A Witch’s Invitation
Several years ago Christian music artist Carman produced a song and video entitled "A Witch’s Invitation." Very seldom do you hear Christian artist or even Pastors telling about the snares of the occult. What I want to discuss tonight is the occult. The definition of the word occult is: "Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural influences or phenomena." It encompasses witchcraft, astrology, spiritualism, satanism, fortune telling, paranormal, parapsychology, extra sensory perception, self-hypnosis, and hypnosis. In the first sermon of this series I told you about my study of the occult. The Bibles tells us what Satan means for evil, God uses for good. God is all knowing and even though I didn’t accept His call into His ministry at 14, He knew I would at 54 and so He used those 40 years to teach and train me in what He wanted me to tell His children today.
The occult is real. I wish there were some way I could say this more emphatically so that you would believe it. Everything that I have listed above is real, people are involved in it and they used it in their everyday lives, but it is Satan who is controlling the mechanics of it.
Let’s look at astrology. Many in the Christian church read their horoscope everyday as soon as they get up in the morning. Almost every newspaper in this nation publishes horoscopes in their paper. Many people use their horoscope to invest their money or make decisions in their businesses. We have even had presidents of the United States that have consulted astrologers before making important decisions regarding our nation. I have read and studied astrology and it is possible to come up with horoscopes that appear very accurate, but remember, the Bible tells us that Satan is a liar and a deceiver. Many have told me that they read their horoscopes just for entertainment. Their lives would be must better if they read the Bible instead. The Bible tells us that astrologers will burn in hell. That is enough for me to stay away from horoscopes. Let’s read Isaiah 47: 13-14.
Isa 47:13-14
13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame.
(NIV)
Even though most people do not believe it, Satan does have power. Remember the things that God allowed him to do to Job and his family? Remember when Moses went to the Pharaoh and did the miracles commanded by God? Aaron threw down his staff and it turned into a snake, the magicians was also able to turn their staffs into snakes. When Moses turned the waters of the Nile to blood, the Egyptian magicians were also able to perform the same feat. The magicians duplicated the plague of frogs also. So Satan has limited power. Especially during the tribulation, those who are not raptured will see many miracles from Satan.
Let’s look at fortune telling next. Let’s read Acts 13:16-19
Acts 16:16-19
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."
18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
(NIV)
Does this sound familiar today? Fortune telling is a multibillion-dollar business today. I guess the one that most people are familiar with is Ms. Cleo. She advertises everyday on every TV network. For a 30-second ad on TV she has to pay approximately $100,000.00 depending on the time slot. To be able to afford that type of advertisement, she has to be making an enormous amount of money. I can’t prove it, but I am sure so-call Christians are using her services too. Why do we need to consult medians to learn the future? Haven’t you finished reading the Bible? In the book of Revelation we are told everything that we need to know about the future. By consulting horoscopes or fortunetellers, we are showing that we do not have faith in God’s promises for us. I would rather trust God, than a woman that is processed with a demon. In the scripture that we read in Acts, we saw the slave girl was able to predict the future by the procession of an evil spirit or demon. I am about to get myself in trouble, but if the Bible says it, I will preach it as the truth. Demon procession is also real and many in today’s world are either demon processed or demon oppressed. Why do people today not believe in demon procession? Is it because we do not believe Satan exist?
In a survey conducted by Barna Research Group we find the following facts:
58% of adults say that the devil, or Satan, is not a living being but is a symbol of evil. (2001)
45% of born again Christians deny Satan’s existence. (2001)
51% of Southern Baptist church attenders say the devil is non-existent. (2001)
68% of Catholics say the devil is non-existent. (2001)
60% of Protestant mainline church attenders say the devil is non-existent. (2001)
50% of Protestant non-mainline church attenders say the devil is non-existent.
61% of Christian men say the devil is non-existent. (2001)
55% of Christian women say the devil is non-existent. (2001)
Is this why Satan can influence people so easily? If you don’t believe in something then it can’t hurt you. This is the biggest lie Satan has gotten Christians to believe ever. Only 31% of people believe that there is an actual physical hell. Why is that we believe in the good things that the Bible tells us about, but we deny the existence of a hell and a devil that the Bibles tells us about? The Bibles tells us that Satan (Lucifer or devil) was an angel who decided that he wanted to be more powerful than God. He was cast out of Heaven along with a third of the angles that followed Satan. I have told you before that I am a Bible believing Christian. There is nothing in the Bible that is fiction. It is all, true. If the Bible talks about a real Satan, then he does exist and everything that the Bible tells about him is true. The Bible also speaks about demons. Demons are real too.
Rev 12:9
9 The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
(NIV)
If you are involved with horoscopes or fortune telling, please repent, get out of it and ask God for forgiveness. In the book of Samuel we learned that Saul consulted with a median that summoned up the spirit of Samuel from the dead and Samuel’s spirit told Saul that he and his 3 sons would die. Stay away from astrology, horoscopes, ouija boards, fortunetellers and mediums. This is all evil from the very real Satan.
Next look at the paranormal. Paranormal is anything that is contrary to normal ways of life. Duke University in North Carolina is the foremost university in the nation and world on the research and study of the paranormal. They investigate and test for ESP. Extra sensory perception is the ability to predict an outcome before it happens. The most common test that they do is with cards. With a deck of 52 playing cards, they test people to see if they can predict the next card that will be turned over. If they successfully predict a percentage that is above the average chance level, then it said that that person has ESP. Another test is to try to see a picture that another person is looking at. Police departments across the nation use clairvoyants to visualize where a missing person may be. A clairvoyant is a person that can visualize a past event that they were not present at or visualize or see through the eyes of a person that is not in the location as the clairvoyant. These are not gifts of God. If they are not of God, then they must be from Satan. Out of the body experiences are also part of the paranormal. People have claimed that during surgeries that they have left their bodies and were able to watch the doctors operating on their physical bodies below. Others during self-hypnosis have claimed of having out of the body experiences. This is where they hypnotize themselves and leave their physical bodies and travel through space to another location. Duke University has documented such cases. It is real, but it is from Satan. Flee from such evil. Concerning the paranormal I could talk for hours on studies that have taken place in many of our major universities and even more strange things than I have been told about. I could go on for hours telling of paranormal events that take place every day, but I must continue.
Today there are toys that you can by for your children right here in K-mart or Walmart, which are occultic in nature. You can buy ouija boards, crystals, and crystal balls for gazing and black balls that will answer your questions. There are documented cases where people playing around with ouija boards have become demon processed or oppressed. I know you are probably sitting there saying I am crazy. But I assure you all of this is real and is documented. Be very careful about what you buy your children and what you let them watch on TV and at the movies. On CBS there is an hour-long show that has a host that supposedly talk to your dead relatives in the nether world. Talk shows have more and more mediums as guest. Even the soap operas are putting in more occult themes. The Bible tells us to flee from temptation.
Next I want to talk about witchcraft and satanism. Each is a religion that is recognize by our government and given special rights that all other religions are given. Many people believe that witchcraft and satanism are one in the same, but they are not. A witch refutes the teachings of satanism, and a satanist refutes the powers of a witch.
Let’s talk first about satanism. This is a religious cult, which openly admits that they worship Satan. The best known promoter of Satanism is Anton La Vey, who founded the First Church of Satan in San Francisco, and rose to fame as the author of The Satanic Bible. For La Vey (born in 1930) and his followers, Satan symbolizes a force that can be tapped to achieve power and success. Sexual indulgence and hedonism play a central role in La Vey’s satanic rituals. Some Satanist groups are more "orthodox" in their views of Satan than others, regarding Satan as a real spirit being with an intellect, a will, and emotions. Others think that Satan is only a symbol of a dark force of nature that can be mobilized for personal gain.
Satanism is a direct perversion of Christianity. Satan is substituted for God, and his servants often imitate and mock Christian practices and institutions. Satanist often organized themselves into a group of 13 worshipers representing Christ and His 12 Apostles. Most covens consist of both men and women and are headed by high priests and priestesses. Members are required to attend a weekly or monthly meeting known as the esbat. These meetings usually take place on a Friday night. Special meetings are called sabbats or grand sabbats. The most important sabbats are held on February 2 (Candlemas), May-eve (Roodmas), August 1 (lammas), and November-eve (All Hallow E’en). Almost always a naked girl, representing the sacrifice, lies on the altar during this portion of the sabbat. She is not killed, but a ceremonial animal sacrifice is offered to the devil. In some areas an infant is used for the sacrifice. During the ritual, symbolisms are used from the Catholic Church. A chalice is filled with blood instead of wine and the wafer (usually black in color) is stabbed instead of eaten.
Some people worships Satan outright, others unknowingly, but either way they will spend eternity with Satan in hell. Satan is the great deceiver and liar. There are signs of Satanism in just about all towns. Yes even here in Hobbs. Several years ago graffiti was found on the cement block fence behind Albertson Super Market that showed markings used by Satanist. A few years ago at an intersection on South Broadway, a pentagram was painted on the payment. This is also a symbol used by Satanist. You don’t hear much about Satanist because they tend to keep their ceremonies secret and never talks to anyone about being a Satanist.
Satan’s only purpose is to deceive and to kill. He knows he has been defeated, but he plans to take as many as possible with him. Today Satan and his demons are busier than ever. Yes demons are real too. Jesus and His disciples cast out many demons and Jesus even instructed us to do the same.
Let’s read
Mark 16:15-17
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
(NIV)
Demon possessions still exist today, but because of lack of faith, this subject is taboo in most Churches. Why can’t we take the Word of God that is written in our Bibles and believe all of it, instead of some of it? Has Satan gotten us scared to confront him. We must stand up against all that is evil and that means Satan and his demons. There are people today that are demon possessed and oppressed.
Remember in Revelation
Rev 3:20
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
(NIV)
In this verse Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts knocking, asking to come in. We talk about Jesus living in us. Well it is possible for demons to live in your hearts too. Playing around with the occult opens the door for Satan’s demons to come in. Playing around with a ouija board, astrology, fortune telling, palm reading or even listening to some of this hard rock music or watching movies that contain witchcraft, magic, satanism or pornography can open the door of your heart for demons to enter. Be concern about what your children and grandchildren are watching, reading and listening to.
Next we will talk about witchcraft today. Even Christians are being fooled concerning it. Witchcraft is basically the casting of spells and the healing by spells. Witches or wiccas are known as practicing either white magic or black magic. Both are evil and come from Satan. Witches are different from Satanist in that they usually openly admit that they are witches. Females call themselves witches, while males call themselves wizards or warlocks.
White magic is the casting of spells to help a person’s love life, increase their finances
or to get something that a person wants. It is also used to cure people of their illnesses.
Witches use several methods in healing. One is that they will take a raw egg still in the shell and wave it over every part of your body and at the same time asking Jesus to heal you. After they are done, the witch will crack open the egg. If the egg is rotten and stinks, then you have been healed, if not you will need another treatment. Of course these treatments sometimes cost money. But what really scares me about this process is using Jesus’ name in this evil ritual.
Let’s read
Mark 3:28-29
28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
(NIV)
Giving credit to the Holy Spirit for what Satan does or giving credit to Satan for what the Holy Spirit does is blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
Unlike Satanism, we can see the evidence of witchcraft everywhere today. You see it on TV, in books and on the shelves in Toy stores. A lot of the movies that Disney makes for children are filled with witchcraft. The US military even allows witches to hold their covenants on military bases. Witch covenants can receive the same tax-exempt status as any other religious organization. The trend today is to recruit our children.
Lindy Beam from Focus on the Family wrote the following:
"Any time the dark side of the supernatural world is presented as harmless or even imaginary, there is the danger that children will become curious and find too late that witchcraft is neither harmless nor imaginary. In a culture with an obvious trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology, parents need to consider the effects that these ideas may have on young and impressionable minds."
The Harry Potter books have stormed the United States, Europe, Canada and Mexico. They hit the best seller list in many countries including the US. The four books that have been published so far have sold over 100 million copies. The 1st Harry Potter movie broke all records, with people lining up hours before the schedule opening of the theaters. The first Harry Potter movie made over $93.5 million the first weekend breaking all records.
I bought the first book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" and read it, so people couldn’t say that I didn’t know what I was talking about. The evil of the book almost turned my stomach and after reading it, I threw it away. J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter Books, was taking questions from callers on a talk radio show. A man called in whom confessed to being a warlock, asked Ms. Rowling how long she had been a practicing witch. She stated that she was not a witch. The caller seemed surprise and said, "Well, you’ve done your homework quite well." The caller went on to express his love for the Harry Potter series not only because it contained so much occultism, but because its positive portrayal of magick had served to make his daughter more comfortable with his own practices as witch-magickian. During a 1999 interview, Rowling admitted that she had studied mythology and witchcraft in order to write her books more accurately. To learn more about the Harry Potter debate, you can read "Harry Potter and the Bible" by Richard Abanes. The book can be purchased at Family Christian Stores.
Remember in my 1st sermon of this series, I read the scripture where Jesus said that if we take up our cross and follow Him, we will be persecuted? This is exactly what happened to Pastor Jack Brock of Christ Community Church in Alamogordo, NM. His church decided to take the Harry Potter books that they had and any other books or objects that they considered evil and burn them. They burned not only Harry Potter books, but also ouija boards, records and CDs with an anti Christian message. Basically anything that the people had in their homes that was considered anti-Christian. I couldn’t believe the outcry over this, even from some of our local ministers. At least by burning the Harry Potter Books, Pastor Brock was able to alert the whole world of the dangers of these books to our young children. Many Christians either saw news reports covering this story or read about it in the newspapers and became aware of the evil that their children are being subjected to. They would probably never have heard about Harry Potter from their church pulpit. Maybe some seeds were also planted in non-Christians. Even many schools have the Harry Potter books on their required reading list. I remember several years ago when my teenage daughter’s attitude began to change for the worst. I soon realized what was causing it. I built a bonfire and burnt her "Gun and Roses" records and T-shirts. It improved her attitude.
For those who thinks the burning of the Harry Potter Books are wrong let’s look at what happened in Acts chapter19.
Acts 19:13-20
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."
14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"
16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.
19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
(NIV)
If it wasn’t wrong during the early church age to burn witchcraft books, why is it wrong now? According to this scripture, the burning of the books even caused the word of the Lord to spread widely. Maybe we need more book burnings.
Why can’t we stand up for Christ in public? Even ministers made the comment that they wouldn’t let their children read the books, but it was wrong to burn the books. Why do we think that we have to be politically correct? If our Lord wasn’t politically correct, why do we have to be? This is what this whole sermon series is about. "Taking Up Your Cross in Today’s World." Let’s read again Mark 8:34-38.
Mark 8:34-38
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."
(NIV)
Are you ashamed of Christ? Are you denying yourself? Are you taking up your Cross?
If you are ashamed to witness to others about Christ, or to stand up against evil or you are not putting Christ first in your life or you are not speaking out against sin, then you may need to re-evaluate your Christian walk. Christ gave us commands not suggestions. Let us get our priorities right tonight. We need to reject all that appears to be evil and accept Christ’s teachings. God loves us. He wants us to be righteous. He wants us to tell others about His saving grace. How is your Christian walk? Can you say for sure that God is pleased with you and the way you carry your Cross? If not, ask God tonight to help you to change and become bolder in you walk with him.
