I was watching television one day when they began to show The College World Series baseball game. Almost immediately the fans of one of the teams was shown. They were wearing bananas on their heads "for luck." I could hardly believe what I was seeing them do!
They showed the dugout where the baseball players from this team were also wearing bananas on their heads for luck! These were grown men, college level.
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Several times, I have been at dinner with people when they began to click their drink glasses together, I think "for luck". I just sit there and make no effort to join them as they do this.
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On New Year's Day, in the United States, people often eat black eyed peas "for luck".
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People often consider certain numbers to be "lucky" or "unlucky".
The 13th floor is often eliminated in certain elevators and buildings because of superstitions.
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Superstitions are a type of witchcraft, thinking to bring luck, good or bad, upon a person.
I Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
I Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft (practicing superstitions), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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.
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I see fans at football games on TV doing strange things with their fingers, thinking to curse the kicker on the opponent's team as he tries to make a field goal or touchdown.
Football players often cross themselves for "luck". When things go badly they don't seem to recall that crossing themselves didn't have any positive effect at all. There is no power in making the sign of the cross on yourself, because God didn't tell us to do this thing in the Bible. It is just a superstition some men added to the gathering of the church. To practice such things not told us by God in the Bible is to practice a form of idolatry. For that is what idolatry is: To put things into the church which are not specified in the Bible and to cause church goers to do such things.
There are many superstitions in the churches today: lighting of candles, setting up graven images, crossing yourself with "holy water"(not in New Testament), wearing of religious medallions and crosses
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I find it shocking to see Christians going to graveyards to decorate graves!
My cousin's husband died. She told me she was going out to cemetery to decorate Thurman's grave.
I replied, "Why? Who are you trying to impress? Thurman is asleep and can't see you, so who is it you are trying to impress?"
She grew very quite as she thought about what I said.
Then she said, "Then it doesn't matter where we are buried."
"That's right!" I replied.
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The pagans of today's world do many strange things. We, as Christians, should think about that which we are doing, conforming ourselves to scripture.
The apostle Paul said:
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Lazarus died. Jesus told HIS disciples that Lazarus "sleepeth". The disciples thought this meant Lazarus was taking his rest in sleep and they thought this was a good thing. Then Jesus said plainly to them, Lazarus is dead. (John 11:14)
Death is simply a falling asleep. And when Jesus returns, those in Christ will be awaken by HIS voice and by the trump of God, and they will arise from that sleep and be with Jesus.
We, who are of God, believe in the resurrection of the dead through Jesus. Therefore we have no need to sorrow over death as the pagans of this world, who have no hope, sorrow.
We do not participate with them in their foolishness.
We have been freed by God from such things.
We do not cling to the past. We do as Paul said to do.
Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:
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My mother delighted in horoscope books. Each month she purchased the new horoscope magazine and read my horoscope to me.
After I was born again, I visited her home and when I opened the cabinet in her kitchen, I saw a set of horoscope mugs that I had given her before I was born again.
I got a bag and began removing those mugs from the cabinet.
My mother saw me doing this and said, "Stop. What are you doing? I want to keep those. You gave those to me."
I didn't say a word. I just filled the garbage bag with the horoscope mugs. Then I took them to the dumpster in the alley, broke the mugs, and left them in the dumpster.
I returned to the house and took a Bible and read the following scripture aloud to my mother.
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, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
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.
Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
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After I read this to my mother, she said, "Then I guess we'd better not do that anymore."
I'm certain my mother was born again when she accepted the truth of God's word in this matter.
After leaving for the city where I lived at that time, I received a letter from my uncle. He said to me, "Your mother has changed. She has really changed!"
That is what being born again is about.
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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