devil. Thank God 9 beats 7.

We are going to dive into the spiritual affects that human entertainment has on our spirits as God designed it to! Keep in mind that the examples given are not limited and these affects can lie in anything meditated. There are four different types of visual/audio stimulation in terms of spiritual benefit:   1.        Beneficial 2.        Non-beneficial 3.        Consequential 4.        Bene-quential   Beneficial stimulation  is anything you read, listen to, or watch that aids your relationship with the Holy Spirit. It can either teach you something or open the door to a spiritual benefit from God through it. It can also benefit you mentally, and maybe even physically.   Example:  Reading your Bible, listening to worship music, or watching a Christian comedian   Non-beneficial stimulation  is anything you read, listen to, or watch that does nothing for your spirit. It does not strengthen your relationship with the Holy Spirit, but at the same time, it doesn’t necessarily damage it either. However, its meaningless content can equal an idle mind against God. It also doesn’t benefit you mentally. It does not teach you anything and in some cases, can instead be consequential, depending on your attention span of the content as opposed to your attention span to God.   Example:  Reading fictional novels, listening to clean but secular music, scrolling social media, or watching movies with desensitized content   Consequential stimulation  is anything you read, listen to, or watch that can either lead you to stumble, invite demonic influence into your life, or damage your relationship with the Holy Spirit. This can be the result of extended non-beneficial stimulation and the results will negatively affect you physically, spiritually, and mentally. These kinds of stimulation become most dangerous when they turn into an obsession/addiction.   Example:  Reading erotic novels, listening to music with explicit lyrics, watching movies that glorify certain sins, or watching porn   Bene-quential stimulation  (yes, I made up a word) is anything you read, listen to, or watch that has the potential to be all three, beneficial, non-beneficial, or consequential. Each version can be more of one kind than another, but at least two are potential in some level.   Example:  Attending a music concert, watching a secular comedian (even if they’re clean), listening to a podcast, or videogames   Beneficial Reading Reading that can benefit you isn’t just God’s Word, even though it should be your primary material as it is more important than anything else you could possibly read. Reading the Bible is the prime example of beneficial stimulation which will positively affect you mentally, physically, and ultimately spiritually. It is also possible to find benefits in Christian novels including fiction, and informational books by Christian authors or authoritative/well-known figures, whether they be in church, politics, entrepreneurs, etc. Any form of Christian writing is beneficial so long as the material lines up with God’s Word, which is why the Bible is the ultimate source as everything else beneficial will refer back to it. It is the ultimate source of Truth and anything that stems from it contains those same truths. Truth is the main benefit by reading, which is why it is beneficial. Truth can also be found indirectly such as through fictional novels with figurative language written to project these same truths, such as works and novels by C.S. Lewis or Tolkien.   Beneficial Listening Just like the Bible is the ultimate source of reading because of Truth, music is the ultimate form of worship because its lyrics can contain these same truths. Music is the highest form of meditation . Music which directly glorifies God such as worship music, should be your primary source of music for spiritual and other positive benefits. It can be a chance to invite the Holy Spirit and furthermore, God’s own presence into your space, which in turn can bring healing, joy, repentance, etc.   However, not all “Christian” songs, even some worship songs were written and released in the right heart posture, which does affect the influence of the song! The heart posture is also recorded with the lyrics and the melody! Make sure the lyrics line up with Scripture and discern whether or not the song produces fruit. Some worship songs (or Christian songs in other genres) have lyrics which match Scripture but was written and published with intentions other than Godly inspiration and humility. These intentions do produce influence when listened to and can shift your own heart posture in the wrong direction if you let them! So, remember that when you listen to worship music, all glory is directed at God, not yourself. Yes, God benefits you, but your heart should be in that you  benefit Him,  and such songs/lyrics should reflect that and not the other way around!   It can also induce God-given positivity we need from time to time, such as watching a Christian comedian. Although the entertainment can seem like a non-beneficial source, their purpose is to bring joy and laughter, two things directly from God (Jesus laughs too!) Even comedians can be used by God to ignite joy in His children. So long as the material is clean and does not disrespect God or His Son, like religious mockery and heresies, etc. You can enjoy people like John Christ or Tim Hawkins (2 of my favorites), both well-known authentically Christian comedians.   Beneficial Watching Just like the Bible and worship music, there are some things you can view on TV, social media, etc. that can benefit you spiritually by way of Truth. There are also movies, such as Passion of the Christ, The Chosen, or House of David, which can give benefits to the mind and spirit when viewed. Some movies can be used by God to benefit His children and reach the lost. Movies like these can also contain Biblical truths as well as providing a beneficial form of entertainment. There are also some cartoons and TV series which, although aren’t Christian, perform and heed to Christian values found in Scripture.   However, watching from a screen should be the least used source as excessive screen time can lead to physical harm and temptations. Although things like movies can contain Biblical or spiritual truths from God, they should not be used as primary sources, because overuse can become non-beneficial. It should only be used as temporary beneficial entertainment.   Non-beneficial Reading Non-beneficial reading is things such as novels, articles, blogs, etc. that are entertaining and do not contain dangerous language, topics, etc., but still do not contain Biblical/spiritual truth and have no spiritual benefit. In fact, they could instead provide false information based on opinion, bias, or just imagination/fiction. Some fictions are known, but some aren’t, which is why they can be dangerous (this risk does depend on the person’s prior spiritual knowledge). If anything, entertaining fictions can become distractions if you are not aware of your spiritual priorities as a child of God. Although reading a good book isn’t a sin, it depends on the content and the loyalty to the action, and only the Holy Spirit knows if it will affect you. Even if the content seems harmless, to ignore the Spirit turns harmless into harmful and sinful.   Non-beneficial Listening Non-beneficial listening pertains to things such as music or audio that have no spiritual benefit or significant consequence. This can include music without lyrics, “clean” secular music, or podcasts. Although they are technically harmless, you can never take that mentality for granted. Time spent listening to meaningless audio could have been time spent building your spirit man. It’s not a sin to listen to clean music, but you must acknowledge that God’s original design for music was worship. As with podcasts, some conversations do have meaning, but some involve opinions and truths you may already know or agree with, deeming their rerun pointless.   You must also acknowledge that even clean or lyric less music can be dedicated to “the wrong side.” Satan can also use music like this as a distraction from beneficial music because the tune or beat is “more enjoyable” to the flesh. Sometimes, people will listen to the instrumental version of a song who’s original involves explicit or vulgar language or who’s author openly lives in sin without God. Use caution and consult with the Holy Spirit before meditating on music like this, as demonic ties could still have an attachment with it even though the lyrics aren’t present.   Podcasts voicing truth could also be performed with ungodly intentions and can instead stir negative emotions in the listener.   Non-beneficial Watching Non-beneficial watching pertains to things such as movies with desensitized or meaningless content that doesn’t significantly affect the person but doesn’t have God in it either. Desensitized content is content that nearly every visual work has and can be overlooked, skipped over, or ignored without spiritual damage. This is one of the most popular stimulations among the Christian community. Although we can see and acknowledge most of today’s media as dangerous to the spirit, some works manage to make the safe cut, such as the 1st phase of Marvel movies, or the few appropriate sitcoms for adults and on kid’s channels. Although it’s not a sin to watch these things and can be physically beneficial to engage in cartoons from time to time, make sure it does not override time with God.   Consequential Reading Consequential reading is the more extreme of non-beneficial reading. Not only can it pose as a damaging distraction, but it also contains content that glorifies topics, language, etc. that is not of God or even the opposite. Some Christians believe that their relationship with God protects them from the evils of reading certain material. Others believe in the non-existence or insignificance of the Spirit realm, the realm in which the demonic live (Its existence and influence is proven in Scripture). And the third falsification is that demons don’t attach themselves to things like books and paper. Just like good or Godly music can be dedicated without Him, books can be too. In fact, books that glorify sin are clearly dedicated against Him and can provoke and invite demonic influences into your life the same way reading the Bible invites God. Topics that include witchcraft, sexual immorality, posing evil things as good, or counterfeits to things that sound like truth have a real spiritual influence on the reader’s life whether they sense it or not. Reading things like erotic novels not only lead to temptation or sin, but they awaken desires and/or counterfeit desires in the heart before it is time.   Consequential Listening Consequential listening pertains to audio materials that harm your spirit rather than benefit it. These could be things such as music with explicit and/or lyrics with cursing or swearing. Lyrics could also contain false Biblical truths, the celebration of fleshly (worldly) things, or secular or even Satanic encouragement. Much like consequential reading materials, listening to things with equal vulgarity have a damaging spiritual impact and can invoke and invite demonic influence into areas of your life. The “normal” reactions to this truth are “it’s just a song,” or “I don’t really listen to the lyrics.” As warned in non-beneficial listening, even the most harmless sounding songs can have demonic ties to them which in turn will affect whoever listens to them. These ties could reside in any  musical genre and includes instrumental songs and songs created without lyrics. The more the listener meditates on the effected song, the more damaging to the spirit, and the harder it will be to break. Proof of the safety of the song can sometimes be seen in the atmosphere/vibe/elements of the artist’s music videos if they are available.   Consequential Watching Consequential watching pertains to visual materials that damage your spiritual wellbeing rather that help or heal it. These are materials such as movies/TV series that glorify certain sins or exposing yourself to pornography. Although sin is portrayed in every work of cinema, (Christian films included), works that damage are films that portray these sins and evils as “good” or “enjoyable.” Sexual scenes and language (“adult content”) is used to invoke the physical reaction in the audience, because it “feels good” despite the Bible’s strict warnings against it. It is the same with watching pornography. Visuals like these are dangerous, because they invite demonic influence into the viewer’s life, lead to temptation and sin, and can easily become distractions and addictions, which in turn can destroy other areas of life.   A popular cinematic genre, including among the Christian community (unfortunately) is horror movies and movies which use or glorify witchcraft. The Bible clearly states that witchcraft, fear, and all the evil, demonic, and murderous elements in horror films are sins and that Christians should not be involved with them. Exposing ourselves to these evils invites demonic influence into our lives the same way an explicit film would.   The argument is typically that some Christians abstain from horror movies and certain movies with witchcraft yet justify others with the same material. They use this excuse to watch what they want. But you must also take into consideration, the platform of the sin displayed in the film. People like C.S. Lewis and Tolkien (Christian writers) have live action adaptations based on their novels which display what is obviously magic and some witchcraft. However, these films are still beneficial because of the way in which the sin is portrayed and the way it is interpreted, much like how we interpret the Bible. The “witchcraft” displayed in their films is clearly portrayed as evil and the plot of the storyline is to destroy it. Meanwhile, the magic Aslan uses was purposely used to portray the miracles of Jesus; As opposed to JK Rowling’s books and film adaptations, some of Marvel’s heroes, and some of the newest Disney movies which portray witchcraft (some of it directly in relation to Satan, Hell, and the demonic) as good instead. So, when watching a film or TV show involving witchcraft, always look for where its purpose lies, because it will influence how the audience views it in their heart. God knows your heart’s intentions and desires!   Keep in mind that watching is not just what you see on a screen. It is everything you see with your physical eyes. It could be certain promiscuous clothing a woman (or a man) is wearing. It could be explicit or demonic artwork, photographs, or even advertisements. Demons can attach themselves to anything, even paper and plastic!   Bene-quential Reading Bene-quential reading pertains to reading materials that could either help your spirit, harm your spirit, or neither. This could be but is not limited to things like romance novels or Christian theology. Although there are Christian romance novels out there, even they can harm or become a distraction when the reader becomes so emersed that he or she wants their relationship to match the book, despite God’s plans. It can cause the reader to actively deviate from God’s will. General romance novels are distracting and dangerous, because even with the sexual bits removed, it still presents a counterfeit reality that the reader may desire, sparked by their imagination. Although God can use a Christian romance novel for good things, not all novels labeled “Christian” line up with scripture. Your knowledge on love and relationships should ultimately come from God, not a book, let alone a fictional novel.   Things like Christian theology is typically very beneficial, but in some cases, scripture can be misinterpreted, and God’s gifts used for knowledge can operate in the flesh, causing distorted or false information. This can furthermore deceive a multitude of readers and cause them to stumble in the spirit.   Bene-quential Listening Bene-quential listening pertains to all things which pass through our ears, like music, podcasts, comedy, or even sermons spoken by pastors that could either benefit you or not. Attending music concerts has a bit of all three. Christian concerts can be proven beneficial when the singer is willing to lead the concert by the Spirit and not for fame. On the slip side, artists who perform Christian music by a means to make a name for themselves and not aim to point their audience to God has both an indifferent and even damaging approach. And lastly, allowing yourself to be exposed to the ungodly influence of secular artists has its spiritual consequences, especially if you idolize the artist (You can idolize Christian artists too!)   Motivational speeches or sermons spoken by Pastors have the most benefit, but also some of the most damage. Although positivity seems…well, positive, some positivity is aimed at the flesh rather than the spirit, causing you to believe and take pride in things that are against Scripture. Meanwhile, Pastors who distort the gospel exist and many people will miss Heaven, because they believed and applied false truth into their lives instructed to them by the person appointed to keep them from it, a cruel irony.   Attending to or listening to a comedian can be beneficial if the person’s words are clean and careful (even some non-Christian comedians are like this). But listening or watching someone who uses the words of the world; even if the person is considered “clean,” can spiritually influence the audience negatively. Most secular comedians use vulgar, explicit, or sack-religious language that God wholeheartedly disapproves of and advises His followers against listening to fools such as these. Language is no joking matter according to God, so we should not take joy in it as the world does.   Things like podcasts can pose with a level of all three effects depending on what is said. Podcasts are already generated by bias and opinion, even though truth and Biblical truth amongst them is possible. There are podcasts that are dedicated to preaching the Gospel and otherwise Biblical Truth to the audience. But there are also podcasts with truth and reality that are not Godly, such as those who make fun of others or call out certain truths in anger instead of love. Even some professed “Christian” podcasters are known to shout down false ideologies speak truths, and demand reality, while publicly shaming and cutting down those who are opposing their beliefs in the process. Their podcasts on truth are done out of anger and not love and their efforts are even in vain or go against the Bible on how such things are to be handled the way Jesus would handle them. Listening to things like these on a constant basis can subconsciously shift your heart posture, sometimes without you knowing. So, be watchful of what you listen to. Listening materials like these require the Spirit of discernment to separate right from wrong (even the truthful ones can make mistakes).   Bene-quential Watching Bene-quential watching pertains to things which pass through our eyes and directly into our mind and soul. What we see, especially on a screen can have the most benefit, but also the most damaging. Videogames is near the top of the list of stimulation, but unlike the others, videogames don’t have any spiritual benefit, only indifferent and harmful consequences. Not only are some videogames violent and explicit, but even the mellow versions pose as a distraction, or an obsession/addiction, which can destroy a person’s life if the hold is strong enough. Although it’s not a sin to play clean videogames from time to time, it should never be put in front of God.   Social media is a close second to video games. It is one of the primary causes of our world’s negative mental problems, such as insecurity and actions based on false information. Although God can and does use social media to reach and minister to those who need Him, you must be especially careful what you watch and how long. Poisoned minds live behind the screens and can unintentionally open the door to temptations and sin. It can also just as easily become an addiction and distraction. Despite the spiritual benefits, social media seems to be more the devil’s tool than it is God’s.   What does God say about dangerous enjoyment? ·      Ephesians 4:7- Give no opportunity to the devil ( opportunities are everywhere and can reside in anything, even pets and inanimate objects! Don’t underestimate where the devil can hide!). ·      1 Thessalonians 5:22- abstain from every form of evil. When other Christians see you watching movies, listening to music, or reading books that glorify what you claim to avoid, it will cause them to stumble. ·      Proverbs 4:23- Keep your heart vigilant. Protect your heart from evil things because what you meditate on goes there. ·      Ephesians 5:11-Don't take part in evil things. Instead, expose them! Christians who know that Satan is hidden in something; warn others so they won’t stumble! ·      Psalm 119:37- (David) “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” This can include non-beneficial things! Ask the Holy Spirit! ·      1 Peter 5:8- Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Predators hide so their prey doesn’t know they are there and create false safety. The devil hides everywhere and can be in anything, even “harmless” things! “Harmless” is the lie that keeps us where he wants us so he can pounce. ·      Isaiah 5:20- Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Worldly and even Christian ignorance was prophesied. Our enjoyment and fascination with things like witchcraft were previously known by God and He even added warnings against it in His Word. That should make your conviction obvious. ·      2 Corinthians 11:14- even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Satan disguises himself in enjoyable things to make them appear good! To a Christian, “harmless” will always look appealing! ·      2 Corinthians 6:14- Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? This includes what we expose ourselves to and how we respond to it, not just “being friends with unbelievers. How can a Christian abstain from and even teach against practicing witchcraft, yet willfully involve themselves in franchises that glorify it? ·      1 Thessalonians 5:22- Abstain from all appearance of evil. Unbelievers and believers alike pay attention to what Christians involve themselves with. If they see a Christian involve themselves in worldly and even some evil things, they will use it to justify their own sin or use it as a place to start a sin. Never give the implication of sin, even if it’s fake! Faking sin grieves the Holy Spirit! ·      Mark 4:24-Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you and still more will be added to you. The Holy Spirit will let you know if something you listen to is worthless or harmful. Keep listening for Him because your ignorance will be judged! ·      Proverbs 4:23- Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. And out of your heart, the mouth speaks. So, if you’re exposing yourself to darkness, out of your heart will flow springs of darkness…whether you want it to or not. ·      Matthew 5:16- In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. The second half to 1 Thessalonians 5:22: Don’t cause other believers to stumble or even unbelievers to keep stumbling. Instead, show them the light Jesus gave you. ·      Philippians 4:8- Finally, believers, whatever is true, honorable, worthy of respect, right, confirmed by God’s Word, pure, wholesome, lovely, brings peace, admirable, and of good report; if there is any excellence, or anything worthy of praise, meditate on these things. A hint to what you should be meditating on regardless! Meditating on things which don’t glorify God is the opposite! ·      1 Corinthians 10:31- Everything you do, do it all for the glory of God. Watching movies, reading novels, and listening to music that glorify darkness is not glorifying God, it’s approving the darkness, even if you swear you aren’t approving it and aren’t performing it yourself. Willing exposure is the same as approval!   Conclusion What you listen to with your ears and watch and read with your eyes, goes directly into your soul, which then travels to your heart, and out of the heart, the mouth speaks, which is why what you listen to can be dangerous. The eyes (and ears) are the gateway to the soul. Reading, watching, and listening are all forms of meditation through the eyes and ears, more effective when the stimuli is repeated. Meditation is repetition, repeated exposure to a stimulus. Watching and reading is the meditation of the eyes and listening is the meditation of the ears. All three invoke the imagination, and depending on the stimuli will raise the sign for either God or Satan to see and draw. This is exactly why Scripture tells us to meditate on it. All Scripture is inspired from the Holy Spirit, who is omniscient (all-knowing) and knows what will affect us, where, and how.   All non-beneficial stimulation can result in a distraction, which is why God should always be put first. It is not a sin to engage in non-beneficial material from time to time as it is not a sin, but it can become sinful when placed in front of God.   All bene-quential stimulation can also result in distractions, depending on the class in relation to the material. For example: social media can be beneficial, non-beneficial, and consequential, meaning the potential for each exists. Meanwhile, things like romance and fiction novels are only non-beneficial or consequential, meaning the lack of spiritual benefit should be taken into consideration as stumbling is possible no matter what with these materials.   All consequential stimulation can result in distractions, addictions, demonic invitation and influence, and destruction of life areas. They can also invite demonic influence into your life because demons use sinful bonds as contracts to work. Demons can attach themselves to anything, even what our flesh sees as harmless. These could be as open as a relic in your house or as small as a movie/music poster on your wall. Only our Spirit through God knows what we as individuals should avoid. Only God truly knows what your flesh will respond to negatively, which is why total avoidance is necessary in terms of protecting your spirit. Your flesh doesn’t know and you can’t say you know unless you’ve already talked to the Holy Spirit. This means that some can read, watch, or listen to things that genuinely won’t affect them, while others cannot. However, this only pertains to non-beneficial and bene-quential materials. This is not  an excuse to engage in stimulations that are consequential or expose yourself to whatever you want! It’s not your job to test it! In fact, the temptation to test your flesh should give you all the clarity you need to stay away from it! Satan knows all about testing the Lord your God. He tempted Jesus with it! All consequential materials should be abstained from by everyone , Christians especially. It’s never “just a movie,” “just a book,” or “just a song.” Everything we expose ourselves to affects us. Belittling something by saying “just a” is an opinion, and it’s not God’s opinion. In fact, it’s exactly what Satan wants us to think. Calling a movie glorifying witchcraft, “just a movie” is the same as saying pornography is “just a short film,” or “just fiction.”   God isn’t trying to keep you from having fun. He’s desperately trying to protect you, because in the event that the stimuli causes you to stumble, He has to turn His back; because not only did you disobey, but you fell prey to the stalking lion in that screen, or in that novel, or in that song. You let him pounce. The Shepherd was protecting you from the lion, but you ran towards him anyway. Don’t run from the Shepherd. Life is always safer with the Shepherd. You may be God’s greatest masterpiece, but never take that for granted. You may be a human being made in God’s direct image, but you aren’t God. You’re not the Shepherd. You’re a sheep. You don’t govern your own life. You don’t forgive your own sin. You don’t decide what’s safe and what isn’t when you haven’t exposed yourself to it yet. Only God knows, only God governs, and only God forgives. So listen to Him! When He tells you not to read that book, or watch that movie, or listen to that song, don’t do it!

If you seek God, you will find Him. Anything you worship that is not God is of the world and will result in hellfire…but you’ll find it too.   How? Allow me to explain.   People who don’t worship God worship animals, plants, nature, the sun, moon, stars, and false gods made of wood, stone, metal, etc. They worship everything that is on earth, or otherwise, in the physical realm. They worship the creat-ed instead of the Creat-or, just as Scripture predicted in Romans 1:25. But the Bible says that the entire earth (physical realm) will be destroyed by fire, including things that don’t seem like they can be burned. This fire will be a supernatural fire that will burn up everything, including what science says cannot be burned, even water.   Everything mankind worships that is not God is something physical (celestial bodies included) or something that lives on earth, and therefore, something that will be burned to non-existence when Jesus returns. The sun will die, the stars (which are suns) will die and some will fall to earth. Animals, plants, nature, and all physical materials will be burned to nothing. The only thing left will be God’s Kingdom.   But there is one thing that cannot be burned, and that is our spirit. Why? Because our spirits are made of light and light cannot be burned; in fact, light itself can do the burning in the right form and heat, such as fire. Our flesh will be burned along with the rest of the earth, but our spirit cannot die by physical means, because it is not physical. God can also not be burned (duh). He is not of this world, and neither are the spirits of mankind He created. He is eternal and so are we. We were made in the likeness of God. When the earth and all physical things pass away, our spirits will remain.   In Matthew 7:7 when God says, “seek and you will find,” He wasn’t just talking about seeking Him (although, that’s what He wants you to do!)   Anything you worship, you will eventually find! If you worship and seek the things of this world and of the physical realm, you will find it when it is burned by fire, because you will also be burning. But if you worship and seek the everlasting God of all things good and of the spiritual realm, you will find Him, because you will also be living forever in all things good in the spiritual realm. You seek things of light and you will find light, because you are also light.