| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ( C ) SORCERIES OF ACTS AND GALATIONS In the book of Acts there is written about a sorcerer named Simon. The scriptures write that this sorcerer bewitched the people so well that they claimed that he was the great power of God ( Acts 8:9-11 ). Because of sorcery, the people bewitched by Simon had no spiritual discernment of the deadly corruption and opposition to God which they had received into their lives. Moreover, in Pauls� rebuke to the Galation Christians, Paul asked the question; 1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? - Galations 3:1 Notice that Paul uses the word, � bewitched �, as being the cause for not obeying the truth of the gospel which Paul preached to them. Paul reprimands the Christian Galations in the first chapter; 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. - Galations 1:6-7 The Galation Christians had allowed themselves to so easily be duped and fooled by witchery that it caused the apostle to wonder that they had so quickly removed themselves from the gospel and became disobedient to the truth. Sorcery and witchcraft cause deception and can lead astray even believers in Christ. Sorcery and witchcraft result in disobedience to God and Hs truth of the gospel; 23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. - 1 Samuel 15:23 1 Samuel equates rebellion and witchcraft which both result in rejecting the Word of God. Acts chapter 13 writes about the Jewish false prophet called BarJesus or Elymas. This sorcerer attempted to keep the man Sergius Paulus from receiving the gospel which Paul was preaching. In conclusion, this is what Paul stated; 9. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10. And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. - Acts 13:9-11 Notice what Paul concluded about this sorcerer. Elymas was a child of the devil, full of all subtilty and mischief and was a enemy of all righteousness who did not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord. Books such as LOTR and HP are stories of sorcerous characters who use witchcraft and wizardry methods to fulfill their goals and purposes. These written works are inherently in opposition to all righteousness, the right ways of the Lord. The sorcerers and the bewitchment as written about in scripture shows that they most certainly do have an evil and wicked affect on the unsuspecting ( the people to whom Simon the sorcerer bewitched Acts 8:9-11 ) and even Christians ( book of Galations chapters 1 & 3 ) which does result in rejecting the Word of God ( 1 Samuel 15:23 ). With these scriptural examples, it therefore is wisdom and discernment on the part of all born-again, Spirit-filled Christians to reject and rebuke such written works as the HP books and the LOTR books. Sorcery and witchcraft are subtle devices which Satan does use to pervert the ways of the Lord in the minds of people and can even cause the Christian not to obey the truth of God. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |