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The Occult "You are meddling with powers you can't possibly comprehend " - Sean Connery, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Proverbs 21:30 THE BATTLE Swirling about us is a cosmic battle an eternal war that we can only get a glimpse of on rare and wonderful occasions. In the natural realm, we understand this war to be the struggle between good and evil. It is on this spiritual battleground that angels and demons fight. They fight for our souls. God and His angels fight with Light that reveals the Absolute Truth to everyone. Satan and his demons continually fire salvos of darts that increase darkness. This darkness comes in many forms all of which are evil, many of which are subtle, even undetectable. Satan desires to bind, deceive, and oppress the minds of all of creation because he knows that when minds are free to think, they will see him for what he really is. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy all that God Almighty has authored to exist including the abundant life that Jesus Christ came to offer. (1)
(1) John 10:10
TRUE WORSHIP One of the tactics that Satan uses is the concept that there are other gods, no God, or that you are a god. All of these concepts lead people away from the one true God who loves them dearly. This selfish and prideful attitude plunges these people into the realms of spiritual warfare on the side of Satan often without even believing that there is such a creature. Any worship other than worship in spirit and truth in the One, True, Living God (2), is false worship worship of Satanic Forces masquerading in various forms, including the forms of angels of light (3) (2) John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. (3) 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light .(greek: a messenger of truth)
NEED FOR CONTROL Often, dabbling in the occult is the result of a personal need or desire to be in control. Our impatience in waiting and doubt of the perfect plan God has for our lives (He knows our beginning and our end (4) leads some to seek ways of controlling situations. The desire to be in control leads many people to embrace ways that seemingly allow them to have some control over the outcome of certain or all events in their lives. The problem is are they controlling some great power or is that power, in fact, controlling them? Read what is said below on a Wiccan Web Page: (Please note that I will only give references to such pages to those who seek to inquire as a means of apologetics) "Contrary to popular belief, magic is not supernatural. It operates along its own rules and logic. Simply because it is not fully understood (bold italics mine) does not mean that it does not exist. Magic is effective in causing manifestations of needed change." When we open up our senses to spiritual forces, we are either greeted with the love, encouragement, discipline, hope, and faith from The Creator of All OR we are inviting into our lives that which desires to be worshiped in the place of The Almighty God. There is no state of in between you are either for God or against Him (5). Any 'idol' (this can be a material possession, an idea, a philosophy, another 'god,' etc.) that is worshiped is demonic and desires for the worshiper to be apart from The Creator and the promises of The Creator. The nine Satanic statements from their main web site read as follows: I. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence! II. Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams! III. Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit! IV. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates! V. Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek! VI. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for psychic vampires! VII. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all fours, who, because of his "divine spiritual and intellectual development, has become the most vicious animal of all! VIII. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification! IX. Satan is the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years! What these demonic forces do not want you to have is the eternal life that is promised to those who love the Father, His Son, and His Spirit of Truth. Since they will not reside in the presence of the Holy One, they will do all they can to destroy those whom God chose before time began to be His Children. (6)
(4) Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (4) Jeremiah 29:11 (4) Ecclesiastes 3:11 (4) Revelation 22:13 (5) 1 Peter 3:12 (5) Mark 9:40 (5) Psalms 34:16 (5) Isaiah 8:20 (6) 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (6) John 1:12-13
Why is Christianity different from the any other religion? If you open your mind to the occult, and you allow your mind to be aligned with those beliefs, then you are following humans who lead you and instruct you (7). Christianity is different from other religions in that by accepting the Christ (that is, accepting that His death and resurrection is atonement for each and every man's sin) you are transformed into a new being (8). As that new being, your mind and heart are, through grace, conformed to the image of God (as was the original Adam's image and Jesus' image) by the following of the Christ. There are others who follow Christ, His disciples, that may mentor you and help you understand the Lord better as you grow in Him, but it is the Lord Himself that Christians accept and follow (9).
(7) 2 Peter2:1-2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. (8) 2 Corinthians 5:17 (9) 1 Corinthians 3
GOOD INTENTIONS ONLY GO SO FAR... Many who are in the occult say that they practice 'good' or 'white' magic and would never practice anything that would hurt another person. It is wonderful that they don't want to hurt others, but without a true vision of the spiritual realm, they have no idea what they are helping or hurting. There is no man who, in and of his own limited and finite experience, can know the great and ever reaching consequences of each and every action that they take. In any case that they are not submitting to the grace of God and His Righteous Desires, they are fighting against The Lord. If they are fighting against The Lord, then whose side are they on? The Lord has made it clear that if we are not for Him, we are in fact against Him (5). Another big question that all who do not follow the Christ have to answer is does it always work? Is there always the result that you desire? Is there perfection? Is there total satisfaction in the results? The fact is no Outside of Christ, there is no perfection, there is no sureness of results, there is no steadfast peace, joy, or love. He is the only One who knows what is perfect for your life because He is the Author of your life. Trying to make choices without His guidance is simply taking guesses that have little chance of being the right decision. The bible insures that it is the Written Word of God and it is not to be changed in any way. It guarantees that it is Truth (10). In the same manner, the Spoken Word of God is Everlasting and Perfect as well (11).
(10) Psalms 18:30 (10) Revelation 22:18 (10) Proverbs 30:6 (10) Deuteronomy 4:2 (11) 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (11) Psalms 33:4 (11) Hebrews 4:12 (11) Psalms 33:6 (11) Psalms 119:89 (11) Isaiah 40:8
THE POWER OF OUR WORDS Words carry power. New Age thought uses mantras, affirmation, and self-talk in order to create desired outcomes. Why does this seem to work? It is because the words of our lips are powerful! (12) We have often heard of self-fulfilling prophesy it happens often. Just as The Lord God spoke this expanse of creation into existence, we, too, have great power in the words that we speak. When Jesus was with Satan being tempted in the desert Jesus spoke the Word of God to him and told him to leave, which he immediately did (13). (12) James 3 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (12) Matthew 21:19
(13) Matthew 4:10
POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES Most of us were given five senses sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste which are used to gather information that has access to your mind and your spirit. What we allow to enter us through these 'gates' affects us. Thus, this is where the battleground of each and every person lies. When people speak to the dead, to demons, or to demons in the form of other gods - their prayers, desires, and curses can have power and influence. This is because the demons to whom they are communicating have influence. God specifically commands all people not to indulge in any such communication. Sometimes these worshipers believe that there is no spiritual realm which they contact, but rather they are the power source themselves. Here is a sample from a Wiccan Web Page: "Wicca is not synonymous [but not seemingly opposed to...my conjecture] with Satan worship. The very concept of a supreme evil spirit is alien to Wicca. In fact, most Wiccans do not even believe in Satan. The devil is a Judeo-Christian construct and as such, it has nothing to do with Wicca." "Wicca may include the practice of magic which is defined as the process of causing change through the focusing of our natural powers. It is important to note that magic is natural. There is nothing supernatural about it. We use certain tools such as spells, visualization, chants, candles, amulets and meditation to help us focus our power, but the power comes from within -- it is not in the tools (bold italics mine). " The Christian must not ignore the power of other spirits; neither can he be fearful of them because the God who lives in each Christian is the Victor over Satan and his hoards. Christians must know that they do not fight the darkness of this world, but rather they reveal it by the light of Christ. The Struggle is not with anyone on this earth, but rather with those dark powers in the spiritual world (14). By allying oneself with demonic forces in the spiritual realm, in any manner even the slightest, one has the power to invite the powers of darkness to manipulate the world in such a way that their evil desires are met. The practice of accessing the spiritual world in any way is against the will of God and is detestable in His eyes. (15) However, there are limits to demonic power (16). As the saying goes "Satan and his minions can only go so far as the end of their leash."
(14)
2 Corinthians 10 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (14) Ephesians 6:12
(15) Deuteronomy 18 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD
(16) Job 1 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
WHO GETS THE GLORY? - SELF SERVING RELIGIONS So what is the ultimate goal of other religions, especially the occult? For those who practice them, they hope to control their destiny. They hope to please themselves. They hope to make their life equal the vision that is in their heads the one they truly deserve. The ultimate goal? Self glorification and gratification. Here is an excerpt from a Wiccan Web Page: "Every aspect of the human existence can be linked with the Goddess and God. They can be called upon to help us sort through our troubles and bring joy into our often spiritually-bereft lives. This doesn't mean that when problems occur we should leave them in the hands of the Goddess. We CAN, however, call on the Goddess and God to clear our minds and to help us help ourselves (italic emphasis theirs)" "Magic is effective in causing manifestations of needed change." Statements from the satanic main web site VIII. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification! VII. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have used it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained. "The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great." "True Satanism builds the ego, it doesn't tear it down." From an Astrology site: "It is our belief that the information provided through astrology can help you plan and guide all aspects of your life towards prosperity and happiness. " As you can see, the ends of these practices are to help themselves and change things in order to please themselves. On the flip side of that same coin, the spiritual forces of darkness press forward, using those who are deceived, to further deceive and enslave the whole world (17). The natural flesh and its desires walk hand in hand with spiritual darkness, spreading lies throughout the whole earth.
(17)
Revelation 12:9 (17)
1 Peter 5:8
THE VICTORY Too bad for them, the victory over Satan, Death, and Hell has already been obtained. Christians are more than conquerors they are heirs to the Throne of the Most High. There is nothing that the Lord will hold back from His Children in this life if it glorifies Him. I hope that any person reading this, who realizes that they have been ensnared in a lie, would reach out to Christ for His Saving Grace. If you are not a child of the The Lord, if you are not sure that you have been brought into the Kingdom of God by the acceptance of Christ's purchase of you with His blood, then you are surely a under the control of the Prince of this world (18). Perhaps you are unsure of whether or not what you are dabbling in is evil. If that is the case, write to us. If there are doubts and questions that you have about The Lord, His Church, or anything in between, please call or e-mail us. We do not want to fight over the Truth as the Truth needs no defense, so please limit remarks to questions or edifying statements.
(18)
1 John 4:4 (18) 1 John 5:19
WHAT SHOULD YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THIS STUDY? You may not have understood much of what was written here. Perhaps you have no idea who Christ is or what He means in your life. If this is the case, we invite you to write to us and say just that "I don't get it " That is OK. However, the truth remains, you must make a choice about Jesus Christ: you must either accept Him or reject Him. This article is about those who have rejected Him in favor of occult teachings and beliefs, consciously or unconsciously. However, it is also about those who have rejected Him simply by ignoring Him. If you have ignored Him and desire to stop doing so, please write to us. We will share with you the basics of the great love God has for you despite where you are and where you have been. For those who know the Lord and know of the spiritual battle that rages around us, this little bit of scripture is often overlooked. We have a dangerous enemy with great power. Even as we must not fear that power, we must respect it. (19)
(19)
2 Peter 2:10-11 (19) Jude 1:9
Below is a special note from the apostle Paul to all those who have walked away from their First Love: Jesus Christ The Great I Am. 2 Corinthians 11 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 5 But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." 6 I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. And a note from Peter 2 Peter2:1-9 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. A little notice from the Lord about a church in the End Times: Revelation 9:21 Interesting quotes from the main satanic web site: IX. Some other groups to watch out for: A) Feminist, Wiccan-oriented, consciousness-raising groups who practice more male-bashing than magic; B) New Age groups that promote LaVeyan concepts, but shun the dreaded "S" word; C) Jargon-laden Christians masquerading as Satanists; D) Pen-pal or lonely hearts social groups pretending to be elitists performing powerful Satanic rituals. All of the above are subject to bitch-fights, petty jealousies, and rivalries. They are safe havens for small-minded people trying to play head games, preferring the protection of groups rather than really working to apply what Anton LaVey wrote. This is not to say that all groups are counterproductive to Satanism as a movement; there are many which are productive, supportive branches of the Church of Satan. Like various divisions of the same army, these distinct Orders may emphasize one Satanic image over another, but they are all aligned, in communication and working toward the same goals. But you must be prepared to sort the truth from the misinformation. Don't be fooled by self-declared "Masters," whether they're wearing white robes or black. They are attempting to misdirect and subvert whatever you've developed in the way of ego or identity. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Knowing this, if you choose to affiliate with any pseudo-Satanic or anti-Satanic groups, you may well find yourself dis-affiliated from the Church of Satan. Forewarned is forearmed. "'Hail Satan!' (the exclamation point is optional, though preferred) is often another way of saying 'Hail Me!' Since we Satanists embody the qualities of The Great Archetype, Satan, it stands to reason that the phrase is both apropos and analogous. You very well could say 'Hail Me!' instead, but keep in mind this... "'Hail Satan!' is also a salute to our achievements (both collective and, more importantly, individual), ethics, and heritage. It is a statement of pride in defiance of a polyglot, egalitarian, and ignorant way of life represented by the nauseating Christ ethos and its followers. If we have signed any pact with Satan, it is this." "I can't give you anything to fill the void in your life, and neither can Satanism." For Further Study On Spiritual Warfare and the Spiritual World http://christiantopics.com/satan.html http://www.gracemins.org/satanindex.html
Here are also some great books to read: Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipagne
© 1999 SPIRIT GEAR, INC.
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