What Does the Bible Say About Astrology?

What does the Bible say about astrology that is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

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Sharon welcome the program what your question for pastor atrial program and is it somebody marketed and they repent and have salvation or is it unforgivable, and there's no repentance. Thank you for that question.

Sharon and I thank you for your encouragement as well. So Revelation chapter 13 talks about the mark of the beast referring to this beast want to be sexy referred to in the book of Revelation. Revelation 13 verse 16 says, and it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the four head so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark that is the name of the beast and the number of its name. This calls for wisdom.

Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast 40s the number of a man and his number is 666. The people who receive this mark Sharon are aligning themselves with the antichrist with with the beast. You know sometimes people you don't need to speculate about you, what is the mark of the beast is it a microchip.

Is it a vaccine we've gotten that question on this broadcast before we completely miss the point of what John is talking about here in Revelation 13. It's aligning ourselves an individual allying themselves with the false worship of the world.

This idolatrous system we flirted the contract this idea being marked with the mark of the beast with what you also see in the book of Revelation throughout the book of red Revelation is that God's elect God's people are marked with the name of God on their heads is over. Example it in the very next chapter at the very beginning of chapter 14 John said that I looked, and behold on Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with him hundred and 44,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. As of this idea of the mark of the beast is really aligning oneself with this idolatrous system with this pagan worship with the rejection of Christ and embracing the spirit of the antichrist.

If you will, and an individual who does that doesn't want to repent with that what they're doing is they're saying this is my God this world system. This is what I'm embracing and so I don't know that it is that it necessarily help to say you know is this is this the unpardonable sin that kind of thing Jesus does refer to an unpardonable sin in the Gospels when he's rebuking the Pharisees because they were saying that he had an unclean spirit, and they are its the rejection essentially of of the reality of the gospel been confronted with the truth of God by the grace of the Holy Spirit and consistently rejecting them repudiate repudiating them turning away from Christ. That is unpardonable to die in that state. There is no hope for you and it seems to me that that the people who take the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. That's that kind of blatant open rebellion against Christ and embracing the works of the antichrist and the worship of the beast, and so so I was a no they it's not necessary that they can't it's that they don't repent because they've embraced this false system of worship. Sharon, thank you for your question, we should mention we have a great Bible study on the book of Revelation for folks that want to know more about that book and drawn out something that you really think will help people know get some of those concepts that and some of them you know the mysterious aspects of Revelation fully understand what John is saying yes we do have a Revelation Bible study that we've produced here at core Christianity and just a really wonderful resource. I would like to bring it up every every now and then, especially when we get questions about the book of Revelation because we know that there are so many questions either a lot of believers who are intimidated by this book, they think of the book of Revelation. These think I can understand all the symbolism there. All of the prophecy will say one thing about the book of Revelation, the book of Revelation was written to comfort suffering believers. The suffering church. The persecuted church it it's really meant to be a comfort to the church the words of Jesus Christ to us and so get a hold of this resource are R's Bible study on the book of Revelation the confinement by going to our website. Core, Christianity.com/Revelation to learn more about that particular study. Let's go to Christie in Kansas City, Missouri Christie, what's your question for pastor. Israel currently reading about how to imagine the Christian book about near-death experiences page in error and that we don't earn God lab for acceptance into heaven. That is a gift we received or reject by our deeds determine our experience of having goes on to say that the deed to lead you on earth can Linda people having different experiences and having never heard that before and also references first Corinthians 3 815 about the builder to use different materials to build and some get great rewards while others are they just barely. Do you think Christians receive different heavenly experiences because I thought we'd all be in the same place you Christie, thank you for that for that question. There is a sort of a theology of rewards out there that that some Christians really emphasize I had a Bible teacher when I was in college knew something that he talked about quite a bit and I and and oftentimes you know people go to passages like the one you just reference first Corinthians chapter 3, to begin reading in verse 10, just to give us some of the context both as the court of the grace of God given to me like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation in someone else's building upon it.

Let each one take care how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, would Jesus draw each one's work will become manifest for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done with the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives you will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up. People suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Right here you have, you know like a very clear example of a passage of Scripture talks about believers receiving a reward for the way in which they live their lives in particular, how it was that they worked in here in the context of first Corinthians chapter 3 always talking about his apostolic ministry. In particular, the ministry of the word preaching and teaching. He's talking about pastors, ministers who go out and are building if you will, on the foundation through the preaching of the word and if if if what they're adding to it is is different from Christ in his gospel.

That's good to be revealed on the day of judgment, but that individual will still be saved by grace through faith. Now the only the only issue I have Christie. Sometimes I think believers can can speculate a little bit too much about what those rewards look like we were not really hold in Scripture how that's going to be were not told that some believers are going to have less joy in heaven or front row seats to the throne of God. While while the rest of us are going to be sitting in the bleachers that kind with things.

I think it's unhelpful to speculate. I would err on the side like you are saying look working to be in the presence of the Lord. Unspeakable joy perfected in holiness, there is good to be a sense of man.

I have always regret. I wish I would've done better so that way I could've gotten the front row seats.

That kind of a thing know a city perfect love and and perfect worship something we can all look forward to it. So what is the end of this this doctrine of rewards.

What is that look like well again. I think it's unhelpful to speculate there are other passages of Scripture little bit later in first Corinthians chapter 9 Paul is good to talk about receiving an imperishable crown. Again, this picture of reward by the crown in the ancient days was was a reward given to athletes and were working to finish the race. Paul says, working to receive the imperishable crown. It's referred to as the crown of righteousness. In second Timothy chapter 4 verse eight with a crown of life in James chapter 1 verse 12 given to all those who love the Lord and so were all good to be rewarded. In one sense, and commended hearing the words of of the Lord Jesus. Well done good and faithful servant.

But with regard to the, the, the other part of the question or we can have these different sort of levels in heaven that kind of thing.

I don't think the Bible indicates. It seems to me that that that could that that could be sort of unhelpful in terms of making people feel like you nominee have a lame position in heaven. You know, and other people because they were better than I was there. Get it there and have a better place around the throne of God. This is not what the Bible says and so that's I would I would parse aside and one other thing that I would say Christie, especially with with some of these books and other a lot of books that have come out about heaven and in particular books about you know people who have died in and said that they went to heaven and come back in there there sort of giving us you know that the inside scoop and I just would say it sounds like you are discerning sister about what we want to make sure that whatever were learning about heaven is coming from God's holy Word because that's that's what we we focus. That's where we can place our confidence, you know, people's experiences that's that's that we build our doctrine off of its what God is revealed in his word, and so I appreciate that there they're trying to go to first printing. Three maybe other passages to talk about this but we want to make sure that we don't go further than what God's Word has revealed and and speculate about something that we don't know about.

So thank you for your question.

I'm sure glad you clarified that for several because I was thinking if you know my place in heaven is based on my deeds on public and I will end up in the mostly sectional and upon the overflow room yet so heavenly doghouse. You know whatever that looks like you both will be there to go to this, this is Gord Christianity with festering drill sensors and we would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Here's the phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 you can call us for the next 1015 minutes or so if you like to talk to pastor in real I did not leave us a voicemail. You can call 24 hours a day and leave a voicemail on that number 833. The core let's go to a voicemail received from Jerry in North Carolina. I want back that on neurology what your thoughts are doing that way of writing yourself in life. Thank you very much. I yeah the Bible condemns astrology out.

I would say my thoughts in terms of, you know should I be looking to the stars in order to determine my decisions and and that kind of thing I was a don't do it is condemned in Scripture as a sort of pagan practice and and it's it's sometimes associated with demonic worship.

Also like the Bible to streets. It is is futile is is knocking to be able to really help you in your life.

We know that there are spiritual forces at work in the world today, you know, evil, sinister spiritual forces hunters will use these kinds of things pagan worship to to deceive people and so that's another thing the Nazis have to be so so cautious and I just avoid this altogether. I think of what Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar. Of course, King Nebuchadnezzar has a stream in Daniel chapter 2 and he wants an interpretation for his dream is what is he doing calls all of the wise people of his kingdom all of the sorcerers, and all of the astrologers, and so on and so forth.

And none of them are able to help them in Daniel answered the king and said in verse 27 of Daniel chapter 2, Daniel entered the king and said no Wiseman enchanters, magicians or astrologers can show to the King the mystery of the king is asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries as I love the waiting puts it, there is what you're looking to these people who are looking to the heavens to the stars to try to give you answers that you know about the mysteries of the universe are in in Nebuchadnezzar's case, the mysteries of your own dream. Don't look to them to tell you what the stars are saying look to the God who made the stars look to the God who sits in the heavens.

If you will, and a lot of people don't know this but actually the first sort of argument against astrology in the Bible I think actually appears at the very beginning of the book of Genesis and I want to just unpack this for you because I actually think it's really really cool Genesis chapter 1 where it talks about God creating all things including the heavenly bodies that the sun, the moon, the stars, all of those things it says this, Genesis chapter 1 verse 16 and God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars. There is in one verse, you have the creation of the sun, moon and stars describe know it's interesting what a lot of commentators will note is that in the Hebrew Bible, Moses, who I believe wrote Genesis doesn't use the typical word for sun and moon.

Here he just refers to them as the greater light and the lesser light. Why is that well in the ancient near East in there will always pagan religions that basically deified the sun and the moon they would worship the sun and the moon is Moses I mentioned in there.

There is, is the great light. The other great nightlight in in the heavens and the sun is the greater light TPP doesn't even give them their typical referred to them by what they were typically known as because those were names of pagan deities, and then he says oh and by the way God made the stars all the stars and what a lot of again.

Commentators will notice is sort of like in passing he mentions God creating all the stars.

Why would that have been significant will in that day.

Astrology was a huge thing that the nations of the world. They look to the stars is determinative of your destiny. The stars you know that they got possessed all sorts of power that they would determine what your future was real good omens in the sky bad omens in the sky that kind of a thing and Moses says by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. You know the sun, the moon, the stars, they're not there for you to worship or for it for you to look at and save gas.

What's my future hold there like nightlights for you.

God placed them there for you.

God made them for the benefit of humanity so that we might like Psalm 19 says look at the heavens, which declare the glory of God and worship the God who made the stars our God is the one who created the heavens don't look to the stars for answers look to the Lord, go to him and trust in him, worship him as opposed to the creation that's the point. So I would say stay away from astrology really good point.

When we start worshiping anything that's created versus the creator we run into problems.

Though we had real yeah and Paul talks about in Romans chapter 1 it and this is this is the, the, the ultimate problem of the world today. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

And that's we choose to do we worship and serve the creature rather than the creator. That doesn't mean that were bowing down the little statues. I know many of you listening right now probably don't have statues that you go home and bow down to dip to practice idolatry. But what we do is we take God's good creation, and we make it ultimate. We worship money. We worship sex we worship relationships worship all these other things that God created that God is given to us. Many of them good things, but there are ultimate things God calls us to set our eyes upon him the creator and worship him. MM your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez summer is here and most kids are to be out of school for a couple months and just in time for summer. We actually have a great free resource for families. Yes, 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer and we were just keep on encouraging you to get a hold of this resource until you do because we know that the power of God is in oh communicated to us the grace of God is communicate to us through his word is, what a wonderful thing to be able to do, to meditate upon the word of God. We just been talking about God as creator, one who made all things. Psalm 19 verse one the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day and today utter speech night and tonight reveals knowledge. Memorize these verses friends get a hold of this resource.

10 things or 10 verses to memorize the family this summer and I we know it will bless you, it's absolutely free and you can get it by heading over to core Christianity.com/offers. You can download it right there 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer and you can call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673. Again, that number is 833. The core let's go to John and St. Louis Missouri. John what your question for pastor.

Israel will call question has to deal with the lowest how do you all want to go to jail and I want to be a man, so I'm able to tell people and issues but then also how can I help everyone when I see women I desire them sexually so that I try my best read the word go to church and I will want to do right foot upon myself looking at when I'm out about Outlook + don't look I'll try to leak problems out below my phone. Scripture can't see to get past it and I do not want to go to jail. So how do about lusting after women and concocted them without sexually desired them on my job so I want to do the right thing. I don't want to go to the terrified of it so well Howdy how are you beating us toward like to help people and don't have to deal with good comedy against you and making you want to do the things that you don't want to do. John, I really appreciate you calling industry transparency there and I know that you're not alone in in those slot in that fight in in those desires and your concern just been concerned about your own soul.

Then you think of what the Lord Jesus that passage of Scripture that I know you're familiar with. You sound like you were alluding to it. You know Jesus in the sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 verse 27. You heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery but I said you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully with with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to send tear it out and throw it away.

For it is better that you lose one of your members that your whole body be thrown into hell.

If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Here Jesus is referring very clearly to the fight. One lust is not just you know that the actions that we do. You know, is cheating on your spouse that kind of thing. It begins in the heart. When you look at someone with this lustful intent that it's already as if Jesus is your view committed adultery with that with that person uses we as believers in Jesus Christ have to have a really strong stand against the left of the fleshy don't we don't play games with them.

This is a serious thing. It relates to our our soul to our bivariate eternity will be spending eternity and and so you just write that and I and I understand that you that you get that now the hope brother is that Christ forgives our sins, and that if you belong to him.

John if you if you are in Christ. If you believed in him, then you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and I think that's one of the reasons why you feel the conviction of sin that you do why.

The why this is a battle I mean Paul in Romans chapter 7 talked about that battle, that he felt with with the flight a wretched man that I am nothing.

I want to do. I don't do the things I don't want to do.

I do who will deliver me from this body of death, and he says thanks be to God through Jesus Christ.

He knows that it's only Jesus and I would encourage you John to to do a couple of things one meditate on Romans chapter 6 through eight chapter 6 through eight because there Paul I think is really highlighting what it looks like for us to walk in light of the fact that were united to Jesus Christ by faith daily.

He says the beginning of Romans chapter 6 should we continue in sin that grace may abound no way work were dead to it.

We believed in Jesus we been baptized you John have a new identity. It may not feel that way may feel like you're struggling every day and and you're just consumed with the struggles but here's what you know by faith in Jesus Christ. You have a new identity, your sins have been washed away. You have the righteousness of Jesus Christ know you are called to live in light of that reality and what the Spirit of God will do in your life. What he does in our lives as he sanctifies us day by day and it's only by the spirit that we put to death the sinful deeds of the body that that struggle that you feel it's the spirit of God who works in you and so I would say what what Paul says to the Ephesians to be filled with the spirit. Now how does that happen. It happens is as we meditate upon. We fill our minds, our hearts are eyes with that which is good and true and beautiful God's word meditate upon Scripture be committed to prayer, make sure that you're in a church that's preaching the gospel faithfully so that you can also be open and accountable with other brothers there I think it's it's it I guess that I appreciate your transparency. You need to have other brothers in your church.

You can be honest with you can confess to edit. That's one of the ways also that God puts to death those those sin struggles were honest about them and we say Lord have mercy upon me that we experience that that healing that grace and a limit to say to you, brothers, as you confess your sin to the Lord and I can tell John that this is something that that weighs on you. I just want to say to you, brother John says in first John, if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

You confess your sins to God.

John Aiken declared you, even as a minister of the gospel.

If you believe in Jesus you look to him you hate you submit, your sins are forgiven you belong to the Lord now live in light of that reality. And again, meditate on those chapters, Romans, chapters 6 through eight, and pray and pray that God would continue to sanctifies that's a pretty cool answer because we know that that's God's will for our lives. God bless you brother and pray for you when this broadcast ends.

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