If you are interested in these things you would be surprised to learn that almost every part of our modern church experience is derived from pagan constructs. Read Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna.
Now, that said, I do recognize that one can open oneself up to demonic oppression by possessing things used in the occult: ouija boards, tarot cards, grimoires, pentagram symbols -doing things like listening to satanic heavy metal (lamb of god, septic flesh, darkthrone, etc). Perhaps this may apply also to things like burning sage or having jewelry or decorations made from crystals -but then again -Who made sage and pronounced it good on the day the plants were made? Who designed crystals to be formed in the ground during the six days of creation? Do these things inherently belong to Lucifer and him minions -or to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?
These are good questions you are thinking and you are correct to be wary. I also highly recommend Johanna Michaelson's autobiography. The latter chapters go into great detail regarding the importance of knowing Scripture, testing the spirits, and spiritual warfare.
Well, things might FEEL wicked, but that’s just because the news sensationalizes the bad stuff. By every metric, humans are flourishing.
We are becoming less “godly” though. Fewer humans believe in a god. But we ARE becoming more empathetic, less murderous, and our quality of life is greatly improving.
Books like this cover the trend: The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052REUW0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_T0YKF99WGXXK6S3B87N7
This seems so subtle, so unimportant, so overblown, but this man is on to something. I would have never seen this had I not read an amazing book about parenting and what it means to cultivate a child's innate curiosity, the type of environment, toys, people, conversation, etc that child is exposed to.
The Wonder Approach to Learning by Catherine L'cleur The Wonder Approach: Rescuing Children's Innate Desire to Learn https://www.amazon.com/dp/147214385X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_i_XCH34MKF2PP2R6X6HZTX
Fantastic book. My sloppy review could not do it justice. Here's a much more condensed article the author wrote a few years prior to publishing the book. Also, filled with insight on the same topic.
The Bible definitely does not endorse the idea of an immortal soul. I would say many if not all of these NDE’s are from demonic entities. The bible clearly teaches that mediums, channeling etc are an abomination and to stay away from that kind of thing - reason being they are demonic forces at play. Check out the book The Fire that Consumes. https://www.amazon.com.au/Fire-That-Consumes-Historical-Punishment/dp/1608999300 Anything or anyone that appears to be a spirit of someone who has died or to be able to channel someone who died, even who claim to be Jesus who is resurrected, do not entertain them. It’s deceitful evil angels. We don’t need anyone to channel Jesus, we have a direct line of communication to Him via prayer.
I recommend this, though it is a leather case but for the price and size you can't go wrong.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0039Q6S1W/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_RQBNMD07ER2FNTEQK40K
Made by the Institute for Scripture Research, very similar to the Cepher which I also recommend though that is for sure more expensive and less readily avaliable.
I've tried to go back to closer translations directly from the Hebrew, things like the dead Sea scrolls so that is my bias.
Differences are not too great though any standard bible is solid to get yoh started, depending on what your after there is a plethora of resources avaliable to us in this day and age.
Have a nice day.
You're right, most books don't go into the (probable) real end time scenario: aliens, transhumanism, constant vaccinations, etc.
I recommend this one, it's not on Revelation itself, but focuses on the antiChrist here
This is a good commentary, has the four main views layer out side by side etc: https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Four-Views-Parallel-Commentary/dp/0840721285/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=steve+gregg+revelation&qid=1628486295&sr=8-4
TW Tramm has written some posts about 'this summer' (2021) and I believe he mentions June 20 or June 21 for being the real date of Pentecost (if I'm not mistaken). Here's a book on it on Amazon.
Every year 'the calendars are off' when it comes to The Lord's feast days. We use the Gregorian calendar, but others are using the moon as to indicate when a new year/month starts.
So it could be that Pentecost isn't on May 23, but on June 20(-ish), which corresponds with the math you did. (Thanks btw!)
I think we're in the season. While I hope it's sooner than later, I think our timeframe is anywhere between now (but more like starting May 14) and the end of June.
There has been written a lot on the Rapture on a feast day, but my first choice would be Pentecost. Not because it's the next feast on the calendar now, but because of the possible meanings for the fall feasts:
Feast of Trumpets: Start and/or end of the trib. See 7 trumpets of Revelation for example.
Feast of Atonement: Second coming of Christ to earth after the trib. (Everyone will see Him, so it's not the Rapture.)
Feast of Tabernacles: The start of God 'tabernacling' with the people again, the start of the New Millenium / 1000 year reign.