Ancient Paganism Rebranded
Guests: Doug Sharp, Rich Geer
Description: ANCIENT PAGANISM REBRANDED
Modern American culture has for the most part shed its Christian veneer and has instead adopted a cult-like religion that resembles ancient paganism.
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 list pagan practices that we are to avoid.
9 When you come into the land which the Lord your God gave you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.
13 You shall be perfect with the Lord your God.
14 For these nations, which you will possess, hearkens unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you so to do.
Summary: listening to demons will get you into trouble.
There are principalities and powers of ancient paganism rebranded so that it appears to be palatable to modern culture. Here are a few examples:
Baal/Zeus: the god of intellectualism. Follow the science. Follow the priesthood who wears the lab coats.
Aphrodite/Venus: the goddess of sexuality, pornography, prostitution, adultery, fornication.
Moloch/Molech: the Canaanite god of child sacrifice. Abortion is the modern equivalent.
Apollyon: the god of destruction. War is the modern equivalent.
Gaia: goddess of the earth. The modern environmentalist movement reflects this principality. Also yoga, meditation, psychic, occult, drugs.
When we step outside the commandments of God, we open ourselves up to the “blessing” of the devil. There are demons behind each of the following:
Bitterness, accusation, occultism, envy, jealousy, rejection, unloving spirits, addiction, and fear. Often there are traumas and door points in our life, and even in our ancestry, where we open ourselves up for these to enter. Our lives become bound to these, and we serve them as slaves.
We need to identify each of these in our life, confess them to God, admit that we are helpless to save ourselves, and ask God for deliverance. Thank Him for that release.
Here’s an example of the way you can communicate with God dealing with the sin of bitterness:
I come to you in the name of Jesus, and I acknowledge the work of sin in my life, as well as in my family tree. I take responsibility for _________ and I renounce it. I repent for the sin in my life.
I confess that I have allowed bitterness to work through me. I choose not to hold bitterness against ___________ any more.
I ask you to forgive me for participating in this sin.
I release myself from this behavior and thought life. I will not allow bitterness in my life again. I ask that the curse of ___________, which is the fruit of bitterness in my life, be canceled.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, all bitterness must leave me now.
Father, I thank you for forgiveness of my sin and the restoration of my body in the name of Jesus. Amen.