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!

Important notice: The contents of this article are not limited to the Harry Potter franchise and can be used as a stencil for any and all forms of media portraying this example. I chose Harry Potter simply because of its stark popularity. This article was not published as hate speech to the franchise or anyone who associates with it. All articles in this firm are written for the sake of the human spirit, which is an extension of the Most High God, and worded out of love. No shade or shame to JK Rowling who is an unbelievably talented author whom Christians desperately wished used her gifts for Jesus. We love you! —Sincerely, Rebekah Springer The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most popular franchises in the world. From books, to movies, to its own theme park and so on, it's become a visible reality in which people of all ages can escape to. But the problem isn't it's success. It's what the franchise holds as the center of its theme in which the Bible calls dangerous: The theme of witchcraft . You'd think as a Christian serving the Creator of the Universe, we would know, "Yeah, that's not my thing. God says witchcraft is wrong, so I'm not sure why I would associate with a franchise dedicated to it. That wouldn't make sense." But no. We're obsessed with it! Why? We're human. We're bound to listen to our flesh at some point. But that doesn't justify anything. So low and behold, I've taken advantage of the writing talent God gave to me in spite of Rowling's pure genius, and wrote my guts out. This is a list of everything I've heard in response to my lack of interest in the HP franchise (cos we all have our own preferences on things). The sad part? Some of these phrases are things that other Christians have told me. Galatians 5:16- So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. With truth at the front, grab your latte and let's get into it! 1.     "It's just a movie. Watching a movie isn't a sin." You’re right, watching a movie in general isn’t a sin, just like drinking isn't inherently a sin (and we all know how Christians feel about that). But exposing and subjecting yourself to material that glorifies sin is, if you were already aware of its sinful theme. Unbelievers use that same mindset when they actively engage in sin. You gaining pleasure from watching it makes your heart posture no different. Proverbs 3:5 says to trust in the Lord and not to lean on your own understanding. This includes your understanding that Harry Potter is “just a movie.” Matthew chapter 5 also says that if you even look at something intently, you’ve already done it in your heart. And 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that whatever we do, we should be doing it for the glory of God. Watching a movie that glorifies sin instead of God is the opposite. "But what if I watched it without knowing what it was?!" We've all been curious. It's something God gave us on purpose for His glory, but unfortunately, also one of the highest things Satan likes to take advantage of us with. God isn't going to bat you over the head with a Bible and yell "for shame!" But the demons attached to it will more than likely take advantage of your accidental ignorance just like a mouse caught in a mousetrap. When I was still in school, there was a movie on Netflix I watched called "Level 16." It's about girls in a strangely eerie boarding school who find out a dark secret about it. I became curious through reading the overview. The movie is very dark and I was watching it alone. But as I watched, I could feel the conviction from the Holy Spirit telling me to shut it off. Like the baby Christian I was, I rationalized my way into ignoring Him. "It's just a movie. There aren't any demons in it. There's no witchcraft in it. The dark secret is something that happens in real life. This is just fiction." Any of those phrases sound familiar to you? But God is a loving God and He won't stop tugging you when it's important to Him for your own protection. So, a few minutes later, He sent my sister into the room. She felt the same thing within maybe two minutes of standing there, and told me that I shouldn't be watching it. Again, I ignored it. Eventually, the film grew boring and I skimmed through the rest. But fast-forward to the middle of the night, I had a demonic encounter. A demon paralyzed me in my sleep, and not the occasional naturally occurring sort. I was cold. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I felt an immense fear like that of a vivid nightmare and I knew someone was in my room. I was trapped. I desperately called out to Jesus to help me and the demon eventually left me alone. But the moment I woke up the next morning, the truth was more than obvious. God had told me not to watch it for a reason, I ignored Him, and as a result, I reaped the consequences. I had to repent. Just as curiosity can kill prey, it can also damage our spirit. 2.     "I have a spiritual filter." Short answer: No you don't. That's not a thing, it's not in the Bible, and it's not how the spirit realm works. I'm not even entirely sure where that assumption originated. Nonetheless, I am a very logical thinker, so I can more than definitely understand how the phrase came to be! Christians aren’t exempt from demonic strongholds. Just because you have Jesus living inside of you doesn’t mean you can watch, read, or listen to whatever you want without a consequence like everyone else. Everyone is born under the curse of sin, which equals the consequences of it. Furthermore, being aware of what’s right and wrong doesn’t exempt you from the spiritual consequences of engaging in that wrong. Discerning good from evil and right from wrong only works if you act on it. It’s the same with faith and love; both without works are dead, and ignorance is the opposite of both! Willfully watching something that sees evil as good is not discernment, it’s ignorance. Even God tells us to be watchful of what we invite into our eyes and ears from what is good and evil, not so that we can simply verbalize it, but so that we will keep away from it. Now, fortunately, this doesn’t mean that every single person who watches it will be affected, but knowing what it represents, why would you test it? Why would you choose to subject yourself to it when you know? There’s still a choice involved. 3.     "Demons aren't going to come flying through my screen, get real." No one said demons were going to come flying through your screen…but if they did, you wouldn’t see them, would you? “Not see” doesn’t mean “not there.” We know and believe that God exists, and we can’t see Him either, but we acknowledge His presence so why don’t we do the same with demons? Demons use what we feed ourselves through our eyes and ears as portals of invitation into our lives. That doesn’t mean we should be using our metaphors literally; however, we should act as though they could and protect our eyes and ears anyway. We should be giving no opportunity to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). However they get inside shouldn’t matter to us. Our job is to make sure they don’t have a chance, to protect our spirits and intentionally strive for holiness. That being said, I have regardless heard stories of people whom God allowed to see a glimpse of the spirit realm to help them understand what they feed their souls. One in particular could see demons coming out of the computer screen of a person watching porn. Never assume you know how the spirit realm works when you ignore the One who made it. 4.     "You're taking your belief way too seriously, stop exaggerating." 5.     "If you actually believe this, you're religious. You need to be honest with yourself and talk to God about this." The moment you believe that anyone is taking their relationship with God “way too seriously” has already been deceived. God intended a true relationship with Him to be taken seriously to the point where the world will think you are crazy. If your relationship with God doesn’t make “the god of this world” uncomfortable, evident in people who don’t have this relationship, your relationship isn’t strong enough. Satan isn’t scared of religion. He’s scared of relationship. This relationship with God, aka, true Christianity, includes fellowship and communication, listening, and obeying the Holy Spirit. It also includes consecrating and abstaining yourself from the things of the world, which requires sacrifice. This abstinence will  be seen by the world as hate, especially if it’s been normalized! But it is not! If the Holy Spirit tells you not to watch something and you obey, that isn’t religion, that’s relationship; that’s love! And the opinions of others should not matter to you. Only God knows what will affect you and what won’t, so you shouldn’t be ignoring Him just because you  think it’s harmless. The object in question could be the most ridiculous and harmless thing on the planet, and the devil could still be right there behind it just waiting for you to engage. Harmless to the physical doesn’t mean harmless to the spiritual. Religion abstains from these same things, but instead of a humble intention, there’s a prideful intention. Religion also wouldn’t voice the truth behind why they are using self-control in order to protect other Christians from making the same mistake. Instead, the religious use their self-control as a trophy others can see instead of the light Jesus wants us to show them. It’s the same thing the Pharisees did in the Bible. 6.     "My relationship with God is different than yours." Christianity the way God designed it to be is a standard. There are no “levels” of being a Christian. You are either all in or you aren’t. You are either walking in obedience in a genuine relationship with the Father, or you aren’t. Faithfully attending church, reading your Bible, and abstaining from most of the Bible’s sins doesn’t make you a Christian. Living in a barn wearing a fur coat and eating grass doesn’t make you a mule. Acting like someone you’re not, no matter how far you are willing to go will never deviate from the fact that God made you who you are; this includes how He wants you to treat Him and how to love Him. People who claim to be Christian but aren’t fully surrendered to God will often try to justify their exposure to sinful things and think it’s ok, while still claiming to be saved. That isn’t a personal relationship with God. That’s called “carnal” Christianity. Carnal Christianity says, “I said the sinner’s prayer, I go to church, I read my Bible, I truly believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and raised from the dead, and I do my best to avoid all the obvious  sins…but I still lean on my own understanding, and I still engage in the worldly sins I think are harmless and taboo.” In other words, “I’m progressive and I’m afraid to truly surrender and put my trust in God, because it means I’ll be left in the dark about certain things. I’d rather find my security in what the world is doing that I can see rather than what I can’t.” Carnal Christianity claims true Salvation, but still puts their security in the condition of their flesh instead of the condition of their spirit. So, it’s no wonder they think watching things that glorify sin is ok, because they don’t understand God’s wisdom, they only understand their own human logic telling them “It’s just a movie.” They believe and claim to serve God, but they still listen to the world when it serves their flesh. 7.     "I'll just pray the demons away, no big deal." Intentionally watching something that will invite demonic activity into your life with the notion that you will simply pray them away is the same mindset Hyper-gracists use God’s grace and Jesus’ forgiveness as a license to sin. Intentionally making yourself vulnerable to the demonic is a sin in itself whether it comes from a movie or not. It’s the same mindset people use to let practitioners use hypnosis on them, visit a fortune teller, or use drugs and alcohol for the effect it has on their minds. If you want to pray the demons away, then fine. But God will still hold you accountable for ignoring Him in the process, because you would rather allow yourself to be vulnerable to a movie than be vulnerable to God. Also, praying for the same thing over and over again falls in the line of repetition and false repentance. It is the same as searing your conscience when God tells you not to do something, but you ignore Him over the same thing so often that you eventually become deaf to it. Demons are spiritual beings. They know which is which. Eventually, just as you wouldn't listen to God when He told you not to engage, they won't listen to you, when you tell them to leave. The Bible warns us about the activity of demons in response to reoccurring the same sins, even worse off with fake repentance. Using Jesus' Name will cause them to flee as promised in Scripture, but Proverbs 26:11 says, " As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness." This is because, Matthew 12:43-45 notes that " When an impure spirit comes out of a person (or leaves a person), it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.   Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.   Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first." If you are not willing to obey the voice of God, the consequences will keep coming back even worse than the last. 8.     "Everyone else is watching it and they're fine." 9.     “All my other Christian friends are watching it.” Appearances are always deceiving. In fact, it’s what deceives viewers into watching things like Harry Potter in the first place. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 reveals to us that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it's no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Even if they were truly fine, it doesn’t mean you will be too. Do you really want to take that risk all for a cheap thrill of the flesh? Proverbs 4:23 also tells us to keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. And lastly, 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be sober-minded and watchful. Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Lions hunt by hiding, sometimes in plain sight by way of camouflage. They keep quiet and make their prey unaware of their presence and feel safe so the lion can attack. The devil is no different. He will make you see what he wants you to see even if his presence is in plain sight. He will keep his name out of witchcraft in order to make you feel safe, so that when you watch it, he can attack. He does the same with your view of others who watch the same things. He will distort your view in someone who is influenced, so you will feel safe enough to make the same mistake they did. He will make you think it doesn’t affect them so you will fall into the same trap. Furthermore, just because “everyone else” is watching it doesn’t mean you should. Your loyalty to God makes no exceptions. In fact, He commands us to avoid the very appearance of evil. Watching things that glorify sin taint your witness. When other Christians see you watching it, not only will they assume it’s ok, but unbelievers won’t want to change either. If anything, they will see it as hypocrisy and it will harden their hearts to future Truth if they had a chance at it. Isaiah 5:20 says, “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.” We have reached this prophesy. I reference Harry Potter, because it’s one of the most popular snares in the world right now, even among the Christian community. Let’s just say the demons who influenced the author knew what they were doing. The same way our spirits have an innate desire to worship something, we also have an innate interest in the supernatural. God designed us that way so that we would naturally be drawn towards Him. The problem is, when you listen to your flesh and not God, you don’t want those innate desires to lead to Him, so you’ll try to find it in something else, a counterfeit. It’s the reason false religions exist. And it’s the reason people are so interested in things like witchcraft. It’s the only source of supernatural power that appeals to their flesh. Even when God makes it very clear in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “How can light live with darkness? What harmony is there between God and Satan?” He also tells us as Christians to avoid the very appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Why? Because taking “meaningless” pleasure in worldly thrills that glorify sin give them a license to continue their iniquity, while simultaneously damaging our light. 10.  “How can you sin in something fake? In something fiction?”   If you think about it, erotic novels are fiction and so is porn and movies containing horror, swearing, and explicit scenes. All cinema is fiction. Even movies that are based on true stories and portray real events or people are still fiction; not just because they weren’t there, but because Hollywood adds fillers to make the films more interesting and appealing to the audience. The definition of fiction refers to the events and characters as imaginary, but not their words and actions. All fiction is written by humans after all and the human condition isn’t fiction at all, which means sin exists in fiction just as it exists in reality. The context used in cinema is reality with a fiction label slapped over it so that viewers will look past their conscience and instead, engage for the enjoyment rather than their discernment. When people say “it’s all fake. It’s just a movie,” they’re right. The storyline, the characters, and the fantasy features in it are fake; that’s why it’s a movie. But witchcraft is real, and it’s a sin. Why would you intentionally watch something that glorifies sin and enjoy it just like any other unbeliever? Just like a real witch would! When you become a Christian, you make a commitment with God. You abstain from unholy things. Notice how much the world is obsessed with Harry Potter. That should be your first clue. Notice it puts unholy practice against the Bible and therefore, against the Creator on a pedestal and implies to viewers that it’s good. That should be your second clue. And the third clue is something only the devoted are willing to believe and accept, because it can’t be seen with the physical eyes. And it’s the demons attached to it that use your free will to get a foothold in your house. They want you to believe it’s harmless. That’s why they told the author to keep the devil’s name out of it, but they left everything else in.   11.  “God made us to create things. Harry Potter is just another creation just like Christians create movies and songs. Multiple concepts and ideas are used for our imagination. How is this franchise any different?”   You must understand that…God also made the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That doesn't mean we were supposed to touch it. He made all the plants we use in drugs and alcohol too. He created the metal we use in guns. He gave us the sand we use to make glass lenses in the cameras we use to film porn. Life is full of choices between good and evil, that’s the point. If everything was good, our love wouldn’t be real. Christianity wouldn’t exist and if it did, it would be pointless. It really would be a fake religion. We’re the ones who manipulated His creation to appeal to our flesh. And guess what the devil does since he can’t create. He manipulates. He manipulates what God creates so we use it for his evil instead of God’s good. God wasn’t talking to the author of the Harry Potter franchise. The demons were. Because they knew they could use them as portals to further manipulate mankind, aka, the Creator’s greatest creation. All they had to do was deceive the author into writing something they knew our flesh would love, and bam. There it is: the world’s greatest trap disguised in a candy wrapper called fiction.   It’s so easy to scoff at spiritual matters because our spiritual eyes are shut. That’s how God made us. Sometimes, even when we’re aware of God’s existence as spiritual, we forget that spiritual influence lies in not only everything God created, but what Satan has manipulated. As Christians we’re constantly throwing shame at the devil and claim our job as followers of Christ is to avoid him and not to listen to him…but then we forget or even ignore just where he lies and what he's capable of. He may be powerless against God, but he’s not an idiot. He knows every human being’s weakness and his soul prowess is to exploit those weaknesses to keep us away from God. All is confident and willing to take action in proof of our understanding of the devil…until that same truth is applied to something of the flesh that we aren’t willing to give up. We’re kidding ourselves when we laugh at the devil and claim he can’t touch us, then go willingly watch something that glorifies everything he stands for. It doesn’t help that we can’t see demons and we can’t see how they influence people or where they enter, so we assume it’s something that people exaggerate in their faith or make conspiracy theories on. They think we’re trying to say that we’re smarter or better than them, or better at our relationship with God than them. And the rest who aren’t Christian think we’ve been brainwashed.   The self-righteous justification of watching movies which glorify sin is the same spiritual influence that tells Hyper-gracists they can sin because of Jesus’ forgiveness. It’s easy for Christians to fall prey to willing exposure to the demonic because they use their loyalty to God as a spiritual filter when the real spiritual filter is to abstain from exposing yourself in the first place. Real righteousness isn’t doing the same things the world does as a Christian and expecting it to bounce off you “because you’re Christian”. It doesn’t bounce off unbelievers, so why would it bounce off you? You’re still born into sin like everyone else. That’s the whole reason you decided to follow Christ in the first place, to keep yourself from things like that. What’s the point of avoiding the fiery darts of the devil if you don’t even want to hold your shield? You’re standing in the middle of the battlefield with the rest of your armor, but you think that’s enough? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the full armor of God has no pants. Satan’s arrows are going straight for your legs! Salvation and righteousness aren’t a superpower, it’s a choice. It’s self-control. When you accept Jesus into your heart, a shield isn’t going to magically appear in your hands. You have to pick it up! Ephesians 6:10 doesn’t say, “listen to God and His armor will magically appear on your body.” No, it says “put on.” Take it up and put it on yourself so that when evil comes, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the devil. You aren’t going to quench any darts exposing yourself to a film that glorifies sin. So, how do you pick up your shield? You use self-control and you choose not to watch it. You won’t give any opportunity to the devil. You won’t even let him release an arrow!   12.  “But I would never practice ‘real’ witchcraft. I would never join a cult, or summon a demon, or visit a fortune teller.”   No, you’re right, you probably won’t if you're smart (Unfortunately, I can't say the same for some of the unbelievers). But you don’t think the demons know that? As I’ve said before, Satan isn’t an idiot, and neither are the demons that chose to follow him. Just because they came from a movie whose theme is witchcraft doesn’t mean that’s what they’ll tempt you with. Satan knows what you will fall for and what you won’t. Tempting you with something he knows you won’t fall for won’t get him anywhere. He won’t temp you with something he knows you won’t fall for. What He will do is tempt you with something they know you will fall for.   13.  “Why do people have bonfires and burn their objects of sin? I’m not gonna burn all my Harry Potter books and CDs. I paid good money for them. Can’t I just sell them?”   Fire is the only thing that will cleanse the atmosphere. It’s symbolic of a commitment. It’s the same reason the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit baptizes us in fire. It purifies. It keeps anyone else from inviting the same demons into their home should they buy them from you. Even if you were to throw it away or give it away, there’s still the risk of someone else getting affected. It doesn’t just get rid of the contract. It destroys it so it can’t hurt anybody else. If you’ve decided to keep yourself from stumbling, why would you turn around and give it to someone else to make the same mistake? To say, “well at least it’s not in my hands anymore” is a selfish mindset. God can always replace your money through His provision and your job (if you have one), but causing someone else to stumble isn’t something you can take back.   14.  “If it’s such a big deal, then why can’t God just tell us Himself that things like this are dangerous?”   He does  tell us through the Holy Spirit and it’s up to you to listen and yield to it. But at the end of the day, perfect love isn’t perfect without choice. You have the free will to ignore Him, but then, it would be disobedience. Nevertheless, He gives everyone the option of exposure and sometimes, He doesn’t need to say anything. Our spirits have an innate sense of discernment. Where do you think our flesh gets our common sense from? If God knows we’re unsure about something, He’ll tell us and then, it’s up to us to listen and heed, or ignore. But if it’s something as obvious as open-faced witchcraft staring at you blue in the face, giving into it is just plain ignorant without Him even having to warn you. You might as well use that same free will to perform that witchcraft you claimed you would never do. It’s all about the heart posture.   15.  “Well, I’ve already watched all the Harry Potter movies and read all the books, and I’m fine. I’m pretty sure this doesn’t apply to everyone.”   And you could be right. But are you really willing to test it? If you’ve already exposed yourself to it, if it’s been just a movie, or a few movies, or a book, or a few books, or all the books, or all the movies, or everything; it doesn’t matter. Most often, spiritual influence is something you can’t see, nor can you feel. It’s another aspect the devil uses to his advantage. Although it isn’t impossible for someone not to be spiritually affected by involving themselves in the franchise, it depends on your heart posture and your willingness to stay vigilant as Scripture commands. And this heart posture is something only  God can see. It’s not watching the movie and simply saying, “that’s wrong. Next.” However, what I can  guarantee is the level of exposure which determines the influence. Watching one or two movies may not affect you, especially if you’re not interested in the franchise. But the devil knows what your interests are and will use that to his advantage as well. If the Harry Potter world is something you enjoy indulging in, you bet he will make sure it affects you. And quite honestly, if you weren’t interested, then why would you watch?   16.  “Even if you don’t watch Harry Potter, I bet you still watch things with other sins in it! How is Harry Potter any different?”   And you’re right. As I said before, sin exists in cinema as it does in real life. It’s not something you can escape. In fact, true Christian movies and books have to display the works of darkness or the works of light would be pointless! But watching a movie in general still isn’t a sin. Themes like witchcraft has increased so much so that it almost deserves its own subgenre to fantasy. That’s the difference between theme and plotline. Harry Potter is a franchise that solely revolves around witchcraft, not just nuggets of it. When I come across a movie whose theme isn’t inherently witchcraft, but they still add scenes involving it, or scenes that are explicitly sexual, there’s this tool I use called the remote control. I didn’t turn on the movie to watch all that nonsense and God knows that. Have there been times where I’ve screwed up and watched something I wasn’t supposed to? Of course. But you know what? I paid the consequences and I had to repent. And these were movies  without  witchcraft. Magic isn’t the only theme you should be watchful for. I also stay away from movies and shows which revolve around (not limited to) sex, false God worship, blaspheme, swearing (there is such thing as too much), and horror.   17.  "You still watch Narnia, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings, and that has witchcraft in it!"   This is one of my favorite accusations. As a matter of fact, I don’t watch The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, but if I was ever interested, I could.   First, you must understand that C.S. Lewis' and Tolkien's version of magic are polar opposites compared to Harry Potter magic. Both Christian artists used magic as a way of conveying the miracles and goodness of Jesus as opposed to the manipulative power of Satan. Tolkien didn’t make Gandalf a wizard because “magic is ok.” He created Gandalf as a wizard because it was the only classic pairing to the fantasy-type aesthetic that would match. Making him a mage or an oracle or a shaman, etc. not only wouldn’t match, but it would’ve destroyed the light of witness. He also made sure that Gandalf's powers were strictly two things, light and fire, both of which are symbolic representations of Jesus (the Light: John 14:6) and the Holy Spirit (baptized in fire: Matthew 3:11 & 16). Gandalf's magic is also strictly used to protect and help others as well as expose the powers of darkness, as is our job as Christians. Actual evil warlocks like Saruman and the all-seeing eye of fire were used to represent the antichrist and those who work "with" Satan in exchange for power. C.S. Lewis did the same with Aslan the lion, who literally personifies the Biblical representation of Jesus Christ. The first movie portrays an obvious allegory to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The witchcraft performed by the White Witch represents the power of Satan as Satan's power involves witchcraft even in reality. In other words, what better way to represent Satan than to have a character do exactly that! Both authors also made sure to view witchcraft and the powers of darkness as evil and the plot line revolved around destroying it as is the ultimate goal of Jesus when He returns. And each character symbolizes trials and challenges as human beings under the curse, such as temptation, pride, and even the falling away of the Faith.   JK Rowling's version of magic is the complete opposite. It really is pure witchcraft of the demoniac/Satanic. The only thing she did was take Satan's name out of it and call it good. There are no truths or allegories behind Harry Potter that point viewers to God. Instead, they point to Satan and label his works as good, or in world terms "misunderstood."   That's the difference! :)   18.  “JK Rowling is a Christian and put Christian morals and lessons in her work!”   I have absolutely no doubt that Rowling added general and biblical morals in her work. But you also must understand that anyone could add biblical morals in anything, but that doesn’t justify its intentions as acceptable by God. Even a flashlight can only illuminate a small space in a room of darkness. That doesn’t make the room a safe place to be, especially if that room is filled with demons, but you’re only looking at the one empty corner with that flashlight. There are biblical rules and morals in the Quran, but they are not for the One true living God. Even God-based religions like Universalism, Latter Day Saints, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witness claim to fit the category of Christianity, but they still follow kinds of deception that God instead categorizes as cults and in line with the Satanic. In fact, some of them practice the same witchcraft you see in Harry Potter, while still claiming to be one of us.   Matthew 7:16 says that “you will know them by their fruits.” If you want to know what those fruits are, look at Galatians chapter 6. I haven’t ever heard of Rowling engaging in true Christian practices or even sharing her faith. I’ve heard she “describes herself as a Chrisian, and many have noted the Christian references which she included in the final novel of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (Wikipedia). But as far as what Scripture calls fruit, I have not seen. In fact, sadly, I’ve only ever seen the opposite. JK Rowling grew up in the Anglican church and is currently a member of the Church of Scotland. But just as I mentioned earlier, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian and neither is living with Christian morals. It just gives you a good thing you can share with people when they ask. Plenty of people claim to be Christian, but don’t really, truly serve Christ. Serving Christ is obedience and surrender to the full counsel of God (meaning you don’t pick and choose which pieces of Scripture to follow. You follow it ALL). It is the moral actions that are a desire birthed from that worship. But if we only live by morals and good works alone without surrender and obedience to Christ, we are nothing but noise. 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ”  1 John 2:4 tells us, “ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” If JK Rowling was a true Christian obeying the voice of God and bearing visible fruit as God’s Word promises, she would not have dedicated her life to a franchise which does the opposite and furthermore, cause people to sin in turn because of it.   https://www.openbible.info/topics/pretending_to_be_christian   Fantasy VS Reality   What you see on the screen isn’t real in the physical realm, but it is real in the spiritual realm. The special effects that make magic look tangible on screen are technically real. They’re just invisible to our flesh. CGI is used to enhance the experience, to prove how powerful the magic is and where it goes and what it does. It’s all done for the emotional response of the viewer. But in reality, the effects it has on people is real. You just can’t see it, because there are no special effects in the real world. I mean, obviously it’s impossible for somebody to turn into an animal, or become invisible, or something like that. But I’ve seen real curses manifest in a victim from a very real witch. I’ve seen people go crazy, I’ve seen people act and believe that they’re animals, and I’ve seen people’s lives be destroyed by the mere words of people who practice witchcraft.    The words and the chants in Harry Potter were made up by the author, but that doesn’t mean demons won’t attach themselves to them when they know the power they are used for; and once that happens, they become just as effective when spoken out loud in the real world. Demons can’t create, but they know humans can, so they use us to create things for them that they can manifest into the physical, since they can’t do it themselves. They do this by deceiving us into believing that we made them up ourselves and therefore, it’s random and harmless. But they know what they’re doing. They know what will allow them into our lives. They just need to get us to manifest it for them.   The spells and charms were imagined and created for the franchise, but they work in the real world too. The only difference is, the magic is invisible, and the effects aren’t for show and more realistic than fantasy. Just like spells and charms have their power in fiction, the real world has words with the same kinds of supernatural power that affect other people’s spirits. Instead of someone becoming invisible, someone may be struck with depression or anxiety. Instead of turning into a cat, someone could suddenly start using foul language, or begin having suicidal thoughts that could end their life. Instead of flying, someone could experience paranormal activity in their home. Warlocks, wizards, witches, they all exist. In fact, there are dozens of names cinema has created with the same base practice of witchcraft split into branches. But these real people don’t wear robes and hoods and pointy hats. Fiction has a nasty habit of selecting certain professions and dressing them up as fantasy characters to appeal to the audience, so viewers don’t think twice about them. But people who practice witchcraft look like normal people in the real world.   Despite Harry Potter’s fictional storyline, there are some very real symbols and features that are not fiction that the author kept. For example, the use of pentagrams, the practices of astrology, divination, apparitions, runes, and arithmancy, as class subjects. Transfiguration is even mentioned in the Bible. Some of these practices, the Bible calls them by name and condemns them and anyone who practices them. Every practice the infamous school of witchcraft has to offer leads back to Hell, the devil, and his demons. The only things missing are their names, leaving room for the viewers to see it as good, because the source which would normally turn them away has been left out. The only portion of witchcraft the school views as evil is referred to as the “dark arts,” or “black magic.” But the magic of the villain is the same as the magic of the heroes. They’re just fighting fire with fire and implying that what the Creator calls evil can still be used for good. There is no such thing as good magic and bad magic. It all comes from the same source: The devil. Deception at its finest is having the audience see sin at another more appealing angle. An angle so appealing, the audience doesn’t even see it as sin anymore: “Harry and his friends are using witchcraft to defeat evil and help people. How could that be sinful?” they ask. Witchcraft isn’t the only sin Satan has manipulated its angle. The same is happening with sex outside of marriage, gossiping, and swearing. “So long as it doesn’t hurt anybody, it should be ok,” they say. But Truth has a name and even if you can’t see that damage is being done in the physical, it is in the spiritual. And if it isn’t hurting anyone else, it’s hurting you.    Be careful what you watch! Love ya!

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.