Superstition, like many of the ancient spiritual arts has taken on a modern veneer, cloaked in doctrine, philosophy, and practices that have now become a mainstream-phenomena, being quite acceptable to the popular majority. But God has not called us to be popular, but to be peculiar, and because of this, we may need to examine ourselves, our ideas, and actions, to see if there are any forms of superstition being harbored inadvertently.
God does not condemn anyone for what we may, or may not have done in ignorance, but He is saying to us that many of the common forms of superstitious practices, have no value whatsoever, and will lead us to do things that are contrary to his revealed will. Thus, we must begin our study with a definition of the word: …. Superstition:
A widely held, but unjustified belief in supernatural causes, leading to certain results of an action or an event, or a practice based on such a belief.
There are three points we need to establish first, in order to lay the foundation for the presentation on modern superstition.
[1] Doctrines, whether they be true or false, affects what we believe, and what we believe directly affects what we do.
If a person believes that when we die we all go to heaven immediately, then that person’s actions will reflect their belief, in doing whatsoever they feel to do, with little regard to right or wrong, for in their minds, the end result is supposedly heaven.
Thus, the following list of well-known personalities are widely believed to be in heaven currently, even though some of them died during a drug overdose: Prince, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson. And as though that were not enough, believe it or not, even Darwin is buried in Westminster Abbey, the church where prominent Christian men like Isaac Newton are buried.
[2] Every false doctrine is a lie, and every lie has its origination in satan, for he is the father of lies, and thus, wherever falsehoods are being habitually told, believed, and practiced, it is a sign of the working of evil spirits actively engaged in the work against our souls. The following excerpt is taken from a blog we did one year ago, after the nation officially upended the sacred institution of God-ordained marriage. At that time it was stated that great spiritual darkness had come upon the land, and as a direct result of our actions, millions of evil spirits were let loose nationally and internationally. Let’s read:
Bro Mac (Facebook)
August 26, 2016 ·
Short commentary on 1st Samuel 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry".... The meaning of the word rebellion is, "The action or process of resisting authority, or control".... When God has made plain His will to us, and we deliberately choose to defy His word, then we are in a state of rebellion, which according to the Bible, is the equivalent of Voodoo. Let's take for instance the following revelation of God's will in the plainest terms: Matthew 19:4 "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder".... If we knowingly defy this sacred ordinance of God, then we are practicing witchcraft, hence the reason why millions of evil spirits have been let loose across the land, resulting in an election cycle that defies both logic, and precedent. It's that simple. Think about it! God bless!
However, no one should expect to see red devils running about in their backyards with pitch forks, shoveling skulls and bones. Instead, what we should look for is the evidence of their increased activity, in the words and actions of those who are under their direct influence. Most people may have never seen termites at work; however, here in Florida, we see unmistakable evidence of their presence by their droppings. Let’s read:
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
[3] Every false doctrine has a specific purpose, and is tailormade to lead persons to eternal destruction.
2nd Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul will produce superstitious actions, such as prayers for the dead, and intercessions for those who have died. This also includes purgatorial works, and many indulgences of all sorts. What we will discover as we study is that this false doctrine has in itself spawned a host of superstitious beliefs and practices, ranging in effect from fear, to unreasonable expectation, to unsubstantiated hope of eternal life, in addition to a host of unnecessary practices, which cost time, and money. (If The Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed).
Take for instance the rituals folks must go through, in preparation for the burial of a loved one who was a practicing Hindu. Traditionally, the body should be preferably washed by family members, and close friends. Whilst washing, the deceased’s head should be facing southward. A lighted oil lamp, as well as a picture of the deceased’s favorite deity should be kept by the deceased’s head. For the “holy bath” the body is washed in a mixture of milk, yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), and honey or in purified water.
While the body is being washed, mantras should be recited, and once the body is sufficiently cleaned, the big toes should be tied together, the hands are placed palm-to-palm in a position of prayer, and the body should be shrouded in a plain white sheet.
Buddhism, Rastafarianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and certain strains of Christianity, all hold that one common doctrine, that life continues after death. Thus, it is important for us to address this current form of superstition, to find out what God has to say on the matter. In doing so, our most cherished beliefs may be subjected to a wakeup call, however, that’s just the nature of truth; it brings us back to reality. Let’s read:
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Those two words, spirit, and ghost are often greatly misunderstood, and should be made plain before we proceed….
Strong's Concordance:
pneuma: wind, spirit. Original Word: πνεῦμα, ατος, τό
The Greek word used for spirit in this passage is “Pneuma”, which simply means air, or wind; not some abstract entity floating away to Neverland. And just in case some people may not know what “Pneuma” means, here’s an advertisement from your local Home Depot, selling an assortment kit of “Pneumatic” tools for $98.44. HomeDepot.com - Home Depot Power Tools.
Again, Strong's Concordance: … ghost
psuchó: to breathe, blow, to make cool.
In addition, Jesus Himself declared, after He was resurrected, that He had gone nowhere over the Sabbath hours in the tomb, but was resting just like any other human being like Lazarus, or like those thousands who died on 9/11. No disembodied soul or intelligent entity went to heaven at death, for all remain in their graves, undisturbed, until they are called forth by The Son of God. This important fact must be understood, especially in the context of the exchange between Christ, and the thief now turned Christian, on Calvary. Let’s read:
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying,
Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Thus, by a single stroke of false doctrine, the enemy of righteousness has effectively destroyed in many minds, our need of the Savior, and the impetus to choose good over evil. This raises a very important question on the doctrine of natural immortality: What is satan’s purpose in disseminating such a widespread belief in life after death? And to those who will cling to it, what would be their resulting actions. We remember that statement made earlier, that doctrines affect what we believe, and what we believe affects what we do.
Answers: [1] If natural immortality was inherent in human nature, we would have no need of Jesus, who came to give us eternal life. Let’s read:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
1st Timothy 6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, and before Christ Jesus.
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.
[2] If natural immortality was inherent in human nature, then we would not need the gospel, God’s law, nor any absolute standard of right and wrong, for whatsoever we do would have little bearing on the afterlife. This belief would then open up the floodgates of evil on an unprecedented scale, for the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping would suddenly become irrelevant. Let’s read:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
In closing, it is the will of God that these truths be thoroughly investigated, for our hope of eternal life hinges on our acceptance or rejection of them. It is not the will of God that any person should perish in ignorance, and therefore, the following passages of scripture are being given, to remind us that there is no such thing as natural immortality, and there is no need for all the superstitious practices associated with it. Instead, we are reminded that everyone will appear before God, to receive his or her just dues, whether it be good or evil. And the determinations of the judgment will dictate who gets eternal life, and who will not. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts.
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
God bless!