I’d like to continue this brief series with a personal story, an event that I was part of several decades ago. I was taking mountain dulcimer lessons at the time, a traditional Appalachian folk instrument. Historically it was played primarily by young mothers to soothe their infants. It eventually become an instrument of choice for Wiccans and those practicing various pagan religions. My teacher at the time was a well-known Wiccan, and I, the music student, a Christian.
In one of my less wise moves—something I do admit—I went to one of her concerts. About half way through the concert “they” showed up (you can guess who and what “they” were). For reasons God alone knew, He allowed me to see “them” when they arrived. As best I could tell, everyone other than myself cheered when “they” showed up. I cringed. A side note: I eventually became proficient enough on the instrument that my teacher gave me the opportunity to perform publicly with her, but I declined as I couldn’t come under her spiritual authorities.
If I look back on that experience, it was an object lesson of the reality of the world of the demonic, as well as the deception people are under. More could be said, but I’d rather leave it at that. Was it a wise move that I went to that concert? No. Did God teach me some valuable lessons out of that experience? Yes.
That brings us back to the performance of “Unholy” and the Grammys. As Christians, we really do need to trust the Holy Spirit’s ministry in each other’s lives. If something is truly going awry, we can trust God to give us appropriate times to speak.
As mentioned before in this blog, Jesus directly states that the world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another (meaning in context other believers). To me, all too often what the worlds sees is sheer condemnation, of being unwilling to give the grace that we so crave for ourselves (think in some ways, the parable of the unmerciful servant).
May we truly love fellow believers with the love Christ has for us, even during—and especially during—those times where an admonition is necessary. Let us trust God to direct each one of us as only he knows best. Let us remember that each one of us ultimately answers to God: he is the master that we serve.
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4G: “First Enoch”
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/17/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4F: "First Enoch"
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/15/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4E: "First Enoch"
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/13/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4D: Second and Third Enoch
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/10/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4C: the “Book of Jubilees”
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/8/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4B: the “Book of the Giants”
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/6/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 4A: Other “Ancient” Books
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/3/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Some Observatoins, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/5/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Some Observations: Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/3/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 22
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/1/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 21
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/29/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 20
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/27/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 19
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/22/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 18
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/20/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 17
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/18/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 16
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/15/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 15
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/13/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 14
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/11/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 13
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/8/2026
Whom Do WE Listen To? Part 12
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/6/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 11
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/4/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 10
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/4/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 9
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/29/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/27/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/24/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/22/2026
Whom Do We Listen to? Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/20/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/17/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/16/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/15/2026
Who Do We Listen To? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/9/2026
Abiding in Death: Are You? Am I?
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/3/2026
The Return of Idol Worship and the Occult, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/30/2025
The Return of Idol Worship and the Occult, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/27/2025
The Murder of Charlie Kirk, Part 2a: Political Responses
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/24/2025
The Murder of Charlie Kirk, Part 1: Introduction
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/22/2025
A Time of Mourning
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/11/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/28/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/25/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/24/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/21/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible Part 14c: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/15/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible Part 14b: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/14/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 14a: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/11/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 13c: Who Is Allah?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/10/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 13b: Who Is Allah?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/9/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 13a: Who Is Allah?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/8/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 12: Allah’s promised Paradise?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/7/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 11b: Muhammad’s Intercession
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/3/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 11a: Muhammad’s Intercession
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/2/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 10: Islamic Paradise
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/1/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 9: The Hellfire
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/30/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 8: The Siraat
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/27/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 7b: Judgment Day
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/26/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 7a: Judgment Day
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/25/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 6b: Revisiting Eesa
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/24/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 6a: Revisiting the Mahdi
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/23/2025
Please Pray
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/20/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5f: The Last Major Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/20/2025
Are We Living in Fear?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/19/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5e: The Last Major Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/19/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5d: Major Signs: Yajooj and Majooj
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/18/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5c: Major Signs: Eesa’s Return
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/17/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5b: Major Signs: the Mahdi
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/16/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5a: Major Signs: The Dajjal
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/13/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 4b: Who Is Eesa (Islam's Jesus)?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/11/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 4a: Who Is Eesa (also spelled Isa, Issa)?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/9/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 3: Who Is the Mahdi?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/6/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 2b: Minor Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/4/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 2a: Minor Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/2/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. Christianity, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/28/2025
The Antichrist?
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/22/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/29/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/25/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/14/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/12/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/10/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/7/2025
"Victory over the Darkness," and "The Bondage Breaker"
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/26/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/19/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/17/2025
Christianity Today: A Disgraced Publication?
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/11/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 17
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/7/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 16
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/3/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 15
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/31/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 14
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/29/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 13
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/27/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 12
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/24/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 11
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/22/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 10
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/20/2025
On the Los Angeles Fires
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/11/2025
Who Am I? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/25/2024
Who Am I? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/23/2024
Who Am I? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/18/2024
Who Am I? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/15/2024
The Bible and...: Part 12: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/3/2024
The Bible and...: Part 11b: The Occult
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/30/2024
The Bible and...: Part 11: The Occult
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/28/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10e: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/24/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10d: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/19/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/8/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/6/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/2/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/31/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/29/2024
Comments about Church Goers: Examining a Secular Post
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/4/2024
"Jessup North": Yet Another New Low
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/13/2024
We Have No King but Caesar
Dr. James Walraven
1/12/2024
Advent at Faith & Reason Ministries
Dr. James Walraven
11/30/2023
So the Warfare Continues
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/22/2023
Asbury, A Clarification
Dr. James Walraven
3/18/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/15/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/13/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/10/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/8/2023
Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/6/2023
Follow-Up on Today's Post
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/3/2023
Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/3/2023
Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/3/2023
Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/27/2023
Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/24/2023
Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/23/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 8
Dr. James Walraven
2/20/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 7
Dr. James Walraven
2/17/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 6
Dr. James Walraven
2/15/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 5
Dr. James Walraven
2/13/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 4
Dr. James Walraven
2/10/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 3
Dr. James Walraven
2/8/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 2
Dr. James Walraven
2/6/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 1
Dr. James Walraven
2/3/2023
The Lie of Evolution, Part 2
Dr. James Walraven
1/30/2023
The Lie of Evolution, Part 1
Dr. James Walraven
1/27/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 3
Dr. James Walraven
1/27/2023
Prophetic Weeping, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/27/2021
Prophetic Weeping, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/25/2021
The NCAA Tournament, ORU, and Cancel Culture
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/27/2021
The Washington D.C. Riots and the Good Samaritan
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/14/2021
Spiritual Warfare
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/16/2020
Juneteenth
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/20/2020
