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Part of this life as a Christ follower is being able to walk through it and keep yourself from being spotted by it for the Lord's glory. In fact in James 1:27 it tells us what is pure religion:
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
How do we keep ourselves form being spotted up by the fallen world you ask? We must test all things with a discerning mind.
Hebrews 5:14 says this:
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
If we then exercise the knowledge we have gained from the Word we can discern good from evil.
Now your ask yourself, what does this have to do with paganism and pets?
From our study of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 we see these commands:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me
Are you aware that in the past there were many cultures that practiced paganism in that they either worshipped the earth itself (known as Gaia worship) or they worshipped animal gods. The Egyptians were known for their worship of cats among other animals. Now it is true that worship is in fact the act of bowing down and worshipping a false god but people today don't bow to worship but they do cast their affections/time on what they idolize (pro sports, material things, pets etc). If anything takes more of our time, love and money off of God and His Ways it is a form of idolatry. We know that our God is a jealous God and when we begin to lift up things in our lives more than the time with and on Him as the true Living God; it can indeed be a form of worship which would be very sinful indeed.
We raise the pet issue here as we have heard some very amazing facts we thought we would share with you that may be likened to a form of paganism we may not see unless we look deeper and see the spiritual issues. (People today are dead to the truth of God but very open to many new age, unbiblical things)
*Did you know that American dog and cat owners today spend over $60 billion dollars a year on them? That is more than the gross domestic product of half of the worlds nations! (this is not just food but doggy day care, toys, jewel collars, spas and even pet health care insurance)
*Also, are you aware that in our culture pets have risen to the human like status of being called part of the family, thought of as children, they get put in wills, they have lawyers in the courts and some are even asking that they be given personhood status legally.
*There are even divorce cases where people battle for alimony/visitation rights over a cat!
*In a recent pet owner survey 48% said they would choose their pet over a person if they had to go live on a deserted island.
*In the same survey 58% of the pet owners said they would risk their life to save a pets life. Why does this matter to us believers? Does God's Word tell us keep ourselves unspotted from the world's ways? Does it say to not have false idols in our lives? What does it say about how God created man in His image and that He gave us animals for our use and now man elevates them to a human status? If we look closer at this common lifestyle today that is a form of rebellion/paganism the pet issue brings; we can see it mirrors many terrible ills in our society.
Proverbs 16:25
We are living in a day when human babies are killed by the multi millions thru abortion but we have special places where we try to save stray dogs and cats. We are living in an age when people rarely have time to read and know their Holy bible or give quality attention to our God and children are often ignored but many are glued to an animal that they lavish with love and special affection for hours a day. Can you believe you live in an age where they are talking about putting old people or handicapped children to sleep (euthanizing is killing) yet people will keep an old dog around spending thousands of dollars so they do not have to put it down humanely. We have day care for small children and doggy day care for the pets! We see a culture where violence on humans is rampant daily to the point that people view it for fun/pleasure (tv/movies) yet few even try to reach out to help anyone, but mention someone abusing a cute little puppy and they are ready to move a mountain to get justice for it. We think you see our point here. The wisdom and ability to discern and see what is good and true has been lost by the masses. Having left God they are now adrift in the world with no compass for what is right and they are following lies.
It was not that long ago that dogs were just an outside tool for security, farm and ranch work. In just a few short years (the last 50-75 years) they are been raised to a almost human like status with many now sharing their humans bed! Experts say it is happening as people use technology to communicate and people now crave the emotional connections animals give them. People often say they are the pets mom and dad and this is quite amazing don't you agree? When a culture leaves the protection of God's Word and Ways this is what we see... total foolishness. It is a form of paganism in that many are lifting the creation (pets) up above the Creator God. The bible speaks of this.
See Romans 1
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
The point is this; as followers of Christ we must be careful that we do not practice/adopt the world's ways and that we see clear and thru all forms of pagan/unbiblical activity that will smear of witness and anger our Lord. What we are trying to tell you is that this strange behavior is just a small piece of evidence that this culture is very far gone from truth and God's Ways. Don't be naïve here. The balance of wisdom has slipped so far and people are ready to embrace just about anything that makes then feel good inside vs what is true and right in God's Word. The worship of the earth/animals is not that unconceivable when you see what is happening around us today. In fact, that form of religion (wicca/gaia) is one of the fastest growing in the world. They believe all things are God. The bible speaks of a day when they world will have one religion that unites everyone under and to then worship a evil antichrist leader. We believe these forms of paganism (unbiblical worship) could unite all non Christian people to become part of that false system in the last days.
see Revelation 13
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Please don't be deceived. Paganism is wrong and pets are just another part of the amazing world God has given us. He must get all the glory for them and our everyday focused on Him or we are stealing the glory only He deserves.
You must discern and reject all ways that leave His truth using the Holy Word. No matter how small you may think it is; anything outside of His Word is a lie and we are called to truth, amen?
See Rev 22:14-15....
Don't be caught up in the foolishness of this fallen age where people are lifting up animals as humans and then they teach children in public schools that humans are only animals via evolution.
Part of this life as a Christ follower is being able to walk through it and keep yourself from being spotted by it for the Lord's glory. In fact in James 1:27 it tells us what is pure religion:
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
How do we keep ourselves form being spotted up by the fallen world you ask? We must test all things with a discerning mind.
Hebrews 5:14 says this:
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
If we then exercise the knowledge we have gained from the Word we can discern good from evil.
Now your ask yourself, what does this have to do with paganism and pets?
From our study of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 we see these commands:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me
Are you aware that in the past there were many cultures that practiced paganism in that they either worshipped the earth itself (known as Gaia worship) or they worshipped animal gods. The Egyptians were known for their worship of cats among other animals. Now it is true that worship is in fact the act of bowing down and worshipping a false god but people today don't bow to worship but they do cast their affections/time on what they idolize (pro sports, material things, pets etc). If anything takes more of our time, love and money off of God and His Ways it is a form of idolatry. We know that our God is a jealous God and when we begin to lift up things in our lives more than the time with and on Him as the true Living God; it can indeed be a form of worship which would be very sinful indeed.
We raise the pet issue here as we have heard some very amazing facts we thought we would share with you that may be likened to a form of paganism we may not see unless we look deeper and see the spiritual issues. (People today are dead to the truth of God but very open to many new age, unbiblical things)
*Did you know that American dog and cat owners today spend over $60 billion dollars a year on them? That is more than the gross domestic product of half of the worlds nations! (this is not just food but doggy day care, toys, jewel collars, spas and even pet health care insurance)
*Also, are you aware that in our culture pets have risen to the human like status of being called part of the family, thought of as children, they get put in wills, they have lawyers in the courts and some are even asking that they be given personhood status legally.
*There are even divorce cases where people battle for alimony/visitation rights over a cat!
*In a recent pet owner survey 48% said they would choose their pet over a person if they had to go live on a deserted island.
*In the same survey 58% of the pet owners said they would risk their life to save a pets life. Why does this matter to us believers? Does God's Word tell us keep ourselves unspotted from the world's ways? Does it say to not have false idols in our lives? What does it say about how God created man in His image and that He gave us animals for our use and now man elevates them to a human status? If we look closer at this common lifestyle today that is a form of rebellion/paganism the pet issue brings; we can see it mirrors many terrible ills in our society.
Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
We are living in a day when human babies are killed by the multi millions thru abortion but we have special places where we try to save stray dogs and cats. We are living in an age when people rarely have time to read and know their Holy bible or give quality attention to our God and children are often ignored but many are glued to an animal that they lavish with love and special affection for hours a day. Can you believe you live in an age where they are talking about putting old people or handicapped children to sleep (euthanizing is killing) yet people will keep an old dog around spending thousands of dollars so they do not have to put it down humanely. We have day care for small children and doggy day care for the pets! We see a culture where violence on humans is rampant daily to the point that people view it for fun/pleasure (tv/movies) yet few even try to reach out to help anyone, but mention someone abusing a cute little puppy and they are ready to move a mountain to get justice for it. We think you see our point here. The wisdom and ability to discern and see what is good and true has been lost by the masses. Having left God they are now adrift in the world with no compass for what is right and they are following lies.
It was not that long ago that dogs were just an outside tool for security, farm and ranch work. In just a few short years (the last 50-75 years) they are been raised to a almost human like status with many now sharing their humans bed! Experts say it is happening as people use technology to communicate and people now crave the emotional connections animals give them. People often say they are the pets mom and dad and this is quite amazing don't you agree? When a culture leaves the protection of God's Word and Ways this is what we see... total foolishness. It is a form of paganism in that many are lifting the creation (pets) up above the Creator God. The bible speaks of this.
See Romans 1
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
The point is this; as followers of Christ we must be careful that we do not practice/adopt the world's ways and that we see clear and thru all forms of pagan/unbiblical activity that will smear of witness and anger our Lord. What we are trying to tell you is that this strange behavior is just a small piece of evidence that this culture is very far gone from truth and God's Ways. Don't be naïve here. The balance of wisdom has slipped so far and people are ready to embrace just about anything that makes then feel good inside vs what is true and right in God's Word. The worship of the earth/animals is not that unconceivable when you see what is happening around us today. In fact, that form of religion (wicca/gaia) is one of the fastest growing in the world. They believe all things are God. The bible speaks of a day when they world will have one religion that unites everyone under and to then worship a evil antichrist leader. We believe these forms of paganism (unbiblical worship) could unite all non Christian people to become part of that false system in the last days.
see Revelation 13
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Please don't be deceived. Paganism is wrong and pets are just another part of the amazing world God has given us. He must get all the glory for them and our everyday focused on Him or we are stealing the glory only He deserves.
You must discern and reject all ways that leave His truth using the Holy Word. No matter how small you may think it is; anything outside of His Word is a lie and we are called to truth, amen?
See Rev 22:14-15....
Don't be caught up in the foolishness of this fallen age where people are lifting up animals as humans and then they teach children in public schools that humans are only animals via evolution.
Let us know if we can help you.
God be praised!
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See our resources below...
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