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The
Bill Myers File:
The Dark Side of the Supernatural : What Is of God
and What Isn't
by Bill Myers and
Dave Wimbish
Reviewed by John Perrodin
"Each topic comes in for thoughtful – never mocking – analysis and leaves the reader to make choices based on facts. "
Demons are real and they’re on the prowl, eager to bury their claws into undiscerning minds. In fact, it’s entirely possible for the unwary to be used by the powers and principalities of evil. That’s why authors Bill Myers and Dave Wimbish wrote The Dark Side of the Supernatural.
Youthful obsessions with the paranormal are seen by many as a harmless rite of passage. If someone pushes back against the idea of attending a séance, he’s branded a chicken. The authors, conversely, would applaud such a decision. For them it’s as simple as choosing to stand with God or side with the “thief” who comes solely to steal, mangle, and murder. Read John 10:10 to see the stark alternatives.
The subtitle of this helpful volume for teens and their parents is: What Is of God and What Isn’t. The distinction can be tough to make. Consider how Satan managed to pass for an angel of light. (See Corinthians 11:14) The only way to tell the difference between Satan’s scammers and the real thing is to understand that genuine angels wouldn’t seek to be worshipped. Nor would they discount Christ’s role as Savior.
Some young people become so intrigued by Satan that they treat him as a god. These are the fringe kids, the outcasts, and indulging their connection with the devil gives them a welcome feeling of power. “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz (who now has a powerful Christian testimony) once claimed to worship the beast. Now he leads Bible studies behind bars. Change through Jesus is possible!
The Dark Side of the Supernatural also touches on UFOs, vampires, witchcraft, and ghosts. Each topic comes in for thoughtful – never mocking – analysis and leaves the reader to make choices based on facts. Role-playing games are also examined. Such outlets can quickly become unhealthy if the games are ultra violent or exalt the occult. Some even encourage the player to murder, cast spells, worship demons, and pretend to be supernaturally evil. The question the authors ask is this: [H]ow could a steady diet of thinking, playing, and acting like that not affect us?
Ultimately, that’s the point of this book. Dabbling in darkness will not – cannot – bring us closer to God. So why invest our fleeting hours in such dangerous pursuits? The choice is ours. Give our life over to Jesus, or by default, turn our heart and soul away from Him.
John
Perrodin is
the Senior Editor for the Christian
Writers Guild. He co-authored
the Renegade Spirit Trilogy with Jerry B. Jenkins. The latest release in that
series is Seclusion Point (Thomas Nelson). His book, Simple Little
Words:
What
You
Say Can Change a Life, written
with Michelle
Cox, releases in April 2008 from David C. Cook. Please visit www.simplelittlewords.com to
find out more about the book, and visit John's website www.johnperrodin.com to
find out more about his writing.
