Marcia Montenegro - Spellbound: The Paranormal Seduction of Todays Kids

Concluding Words

M y hope and prayer is that this book has edified and empowered you in the very difficult area of the paranormal and occult. Too many Christians have avoided learning about this area because it is difficult to get sound information and it can be intimidating. You dont need to be a student of the occult to teach your children how to respond to it, but it is helpful to understand overarching principles in order to recognize it, and then assess the situation through the filter of Gods Word.

Tread lightly but firmly, always rooted in Gods Word, when dealing with these topics. Christians should be neither frightened nor apathetic about the paranormal. Rather, we should look to Gods Word and be discerning and prepared for the sake of our children.

About the Author

Marcia Montenegro, who trusted Christ in December 1990, is a former professional astrologer, past president of the Metropolitan Astrological Society, past chairperson of the Board of Atlanta Astrology Examiners, and taught astrology for over five years. For most of her adult life, she was also involved in Eastern, New Age, and occult beliefs.

As part of her ministry, CANA/Christian Answers for the New Age, she has lectured on the New Age and occult around the country, been a guest on radio programs, published articles in Christian periodicals, and been interviewed by both secular and Christian news media. She serves with Fellowship International Mission, Allentown, PA, and is working toward a degree from Southern Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, NC. The mother of one adult son, she lives in Arlington, VA.

Foreword

S pellbound is a great title for a great book. No movement is more pervasive and more destructive to our teen culture than witchcraft and the occult. It has permeated music and the media, cartoons and comic books, TV and radio, and the public-school classroom. Most parents dont recognize it when they see it, and even most teenagers see no harm in it. From the old TV program Bewitched to the current craze for Harry Potter, the last several decades have been dominated by the demonic clothed as the dramatic.

Many Christians naively thought the Star Wars series to be a Christian allegory, being totally unaware that George Lucas borrowed heavily from Don Juan and Tales of Power , novels by Carlos Castenada about a Mexican sorcerer. Indeed, even Luke Skywalker, hero of the Star Wars series, was a sorcerer who tapped into the Light side of the Force (so-called White Magic) to do supernormal feats. But as the creator of the series, George Lucas acknowledges that ultimately there is no difference between the Light side of this occult Force and the Dark side (Black Magic).

The problem in recognizing the ugly nature of the occult and the paranormal is that it is craftily packaged in such beautiful cultural forms. We laughed at witchcraft in the I Dream of Jeannie TV series in the sixties. We were entertained by it in an exciting space drama in Star Wars beginning in the seventies. Now our teens are spellbound by a charming young wizard, Harry Potter. The time is overdue to expose witchcraft and the occult for what it is. And there is no one better able to do so than a former astrologist. I know of no Christian better trained and more in tune with the influence of this subject on our culture than Marcia Montenegro.

This book is not only clear, but it is also discerning, one of the vanishing gifts of the contemporary Christian Church. This is true not only of the northeastern United States, the original home of witchcraft, but also of the western United States from California through Colorado and Texas, which are the current abodes of the aberrant. It is also true of the Bible Belt, which I have come to discover after residing here over the last quarter of a century does not have enough Bible under its belt.

The truth is that Christianity in the United States is about three thousand miles wide and about an inch deep. We have just enough religion to makes us susceptible to the occult and not enough doctrine to make us discerning. Little wonder that the great apostle Paul spent his last years and last letters (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) warning about false doctrine. His own inspired words are well worth pondering on this matter:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:13 NIV )

And in his very last recorded words, the apostle who wrote nearly half of the inspired New Testament added:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Godhaving a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. While evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:15, 13 NIV )

Ideas have consequences, and demonic ideas have devilish consequences. The time for discernment is upon us. Marcia Montenegro has written a biblically based, culturally relevant, and very insightful book to help us in this discernment. Every Christian home needs it. I highly recommend Spellbound .

Dr. Norman L. Geisler
Dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, NC

PART ONE:

WHAT IS THE PARANORMAL,
AND WHY IS IT A THREAT
TO OUR KIDS?

PART TWO:

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE PARANORMAL DO OUR KIDS ENCOUNTER?
WHERE DIVINATION,
SORCERY, AND SPIRIT
CONTACT TOUCH OUR KIDS

PART THREE:
TALKING TO YOUR
KIDS ABOUT
THE PARANORMAL

I would like to dedicate this book to my son, Geoffrey Daniel, whose patience and fortitude in transitioning from life as the son of an astrologer to life as the son of a Christian was a comfort to me, and who has continued to be a model of kindness and generosity in young adulthood.

M.M.

Contents

SPELLBOUND

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible , Copyright 1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved; NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation , copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved; ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved; and NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Italics in Scripture have been added by the author for emphasis.