A Pound of Thoughts

I just came across this on Fox News.  I’m one of the ones who was assisted in my reading by “The Cat”.

At least three generations of Americans have fond memories of the famous rhyme — and with this year marking the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication, many took the time to celebrate and remember it.

My wife and I were just looking and reading through this book the other day.  Since she is going to be an elementary school teacher (She graduates May 2008), she has been buying books like “The Cat in the Hat”.

Born in Springfield, Mass., in 1904 to a German father and Bavarian mother (he died in 1991), Theodor Seuss Geisel began his career as a children’s writer with “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” published in 1937. Seuss gave himself the mock-scholarly “Dr.” title.

You can also send The Cat in the Hat a birthday card.  Click here to do so.  According to the article, for every birthday card sent, Project 236 will donate a book to First Book.  Project 236 is a literacy initiative started by Random House, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and First Book.  First Book provides disadvantaged children the ability to read and own their first books.

Updated 11:25 a.m. - The reason?  To get the post where I wanted to originally go. 

As you probably know, J.K. Rowling’s last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is going to be released soon.  Well, yesterday afternoon I watched John Hagee’s televised message.  It was a replay of his “Angels and Demons” series regarding witchcraft.  Well, to say the least, it got me thinking.

I must say that lately I have been curious as to what the attraction of the Harry Potter books and movies are.  I have seen all four of the movies (and plan to see the fifth one next week) and I own, but have not read, the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone.  Although parts of the movies were funny and the special effects being excellent, I still don’t see what all the fuss is about.

But I do understand one thing:  One cannot take these movies and books seriously, and should not be looking for “Christian” themes and messages in these movies or books.  Now let me tell you why.

Quoting from the Bible, Galations 5:19-21:

(19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

And here’s 2 Chronicles 33:6:

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

The emphasis is mine.  It is very plain that God does not want his children practicing any type of sorcery or witchcraft.  They are very real, and they are very dangerous.  In the fourth movie (as well as the fourth book), a professor teaches Harry and his friends “divination” - how to read tea leaves and a crystal ball.  Here’s what God had to say to the children of Israel when they were about to enter into the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 18:9-13):

(9) When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. (10) There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times [astrology], 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 unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (13) Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Satan is getting more and more clever, as well as more and more subtle.  Does God say anything about “watching” or “reading about” witchcraft?  Well, I can’t really find anything on “observing” witchcraft.

Question #1.  Is it harmless to watch Harry Potter movies and read the books? 

Those of you Christians that think it’s okay to let your kids read these books, well, that worries concerns me.  Would it be the same as you letting your kids read pornography?  Satanism books?  “How to Murder” books? 

Let me put this question to you Question #2.  Why did J.K. Rowling use witchcraft to tell her story?  If she wanted to include Christian themes, why write about something that God clearly teaches against?

Kids are very impressionable, and will adopt as truth anything they read if they’re not taught differently.  It has been widely reported that several kids have written J.K. Rowling, wanting to attend “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy”, which is the primary location in all the books.  That just proves that Satan is using these books to entice some children to believe in witchcraft.

I know this is probably a touchy subject with a lot of Christians who love the Harry Potter series, but just remember - anything that is put first and foremost above God is considered an idol and abomination - check the above scriptures…I may watch the movies and read the books, just to find out what it’s all about, but one has to be careful to not let anything like this, or Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings to become more important that God.

Yesterday, I lost seven “friends” of mine….It was kind of sad, yet happy.

They left this world (without knowing it), and entered into a whole new world.  One in which is every chapter of life is better than the previous one.

Their names are Digory, Polly, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace and Jill.  They will live forever in the real Narnia!

(Yes, I have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia, and I have finally finished it!)

Here’s my top 5 books for the Mundane Monday meme:

1. The Bible:  Simply because I love God, I’m a Christian, and it’s the best book of all time!
2. The Lord of the Rings:  A great story of good vs. evil, of true friendship, and of loyalty.
3. Four Past Midnight:  The four stories in it are great thrillers…of course, it’s Stephen King!
4. The Chamber:  This book kept me on the edge of my bed many nights, wondering if Adam Hall would save his grandfather - or if his grandfather did it at all!
5. The Hobbit:  A fun adventure for hobbits of all ages - and plus it’s by J.R.R. Tolkien.

In my daily readings book, today’s topics is winning spiritual battles.   It states, "God’s man cannot win his battles without boundaries."  It really got me thinking.  It is a very true statement.  We, as men, need to come up with a "battle plan", if you will, complete with putting on the "Armor of God".  I will be honest and say that I have lost some battles, strictly because I wasn’t prepared.  But, here’s a list from my daily reading of what boundaries we could set for ourselves.  You ready?  Here we go:

Read more »

I have also started to (re)read a book I bought a while back, entitled The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.  Today marks day one, the first chapter.  If anyone else reading this blog reads this book, please feel free to leave your comments.  Let’s share what we encounter as we read this book.

Today’s Scripture:  “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” – Colossians 1:16

Point to Ponder:  It’s not about me.

Question to Consider:  How can I remind myself today that life is really about living for God, not myself?

This question can be a difficult one to ask sometimes.  Mankind’s sinful nature dictates that everything is all about “me”.  What can “I” do?  What’s in it for “me”?  What does life owe “me”?  Well, to serve God we have to get out of this mind set.  God created us in His image, so that we might bring Him glory. 

Just look around at the the sky, the sun, the trees, the animals.  Where did they come from?  Who created them?  Not man.  Not you, not me.  God created them.  Just like He created us.  He created us so that we might come to know Him, worship Him, and praise Him.  In all things think, “What would God have me do?”  “Would this please God?”  “Would I want God seeing me do this?”  If the answer to the latter two are “No”, then stop doing what you’re doing.

However, we can’t always be perfect.  We’re not always going to be able to do a self-check before we do things.  We’re going to mess up.  That’s where God’s grace comes in.  He will forgive us, if we only ask Him.  But we have to ask, and we have to confess that we were wrong.

I guess that’s my way of remind myself that life is about living for God.

Recite this prayer from your heart:  “Father, As I begin this journey, help me to realize that building my life around myself instead of you will only lead to emptiness and meaninglessness.  I was made by you and for you, and I want to discover my purpose in you.  In Your name, Amen.”