Reasons to Believe

The world feels louder, smaller, and more brutal by the day, and a lot of people are coping by checking out spiritually, building DIY belief systems, or deciding God must not be real. We push back on that drift with a simple claim: God doesn’t change, even when your finances collapse, disease shows up at your door, relationships fracture, or grief knocks the wind out of you. If you’ve ever thought “God didn’t answer me,” “God took someone I loved,” or “I’m not worthy,” this conversation is for you.

We take a hard look at why people walk away from Christian faith and what those reasons reveal about our view of prayer, suffering, and control. We talk about treating God like a waiter, bargaining instead of building relationship, and how Scripture frames prayer as faith-filled seeking and alignment with God’s will. We also sit with loss and mourning, naming the ache of feeling abandoned while pointing to biblical promises of comfort for the brokenhearted.

From there, we confront the messy history people blame on “religion,” including violence done in God’s name and the way politics can weaponize Christian language. We also address the rise of “spiritual but not religious” practices like sage burning, manifestation, astrology, Wicca, and other forms of divination, explaining why the Bible calls these paths dangerous spiritual counterfeits. We end with the core gospel claim: real freedom, moral clarity, and eternal life come through Jesus Christ, not self-worship.

Listen, share with someone who’s struggling, and if this brings you clarity, subscribe and leave a review. What’s the biggest reason you’ve seen people lose faith?

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Truth Drips | Motivational

Transcript

Welcome And A World In Distress

Dina LaFargue Augustin 0:00

Greetings and welcome to another episode of the Drip Line, Healing for Your Soul. A place where one can contemplate the relevance of life, the purpose of one's life, discover answers to some of life's most common questions about self, destiny, and God, and hopefully find solace and a sense of peace in a world engulfed with disorder, violence, and confusion. Some people feel that life isn't worth living. Some will say all is not lost. Some people have lost all hope and others struggle to find meaning, purpose, and a sense of belonging. Others are living well and oblivious to others' suffering, while others see only the good in people and never the bad. All of these perspectives and positions are endless and varied, but there is one thing that never changes despite the times, our feelings, our emotions, despite leadership, presidents, bosses and jobs, circumstances, partners and spouses, or even perspectives, and that is God. God is the one constant that will always be, believer or not. God is the unchanging, unmovable, unshakable, everlasting force, all-powerful, and the all-knowing God that remains the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. Scripture says it in Hebrews 13, 8. And that is his promise. In Malachi chapter 3, verse 6, he says, For I the Lord do not change. Therefore, you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. I am going in this direction today because it is obvious that the world is becoming smaller,

God As The One Constant

Dina LaFargue Augustin 1:56

people are becoming more distressed, finances are being challenged more than ever. Disease and cancer seem to be the new epidemic of the day, becoming more common than the common cold. People are drifting in and out of faith, people are turning to devices of divination and witchcraft to help them in their situations and to find answers to the mystery of life, or they're just making up their own systems of belief. In all, everybody wants the same thing to live a better life. Now, in past episodes, I spoke on the issue of self-medicating with extramarital affairs and the disordered use of sex, whether it be with a partner, friend, or stranger, or those that even profit from sex trafficking and prostitution, to those that dominate, manipulate, and control others through domestic and intimate partner violence, whether straight or gay. I've talked about it all, and how our confusion about our own identities and how our own lack within causes us to participate in things and do things that are only destructive, even though temporarily they might seem satisfying. The bottom line or the end of the matter is that outcomes and expectations will always be less than without God, less than what they could be, less than what they should be, and void of perfection without the consultation and intervention of the Lord God Almighty. When we depend on our own logic, emotions, and theories, and deploy our own tactics based on those things, we will always reach a less than outcome, a less than ultimate result. What might seem good enough at that moment, what might feel satisfactory, what might prove to be pivotal, pivotal and successful is really an illusion if God is not part of it. One might say that it's a pretty strong statement that I'm making based on my own fiction and imagination or fantasy, but I tell you, God is real and to be sought after and to be lived for and in. He is really a true phenomena that most people I've spoken to that don't believe in God in the Christian Judeo God would base their opinion and position on the following. So take the ride with me down this list. It's quite a list, and I probably missed a few. But as simply as possible, I'll address each position because how you are and where you are and where you put your faith matters. No faith is faith in nothing being real. And I hope that in this list and in this process, believe it or not, something will quicken your spirit and cause you to reflect on the God of

Common Reasons People Reject God

Dina LaFargue Augustin 5:09

all creation and your position with or without God. The first, well, God didn't answer me in the time of need. So I'm ticked off. I'm mad. This person turns away from God. He can't be real if he didn't do what you wanted him to do, or what you thought he should have done in the time you allotted for him to respond. The next position, tragedy struck. Someone died, and now you find yourself alone. You feel abandoned and betrayed by God and the person who died on you, who left you too soon. You say God should have known how much I loved and needed that person in my life. So, to this person, God is cruel and uncaring, especially when it seems in life that bad guys always win or live too long. The next position, I'm afraid God will reject me, so I'd rather just leave Him alone. I'm not worthy, so I'm not gonna take the chance of being rejected by Him, too. The next position. I'm not a religious person because religion has destroyed the world and caused so much grief and wars. The next person, I'd rather be more spiritual. I don't want to be a part of these religious systems that create problems for people that are prejudiced and elitist or only serve a certain group. I'd rather be spiritual and practice yoga and Tai Chi. I'd rather burn sage and take care of my own household and keep evil spirits away. Or maybe I'll just practice Wicca and bring some goodness into somebody's life. Maybe I'll just put them all together. The next position? Well, that person says, I believe in a greater power, but I don't believe Jesus is real or necessary. I think he's just an imaginary fictional figure. But that person might still believe in Socrates and Alexander the Great, who have less evidence of existence. The next person, I'm a nature lover, and I love being in harmony with nature. And I believe as long as I'm in harmony with the world, all is well. This person also believes that all religions lead to the same end, and whatever one believes is okay as long as they believe and are not harming anyone else. The next position says, Well, I'm a good and moral person, and that's all that matters. I don't believe there's an afterlife after death, so nothing really matters beyond that, beyond me treating everyone well. The next position says, I'm a free spirit and I'll do what I want to satisfy myself. I will live my way of life and I will think the way I want to think, and I will mind my own business. Anyway, who can believe in an invisible God that can't be proven? I'm my own God and I have the power through positive affirmations to make everything I need happen, and anything I want, I can cause it to manifest. This is also the person that practices their own faith and says, Hey, if everyone is for the betterment of life, so am I. Who's to say that there is only one way? The list is quite long, and I'm sure I've missed a few. But again, as simply as possible, I'll try to dissect each in more detail. So take the ride with me. The first one. How do you know God didn't answer you? Well, how would you know if you do not have a true relationship with God? Most people that turn away from God have turned away because they feel their prayers are never answered. Most people I have listened to make demands on God without even having a real relationship with Him because they only pray when in need. Some people pray, yes, in desperation, young or old, but in the end they really have no intention of communing with God after the problem or dilemma has been solved. We like to bargain and set terms on God,

When Prayer Feels Unanswered

Dina LaFargue Augustin 9:34

but he is the one that is supposed to be supreme. Yet we come to him as if he is a waiter writing down our orders, giving them to the head chef, and then serving it on a platter to us just like that. But God doesn't work like that. And in that process, did we ever consider who God really is or what he desires of us? Have we ever bothered to go beyond what we know and search his heart on a matter or about our lives? So we make our demands, believing because he says he is love and because we have heard that he is merciful, that our demands will be met as we expect them to be. But don't give up because God does answer prayer. Psalm 34, verse 17 says, The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them, he delivers them from all their troubles. You see, this verse emphasizes that God is attentive to us, but even more attentive to the righteous, and we are made righteous through our relationship with Christ Jesus. I cannot deny that fact. 1 John chapter 5, verse 14 reads, This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. This verse highlights the importance of understanding who God is and what His will is for our lives. And Isaiah chapter 65, verse 24 reads, Before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear. Now this verse demonstrates that God knows exactly what we need before we even speak to him. God is proactive and involved and ready to help us in our time of need. And in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6, it says, And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. The key word is earnestly seeking him, with a pure heart, with sincerity, and a genuine desire to be in relationship with God. All of these verses collectively affirm that prayer is a powerful means, that prayer is a conduit to the throne room of God's grace. Prayer tied with faith is a means of communication with God who listens, responds, and provides according to his wisdom and love. Trust, faith, and alignment with his will are essential to experiencing the assurance that prayers are heard and answered. So, if you say that God didn't answer prayer and that's your reason for not believing, that's not enough. The next position: when tragedy strikes, we turn away because we're hurt. Our friend, our spouse, our parent might be gone. Now what? We feel unheard, rejected, and abandoned. Sometimes we feel forlorn and desolate and without another way. Our plans might have been shattered because of the loss. Our best friend and confidant might be gone, our ride or die is no longer with us, our loving spouse or our co-parent has died. And who are we without them? Who do we go to without them? Sometimes we feel like the person themselves betrayed

Grief And Turning Away After Loss

Dina LaFargue Augustin 13:10

us and failed us in their death. We feel abandoned many times by them and God. We would say, how could God do that? And the non-believer might say, "If there was a God why didn't he protect that person, heal them or save them? Maybe that person will be alive because if they weren't supposed to die, then God would have taken care of it. But I assure you, it's not like that. That everything God allows is in love, in his perfect love, out of his love, even if it's not in his perfect will. Now, mind you, God's perfect will was trampled upon when Adam and Eve sinned against God and their own positions in the garden. God never errs, we have to remember that. God is merciful, we have to remember that. God is love and he is perfect in his love. God never denies the best for us because he would then be denying himself. He cannot betray his own character. There are times and seasons to everything under the sun, and although it is a hard thing to endure, yes, losing a loved one is one of the hardest things we endure in life, but we must turn to God and not away from him. We can find comfort in him. He holds on to us and we should hold on to HIm. There is no help or hope living in anger and bitterness when someone dies. Yes, sorrow and pain are very real, and a loss can be very traumatic; however, living in denial and refusing to move beyond the loss is only a detriment to one's future and the future of any loved ones that are near and dear to us that remain. In tragedy and in losses, we often might find ourselves living in and maintaining a position contrary to God's will and love towards us, but we have to fight for the faith. We have to remember God has a life ordained for us, that He wants us to live for Him, for His glory, and for our benefit. Matthew chapter 5, verse 4 says, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Psalm 73, verse 26 says, My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 34, verse 18 reads, The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34 is one of my favorite psalms. And Psalm 147 verse 3, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up all their wounds. Please, meditate on these and think on these if you have lost a loved one in the recent past or even long ago and still find yourself not overcoming. Now, the next position is the position of those that flat out reject God because of their own sin, or those that feel unlovable and unworthy because they've been rejected, abused, or misused by someone or by many, or feel like they are failures due to multiple failed or unsuccessful endeavors. They just feel worthless because how could they be worthy if they're always suffering at the hands of someone else or always failing? But believe in God because He always believes in us. God does not reject us, God loves us eternally and forever. God accepts us as we are.

Shame Unworthiness And God’s Love

Dina LaFargue Augustin 17:06

So that other lie, being unworthy, can be further from the truth. There are also those that have committed so many atrocities and crimes that they believe God would never receive them or forgive them, that God does not have a heart for them, them being wretched and criminally inclined. But again, the devil is a liar. God may hate the sin, but he loves the sinner, and it is never too late. Ephesians chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 read, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him, in love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. What does all of that mean? God made us. It means God loves us no matter where we are in life, no matter what we have done in life. His love for us is forever. He predestined us to be born and to know him and to receive Christ. It is us and to us, not him. He is always willing. It is we who deny or turn away first, never him. Remember that! It is us who turn away. But his love is for us. It is for us and it is towards us. Romans chapter 8, verses 38 and 39 read, for I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing at all stops his love. Nothing at all prevents his love. He is love. And it is his love that deals with our faults, our failings, our rejection. But nothing will snatch us away from him. It is our own rejection of him, our own rejection of ourselves that causes us to feel alone and rejected by him. The words in this verse go deeper than our own limited thinking and beyond our own frail emotions. God is telling us nothing in him and nothing created in the universe, for nothing exists outside of it anyway, or without God, can separate us from the love of God. Nothing at all seen, nothing at all unseen, nothing beyond our own humanity, nothing spiritual or powerful can do that. Nothing. So it is our own weakness that causes us to believe and feel in error. Do not trust emotion or wrong thinking. Trust in God and in his word. Know who God is and know his heart. The next position says, I don't believe because I'm not religious. I don't believe in religion. Religion is for the dogs. Religion has caused wars and death. Why do I want to be part of something so destructive and divisive? Well, listen carefully. God did not call himself a religion. No, not at all. It is mankind that divides the religions of the world. God created two people, Adam and Eve, and in creating those two people, he created a family. A family where he infused or imputed authority, power, and love. He created them in his image to rule over all things created in the earthly

Religion Violence And Human Corruption

Dina LaFargue Augustin 20:51

dimension. The rest is history. The rest is our doing. Sometimes, no, not really sometimes, but all the time, every time we have a doubt or question, we must do some real and true exploration and research to really find out who God is. We cannot and should never rely on conjecture, someone else's or our own opinions or beliefs without looking beyond. We must back up what we say and believe. Because God can be proven, God can be felt, God can be touched, heard, tasted, experienced beyond words on a page, beyond a book, beyond words spoken in a sermon or two. Now it may take only one of those sermons to prove him or one reading to do so. And for some it may take more, but it really depends on your own ability and desire to feel and hear truth and to know that he is real. So we have to know why all of these religions exist and who created them. That's key listeners! We do have to do some studying and research. For the word says our ignorance will indeed kill us. It doesn't really take much to figure it out if you just take a little time. All religions are real, but all religions do not lead to the one true God, the one of all creation that holds all life in his hands and has a place of peace and power in this life and the next for each one of us, depending on if we accept him or not. You will know, they will know. We must know why all the wars have existed because of religion. Once you know this, you will know why genocide was so prevalent in certain times in the name of religion. It was not God, it was men who used the name of God to fulfill their own purposes. You see, there is a devil and he fights against us and he fights through us. He uses us. Some would say that God endorsed and perpetrated many uh genocidal acts in the name of colonialism or imperialism. But was that really God or elitist trying to indulge themselves or fulfill a fantasy of manifest destiny? Or was it racist dogma? Christianity has been used as a tool to kill and commit genocide. But if you look closely, many of those atrocities were not directives of God. They were failures of mankind to trust and know God. They were exploits of greed and mercantilism, not in the true desire to bring Jesus to the nations in love. No, the devil was in the mix. And wherever we go, the devil is always busy. And he indeed did a good job of polluting the name of Jesus, making him a white man's God at the expense of people of color, all for the sake of greed and territory and power. Instead, people were taught to hate Christ because they were oppressed in his name. And on the other hand, there are those religions whose doctrines do say destroy the unbeliever and the infidel on behalf of the faith. In the library, no one must kill in the name of God under Catholic culture's quote of Pope Paul II in 1993 concerning Albania. He says, True religious freedom shuns the temptation to intolerance and sectarianism and promotes attitudes of respect and constructive dialogue. We cannot deny that intolerance toward those with different religious convictions is a particularly insidious enemy, one which today is being witnessed in various areas of the world. All believers must be particularly vigilant so that in living out with conviction our religious and ethical code, we may always express the mystery we intend to honor. This means that all those forms which present a distorted use of religion must be firmly refuted as false since they are unworthy of God or humanity. Authentic religion is a source of peace and not of violence. No one must use the name of God to commit violence. To kill in the name of God is a grave sacrilege. To discriminate in the name of God is inhuman. Seen in this light, the article continues: religious freedom is not a right which can be guaranteed solely by existing legislation, although laws are necessary. Rather, religious freedom is a shared space like this one, an atmosphere of respect and cooperation that must be built with everyone's participation, even those who have no religious convictions. Allow me to outline two attitudes which can be especially helpful in the advancement of this fundamental freedom. The first attitude is that of regarding every man and woman, even those of different religious traditions, not as rivals, less still enemies, but rather as brothers and sisters. When a person is secure of his or her own beliefs, there is no need to impose or put pressure on others. There is a conviction that truth has its own power of attraction. Deep down, we are all pilgrims on this earth. And on this pilgrim journey, as we yearn for truth and eternity, we do not live autonomous and self-sufficient individual lives. The same applies to religious, cultural, and national communities. We need each other and are entrusted to each other's care. Each religious tradition from within must be able to take account of others. The second attitude which fosters the promotion of religious freedom is the work done in service of the common good. Whenever adherence to a specific religious tradition gives birth to service that shows conviction, generosity, and concern for the whole of society without making distinctions, then there too exists an authentic and mature living out of religious freedom. This presents itself not only as a space in which to legitimately defend one's autonomy, but also as a potential that enriches the human family as it advances. The more men and women are at the service of others, the greater their freedom. Now, many would say, but what about all the wars in the Bible and all those Old Testament battles where thousands of people were killed? Well, many of those battles were a mix of divine conquest and national defense. Offensive conquest, biblically speaking, there were many famous military campaigns. There was the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, which was very offensive or an offensive mode, but it was framed not as self-defense, but truly an act of war against those who were practicing all abominations according to God, sacrificing human life in the name of other gods. The theological justification is this often their offensive acts were divine judgments against tribes that had rebelled and turned against God long ago, practicing wickedness and again, sacrifices, human sacrifices, which God did not require. And there were many battles of defense against those same groups of people in the period of judges, uh, where there were leaders like Gideon and Samson and Saul who were fighting against those who are oppressing the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham. Yes, there were the crusades. And yes, some of the battles of the crusades were in defense against Islam. And again, where people are, the devil is, and people's minds become twisted. And yes, there were many attacks against lands that had never been occupied by Christians. And mind you, there were Muslims that were fighting with the Christians against other Islamic caliphates. Look it up. Not justifying anything, but men get out of control. And on the other hand, we know that Islam has also committed genocide, as well as Hindus, against one group or the other in the name of their religion. There's an article in Commonslibrary.parliament.uk that says completed and published a report of Christian persecution by various groups. And the report assesses incidents of violence and acts affecting private, family, community, national, and church life and race each country based on the number and nature of reported incidents. So, I'm talking about religion kills. Yes, religion has killed, but we must understand why religion kills and the original source of that murderous nature. That source, rebellion against God. In today's world, the most prolific acts of murder in the name of a god has been through various groups affiliated with Islam. And I'm not trying to be biased, but it is what it is. I have researched many sources, and you look at the list of today's most common terrorist groups that are not purely political or fighting for economic justice, we find that there are many, at least a dozen Islamic groups that are committing genocide and killing Christians and Hindus globally. The modern-day proliferation of killings in the name of religion and economic equity is committed by radical Islamic groups, and many have insisted that Sharia law and homage to Allah is a necessity in order to live. In the website Visionof humanity.org. Delhi's terror groups in 2024, it lists the groups. Says these groups are concentrated in Africa, in the Middle East, and South Asia, targeting civilians to establish religious law. So, is religion a problem with the fact that people left God and followed a lie out of rebellion, ignorance, and weakness? I say the latter. People are fickle and weak, because where there is no conviction there is no stand. If there is no real faith all else wins. Radical Islam follows in the footsteps of Muhammad when he first had that encounter with that spirit that told him go and spread the faith. They were convicted, and I applaud that conviction because they were willing to die for what they believed in. But their conviction was misplaced and in error, and I say that with great confidence. And I also say if Christians were convicted in the same way or at the same level they would be more spiritually inclined exert more spiritual power and authority and be more active in demonstrating the true and pure love and generosity of God, thus preventing the infiltration of Islam that has destroyed so many lives. Sure, people would still hate Christians, and we might be more inclined to being killed because we know where we're going. But at the same time, think about it, would Islam has spread so radically and quickly, globally, and so widely, committing all kinds of atrocities? Okay, so maybe I'm rubbing you the wrong way, but it's real, real food for thought. God did not call us to rebel, to hate, to be elitist, to be racist or misogynist. He called us to love and to be equitable, to be morally righteous through Christ Jesus, to be fruitful and to multiply and have dominion over the earth. But he did not call us to commit genocide. He did not call us to oppress and marginalize others. He did not call us to threaten others for the faith. So, I would say it is our weakness, our fragility, our lack of faith that has allowed other systems that were created out of rebellion against God to overcome and to rule and reign. So , we sinned against God and war has raised. And war has raised in the name of religion. Rebellion created the means and a way for satanic forces to infiltrate the land and create systems of evil, religious systems that support divination and accessing the spirit realms outside of God, supported systems that motivate men to sell their souls for fame and fortune, denying God exists, that he is love, that he is supreme; that created systems that essentially fight God, his word. Unbelievers day in and day out are persecuted and fought against. War rages inside and out. War rages withing and war rages without. Not necessarily because of religion but because we failed God, we betrayed our maker. Rebellion is the culprit, not the religion, but man's rebellion against the one who created mankind in his image. Now, let me go on with the rest of the list. The following reasons for disbelief are all related to one another. This person says I am spiritual and practice spiritual things like yoga, burning sage to chase away dark energy. I practice wicca to bring goodness to others or to myself or Buddhism to live in peace. And I might just put them all together. The next, I believe in a greater power, but I don't believe Jesus is necessary or real. And the other one is a nature lover who wants to live in harmony with everyone and everything, believing all religions lead to the same end, and whatever one believes is okay as long as they're not harming anyone. Well, why do you think

Spirituality Divination And The Occult

Dina LaFargue Augustin 36:32

one is opposed to a God, the God or Jesus? Why is nature higher than God or more important than God? Why is living in harmony with nature more satisfying? Why is believing in a greater power better than believing in the one that says he created everything seen and unseen, being Jesus? Why is Jesus so offensive? Well, perhaps because all of these religious acts that were done in the name of God that appeared to justify immorality and hate are stuck in someone's mind. I just talked about all the religious wars and things created in the name of religion. So people became so disenchanted with the thought of God. They had such a bad taste in their mouth that they want nothing to do with this God that creates so much destruction. But the devil is a liar. There are people in the U.S. in this country now that are following a man that is uh purporting himself to be Christ-like. We know who he is: Donald Trump. And most of the Senate leaders are supporting him and following him blindly or living out their own love of hate and evil and immorality. Anyone that truly knows God knows Trump is not Christian. Anyone that truly knows God knows that his followers are like Trump, like him, or are under his spell. The immorality and lack of ethics that is permeating Washington, D.C. and the U.S. is very sinful. The violation of the Constitution is evidence of lawlessness and evidence of power-hungry authoritarians who have no regard for the citizens of this nation or those seeking refuge here, refuge here legally or not. They may be touting biblical verses and carrying around the Bible and splashing images on social media, uh using God's name in vain, but it's only evidence of their sick depravity, and anyone supporting this behavior is not doing so in the name of Jesus or by his command or approval. It is only evidence of sin and evil. But if you talk to anyone participating in any form of divination because they don't want to be part of a religious system or because they think Jesus is the culprit too, that person is indeed egotistical and self-centered. Because any form of religion or any spiritual acts outside of God is a form of manipulation which God considers witchcraft. Divination involves manipulation of someone's life or the elements of the universe outside of Godly authority. In defining the occult from a biblical perspective on the website Updated American Standard Version.org or UASV Bible.org, the term occult is derived from the Latin word occultus, meaning hidden or secret. In contemporary usage, it refers to practices and beliefs involving supernatural powers or knowledge that are beyond the scope of normal human perception and lie outside of biblical authority. These include spiritism, divination, sorcery, astrology, witchcraft, necromancy, and other esoteric or mystical arts. The occult attempts to tap into and does tap into hidden spiritual realms to gain power, knowledge, or control, often under the guise of enlightenment or self-discovery and even science. From the standpoint of Scripture, however, all of these practices are strictly forbidden and are consistently condemned as abominations. The occult does not constitute harmless curiosity or benign spiritual exploration. Rather, it is a rebellion against the Lord God Jehovah or Yahweh and an opening to demonic influence. It is indeed real and has influence and power. The article contains a real reality check. The occult and satanic deception are at the core of any and all forms of divination, sorcery, or the occult. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12 reveals that the real struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world, forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. The article continues, beyond the occult lies a spiritual reality far more sinister than mere superstition or allusion. Scripture teaches that Satan is a real personal being and that demonic forces are active in deceiving the world. Read 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and Timothy chapter 4. The occult provides a direct channel for these dark powers to influence, oppress, and ensnare. So when we practice anything outside of God in the name of Jesus Christ, we are entering into a realm that is ruled by evil beings and forces. 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 14 says, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Thus, many occult practices appear harmless, even artistic or scientific; however, they are entry points into spiritual bondage and influences. What begins is curiosity or entertainment or something seeming innocent can become an obsession, delusional, or possession. It is indeed dangerous. So, if you are seeking to disengage or separate yourself from the religious systems that seem too murderous, racist, or misogynistic, the other side is worse. The other side includes all of the above. Deuteronomy chapter 8, verses 10 through 12 read, Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. And some might say these things are not real. Well, you've been isolated. If there were wars in the Old Testament, again, let me reiterate, these wars were against diviners, seeking to destroy the kingdom of God and his people on earth. God's people were in defense or in actuality, taking back what was occupied by evil satanic systems that proliferated the territory. And this was even after the flood of Noah. Men started to participate in human sacrifice and copulation of fallen spiritual beings to the corruption of God's creation. Spiritual secrets of the kingdom were shared with mankind with evil intent to destroy man's relationship with God. This is fact. And this is how all these spiritual arts and scientific science spiritual practices entered into the world. They did so outside of God, in rebellion to God, all to the detriment of mankind. Now the next on my list, as far as why people may not believe, I contribute them to a person that's just being lazy. A person who is not bothered to look, to seek, or to knock on the door of God's heart. That person says, I'm a good and a moral person, and that's all that matters. The next person might say, Well, I don't believe there is life after death, so it doesn't matter what I believe anyway. I'm living well. I don't need any God. The next person says, I'm that free spirit, and I don't want to tie myself down to one way of living or thinking. The other might say, Well, who can believe in an invisible God that can't be proven? I am my own god, and I have the power through positive affirmations to make everything I need and want manifest. And the next will say, Yeah, I practice my own faith, and all faiths lead to the same end. They are all for the betterment of life, so who am I to say that any one of them are the right way or the wrong way? So let me go there. What is morality without God? Truly, I say, who cares about morality and ethics if there is no God? I wouldn't. Rules wouldn't apply. So if you do not know God, you do not know morality, for morality is of God. It is imprinted on our hearts because when we were created, we were made in his image. He is the God of love. He is the one of love. Therefore, before the rebellion, living in his image, living in godly character, living in union with him, Adam and Eve were able to live sinless lives. They were capable of sinning through free will, but were able

Morality Afterlife And The Name Of Jesus

Dina LaFargue Augustin 46:37

to live outside of sin and without sin. Well, they did sin. Hence, they knew right from wrong at that point, and did wrong, and hence inherited a sin nature. And as a result, all of mankind is infused with a sin nature despite being created in God's image. So, our nature is to rebel, but we are to know Christ, and God calls us to Himself, but we have to desire to know Him. So if we pray to God, which God are we praying to? That is important. So the person that says they will practice their own religion, they are their own God, that they are spiritual and don't need this God, I would challenge them by saying, Well, who are you really praying to? Who is this God? Which God? But they don't know. Or they might say the God that made everything. But the Bible says Jesus is the one who created everything seen and unseen. So I say their prayers are indeed amiss and going nowhere if they don't know who they are praying to, who this God really is, and what this God is really about. They indeed do not know or believe in the story of creation, and therefore they are ignorant as to their own identity and purpose. 1 John chapter 4 reads, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this, you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confess that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Hence, listeners, if you do not pray in the name that is above every name, your prayers are wasted and are held in the grips of the evil one. John chapter 14, verse 6 reads, Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So, if you want to reach the one true God, you must call on the name of Jesus Christ. Now, to the person that says they don't believe in life after death, so, what they believe doesn't matter, my challenge is who told you there is no life after death? How do you know there is no life after death? Just because you say so? Since when is anyone human correct except Christ who performed miracles and astonished every religious leader of this time and those still seeking truth today; to the one who conquered death and is alive, whose body cannot be found because he is sitting in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father? Every traditional religion of old knows there was some form of life after our physical death, because most religions acknowledge the spirit realm is real in one form or another. And I've discussed their positions in previous episodes, so I would suggest you take a listen or do some research yourself. But Jesus tells us he came to give us life and to give it abundantly, and even more so when these earthly bodies are no more. His purpose was to that end. A certain quality of life for us here on earth, and most certainly one of quality when our bodies die. The Bible indeed teaches that life after death is a transition to eternal life for those who believe in Jesus Christ, offering hope, resurrection, and eternal fellowship with God. And some key Bible verses, according to Bible StudyforYou.com, say, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That's John chapter 3, verse 16. This scripture, the website says, emphasizes faith in Christ grants eternal life beyond death. John chapter 11, verse 25 and 26; Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Hence, this promises life after death. It can it highlights the promise of the resurrection. First Corinthians chapter 15, But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. This verse affirms that believers will also be resurrected. Now, my next and last position center around those free spirits who don't want to tie themselves down to any one doctrine or way of thinking. I say no one is free. You either belong to Christ or to Satan. So, you may be free in your imagination, but in reality, you are a slave to love, the love of God, or to evil. Romans chapter 6, verse 16 reads, Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. First Peter chapter 2, verse 16, Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Hence, being a slave

Freedom Self Worship And Rebellion

Dina LaFargue Augustin 52:26

to love means to be free in Christ, free from the bondage that provokes us to do evil and to live outside of God. Luke chapter 4, verse 18 supports that. It reads, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Romans 6, 18, and having been set free from sin, having become slaves of righteousness, and we are made righteous through Christ Jesus. So, my final and last thoughts are, are you your own God really? Do you have the power through positive affirmations to make everything you need manifest or everything you want to come into your hands? Are you really living in power by practicing your all your own faith? And how can all faiths lead to the same thing when they all believe in something different? So, to the one who is their own god and makes their own rules of life and creates their own system of believing, any path is okay as long as it hurts no one's rules, you are indeed a slave to rebellion and to the father of lies. For these people have no authority or power to create or to make God obsolete. You have no power to make God go away. Proverbs chapter 17, 11 an evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Psalm 68, God settles the solitary in a home and he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. So, those thinking that all religions lead to the same path, or those believing that faith in themselves is enough, or that they're their own god, their thinking and position, and it might be you, but I say this in love and in truth. These positions are futile because they have no access to heavenly places. These people, these believers, will be left to their own devices and mentality to their own destruction. They have no true power, they have no true authority, they are dead and without a cause or a purpose. They are essentially putty in the enemy's hands who knows he need not convince or entice them because their egos have already given themselves over to death. They abide in a desert place, in a parched land without fruitfulness or true prosperity. Satan indeed, once being called Lucifer or Halal, lived in denial. Although he seems to have a hold of the world now, he is eternally condemned and exists outside the love and presence of God. He is eternally sentenced to the lake of fire, and he relishes in the desire to hold captive all who do not who deny God and Jesus Christ as Savior. For all that go his way, Satan's way. For all that go Satan's way, go down the dark path of rebellion in ignorant bliss. And he celebrates. First Samuel chapter 15 verse 23 reads, for rebellion is as the sin of divination and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry because you have rejected the Word of the Lord He has also rejected you from being king. This means that you might feel like you're better because you're not directly practicing witchcraft or making sacrifices or uh doing the Ouija board, but just worshiping nature is rebellion. It is idolatry. Worshiping anything outside of Jesus Christ is rebellion, and liken it unto witchcraft. Second Corinthians chapter 10, verse 5. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. It is essential that we receive Christ and believe in him and the sacrifice He made on the cross. For he loved us so much that he was willing to go that far for every one of us. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2, In which you once walked following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, being Satan, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. In closing, if you have heard, receive and be fertile soil, and not someone living in contempt of the one who made you in love. In the book of Luke, it reads, And the ones on the rock are those who when they heard the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. This is speaking of when the Word is spread and whether your heart is stony or receptive how you will move forward in life. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are

Invitation To Salvation And Closing Prayer

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those who hear that as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that, in good soil, they are those people who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. Until next time, be studied, be not ignorant of the things that pertain to your life and salvation. Be not arrogant and egotistical enough to believe that all you need is you and anything outside of Christ. Be in him, be saved, and be alive in Christ, here, now and forevermore. For if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, you shall indeed be saved. It's Romans chapter 10, verse 9. It's that simple. There are no tricks, no jumping through hoops, no sacrifices to be made. No, just giving yourself to the Lord God Almighty. There's no trying to be perfect. You don't have to fight to be accepted. All you have to do is to ask him to be yours. He says, come to him as you are. That is all that is required; To want his love, which he gives freely, because he died on the cross that you might be saved. Revelation chapter 21, verse 4. He will wipe away every tear from every eye, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Amen. Truth drips. Now I want to play this song, and please listen to it, for it is powerful and will bring healing to your soul.

Healing Song And Final Blessing

Dina LaFargue Augustin 1:06:42

Blessings forever in Jesus' almighty name.