Personal Update, October 2024 by Koinonia House

Seduced

by Ron Matsen

by Chuck Missler

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by Sorcery

Witches and Witchcraft

Seduced by Sorcery

Not all evil comes dressed in red and carrying a pitchfork. Sorcerers use subtlety to mask their true intentions

6 Seduced by Sorcery by Ron Matsen

Ron Matsen

Not all evil comes dressed in red and carrying a pitchfork. Sorcerers use subtlety to mask their true intentions. According to Dictionary.com, “Sorcery is the art, practices, or spells of a person who uses supernatural powers through evil spirits.” According to Britannica.com “Sorcery is the practice of malevolent magic.” In simple terms, sorcery’s underlying objective is to turn the heart of man away from a right relationship with God. It is a counterfeit truth that can divert the seeker from the narrow path of truth to the wide highway that leads to destruction...

15 Witches and Witchcraft by Chuck Missler

The spirits behind the occult are real. They are active, they’re malevolent, and they’re out to do us harm. Seances and astral projection, past life readings and psychic readings and Tarot cards should not be dismissed as colorful pastimes or casual games. They are serious. They are used to create misinformation by very powerful sentient beings whose skill and weaponry is primarily in the realm of deception. Even if they fail to possess those who mingle in their midst, they provide ideas that lead people away from Christ, away from appreciation for their sin and need for a Savior...

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A Koinonia House Connection Event

It took thirty years of investigation, researching the Biblical narrative. Now, Ron Matsen can reveal the evidence; the Israelites did journey to the Mountain of God and their very likely route may be surprising! Come see for yourself: photos, videos, and analysis. Touch the blackened rock from this mountain, then YOU be the judge.

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Ron Matsen President, Koinonia House

DEDITORIAL

DEAR FRIENDS

eception by stealth is a tactic employed by Satan that has drawn the unsuspecting into the unimaginable for millennia. No one in their right mind should want to be deceived to the point of being permanently injured, but dabbling in the dangerous world of the occult is like taking a pathway that surely leads to a slippery slope ending in destruction. This is an evil ploy where play leads to practice, humor leads to habit, and entertainment leads to entanglement.

The occult is a door that must never be opened. Proverbs 22:3 tells us, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.” Therefore, Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

May you continue to trust in the Hope that is in Christ Jesus.

In His Service,

Ron Matsen, co-laborer in Christ

SEDUCED BY SORCERY

Not all evil comes dressed in red and carrying a pitchfork. Sorcerers use subtlety to mask their true intentions. According to Dictionary.com, “Sorcery is the art, practices, or spells of a person who uses supernatural powers through evil spirits.”1 According to Britannica.com “Sorcery is the practice of malevolent magic.”2 In simple terms, sorcery’s underlying objective is to turn the heart of man away from a right relationship with God. It is a counterfeit truth that can divert the seeker from the narrow path of truth to the wide highway that leads to destruction.

Sorcery through Seduction

The Book of Numbers gives us an account of an attempt by the king of Moab to destroy the Israelites during the final stages of their wilderness

1 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sorcery

2 https://www.britannica.com/topic/sorcery

Ron Matsen President, Koinonia House

wanderings. In chapters 22 to 24, Balak hired the prophet Balaam. He requested,

“Therefore, please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

Numbers 22:6

Three times, Balaam attempted to curse Israel, and three times, God stopped him. Although Balaam was unable to directly cause Israel harm, he did give Balak a means by which Israel could fall. To the Church at Pergamos, John wrote,

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”

Revelation 2:14

The

story of the seduction of Israel

Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.

Numbers 25:1-3

What Balaam could not achieve directly, he attained through the subtlety of seduction. Israel was drawn to follow their heart’s passions rather than heed God’s warnings to remain separate from the influences of their enemies. What, perhaps stated as a whim of passion, ended up as spiritual perversion.

In the New Testament, we see another example of people being captivated by the dark deeds of a sorcerer. When Philip went to Samaria to preach the Gospel, he was confronted by a man who had beguiled the people.

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.

Acts 8:9-11

It is interesting to point out that this man Simon joined these new believers who were coming to Christ during the ministry of Philip.

Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

Act 8:13

Later, when Peter and John arrive, Peter confronts him when Simon asks, “Give me this power also.” Peter identifies that although Simon made a profession of faith, Peter pronounced,

“You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”

Act 8:21-22

The lesson that should be learned from this is simple. You cannot call Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord while you still stay connected with the sorcery. In the final message of Moses to the Children of Israel, he proclaimed,

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you [anyone] who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or]a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God

drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.”

Deu 18:9-14

Sorcery through Normalization

Normalization is the state of “making something normal or standard.” It took a twelve-year-old king to divert the nation of Israel into idolatry by rebuilding that which his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed.

It took a twelveyear-old king to divert the nation of Israel into idolatry...

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers--only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:1-9

When you examine, through the lens of history, these reports of downfalls into sorcery as a normal and acceptable aspect of their society, it is easy to vilify the culprits as having a deep and dark malevolent agenda. The truth is that they all followed the same age-old pathway of investigation that led to integration and, ultimately, enslavement. They entertained the thought until they were entertained by the thought. The Letter of James puts it this way,

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

James 1:14-15

Sorcery through Saturation

So much of our fantasy-based entertainment today is rooted deeply in themes that contain sorcery. From books, cartoons, games, and superhero action figures movies, the emphasis on supernatural powers is everywhere. Soft-core sorcery is all over the place. I could list many of the popular titles for you, but I believe you already know what I am referring to. Suffice it to say that of all the media tools that mesmerize young people today would be the vehicle of visual media.

Psychology Today reports: “According to the market research group Nielsen, adults spend over 11 hours per day interacting with media. That’s up from 9 hours and 32 minutes just four years ago. Of those 11 hours, 4 hours and 46 minutes are spent watching TV.” 3

Psychology Today reports: “For kids ages 8-12, the same Common Sense Media survey report found that they spent 6 hours per day interacting with media. Kids ages 2-5 spend around 4 hours 35 minutes per day in front of a screen (e.g., watching TV, videos, gaming).”4

Therefore, the average person devotes 20% of their 24-hour day to some form of video entertainment.

3 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happylife/201812/how-much-screen-time-is-too-much

4 IBID

...the average person devotes 20% of their 24-hour day to some form of video entertainment.

What starts as fascination becomes an obsession to the point of captivating minds. So, let me ask, what is the greatest source of input into people’s minds today? By now, I believe you can see that the answer is entertainment.

Combating Sorcery

The apostle Paul warned his young apprentice Timothy,

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

2 Timothy 2:3-4

What is the answer to this troubling trend? Is there a survival guide for the soul under siege? Please do not get me wrong here. I am not advocating that we run and hide in a cave somewhere. The Bible gives us all the answers we need to transit the minefield of the modern media onslaught safely. King Solomon warned,

The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:19-27

The apostle Paul offers this encouragement, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts

of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13

May God continue to shelter you as you remain under the shadow of His wings.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Psalm 36:7-9

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Death of Discernment

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Of all the end-time themes discussed in the Bible–such as global disasters (Mt 24), the rise of the global super-state, the identity of the Antichrist, the mark of the beast, and the Magog invasion (Ezek 38-39)–“deception and apostasy in the church” is listed more times than any other end-time “sign of the times.”

Are we currently living in the Age of Apostasy? Ron Matsen explores the evidence and causes of apostasy and provides an antidote for apostasy in this timely study. This briefing pack contains 2 hours of teaching.

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Chuck Missler Founder, Koinonia House

TARTICLE WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT

he spirits behind the occult are real. They are active, they’re malevolent, and they’re out to do us harm. Seances and astral projection, past life readings and psychic readings and Tarot cards should not be dismissed as colorful pastimes or casual games. They are serious. They are used to create misinformation by very powerful sentient beings whose skill and weaponry is primarily in the realm of deception. Even if they fail to possess those who mingle in their midst, they provide ideas that lead people away from Christ, away from appreciation for their sin and need for a Savior.

There are more witches today in England and America than there ever have been before. There are many Christians today who will come to the defense of the Harry Potter series, justifying it as a fun epic story with no real witchcraft in it. That may be so, but it has successfully removed the stigma associated with witches and witchcraft, which is dangerous. Harry Potter might be an exciting story that doesn’t teach children any real spells, but it has given many children the desire to be a witch. There are children all over the place now that long to go to school at Hogwarts. They might not be able to do that in real life, but they can certainly go learn to be witches. Witchcraft is real.

Wicca and witchcraft have grown in popularity since the 1970s. Wicca is seen by many as a harmless Earth-first, nature loving religion. Practicing witches go out to be one with nature and enjoy Mother Earth and celebrate solstices and equinoxes and full moons. It’s a modernized version of an old system of worship. The Wiccans are essentially getting back to very ancient pagan basics with nature and mother goddess worship and the use of magic arts and rituals from eastern occultism.

They deny that they have anything to do with Satanism or devil worship, and most embrace the Wiccan Rede, which states “If it harm none, do what you will.”

Yet, Wiccans are seeking to access powers in the self or in nature and to draw that power into themselves. They do not believe in a personal God, but they do seek to tap into spirits and powers in order to manipulate circumstances in their lives. They believe that the deity is within, that we can be gods and goddesses. The deity is both within and without. They do not believe in evil or sin, which leaves Wiccans very susceptible to evil spirits who have dressed themselves to look good. Wiccans purposely open the door for spirits to come in without knowing the true nature of those spirits.

We all want to be able to fix the problems in our lives. We all want to have more power, more control. That’s a common human desire. The allure of witchcraft is that it offers people the power to effect changes through rituals and magic. Of course, all that comes with a price. Unclean spirits do not offer their assistance for free and inviting them into one’s life is a good way to get chained and ultimately controlled by them.

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:31

God’s way is the opposite. He asks us to humble ourselves when we come to Him, to recognize both our own sin and His power and authority. His purposes for us are the opposite of Satan’s as well. Satan seeks to enslave us, but God’s great desire is to set us free from the power of sin and death over our lives and to make us His children and heirs.

Charles Manson is dead now, but I suspect his name will remain notorious for many years. I remember well the events surrounding his murder of Sharon Tate and the bloody mess of slaughters Manson and his “family” members committed in the summer 1969. Manson’s girlfriend Susan Atkins was also arrested and kept in solitary confinement, but she asked to see me because she had heard my Bible study tapes.

Susan Atkins previously followed Anton LaVey, the head of the Church of Satan, but had come to give her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. She wrote a book called Child of Satan, child of God, and naturally I read her book and did a little homework in preparation to go see her. On the book, they had a picture of her when she was arrested: a frail, gaunt, haggard, tragic looking figure. When I met with her, the difference in her physical appearance startled me; I found a gal who was petite, attractive, fresh, crisp and clean. I was prepared for a change, because she’d come to the Lord Jesus Christ, but I was startled to realize how pervasive the change had been.

Satan tears down and destroys. He might not make his move immediately but, in the end, he always seeks to humiliate and devastate his victims.

Many witches, and people in general, believe that there are good witches and bad witches, as though we live in the land of The Wizard of Oz. They believe in white magic, which is good, and black magic, which is evil. The problem is that whether the witch has good intentions or not, witchcraft itself is always evil. It’s not because the witch wants evil, because that might not be the case; the witch might want good things. The problem is that witchcraft seeks to access powers that are not of God, which only leaves one alternative. This re-packaging of witchcraft, with the deception of white magic versus dark magic, is one of the reasons for the success of witchcraft in Western culture. Few people want to choose evil; but it’s easy for even well-meaning people to be deceived if they don’t know the truth.

Kelly Segraves, the one-time administrator of the Creation-Science Research Center of San Diego, often gave talks and, somehow, he was invited to be a speaker at the annual Los Angeles witchcraft convention. Kelly thought it would be a great idea to present the Gospel at this convention. He developed a talk that started out spooky, but his ultimate aim was to present the Gospel. However, when he stood up before this crowed, every time he started to speak, he heard a loud screaming. He kept looking around, trying to figure out where it was coming from, and he noticed that the audience wasn’t looking around like he was. He finally realized the audience couldn’t hear it, and he knew he was in over

his head. Dealing with demons isn’t something any one of us should get into unless the Holy Spirit is calling us to it. As Walter Martin used to say, “I’ve never met a demon I really liked.”

Halloween is one of the Wiccan religion’s most significant nights of the year. It was a high day for the Druids and it’s still a high day today. It’s a day Wiccans can ask off from work as a religious holiday. Tragically, the witches are messing with powers they don’t understand, and they have turned their back on the true source of life and peace and love.

There is a day of judgment, and in that day, the works of the occult will not be able to save anybody. Isaiah warns Babylon of this in Isaiah 47. Babylon, the city of Nimrod the warrior who led the great rebellion against God after the Flood, is portrayed as the city of witchcraft and sorcery. Isaiah 47, Jeremiah 50-51, and Revelation 17-18 all describe a time of judgment that will mean the utter destruction of Babylon, and there will be no saving her. Isaiah tells Babylon:

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth… Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

Isaiah 47:12-14

This article is a short excerpt from Dr. Chuck Missler’s book Halloween, available from our online store https://store.khouse.org. Also available as a 2 hour presentation.

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The celebration of the pagan festival of Halloween is now a multi-billion dollar merchandiser's market. Fifty percent of Americans will decorate for Halloween (compared to over 80% for Christmas). It is now the third most popular party activity, after the Superbowl and New Year's Eve.

This is always a difficult time for Christians, especially those with children. It is also a dangerous time for some, since many of the seemingly "harmless" involvements associated with Halloween can also be "entries" for the occult, and can prove very tragic for the unwary.

There is only one true God (Isa 44:6, 8: 46:9). Thus, only one true religion. Scripture declares "all gods of the nations are idols" (Ps 96:5). All false religion and idolatry is by definition involved in demon worship - whether or not the participants recognize it (Acts 26:18). Hence Paul's concern. The spiritual power and reality behind idols involves demons (I Cor 10:20, Ps 106:37). The Bible tells us to shun occultic practices. This series will help you understand the Pagan background to the modern Halloween traditions practiced today. This briefing pack contains 2 hours of teachings.

COMMENTARY DVD COLLECTION!

The Complete New Testament Commentary Collection

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K-HOUSE STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Bible is the very Word of God, is inerrant in its original autographs, and is fully and totally and uniquely reliable as the primary guide to all actions and commitments; That Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, became man to fulfill a destiny on our behalf, was crucified, buried, and bodily resurrected, is presently seated on His Father’s Throne, and will soon return to establish His Kingdom on the Planet Earth.

That, in the meantime, the Holy Spirit is uniquely active in pursuing His mission in calling, equipping, and empowering believers, and is essential for any and all of the pursuits to be fruitful and effective.

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Personal Update, October 2024

Seduced

CONTENTS

Seduced by Sorcery

Acts 17:11

A Koinonia House Connection Event

International Venues

DEDITORIAL

DEAR FRIENDS

SEDUCED BY SORCERY

Sorcery through Seduction

The

Sorcery through Normalization

Sorcery through Saturation

Combating Sorcery

TOPICAL STUDY

Doctrines of Demons

TOPICAL STUDY

Death of Discernment

TOPICAL BUNDLE

TARTICLE WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT

TOPICAL STUDY

Halloween

COMMENTARY DVD COLLECTION!

The Complete New Testament Commentary Collection

Other Topical Studies

K-HOUSE STATEMENT OF FAITH

KOINONIA…