Christians, Crystals and Tarot Cards - “Hybrid” faith (oxymoron) exposed.
As both a member of this “there are many ways to God” society and as a therapist I am often hearing references to astrology, tarot card readings, channeling the “ancestors,” going to mediums to speak to deceased loved ones, setting up shrines with idols and images– all in the name of getting answers, clarity, hope or direction. In my prior work settings, given it was not a Christian counseling environment, I couldn't do much but smile and nod. But alas, I’m on my own turf now. Game on.
Ladies and gentlemen, here are the questions I am posing AND responding to: As a Christian, one who professes faith in Jesus and belief in His Word, can you mix your morning devotion time with your daily astrology reading? Can you have a little tarot card pile and a few crystals alongside your Bible? Can you pray to the Lord and call on the ancestors? Is it so wrong to drop by that little fortune teller booth at the town fair just for kicks and giggles-knowing “I don't really believe in that stuff anyway so…it's ok! It’s just for fun!”
You tell me. Or better yet, let’s let the Word do the talking. Just a weeeee bit of scripture since we have the nerve to wonder if God has anything to say about this….
Please note for all scriptures below, anything highlighted/italicized/underlined- the emphasis is mine
“For only a fool would trade the unfading splendor of the immortal God to worship the fading image of other humans, idols made to look like people, animals, birds, and even creeping reptiles!” Romans 1:23
“Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” Exodus 20:23
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” Psalm 115:4-8
“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.” Habakkuk 2:18
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.” Isaiah 8:19-22 & 44:9-20
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-20
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.” 1 Chronicles 10:13
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.” 2 Chronicles 33:6
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” & “I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.” Leviticus 19:31 and 20:6-7
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”Revelation 21:8
Is that enough? There are more, but I think you get the picture. Saints- you either trust God alone or you don’t trust Him at all. The world has every reason to be consulting these fake sources - cards, mediums, ouija boards and random idols etc. for their answers- they don’t have Jesus! But we as believers should NEVER be caught trying to mix faith and fiction. You read it plain as day- you’re a fool if you do so, you are condemning yourself, you’re arousing God's anger, you’re being unfaithful to Him and insulting His sovereignty. And for what? Why are we looking to the stars when the CREATOR of the stars is accessible ? No- I don’t care what my or your sign is. My sign is the sign of the cross - period. Some animal and my date of birth do not play into my destiny and anyone who is led astray by that nonsense is exactly as God stated - a fool.
The only reason a Christian would be caught with any of these counterfeit elements is because they are either ignorant of the truth and the purity of trust that God requires which shows a lack of discipleship and guidance, or, they simply don’t want to wait on the truth of God's word to be revealed, they want some quick answers, some control over their “information.” Or they simply don’t recognize the danger of letting ANYONE or anything pretend to stand in God's supreme and HIM ONLY space of having all answers for all things. The Bible says that the “secret things belong to the Lord” (Deut. 29:29) and therefore we are simply not privy to all of His knowledge nor could we handle it. Did we already forget the fate of our TRUE ancestors, Adam and Eve, who decided to play God, ignore His warning and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? What did the devil use to trip them up? DOUBT in Gods sovereignty and ultimate wisdom (“did God really say..”Gen 3:1) He tried turning Gods safe boundary into a sign of mistrust and severed access to some “greater enlightenment” and power they both didn’t need nor could they handle. They traded unlimited access to God's loving constant presence and provision for the cheapness of information overload and the introduction of shame and distance from the Lord. And what did they gain? An eviction from the beauty of Eden into the rotten smelly evil-filled place we STILL call home today. You happy now, Adam and Eve? Was it worth it? Child of God- is it worth it?
Now I know I have clients who mention these “avenues” as a means of gaining truth, gaining peace for their anxiety, direction for their day or meaning to their complex emotions. I don’t condemn their pursuit - it’s logical. We were born with a need for truth, purpose and peace - and guess what? JESUS IS THE ANSWER ALL BY HIMSELF! He needs no aid. The ancestors can rest in peace. Leave them alone. Go pray to the Lord instead. He’s actually ALIVE and can hear and answer you- if you’re willing to listen and obey.
As far as the witches, fortune tellers of today- if I ever needed a reason to discredit them all it’s that not one of them got on a loudspeaker and told us COVID was coming. If you’re so powerful- you failed then. Guess what? The Bible says clearly however that in the end times there will be “deadly and devastating pestilences” aka diseases (Luke 21:11) among other things that we’re already seeing so technically we Christians should have called it, or at the very least not be shocked and full of fear when it happened- but I digress …
Anyway- what does the Bible say about what SHOULD happen when people who once walked in the darkness of these “alternatives” to true faith?
Acts 19:17-20 “When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”
If the astrologists of that day recognized Jesus as supreme and burned their materials in deference to God's authority as truth, what the heck are we doing continuing to entertain this falsehood - calling it some eclectic innocent hodgepodge of faith avenues? What?!
The devil is a master manipulator of truth and a professional counterfeit. He started off in the presence of the Lord, remember? So of course you can go to a random astrologist/ fortune teller, lay your cards open to your “horrorscope” and likely find some “truth” there. Of course the palm reader will see your failed relationship or dead uncle saying he loves you. Of course! The enemy isn’t a total idiot. He will do just enough to keep you coming to his empty well of fake news to water down your trust in God just a bit. He doesn’t need miles- inches will do. Just remember his name - Lucifer- the shining one or morning star. But let us be clear - there is only ONE true star of heaven and that is Jesus Christ. The devil can only mimic God's light but he isn’t IT. He will subtly pull you in and slay you in an instant. His only job is to steal, kill, and destroy. As I’ve quoted from a preacher I heard once- stop playing with the devil because he is NOT playing with you.
So- are we ready to answer the original questions? The answer to them all is a resounding, solid, unequivocal NO! No, you may not blend your profane with God's holy. You’re playing with fire- and you WILL get burned.
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15 NLT
