As Christians what are we to think of the occult? What should our attitude be concerning witchcraft, magick, and sorcery? Are we to be concerned about ghosts and vampires? What about fortunetelling, seances, astrology and the like? Many people do not realize that the Bible actually has quite a bit to say about the world of the occult. Check out this review of Scriptural teaching on the world of the Occult.
Question: We have a friend who has become heavily involved in astrology. Is this okay? What does the Bible say? Is it something to worry about? Continue reading
Question: “When a people who have for generations worshiped the spirits become Christians they often adapt their local spirit worship practices into Christian rituals. How does one teach or help them break off these practices?” [Note: This comes from a native missionary in Southeast Asia.]
My Answer: Dear brother, thanks for the question. I understand that this is both a serious and a delicate matter. It is difficult for people to renounce what is basic to their culture. At ANM we have the utmost respect for individual cultural distinctives. We always try to accommodate our attitudes and practices to honor the various cultures we deal with. However, biblical values and Scriptural truth always takes precedence over culture. There is no culture that is more important than a Word-based “Christian culture.” Continue reading
I remember counseling a woman who was suffering from a great deal of fear in her life. Over the course of several weeks, I discovered that this woman had had several experiences with occult undertones. I felt that an intensive exploration of occult influences in her life was necessary. We sat down one evening and spent about two hours diagnosing her exposure to the occult. Although she was raised in church, and had a rather ordinary life, we found that she had experienced about 25 different instances of involvement in things of a demonic nature. This included everything from yoga and seeing ghosts to ouija boards and seances. No wonder there was a spirit of fear in her life! Continue reading
When someone uses the word “witchcraft” what comes to your mind? The TV show “Bewitched”? Broomhilda? Silly Halloween decorations? Witch doctors in Africa? Worshippers of Satan? Obviously the word has many connotations and is used in a variety of ways. And sometimes the various ways can be very confusing.
Take for instance the matter of Wicca. Wicca is a modern form of witchcraft. Although it claims to be the “Old Religion” and its adherents believe that their belief system can be traced to prehistoric times, in fact Wicca was basically created by a few individuals in the 20th century—Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders among them. What they created is a pagan, occult religious system came to be called Wicca. But often Wiccans will refer to their beliefs and practices as “witchcraft.” And this is what causes confusion. Continue reading
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