https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Is-Witchcraft-Real.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: I Samuel 28:3-14<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. The Bible has much to say about witchcraft and none of it is good<\/p>\n A. It amazes me how many people attempt to blend forms of witchcraft with\nChristianity\n B. I have had discussions with a woman who called herself a “White Witch.” As\nlong as her powers were being used for the good of people, she believed there is\nnothing wrong with being a Christian and a Witch at the same time.\n C. I have relatives on my mother’s side of the family who follow astrology. Yet, at\nthe same time they call themselves Christians, being members of the Christian\nChurch.\n 1. They follow the stars for not only when to plant, but also when to have a\nchild. \n
2. Even when is the best time to potty train a child.<\/p>\n
D. We have had presidents’ wives consulting mediums and astrologers.<\/p>\n
E. Popular radio shows feature psychics ready to foretell your future.<\/p>\n F. You can go to many toy stores and pick up an “Ouji” board which is suppose to\nallow you to talk with spirits.\n
G. Is this for real?<\/p>\n
II. The most detailed list of witchcraft is found in Deuteronomy 18:9-12<\/p>\n
A. The definitions of these practices are enlightening<\/p>\n
1. Makes his son or daughter pass through the fire<\/p>\n a. A reference to the idol worship of Molech, where a sacrificed\nsomething valued to get the god’s attention.\n
2. Divination<\/p>\n a. Seeking after the will of the gods to learn their future actions or to\ngain divine blessing on a proposed action\n b. An attempt to contact supernatural powers to answer questions\nhidden to humans.\n c. Example, Ezekiel 21:21 where the king consults the liver of an\nanimal to determine which direction to travel.\n
3. Witchcraft<\/p>\n
a. To cloud over or obscure sight. To act covertly<\/p>\n
4. Interprets omens<\/p>\n
a. To hiss or whisper a spell<\/p>\n
b. Learned by experience and diligent observation<\/p>\n
5. Sorcerer<\/p>\n
a. To whisper a spell<\/p>\n
b. To enchant or practice magic<\/p>\n
6. Casts a spell<\/p>\n
a. To fascinate or charm<\/p>\n
7. Medium<\/p>\n
a. One who asks the spirits of the dead for a fee<\/p>\n b. It comes from a word meaning to mumble into a bottle (producing\na hollow sound) and is the same word used for a ventriloquist.\n
8. Spiritist<\/p>\n
a. One who conjures a ghost<\/p>\n
9. Calls up the dead<\/p>\n
a. One who seeks or worships the dead<\/p>\n B. None of these definitions imply that the practitioner is actually able to do the\nthings claimed. In fact, in many of the definitions there is a hint that these practices\nare based on various deceptions.\n
III. The practitioner of witchcraft are amazed when faced with the power of God<\/p>\n A. Acts 8:9-13 – Simon had the people fooled until they saw God’s power. Even\nSimon was amazed at the real thing, to the point of becoming a Christian.\n B. I Samuel 28:7-14 – Saul asked for Samuel to be summoned, but when the medium\ngot exactly what was requested, she cried out in alarm.\n
1. In order words, she didn’t normally get the real thing.<\/p>\n 2. She saw a spirit (divine being) coming up out of the ground. This was not\nnormal!\n 3. In other words, God intervened in this woman’s tricks to teach Saul a\nlesson.\n C. Daniel 2:1-11 – Nebuchadnezzar showed that his “wise men” were but frauds for\nthey did not truly know what they were talking about. However, Daniel, by the\npower of God, could answer the question – Daniel 2:26-28\n D. Pharaoh’s magicians could not explain his dream, even knowing what it was –\nGenesis 41:1-16\n
IV. The Bible tells us that witchcraft is ineffective<\/p>\n A. Isaiah 47:12-15 – The practitioners will not be able to save Israel, nor were they\nable.\n
B. II Corinthians 11:13-15 – Satan’s ministers are described as deceitful workers.<\/p>\n
C. And no wonder, Satan is the father of lies – John 8:44<\/p>\n
D. II Thessalonians 2:9-12 – Satan comes with deceitful, lying miracles<\/p>\n
E. Satan doesn’t have real power. <\/p>\n
1. His power is only as much as God permits – Job 1:6-12<\/p>\n
2. He cannot overcome us if we resist – James 4:7<\/p>\n
3. Satan’s power is in deception<\/p>\n
F. This doesn’t mean Satan is powerless. Deception alone has brought many low.<\/p>\n
1. He had the power to destroy Job’s fortune, his family, and his health.<\/p>\n
2. He had a woman who appeared to foretell the future – Acts 16:16-18<\/p>\n
a. She even spoke some truth, but it is not like the real thing<\/p>\n
b. It was a mimicry of the truth<\/p>\n
V. Our God is more powerful than all of Satan’s trickery – Romans 8:37-39<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Samuel 28:3-14 I. The Bible has much to say about witchcraft and none of it is good A. It amazes me how many people attempt to blend forms of witchcraft with Christianity B. I have had discussions with a woman who called herself a “White Witch.” As long as her powers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[604],"class_list":["post-4818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-witchcraft"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16049,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-my-husband-be-under-the-spell-of-a-witch\/","url_meta":{"origin":4818,"position":0},"title":"Can my husband be under the spell of a witch?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I want to know if witchcraft really exists. My husband, I feel, is under a spell where he goes to this lady and they are having an affair. We have known each other for ten years and got married last year. Soon after marriage, he got involved with her.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36414,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-man-who-divorced-his-wife-for-witchcraft-marry-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":4818,"position":1},"title":"Can a man who divorced his wife for witchcraft marry again?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Sir, How do I advise my sister? A man from our town is proposing marriage to her, but here is the issue. The man had been married last year to a lady. The marriage only lasted six months or so. Under the power of God, the lady confessed to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":48080,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-fear-witchcraft\/","url_meta":{"origin":4818,"position":2},"title":"Should I fear witchcraft?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I'm 17 years old. I have been struggling for months with this fear that is sometimes crippling and causes me to stay up all night. For starters, I am terrified of anything that has to do with witchcraft or the supernatural. I try to stay as far away\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54541,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-refused-to-drink-some-mystic-water-and-now-the-office-thinks-i-may-be-a-witch\/","url_meta":{"origin":4818,"position":3},"title":"I refused to drink some “mystic” water and now the office thinks I may be a witch","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hey Jeffrey, I need guidance. We had prayer and fasting at work, during which our boss asked for a bag of sachet water which he anointed with an oil that he said was given to him by God. He then said that whoever has an ailment of any kind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27491,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-witchcraft-affect-a-christian\/","url_meta":{"origin":4818,"position":4},"title":"Can witchcraft affect a Christian?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi sir, I am a born again believer. My question is: does witchcraft have an effect on a baptized believer? I can understand you don't have the protection of the blood of Jesus if you're not born again. I was a victim of witchcraft ten years ago, back when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61847,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-energy-healing-a-form-of-witchcraft\/","url_meta":{"origin":4818,"position":5},"title":"Is energy healing a form of witchcraft?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does the work of even a God-believing energy healer fall under witchcraft or some other condemned practice? Answer: One definition of energy healing is \"A form of complementary and alternative medicine based on the belief that a vital energy flows through the human body. The goal of energy healing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4818\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}