STUMBLING

Harry Potter

STUMBLE: proskopto, 1. of Israel in regard to Christ, whose Person, teaching, and atoning death, and the gospel relating thereto, were contrary to all their ideas as to the means of righteousness before God. 2. of a brother in the Lord in acting against the dictates of his conscience.

"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended or is made weak." Romans 14:21

In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches of the straight gate and the narrow way. He says few even find it. Isn't that just a bit disconcerting. Few even find it, much less enter and walk the way. With His way right in front of us in the Word of God and with the Holy Ghost to guide, why do so many refuse to see it? So many refuse to take the time to get to know their Saviour and His will for our lives.

Well, i am taking the time and i have found something convicting in Romans 14:21. There is a big flap going on about the Harry Potter series and JK Rowling calling one of the main characters gay. Here is my take on it all.

There is the surface issue dealing with the non-believers such as JK Rowling herself and the deeper issue for the believers and followers of Jesus. i will address the non-believers first. Non-believers are just that, non-believers, their hearts are unregenerate (Romans 2:5) in the Lord, and they live in the sin nature that came into the world with Adam and Eve. They cannot help being sinners, that is who they are and will be until they come to Jesus. Like a dog barks because he is a dog, a sinner sins because he is a sinner. JK Rowling unleashed the filth of the sinful homosexual lifestyle on the public because she has justified it as being ok, she is a sinner, living in the sin nature. Sinners diminish the standard of righteousness so much that they can justify their sin. They can justify just about anything. Remember, that as Christians we are called to love and be moved to compassion for the sheep with no shepherd such as JK Rowling and people living the homosexual lifestyle. There is no room for hate in the Christians life except for Satan, the only one who cannot be saved, and is leading the world to Hell in subtle and not so subtle ways.

Ok, that said, we have the believers. i am going to use myself as an example because i just learned firsthand something from God. i owned before i left home, the complete set of Harry Potter books. i have read every one and seen all the movies that have come out. i have always enjoyed fictional fantasy like Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, The 4400, Harry Potter. i have always looked at them as classic good and evil struggles and battles. i was never convicted in my heart that there was anything wrong with it. i never had the urge to go out and get a light saber, or use mind control or do witchcraft. BUT, and herein lies the rub, there are some young people i am aware of who look up to me, look to me as an example of a Christian in this world of today. This world today has so much more negative influence than when i was a kid in the 50's and 60's. i realize that these kids do try out stuff and some try to put fantasy to the test. That is not ok and i cannot be a part of that. So, with regards to Harry Potter, i have repented of my sin in being a part this negative influence and have asked for and now stand before a loving God in forgiveness. i will not help our kids to stumble. i will not see our kids make role models of sinful people such as JK Rowling. Or having them reading fantasy where the author in a sinful mind cannot come up with anything better than the best character being homosexual.

Satan is subtle folks, you will hear people saying "my little boy never read before, now he is reading up a storm" or "homosexuality is a lifestyle choice." Sin is Sin and if you follow Jesus and truly know Him, you know sin. The world is a sinful place full of the deceptions of Satan. Do not be fooled, do not diminish God's standard of righteousness for anyone or anything. The way truly is narrow and the gate straight, and as you grow to know Jesus, it gets narrower. But, it also is freeing, it is a joyful freedom to follow Jesus Christ. You are His and He is yours for eternity. An eternity that begins right here, right now on earth, right where you sit reading this. ".....on earth as it is in heaven...." Matthew 6 The power, righteousness, perfection of our living God is yours right now to live here on earth. How awesome is that? Praise God. All Glory be to Him forever and ever. Amen.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Believers, "having their conscience seared with a hot iron," means a diminished sensitivity, desensitized to the things of God. These are the latter times and it will get worse. Get to know God through His word now so you can stand in these times. Satan is working overtime, we need to work harder. Do not leave your faith for anything, ever.

GET INTO GOD'S WORD AND GOD'S WORD WILL GET INTO YOU