Royal
June 2012 October 2013
the craft
from the editor The prevalence of Wicca in our culture is undeniable, which begs the question, what exactly is going on? Why are so many Americans, especially our young people, attracted to all things pagan? The Greatest Generation is almost entirely gone and standing in the wings is a new generation bereft of any knowledge of God, yet hungry to feed their spirit. We have left the front door of our souls open. “And also that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord….” (Jud. 2:10-11) The Bible warns us that we are not to worship other gods, yet this generation of Americans is doing just that. Our children, particularly our girls, are being fed the pabulum of Wicca, sorcery, and divination before they reach puberty while remaining completely ignorant of God and His laws.
Witchcraft is as old as the lie of Genesis 3:4 when the serpent promised man that his eyes would be opened and he would be a god. Practitioners of the craft believe their spells and incantations endue them with secret knowledge and the ability to manipulate their own destinies. Sadly, the power these children receive does not make them like gods, but rather subjects them to lying spirits, demons, and ultimately bondage and fear. Mysteries belong to the Lord alone. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Duet. 29:29) God warns us to teach His laws to our children. “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Det. 6:7) America’s Godless society has left this next generation vulnerable to evil. Shut the front door!
Royal Diadem Magazine. Publisher and Executive Editor, Lori Flaherty. For advertising information or article submissions, contact the publisher at rdpublish@gmail.com or P.O. Box 37643, Rock Hill, SC 29732. All articles may be copied with permission. No article herein is endorsed by any advertiser. For printed editions, contact the publisher.
contents The mystics have stolen our children
Egypt in prophecy
The new Barbie
Vices and sanctification
Ye old deluder!
Waiting on God
The storms of life
ou know, I know this steak doesn’t exist. I knowthat when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize?”
Last Dayz Broadcast with Pastor Jerry
“Ignorance is bliss!”
Don’t. Be. Ignorant.
Last Dayz Broadcast with Pastor Jerry
the craft by Lori Flaherty
Thou shalt not suffer a witch Exodus 22:18 to live.
T
he biggest lie being perpetuated upon our society today is that we have become a secular nation. Although Christianity may be waning and is popularly frowned upon, America is not a religionless society. Rather than eradicate religion, the elite, our educational system, and our political institutions have sought to replace the Christian religion with ones in which they can embrace. Wicca and other pagan and New Age religions are gaining in popularity because, unlike Christianity, there is no personal sin in which one must wrestled with. Rather, paganism espouses that we
are all good. We are all our own gods and one must only tap into one’s own inner god to become his “higher” self. In witchcraft, practitioners harness the use of the elements– earth, wind, fire, and water– and use the stars and moon to ask for knowledge, intervene in ROYAL DIADEM
circumstances, or to invoke power over others. Witches believe that by saying the right words in the right way, facing the right direction when celestial bodies are aligned in just the right way, they can invoke other gods and spirits to their benefit and gain secret knowledge, all against the knowledge of God. “And lest though lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. (Det. 4:19) Another prevailing precept in Wicca and New Age religions is that mankind can evolve. He or she can reach his inner potential, ascend to god or goddess status, and manipulate his own destiny and achieve immortality. According to William Schnoebelen in his book, Wicca: Satan’s Little White Lie, most witches believe in a form of Western reincarnation where humankind is reborn “forward.” Whether it is accomplished through chants, incantations, vision casting, spells, or meditation, people
are hungry for power in a world where they often feel powerless and out of control. For those people who tried on Christianity and found it lacking, Wicca and other pagan religions appear to offer them the chance to govern their own destinies. Indeed, it often does give practitioners a sense of power, even euphoria and favor for a season. Trouble is, most people that journey into the mystical are completely ignorant and unsuspecting of just what, and whose power exactly, they are tapping into. At the core of why these pagan mystery religions are growing faster than Christianity is that they are filling an enormous abyss of spiritual emptiness In the West, an emptiness encouraged and guided by malevolent spiritual beings masquerading as light bearers. While our society of twentysomething’s and their children are completely Bible illiterate and void of Biblical knowledge, spiritual forces have been hard at work behind the scenes to give them the New Age philosophies and Wiccan ideals they hold. Ironically, because of their spiritual ignorance, they (continued to page 9)
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*What is junior reading? Direct from a go disney link (bold, my emphasis): “He's b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sade Kane can’t seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness,
and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos.
Published by HarperTeen, this second installment in the dystopian divergent series appears to set up children for choosing the god of the New Age, where Mark warns us “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” (Mark 13:12)
From the publisher: “Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors.... And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable...”
Kristin Cashore wrote the New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire, both of which have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Bitterblue is the third in her installment of fantasy books . When talking about her writing process on her own blog Cashore says, “My ideas tend to start with characters in my head who are having conversations-- usually arguments. I listen to them-they're so angry, but there's
love there too, or desire, or insecurity, or despair-- and I ask myself, what are they fighting about? ... “You get good at ignoring the voices. Or giving them the attention that's best for them: listening to them and laughing and giving them a hug, and saying, "Yes, I know you're worried. It's okay. Let's go watch a pretty sunset."
*Best-selling children’s fiction from Publisher’s Weekly website, November 7, 2012
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In John Flanagan’s Invaders, book two of the Brotherband Chronicles, ”
Hal and the Herons have done the impossible. This group of outsiders has beaten out the strongest, most skilled young warriors in all of Skandia to win the Brotherband competition. But their celebration comes to an abrupt end when the Skandians' most sacred artifact, the Andomal, is stolen--and the Herons are to blame. Who are the Skandians? “Sometimes enemies, mostly allies to Will and his friends, the Skandians are a seagoing race of warriors from the frozen northland of Skandia.
“They raid the coast of Araluen and countries on the main continent, travelling in their fast wolfships. “The Skandians are big, noisy, and enthusiastic warriors, fond of singing and drinking. Their weapon of choice is the battleaxe, also called the broadax. “Skandians make faithful friends and fearful enemies. “Skandians are most likely based off of the Vikings. They can go into "Beserker" mode and think of nothing but bloodshed and killing, ignoring their own injuries. In such a case
Roth’s novels are about future societies where teens take on oppressive governments. Divergent takes readers to a futuristic Chicago where society is divided into factions based on virtues that are falling apart. Sounds like the times we live in to me. In a Q&A with amazon, Roth says “The faction system reflects my beliefs about human nature—that
we can make even something as well-intentioned as virtue into an idol, or an evil thing. And that virtue as an end unto itself is worthless to us.” As if the all-seeing eye on the cover isn’t creepy enough, this 24 -year-old author posted this photo of herself on her blog.
The Lost Hero is a fantasy- them, neither serve them nor adventure novel written by bow yourself unto them.” Rick Riordan and is based on (Josh. 23:7) Greek and Roman mythology. Note the dragon the children are riding on. Scripute tells us, “That ye come not among these nations, these that remain amongst you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by ROYAL DIADEM
believe they are more enlightened than all previous generations rather than simply being duped. And it is not just the world at large that is susceptible to Wiccan practices. Witchcraft has found its way into the modern church. While Wiccans call on the four elements, misled so-called Christians believe that by surrounding themselves with positive people and speaking positive affirmations they, too, can manipulate forces to, “have their best life now.” Today, entire congregations are standing in circles holding hands and
facing certain directions to “harness” the power of God. They are oblivious to the irony of how these practices are no different than drawing circles and chanting phrases or casting spells. In fact, I would go so far as to say that most of the post-modern church has been hijacked by the occult, particularly in the new nondenominational churches where little scripture is taught by pastors who have adopted the methods and buzz words of Scientology and New Age philosophers. Pastors who purchase their Sunday sermons and
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teaching series from large Christian publishers, many of who are owned by Murdoch and other worldly billionaires, without ever seeking God for a word to preach to their flock. Speaking positive affirmations into your life is the same as sorcery and Bible-literate Christians know better, but for the hordes of professing new “Christians” filling up abandoned stadiums to hear the likes of Joel Osteen and others, they have no inkling that they are just as lost as their professing Wiccan neighbor.
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The sad reality is that despite having their Bible on their iphones and laptops, today’s Christian doesn’t know the Holy Scriptures any better than their Wiccan or New Age co-worker, oftentimes less so. Both classes of “believers” and “non-believers” have been raised in this same secular vacuum of the West, a void that has categorically denied the spiritual and elevated the relative. And the spiritual forces behind all of this don’t much care what label we put on ourselves if it produces the same spiritual state of darkness.
So how fast is Wicca growing? According to Wikipedia, “The American Religious Identification Survey” gives Wicca an average annual growth of 143% for the period 1990 to 2001. And acording to The Statesman, Anne Elizabeth Wynn claims, ‘The two most recent American Religious Identification Surveys declare Wicca, one form of paganism, as the fastest growing spiritual identification in America.’” Indeed, the growth of Wicca and paganism appears to be a mostly American phenomena.
As a parent of young adult children, I have long unplugged from the youth culture. However, I would have to be blind not to have noticed the number of Wiccan books, pagan television programs, and occult practices that have hit our society like an unsuspecting tsunami. And there isn’t enough time to mention the music industry. While we have been diverted by technology, individualism, multiculturalism, and frozen meals, a spiritual darkness descended over our nation.
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anime poison J
apanese cartoons, or anime, are spawning the likes of Valeria Lukyanova, the youtube sensation from Ukraine, who has the uncanny, likeness of a real live Barbie doll. The living Barbie, whose "spiritual name" is Amatue, has garnered so much attention she was interviewed last November by V magazine. On a youtube video she posted, Lukyanova says, “I'm a singer and esoteric Amatue. Amatue this is my space name. I engage in spiritual practices and meditations, they inspire me in my work. Writing music and poetry. I also teach people to seminars, to leave his physical body and travel in pure Spirit through endless expanses of the universe! This is so beautiful! Flying out of the body, it is probably the most important source of pleasure for me.” Then there is 19-year-old Anastasiya Shpagina, also from the Ukraine, referred to as the "Anime Girl," who like Lukyanova has gained online fame for her animelike appearance. Her Facebook fan page has almost 12,000 likes and her "Flower Fairy" tutorial video has over half a million views on YouTube. Buddhism and Shinto religions permeate the Japanese culture, leading many young fans to explore the same “strange gods,” as do Lukyanova and Shpagina. Christian parents need to be educated about anime and deny the devil this entryway into their children’s lives. ROYAL DIADEM
Old Deluder Satan Law
I
t was a surprise to me to learn of an arcane Massachusetts law enacted by the Puritans in 1647 right here on American soil called, the “Old Deluder Satan Law.” The Puritans felt that an illiterate population would result in a society devoid of temporal living and eternal salvation. As the law put it, "ye ould deluder, Satan" could use illiteracy to "keep men from the knowledge of ye scriptures." Imagine if that were the case today! The 1647 law reads, in part, as follows: “It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with love and false
glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors. It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns. ” Time to put guns and God back in school! ROYAL DIADEM
The zombies are coming, along with the werewolves, vampires, and ascended masters. In our land of the free, the brave, and the absolutely spiritually clueless, the mystical has taken over. And taken over it has. While doing some research for this article, I became absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer number of occultic television series, books, movies, video games, and other entertainment aimed at children and young adults. Just a simple purview of Publisher’s Weekly’s best-selling books for children frightened me. See the reprint on pages 8 and 9. The website girlgogames.com, a site aimed at prepubescent girls, features a host of online occult fun. ROYAL DIADEM
One such game, “Magical Academy,” asks the question, “If you had magical powers, how would you use them? For cute costumes, of course.” Other games on the site include “Emily & the Magic Maze,” “Devilish Trick,” “Vampire Queen Makeup,” “Beauty Potion,” and Twilight Triangle, among others. There are virtually millions of these websites aimed specifically for girls. Parents who don’t actually view or play the games , may be misled into thinking the games are harmless fairy or dress-up games and will miss the point that they are pagan to the core. Even sadder, these young parents have no foundation of knowledge to even recognize that they are occultic.
pet cobras I
once had a pet cobra. A dangerous venomous snake coiled deep in a dark corner of my soul. I tried everything I knew to kill the cobra. I starved it. I ignored it. I prayed it would go away. Most of all, I would convince myself that it wasn’t all that dangerous, and so I would take the cobra out and play with it. Sometimes for a few hours,
sometimes for a few days, but it always turned and bit me. For weeks, its poison would course through my veins. Sick at heart, I would spend days, sometimes months, hating myself, feeling at turns hopeless and angry that this snake had so much power over my flesh. Worse, the poison ate away my faith, drew me away from God, and rendered me harmless to the enemy. “We know that the law came from the Holy Spirit. But I am a
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weak man. I have been sold like a slave to do wrong things.” (Rom. 7:15) As the months turned into years, I continued to battle the snake through prayer and repentance, and a strange thing happened on the way to my deliverance. I began to hate the snake. Really hate the snake. I hated the snake more than I hated going without the snake. “I do not know why I do the things I do. I do not do what I want to do. But I do the things I hate. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but my wrong ways in me.” (Rom. 7:16-17) It was during these dark nights of the soul that I became truly cognizant that I was absolutely helpless to conquer my own sin nature and that I was completely and wholly dependent upon Jesus to save me from myself. This sounds so simple, but not so fast. We tend to take our own sanctification bull by the horns, as if we have the power to change ourselves through sheer resolve. No matter how sincere our works-based intentions may be, or no matter how short a leash we put our vice on, God wants us to recognize that He ROYAL DIADEM
and He alone conquered death and sin. There is absolutely no hope for us until we realize that there is no good in us. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Rom 3:10-12) I often wondered why God didn’t just instantly deliver me from this sin that had such a stronghold in my life. Perhaps you, too, are battling with your own cobra and wonder the same thing. In my own case, I believe God wanted me to see my true self, that is that I am a wretched sinner saved by grace and grace alone. I also believe He wanted to personally reveal Himself to me: “…but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” (Jer. 9:24) Through this trial, I have come to know Him. I experienced God’s grace and mercy and His unfailing love and faithfulness in a way I would not otherwise have known. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” (2 Cor. 12:9) If you are in the midst of your own battle, do not lose heart: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in
through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Cor. 10:4) Did you get that? Our weapons of warfare are “mighty through God!” This should fill your spirit with hope. It is not your willpower or good intentions that will save you. Shame and failure seek to keep us from coming boldly to the throne, but press on. Continue to go to God in repentance and seek His strength and help. No matter how long it takes, He will give you the victory. “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.” (Prov. 24:16) You are not alone in this battle. And it is a battle! However, God promises to never leave you or forsake you, even when you believe you are too far from redemption. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not you will carry it on to completion too short to save, nor His ear too until the day of Christ Jesus.” dull to hear.” (Isa. 59:1) (Phil. 1:6) Do not believe the lie of the Through our own sin nature, we enemy that God’s patience with you open these demonic doorways for has reached its end. “Because of the enemy to get a stronghold in our the Lord’s great love we are not lives, but there is a way out of the consumed, for His compassions cage. “For the weapons of our never fail. They are new every warfare are not carnal, but mighty morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23) Amen! ROYAL DIADEM
Oneboard game teaches girls the mystical art of divination. Hasbro’s “That’s So Raven Girl Talk Game,” marketed to girls aged eight and up, contains a crystal ball. Under its instructions, you’ll find the following: “This game plays best indoors, under normal lighting. Very bright or halogen lighting may temporarily cause your Crystal Ball to lose its powers....” How did we get so far as a nation that the occult is now considered harmless child’s play? “Only take heed to thyself, and keep they soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all of the days of thy life; but teach them to thy sons and thy sons’ sons. (Deut. 4:9)
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Fairies and crystal balls seem harmless to spiritually asleep parents, but are they? “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination (that crystal ball), or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (Deut. 18:1012) Humans are spiritual beings who occupy a physical body in a physical place. We are not just terrestrial beings. And we are not alone in the
it’s just RICK WARREN In Warren’s "Ministry Toolbox" section of his June newsletter, he publishes James Emery White's Recommended Reading List that says, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling. Though the seventh and final installment is yet to be released (July 21, to be exact), when it does, it will be wellworth reading. Though some would disagree, I am one to put Rowling's work in the camp of fantasy literature, along with Lewis and Tolkien, with her use of magic more mechanical than occultic. I found her earlier six volumes instant classics of the genre, and the final book will undoubtedly cement this series as among the best written.”
CHUCK COLSON In his Breakpoint broadcast, Colson praised Potter and his friends for their, "Courage, loyalty, and a willingness to sacrifice for one another--even at the risk of their
lives." About Potter’s occult practices, Colson says they are, “Purely mechanical, as opposed to occultic,” even though Harry and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls, and turn themselves into animalsbut they don't make contact with a supernatural world.
CHRISTIANITY TODAY This popular “Christian” magazine endorses reading Potter to your children. "We think you should read the Harry Potter books to our kids. The literary witchcraft of the series has almost no resemblance to the I-am-God mumbo jumbo of Wiccan circles. Author Rowling has created a world with real good and evil, and Harry is definitely on the side of light fighting the 'dark powers'... Among the laugh-out-loud scenes are wonderful examples of compassion, loyalty, courage, friendship and selfsacrifice."
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fantasy friend Ron, the reader gets a glimpse of true loyalty and James Dobson's Focus on the Family friendship, as well as self-sacrifice." made the following comment: "Harry Potter is a standard tale of good vs. evil, and good always wins in the end. Harry, the hero, often triumphs because of his upright character and pure motives. Unconditional love and courage are held as ideals of great importance. By following Harry and his best
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
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physical spaces we occupy. Although our Western cultural has taught us that if matter cannot be perceived with the natural eye, it does not exist, this is simply a contradiction. Although we cannot see sound waves or viruses, we know they exist. And other spiritual beings do exist, just ask the witches, warlocks, and werewolves. If the occult had no power, it would have no appeal. After centuries of ignoring the spiritual dimension of our humanity, it is no surprise that our young people are flocking to the occult to fill the natural void. But what is behind this resurgence in old pagan religions such as Wicca? And why is it that it is mostly our young people who are so eagerly following this pagan pied piper. Spiritual forces have had thousands of years to study human behavior and they have been patiently waiting for this last generation of tepid Bible-believers to be removed. These wicked spiritual beings in high places are not coming for you, but for your children. God knows that unless we understand history, we are doomed to repeat it. The nature of humans does not change. “What has been
will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9) It is for this reason that God presses upon us to teach our children about Him and His laws and why these spiritual beings have fought so vehemently to remove God from all facets of public life. “Only take heed to thyself, and keep they soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all of the days of thy life; but teach them to thy sons and thy sons’ sons. (Deut. 4:9) Lenin is credited as saying, “Give me one generation of youth and I will transform the whole world.” Marilyn Ferguson, the darling of the New Age and author of the 1980 best-selling Aquarian Conspiracy, when speaking of her yet untitled work said, "While outlining a notyet-titled book about the emerging social alternatives, I thought again about the peculiar form of this movement; its atypical leadership, the patient intensity of its adherents, their unlikely successes. It suddenly struck me that in their sharing of strategies, their linkage, and their recognition of each other by subtle signals, the participants were not merely cooperating with ROYAL DIADEM
one another. They were in collusion. It—this movement—is a conspiracy!" Now, more than 20 years later, Marilyn Ferguson’s words have become fact. Ferguson is quoted as saying, "There are legions of [Aquarian] conspirators. They are in corporations, universities, and hospitals, on the faculties of public schools, in factories and doctors' offices, in state and federal agencies, on city councils, and the White House staff, in state legislatures, in volunteer organizations, in virtually all arenas of policy making in the country.” Is the conspiracy working? It’s working in spades. Teenage girls flocked to the cinema by the millions to follow the Twilight series, an epic romance between a girl and a vampire. Yet God tells us, “You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.” (Lev. 19:26) J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series undoubtedly celebrates the craft, but most disturbingly, she has provided entertaining manuals for our youth to practice the occult. Today, the Harry Potter books are used in classrooms and unenlightened Sunday School rooms across the nation. ROYAL DIADEM
If you are not a Christian, it may surprise you that the Bible has a great deal to say about these other spiritual beings that occupy our universe, as well as the existence of other gods, moon and star gazers, soothsayers, mediums, witches, etc. Throughout the pages of the Bible, God speaks of these other supernatural beings and gods and warns us not to become involved with the occult or to worship these beings. In fact, becoming involved in the occult was so grievous, God commanded that anyone who practiced such things as witchcraft, divination, sorcery, astrology, enchanting, necromancy, or consulting with familiar spirits, be put to death. To our modern ears, this seems like an extreme and unreasonable command from a controlling, manipulating and austere God. “For they went and served other gods and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and who He had not given them. (Deut. 29.26) Why does God repeatedly warn us not to engage with these other gods and worship them? Because these beings and are not the light and love they often present themselves to be, but rather they are wicked. In Psalm 82, we read of
how God will one day judge these evil spirits. “God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the ‘gods’: How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. ‘The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.’” (Psa. 82) Engaging these evil spirits is so dangerous that God reserves some of his most stern warnings for those who dabble in the occult. “If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after He hath done you good.” (Josh. 24:20) Chillingly, these warnings are still applicable today. The Bible tells us that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) God is not limited by what we call time. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (2 Pet. 3:8)
So is the Christian God of the Bible a malevolent, jealous God with histrionic tendencies? Does God want humans to remain unenlightened? Enslaved? Is He the “force” keeping mankind chained to an unjust world? Are we, as New Agers believe, our own god? It may surprise you that God not only desires that we be enlightened about the spiritual realm with all of its gods and drama, He desires to show us the mysteries of the universe! “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” According to Cooper Abrams in his book, Mysteries of the Bible, the word “mystery” is used 28 times in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God tells Jeremiah, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jer. 33:3) Jesus himself tells us that the mysteries and secrets of the Bible are available only to believers. “For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." (Matt. 13:17). ROYAL DIADEM
the burden of E gypt by Jerry Carrick
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S
everal months ago, the world watched in anxiety as more than a thousand rockets were fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip on Israel soil. And it was with an uneasy sigh I read the headlines that declared an agreement had been negotiated between Morsi in Egypt, Netanyahu in Israel, and Obama in the United States. What are Christians to make of these events unfolding in the Middle East? Many popular leaders in the reformed Christian tradition, such as Bill Hybels and Andy Stanley, have taken the position that the Church has replaced Israel and that the Jewish people in Israel today are not the true Jews of the Bible. Those that hold this view also believe that the citizens of modern Israel are the root cause of the problems in our world today. Tragically, much of the evangelical church has also taken this stance. But is this view Biblical? In Genesis 12:3, God tells Abraham, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curse thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This verse applies to both individuals and to nations. Therefore, it is imperative that we ask ourselves what the
United States is doing as a nation as it relates to Israel. Are we blessing Israel today or are we bringing a curse upon ourselves? A cursory review of U.S. policy as it relates to Israel and the Middle East reveals that the President of the United States is in the business of supporting regime changes that install leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization bent on the destruction of Israel. In 2011, President Obama actively encouraged the overthrow of one of our nation’s longest-serving allies, Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, and then backed the military coup to overthrow Libya’s Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, ultimately leading to the murder of our U.S. ambassador to Libya. Today, Jordan is under the threat of an Arab Spring with the possible support of President Obama. “Uncle Sugar” is cursing Israel. In a recent World Net Daily post entitled, “Uganda president repents of personal, national sins,” Journalist Michael Carl asks, “Should a president lead citizens in a national prayer of repentance? Uganda’s Christian president believes so.” I believe so, too.
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The article quotes Museveni as saying, “…I stand here on my own behalf and on behalf of my predecessors to repent. We ask for your forgiveness,” Museveni prayed. “We confess these sins, which have greatly hampered our national cohesion and delayed our political, social and economic transformation. We confess sins of idolatry and witchcraft, which are rampant in our land. We confess sins of shedding innocent blood, sins of political hypocrisy, dishonesty, intrigue, and betrayal.” Museveni goes on to list tribalism, sectarianism, laziness, indifference, irresponsibility, corruption, and bribery in a heartfelt confession of the national sins of Uganda. Although America espouses that it is a Christian nation, its conduct tells us otherwise. We have
reelected a president who is proabortion, pro-homosexuality, and anti-Israel. Where is the voice of God’s people? We are to be a light on a hill and salt upon the earth. I, for one, respect Museveni for his public repentance and believe we would do well if our leadership did the same. I believe that God is going to bless Museveni as well as the nation of Uganda for this public profession of guilt against a holy God. The scriptures tell us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psa. 33:12) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” God’s word does not change just because a nation decides it will no longer follow His laws. “Jesus, the Messiah, is the same (continued to page 28)
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yesterday and today—and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) Museveni says in his prayer, “I want God to be the head of our nation and that we would be a people that would serve and obey Him.” We, too, need a wake-up call in this nation. However, the Western Church is asleep by and large and, as a pastor, it no longer surprises me that I receive most of my resistance from religious people, not from the world. These same church people who will tell me that the prophecies regarding the burden of Egypt in Isaiah 19 were fulfilled in the past are usually the same reformed traditionalist who also believe that the Church has replaced Israel. Yet, if you read the prophecy, it clearly speaks of a future fulfillment for the nation of Israel
and for the prophecies concerning Egypt. But don’t take my word for it. I exhort you to examine the scriptures for yourself. After Morsi’s constitutional coup and the Muslim Brotherhood’s power grab, violence erupted in the streets of Egypt. One headline that caught my attention was, “Morsi: Statesman Abroad, a Pharaoh at Home?” And in an article at Now Begins the End, “U.S. President Barack Obama Behind Morsi’s Power Grab in Egypt,” claims that Morsi’s new role as dictator has the full backing from President Obama. I believe President Obama has backed Morsi’s rise to power for one reason and one reason only: “They have said, Come let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in (continued to page 29) ROYAL DIADEM
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remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot.” (Psa. 83:2-8) This prophecy is happening today under our very noses. The nations that border Israel have confederated themselves against the Jewish state and against God’s will. It is God who brought the Jews back into the land. And those Christians who hold to the view that the Jews in Israel today are not the Jews of the Bible will also say that Egypt today is not the true Egypt. Instead of a whole convoluted interpretation of scripture, I would
suggest that they just read the scripture at face value. The headlines today attest that the tensions have percolated. Over the past several months, Hamas has been busily rearming itself, possibly preparing for round two with Israel, while the Arab Spring that was birthed in 2006 will eventually become a troublesome toddler. While this stew is brewing, President Obama is feverishly working behind the scenes to topple the Syrian government, backing the very same Al-Qaeda insurgents we are supposedly at war with, all under the guise that they have used chemical weapons against their own people. The proof of such we are still waiting on. A quote from a book written by N. H. Ironside, an old Moody Institute Bible preacher, on speaking of the prophet Isaiah, said in 1952: “There is a very definite sense in (continued to page 30)
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which these words [Isaiah 19] are even now in course of fulfillment. We have seen Israel returning in unbelief to her own land and one of the chief adversaries has been the nation of Egypt, which appears to dread the growing power of the nation once enslaved by the pharaohs.“ Ironside clearly recognized that there was as yet a future fulfillment to be carried out by the Lord. In several of my Last Dayz broadcasts, I spoke on Isaiah 17, the Burden of Damascus, but in examining what is happening in Egypt today, we have to look to Isaiah 19, the Burden of Egypt. During the time the prophet Isaiah wrote, Assyria was the world power. Isaiah not only addressed the world power of Assyria in his prophecies, including Babylon, the power that was to come after Assyria, but he specifically addressed Damascus, a city that has never been destroyed
left a ruinous heap in ancient history never to be inhabited again. In fact, Damascus today is still the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Therefore, this prophecy is yet future. In Isaiah 19:2, the Burden of Egypt, God declares, “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians and I will set every one against his brother and everyone against his neighbor. City against city and kingdom against kingdom.“ In Matthew 24:7, speaking on the time of the birth pangs, Jesus tells us this same thing; “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.“ Jesus was talking about civil war. He was speaking about nations divided against themselves. And scripture is clear on how that turns out, “Any kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” (Matt. 12:25) (continued to page 31)
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Today, there is no denying that the United States is divided politically, economically, socially, and spiritually. In fact, the factions in our nation are so bitterly divided that both our own government and those with “ears to hear and eyes to see” believe that a civil war is imminent. I believe that the prophecies in Isaiah 19 fit right into, or prior to, the millennial reign of Christ, or the next major Biblical age just ahead of us. In verse 19:4, the Lord declares, “And the Egyptians will I give over to a cruel lord and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts.” Could this cruel lord be Mohammad Morsi? It very well could be. It is possible that Morsi may be this fierce king that will literally rule over the Egyptians as a dictator. Isaiah 19:5-10 goes on to describe the absolute economic devastation and destruction of Egypt. “The waters will fail from the sea, and the river will be wasted and dried up. The rivers will turn foul; the brooks of defense will be emptied and dried up; the reeds and rushes
will wither. The papyrus reeds by the river, by the mouth of the river, and everything sown by the river, will wither, be driven away, and be no more. The fishermen also will mourn; all those will lament who cast hooks into the river, and they will languish who spread nets on the waters. Moreover those who work in fine flax and those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed; and its foundations will be broken. All who make wages will be troubled of soul.” And in case the point of total economic devastation is missed, Isaiah 19:14-15 declares, “The LORD has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; and they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. Neither will there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, palm branch or bulrush, may do.” What is the cause of this severe judgment if it still yet future? Why has God not judged them for what Egypt did in the past? After all, you can’t judge someone’s past sins today. No, Egypt’s punishment and
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resolve. T
Bible and try to find the medicine my spirit needs to keep hoping, to tamp here’s a wolf at the door of my down the urge to just quit and let soul. Day and night I hear the the wolf tear me asunder. growling and feel him circling me in The urge to give in is palatable in his hunt. The space around our unbidden imagery that beckons me standoff grows tighter. I could run, to open the dark door. Ease your but in my limited strength, I know he pain, close your eyes, He does not will take me down and devour me. hear you, it sing-songs in the Four o’clock p.m. on a bleak desolate places. December afternoon and the As the room grows darker, my daylight is growing faint. The wolf is soul no longer questions. I pray for biding his time outside the circle strength. I pray for protection from until darkness descends. I open my
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my enemy. I cry so loud that no sounds escape my heaving chest. Then I feel my Comforter. Peace and silence marry. I no longer spin my thoughts in the cyclical caverns of my mind seeking an answer. He is the Creator; I am the creature. Longing. Utter despair. This, too, has a purpose. I resolve to trust. The sky behind the tree line of bare limbs grows purple as dusks thickens. In the utter silence of my cold room, I hear my heart beat against my eardrums. I hear the tick of the clock thumping from the other room. The cold winter wind
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blows a tree limb against the frosty pane that will soon frame the wolf, and then I hear the howl as darkness descends. I shudder and the hair on my arms stands up straight. No. I resolve to watch and stay alert. “My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” (Psa. 130:6) Oh God, hear me! “Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive me of my sins!” (Psa. 25:16, 18)
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judgment would have to be something Egypt does now in the world we are in that triggers the judgment of God. Notice that Isaiah used the title, “the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of heaven.” It says in Isaiah 19:3 and 19:14 that Egypt would literally turn to their wise men, the astrologers, and other spiritual advisers. “The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, and they will consult the idols and the charmers, the mediums and the sorcerers.” And in Isaiah verse 12 and 13, the Lord asks, “Where are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, and let them know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt. The princes of Zoan have become fools; The princes of Noph are deceived; They have also deluded Egypt, Those who are the mainstay of its tribes.” In our language today, we would call these wise men the caliphs, the molahs, and the other Islamic spiritual leaders who are giving the Egyptian leaders the wrong advice. God literally confounds and
confuses them. Notice the term Isaiah uses in verse 16, “that day.” Whenever the phrase, “in that day,” is used in the Bible, it always points to a day of judgment. Make no mistake. God does appoint a time of judgment. There is a time when individuals come under His judgment and there is a time when nations come under His judgment. It is usually only when the cup of iniquity has reached its peak that God acts. Billy Graham once said many years ago that if God does not judge America for her sins, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. I believe we are reaching that time in America when God is about to act. The scriptures tell us in Zachariah that all nations will be brought into judgment. We call it the time of tribulation that will come upon the whole world. First the nations of the world will be judged and then the Lord turns His focus back to the nation of Israel. In Isaiah 19:16-17, “that day” in Egypt is likened to a weak woman. “In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear
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Jesus desires that we understand the mystical dimension of the world we live in. “He answered and said unto them, ‘“Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.’“ (Matt. 13:11) In fact, throughout Jesus’ earthly ministery, He spoke more about the spiritual realm than anywhere else in the Bible. And nowhere else in the Bible do we see account after account of encounters with demons than we do in the gospels of Jesus and with the apostles. It was the apostle Paul who said, “Finally, my brother, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:10-12) And indeed we do. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel, he told him that his prayers had been heard by God but that he had been hindered by evil spirits, which had hindered him 21 days. “Then he
continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’ ” (Dan. 10:12-13) Gabriel was not speaking of earthly princes and kings, but rather spiritual beings fighting in the angelic realm. Those who practice the craft and other forms of paganism are communicating with these same evil and lying spirits spoken of by Gabriel. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) Dabbling in the occult is dangerous business with eternal consequences. “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any (continued to page 36)
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other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:8) Scripture warns us that we are not to believe every spirit. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) So how can one discern the spirits? I recently had an encounter with a co-worker who went out of her way to tell me that she was spiritual, not religious, and that she was somewhat of a “hippy.” She went on to tell me that she didn’t believe in the Christian religion, but that she often meditated. She then shared with me that after she meditated, she often received answers to problems as well as feelings of peace and euphoria. I asked her how she was sure she could believe these emotions and impressions she received and who she believed was communicating with her. Knowing that I was a professing Christian, she turned the question around on me and asked me how I could be so sure that I was experiencing relationship with God.
I was so glad she asked! I went on to tell her that there is no book in all of human history, no religion, or no prophecy more sure and accurate than the prophecies contained in the 66 books of the Bible. Because of this living, breathing, guide book, I have a sure foundation on which to test any revelation or experience to see whether it is of God. “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.” (2 Cor. 10:5). Like my co-worker who had no specific belief system other than inclusiveness and relativism, we have become a nation of people who can be seduced by almost any spirit. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (1 Tim. 4:1) Nobody wants to be deceived, but when people embrace esoteric philosophies and religions, there are no guidelines. As Aleister Crowley so famously said, “Do what thou will is the whole of the law.”
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because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has determined against it.” Egypt here is described as being fragile like a woman. When God waves his hand over a nation in judgment, everyone who inhabits that nation will quake in fear because of the Most High God. And here is the reason why I believe it has to do with the days we are living in: “And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt. Everyone that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself because of the council of the lord of hosts, which has determined against Him.” Egypt will be in terror because of Judah, or Israel! Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Because of Judah, Egypt will be afraid. In the unfulfilled prophecy of Psalm 83, one the nations that comes against Israel in the last days to wipe them out from being a nation are the Hagarites. Who are
the Hagarites? The Hagarites are the descendents of Hagar, the concubine of Abraham who gave birth to Ismael, his first-born son. The Egyptians are the Hagarites and according to scripture, they will come against Israel in battle. Since Mohammad Morsi’s rise to power, Egypt has moved tanks into the Gaza strip in violation of their peace agreement with Israel that was made between Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter, and Meniken Bagan in 1976. Egypt today is ruled by the very head of the Muslim Brotherhood party, which has supported Hamas as they were sending rockets into Israel. What agreement was reached to bring about the cease fire? As American citizens we ought to be aware of what that agreement constituted because our nation, although not mentioned publicly, is in that agreement. President Obama has agreed to station U.S. troops in the Gaza strip. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Is President Obama blessing Israel or cursing Israel? (continued to page 38)
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What causes Babylon the Great in Revelation 17 and 18 to cause the biggest economic super power the world has ever known to be judged in one hour? She betrays Israel. And God says the blood of my people, the saints is upon thy hands. Only two people in the Bible are referred to as saints, the church of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel. I know I make people angry when I speak about the coming judgment of America and our destruction as a nation. I love my country, but if this nation is wrong, I must ultimately stand on God’s side. My allegiance is to the kingdom of God, not to a country here on this earth. The Church must wake up and realize what is going on as it relates to scripture and our nation’s role in these latter times. Placing our troops in the Gaza strip along with Morsi is a fatal error. Scripture tells us that Egypt ultimately goes against Israel and the Bible provides us with the outcome of Psalm 83. Israel is the victor against every nation that comes against her. Therefore, Egypt
becomes “like a woman” and are in terror over the Israelites. The Egyptians don’t want another beat-down. Why is there a civil war going on? The Egyptians remember what happened in 1967. They remember what happened in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. They remember 1948. They remember being defeated time and again by the nation of Israel. The Egyptians do not want any part of a war with Israel, but their government has been taken over by a man bent on the destruction of Israel--as has our own government. America today doesn’t have a constitutional government in power right now, rather our own government is trampling all over the Constitution of the United States. President Obama moved marines into position to attack Syria without any congressional approval. I know a knock will come on my door one day, but I will keep silent. We have been taken over right under our very noses and what we are seeing going on today is Bible prophecy being fulfilled. (continued to page 39)
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Verse 18, the phrase “in that day” when the devil starts messing, the lord starts blessing. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the lord will raise up a standard. When the enemy comes against you one way, he’ll flee seven. God will bless you when the devil starts to attack you. What is the result of the attack that causes the Egyptians to be totally terrorized and confounded by Judah and their economy completely broken? What happens to Israel in all of this? “In that day in the land of Egypt shall five cities speak the language of Canaan and swear to the Lord of hosts. What shall be called the city of destruction. And in that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord.” God is going to give Israel the victory. Today, the Jewish state dwells in only a portion of the land that God promised to them. God gave Israel the land from the Nile River all the way to modern-day Syria. These scriptures plainly tell us that Israel is once again going to get it all.
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Although it is a mistake, Israel today is willing to give up land for peace. However, God will give them the whole land. How do we know this is going to take place before Magog? Because in Magog, Israel is described as dwelling in the midst of the land when they are attacked by Gog and Magog. Egypt and surrounding nations will attack Israel in our day, but the end result is that God is going to bless His people and expand their borders. And five cities in what is now Egypt will speak the language of Canaan, which is Hebrew. Glory to God! And there will be an altar set up to the Lord in a place that they will then call the city of destruction and Egyptians will turn to the Lord.
the kite
Running you lift her off the ground She bobs crazily above the plain Bright colors flirting with the wind Exhorting her with the tug of your hand She ascends the bright blue Gracefully rising like colored smoke You drink in the wonder of flight Ever so gently you let out more string Till higher and higher she soars Aloft above you her colors fly the strength in your arms causing her to rise Delicate diamond shaped paper and string ROYAL DIADEM
Dancing above the thermals Smaller still as an ant in the sky You let out more string Ominous sky bruises dark and purple She violently thrashes and dives You reel in the string Heart bleating with fear Frantically fighting the wind You wrestle against the pull of the string Bolts of lightning, sheets of rain Your arms grow heavy You let go of the string
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“You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me," declares the LORD.” (Jer. 9:6) Everything in the occult is cloaked in symbolism and mystery by the father of lies. Witchcraft today has been repackaged by Wall Street media moguls and pushed on our society in glossy pink books. games, and white magic, all designed to fuel the fire of a rebellious and sinful generation. If you have been drawn into the occult, I encourage you to read the book of John in the Bible. Do not be deceived by believing everything you have heard about the truth or accuracy of the Bible. There is a war on for your soul. Witchcraft is not white and is not harmless. I do not doubt that your experiences are real. Satan was endued by God with power at his creation. “‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were
anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.” (Ezek. 28:12-15) God’s warnings to us about our involvement in the occult do not come from a place of control but rather His great love for us. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8-9) There is an expected end for Satan and you can be assured he wants to take as many of you with him as he can because of his hatred for the one true God. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Col. 2:8)
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