Yesterday, I was talking with a fellow (female) blogger
about something I had read on “ChristianForums.” Someone on there had inquired about
something called “ASMR,” wondering if it was bad for Christians. Since I had
never heard of “ASMR,” I googled it to find out what it is. And, it turned out
that it has something to do with YouTube videos where some people record
various sounds, and then other people listen to the sounds. See (1) below.
On a surface level, it appears to be fairly innocuous, but
there is the possibility of a darker side to it. As with pretty much most
things, what may be innocent or harmless can be turned into something not
innocent. For, sounds can be good, and they can be bad. Sounds can be harmless
or they can be seductive, enticing, hypnotic, and mind-controlling (brain
washing).
What this brought to my mind is something I studied in high
school and/or in college. We had to study Greek Mythology, and I remembered
reading about mythological creatures called “Sirens,” who lured sailors to
their death by a seductive and enticing sound or a song. So, as with anything,
we have to be discerning about these things or we could be seduced into
something which could be harmful to us spiritually, if we are not careful and
prayerful.
Well, at the same time I was having this (private) conversation
with this fellow blogger, a sister in Christ, I was having another (public)
conversation on the blog “Run With It”
with another
blogger who is a brother in Christ. He was responding to the blog post titled “Overcoming Evil.”
He said, “Fire is to
warm and cleanse. People come to fires to warm them and also to cleanse, but
they’re unaware of the wolves inside the fire. Because God is a consuming fire
but people don’t understand a God Fire
from a strange fire. So people are
turning to strange fires full of wolves but think they’re being taken care of
and being cleansed.” (Ref: Matt. 3:11-12)
He said he was thinking about this during his church
service. So, in questioning him on what the Bible lesson was about, I learned
that the passage of scripture was John 10, where it definitely talks about this
very thing, both the idea of “Sirens” which seduce by sound/singing, and both
the idea of “strange fire” which is inviting, but which burns, not heals.
Flee from Them!
John 10:1-6 ESV
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
As we read further on in this passage of scripture, we learn
that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd of the sheep (spiritually speaking), is
the Door into this sheepfold, as well as he is the Shepherd of the sheep. And,
by “door” is meant “the only way” into relationship with Almighty God and into
his body, his church. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and no
one comes to the Father except by (or through) him (John 14:6).
But, there are “other ways” which are being taught as the “true
way,” but they are lies of our enemy Satan, for these “other ways” are of these
thieves and robbers who have entered into the gatherings of the sheep (the
church) by a way other than through Jesus Christ, the ONLY WAY to God. BUT, and
we need to get this here, they disguise themselves as the true way, and so they
are deceiving many people into following a lie disguised as the truth.
And, this goes back to these examples with the sounds and
with the fire. Listening to music or just to sounds seems harmless, but not all
is harmless. It looks good on the outside, but when you get inside there may be
wolves lurking waiting to trap you into something much more sinister. And, that
is the image with the fire, too, for it is inviting with its warmth, but inside
may dwell all these evil creatures who are there lying in wait to trap you,
too.
But, It Looks Good
So, just because, on a surface level, it looks good, it is
inviting, it feels good, and it warms you or tingles you, it doesn’t mean it is
good or that it is the “real deal.” And, we aren’t talking here just about
sounds or fires, but we are talking about deception and mind manipulation and
subtle and subliminal messages which seem good, but which are of Satan, and
which are intended to cause you harm (spiritually) and to draw you away from
Christ.
They are like a cheap substitute for the real thing. But,
appearances can be deceiving. And, this is where we must be in the Word of God
daily, drinking in his truths, and then doing what the Word teaches us we must
do. We must be walking (living, conducting our lives) according to the Spirit
of God and not according to our flesh (Romans 8) if we are going to be
discerning at all of these evils (these wolves) in the Holy Spirit fire.
For, we read in Romans 8 that being “in Christ” means death
to sin and living to righteousness. It means walking (living) according to the
Spirit and not according to our sinful flesh. But, these “strangers,” i.e.
these thieves and liars are saying that “in Christ” is produced by a mere
profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or by some words repeated after someone
else. And, according to them, no death to sin or living to righteousness is
required.
So, the point of all of this is that, as followers of
Christ, we need to be followers of Christ and not of men in their deceitful
scheming. And, the only way that we are going to discern these “wolves in the
fire” is if we are walking in obedience to our Lord, listening to what He says,
and doing what He says. And, we have to daily be resisting Satan, fleeing
temptation, putting off the deeds of the flesh, and putting on the armor of
God.
Then, we will be able to discern what is good vs. what is
evil. Then, we will be able to see the “evil images in the fire,” and we will
be able to discern good sounds from those which are hypnotic and
mind-controlling. And, we will be able to discern the truths of God’s Holy Word
vs. these lies of the enemy disguised as truth. For, they do teach the
scriptures, too, but out of context. And, they ignore the bulk of teaching in
the Bible regarding our salvation and eternal life with God, too.
Don’t Be Taken In
So, don’t be taken in by the lies. Don’t be following after “strangers”
while ignoring the voice of the only True Shepherd. Don’t let “thieves and
robbers” steal away your joy in the Lord, or your eternal life with God, or God’s
holiness and righteousness. Know the truth that will set you free from your
addiction to sin, and then live that truth. And, don’t buy into the lies which
tell you that you can keep on living in sin and still go to heaven.
Seek the Lord, not all these other things or messages which
tickle your itching ears and which make you tingle inside. Remember, just
because it looks good or feels good doesn’t mean it is good. Check out what is “under
the hood.” Don’t take the “salesperson’s” word for it. Know what is making this
“vehicle” run before you “buy” into it.
Study God’s Word so that you know what it teaches instead of
taking other people’s words for what it says. But study it in context, for many
false doctrines come from scriptures taken out of context to make them say what
the “strangers” want them to say, in order to deceive naïve minds.
Seek
the Lord
An
Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based
off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
(1)
ASMR: “A feeling of well-being combined with a
tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck, as experienced
by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus, often a particular
sound.” "ASMR is triggered by things like whispering voices, paper
tearing, and scalp massage" (Source: Google Dictionary)
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