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Divination, Idolatry, Witchcraft and the Curse of False Gospels

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9/7/2016

Updated 1/21/2024

Note: Some details in this thread may be disturbing

Divination (also called witchcraft or sorcery) is not just a sin (1 Samuel/Shmuel I 15:23), but is also idolatry, which is the sin of worshipping things other than God or being unfaithful to Him. It includes more than the act of worship. Idolatry also includes coveting and putting excessive value or faith in worldly things, like having lust, greed, and the wrong kinds of pride^[^2.8.34^].

Succumbing to divination can include accepting false prophecies from divination, like believing in the prophecies of Nostradamus and other people who got their information through divination^[^2.8.34^]. They often get their powers through demons, like the Python spirit in Acts 16:16. These spirits have real powers of prophecy, and hook into people who believe in the products of divination or use divination through things like Ouija boards, crystal balls, tarot cards, palm reading, etc.

We should keep away from using any objects to tell fortunes or gain knowledge in such ways, and also not use fortune tellers, astrologers, spiritualists, numerologists, or mediums^[^2.8.34^]. That means we should also stay away from astrology horoscope readings (like in your newspapers), fortune telling through numerology, and the like. Even the fortunes in fortune cookies can be divination if they predict the future.

Don't even use Bibles in methods of divination, such as by praying for guidance, even in God's name, to open your Bibles to relevant pages or to have your hands be guided to stop at a certain page or passage in your Bibles. This is no different than trying to channel guidance with "automatic writing" or "spirit writing," which allows your hands to be guided by spirits and is a method of divination. Doing things in God's or Christ's name or using approved Bibles will NOT prevent spirits of divination from attaching to you, because you are still sinning by using a method of divination.

Spirits can even become attached to and inhabit objects used in divination. I've heard testimony where screams came from an Ouija board after someone tried to dispose of it in a fire and many other testimonies of objects with spirits inhabiting them. I've even seen testimony from a ministry that was heavily into methods of divination that reported God guided them to delete journals and records with false guidance from their computers and from a third-party's journals when they sought deliverance from their demons.

It was only after they got rid of the false guidance and false teachings that they could get rid of the demons. This shows how keeping false guidance from demons (as well as believing in false guidance and teaching) is a hook for them to remain or come back worse (Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26), as noted by a testimony I have of someone afflicted by a prophesying Python spirit.

Even though God can speak through divination and spiritual mediums, like He did with Balaam/Bil'am, who used divination (Numbers/Bamidbar 22:7, 23:1-24; Joshua/Yehoshua 13:22), and the Witch of Endor/Ein-Dor (1 Samuel/Shmuel I 28:7-25), the sailors in Jonah/Yonah 1:7 used a form of divination by casting lots to find out who endangered their ship, these people and methods are not what we should rely on. Even though the lot correctly fell to Jonah, it means God was in control of that situation, and does not support we should use that method to get guidance today. I wouldn't rely on casting lots to find out information, since divination, spiritualism, necromancy and black magic or sorcery also invite demons that will interfere with guidance from God. That is another reason why God tells us not to use divination, sorcery, or go to mediums^[^2.8.34^]. "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritualists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah/Yeshayahu 8:19, 20:6-7; also Leviticus/Vayikra 19:31)

However, casting lots or using a random process, like throwing dice, drawing straws, or even using a Magic 8 Ball is not divination or sin in itself. Just don't use them to gain knowledge. Casting lots was often used in the Bible to select people or make assignments (Leviticus/Vayikra 16:8; Joshua/Yehoshua 18:6-10; 1 Samuel/Shmuel I 14:41-42; 1 Chronicles/Divrei Hayamim I 24:5, 24:31, 25:8-31, 26:13-18; Nehemiah 10:34, 11:1/Nechemya 10:35, 11:1; Acts 1:26; related Job/Iyov 6:27; Psalm 22:18/Tehillim 22:19; Joel 3:3/Yoel 4:3; Obadiah/Ovadya 1:11; Jonah/Yonah 1:7; Nahum/Nachum 3:10; Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24).

Studying gematria or the numeric value of words is also not divination as long as we do not use them for fortune telling, like done in numerology. God has actually hidden much meaning in the gematria value of words that show His divine influence on our languages (see the Meaning of Numbers for more).

It's the sin of divination or ungodly spiritualism we need to be concerned about, because having false beliefs, keeping or believing in false guidance or false prophesy from demons, or using materials for divination, spiritualism, or sorcery are hooks the enemy have in people. I've seen methods of making holy water use techniques of sorcery that we should avoid. Instead, simply bless things in the name of Mashiach Yeshua (Christ Jesus) if you want to bless anything.

To go with avoiding divination, even with things that seem harmless, like fortune cookies and Magic 8 Balls, I can share a testimony. In 2022, when I was out of town in Florida, I went to a small local beach to worship. After I finished, a young married couple with a newborn baby, talked to me. I found this was God’s orchestration, because the husband told me that he had a fortune cookie that didn’t have a fortune in it. I understood that God had this fortune missing on purpose and guided this couple to meet me at the right time, so that I could tell them about avoiding divination, even in fortune cookies. After I told them about sins, he wanted me to replace the fortune with a prayer, which I did. Praise the Lord for His divine orchestrations!

It may seem obvious to keep away from material and teachings from people who do not explicitly serve the Lord, but the popularity of spiritualists and psychics is high, even among believers. You should not study their material unless it is to investigate demons, other spirits, and false guidance. I would be cautious with their material and experiences, though, since they are often misled and given false guidance by demons.

Also keep away from believing ministries that talk about angel numbers, or pray to or get guidance from angels or the saints, that talk about horoscopes (signs of the Zodiac) to guide, and use other kinds of astrology and divination. These types of ministries heavily believe in false guidance and teachings and are often misled by demons that masquerade as angels or spirits of light, for "no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).

We should NOT be getting our spiritual guidance from the angels or dead saints, but always be praying to and conversing directly with God. God may send His angels to give guidance, like dreams or visions, but we must understand that difference and not allow angels to take God's place. That is a common tactic of the devil to make faithful believers chained to imposters of the saints and angels, who are included in the Baals of this age, the imposters of God and the saints and angels.

These demons can bring spiritual blindness to those who accept false beliefs or false guidance, just like atheists are blinded when they continually reject God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), or when Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Catholics, other religious sects, and even some popular Christian denominations are blinded by belief in false teachings and unauthentic scripture. It can be very dangerous to accept bad teachings, even from Christians and the established church (see the True Gospel and Imposters for an important example).

Because believing in lies can brainwash you, there is little chance that even the most compelling evidence for the truth can change the opinions of people in spiritual blindness. It goes with the curse that Paul talked about in Galatians 1:8-9, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"

This means preachers of gospels who teach incorrect doctrine of eternal salvation in Christ (false gospels) are cursed. That curse includes being blinded to the actual truth of how salvation really works (see the True Gospel and Imposters for more). And people who believe in those false teachings can also be blinded because false beliefs are a hook that demons have in people.

Eternal salvation in Christ is a free gift of God and not something that is acquired by works or baptism rituals (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). The New Covenant is a conditional covenant with simple terms to fulfill or break, and sinning alone will not have us lose our eternal salvation. Sin does have serious consequences, though. You can learn more about those details in The True Gospel and Imposters.

Because of the potential of spiritual blindness, we cannot blindly accept any teaching from the church or those who serve God, or even blindly accept guidance we believe is directly from God. Believing communities are too saturated with false guidance and teachings, and God allows demon imposters to mislead believers because He gave them reign in their domains; they rule the Harlot Babylon in whom resides most believing communities (see God's Alarm for more).

And furthermore, God tests us and uses lying spirits for His purposes (1 Kings/Melachim I 22:19-23; 2 Chronicles/Divrei Hayamim II 18:18-22; Deuteronomy 13:3/Devarim 13:4), so blinding following after any spiritual guidance, even if it seems to be directly from God, is not how we follow God. Instead, we need to remain objective and be willing to accept that we may be wrong. Test and examine everything very closely (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) to see how they align with scripture, like the Jews of Berea who searched the scriptures daily to see if the things Paul and Silas said were correct (Acts 17:11).

Test the spirits, as well, by having them acknowledge Yeshua Mashiach (Jesus Christ) came in the flesh to atone for our sins (1 John 4:1-3). But even these steps cannot bring foolproof discernment in what is truly from God, because the Baal imposters and false christ spirits actually claim to be God, Christ, or His Spirit while they lie and give false guidance. The Lord can send lying spirits, as I noted, and Satan, as well, for various reasons. God commands all spirits. He told Satan what he could do to Job/Iyov (Job/Iyov 1:12, 2:6) and He continues to use the enemy to test and refine us as He did with Job.

Remember, demons also have their own domains of power and influence that God gives them, so they can work outside of God as well as work under His direction. These demons are the principalities, powers, and rulers that our spiritual fight is against (Ephesians 6:12). God is in overall control of the world and all spirits, including demons, but He doesn't command them in every situation. The enemy has power and reign to work within the boundaries of their influence and in what God allows, such as the sins they hook into, like divination and witchcraft. It is a misconception that Satan and demons were completely defeated on the cross (see Myth 5a in Light Within for more). They continue to have real power and influence in whatever areas God allows them to rule in.

One horrible truth is the enemy can use God's holy names in any language and the names of His saints and angels to mislead people into thinking they are them to usurp our relationships with God and keep people away from the truth. In many years of serving the Lord, I've seen many false christ spirits and imposter spirits claiming to be God, Christ, and/or the Holy Spirit. The spiritual guidance they give uses scripture and truth, but it is mixed with lies and often misconstrued to mislead, so it can be very difficult to test and examine. You cannot test imposters with the test of 1 John 4:1-3 because these spirits actually claim to be Christ who died on the cross.

Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was deceived by an imposter spirit claiming to be an archangel messenger of God. He did not know to test the spirit by having it acknowledge Christ came in the flesh and he was not knowledgeable about spiritual imposters and other spiritual things, so he blindly accepted false teaching, false gifts, and false miracles.

The same happened to Paramahansa Yogananda who claims revelations about Jesus' "original and true teachings" and that Christ went to and studied in India during His youth. Paramahansa uses yoga meditation and realization practices that I urge avoiding, because meditation and self-realization techniques are a form of divination. I also read some of Paramahansa's material and saw it uses techniques that I've seen false christ spirits hook into to give visions, false guidance, and false miracles. I believe Paramahansa also taught that Yeshua was not truly the Son of God or divine Savior, like Islam teaches.

We can reject any religion or teaching that ignores Yeshua's divinity as Lord God and Savior - the true Messiah and Son of God who atoned for our sin by His sacrifice on the cross. He was not just a prophet, but He was truly fathered by God through His Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18), and truly was the embodiment of God in the flesh as a human (see Proof That God and Mashiach - Christ are truly One for more).

In fact, we should not even be studying documents or false scriptures created by the enemy, like the Quran/Koran of Islam and other writings that are works of the enemy. These works include atheist material, like The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and false scripture and bibles, such as the Book of Mormon and other material used by the Mormon Church (LDS Church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Jehovah's Witnesses. Even some Christian Bibles should be avoided because they do not translate God's original words correctly and skew its meaning too much (see Choosing a Bible for help in selecting good Bibles).

False scripture and teaching may have facts in them or base information on true scripture, but like the Quran, the truth is often twisted or altered to present things that are not correct. Contrary to what Islam, Mormonism, and the Jehovah's Witnesses say, they are not updates or corrections of Christianity, but rather the twisting or corruption of it, since their teachings can be compared with what is stated in thousands of Biblical manuscripts that pre-date by centuries the writings of these religions.

The Catholic Church and Orthodox Church, especially, have been deceived into false doctrines, such as the worship of saints and angels, by spirits or apparitions claiming to be saints, angels, or Christ Himself. These spirits have real power to give miracles, but they are false signs and miracles because they do not truly come from God (2 Thessalonians 2:9). We must remember no true saint or angel of God will allow themselves to be worshipped (Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10, 22:8-9).

Identifying and dealing with imposters and false christ spirits is very difficult, even for long-experienced ministers, because believing in their false doctrines and guidance corrupt and blind people. They truly brainwash people, as I explain in greater detail in Light Within. I won't go into the details here, but as a quick note, I have found a great many believers and ministries to be misled by false christ spirits (see Ministry Warnings for more). If you ascribe to the teachings and ways of any sects or ministries described in Ministry Warnings, imposter spirits have a stronghold in your spiritual life. I urge discontinuing association with those ministries, teachings, and imposter spirits that started giving you guidance when you began walking in their ways. Resist and reject them and any false guidance you were given.

Keep hold of your faith and standing in Christ. If we are truly saved or reborn into His Kingdom (John 3:3-7), we are co-heirs and partners in God's kingdom with Him, so we should resist any of the enemy's attempts to derail us (Romans 8:15-17; James 4:7-8; 1 Peter 5:8-10). We must try to discern what is from God and reject any lies from the enemy, because they bring spiritual blindness if we accept them. Demons can even make false beliefs real to deceive or "validate" false guidance, such as with the false signs and miracles from imposters of God and His saints and angels.

The enemy also tends to give inaudible voices and thoughts into people's minds (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33). God's word, though, is usually "audible," meaning His voice sounds like any other person in the world speaking to you. This is shown when the the prophet Samuel first comes to know the word of Yahovah in 1 Samuel/Shmuel I 3:3-10. Samuel repeatedly went to Eli, the prophet he lived with, when the Lord called his name, but after two times Eli told him it was the word of the Lord. However, I must note, the enemy and other spirits can make people hear things and make real noises in the world, so getting "audible" guidance may not always be from God. Examine everything closely.

Religious spirits often cannot hold their tongues, so people influenced by them tend to be excessively religious, constantly talk about spiritual things, and overuse and misuse scripture. God usually does not guide by constant, overbearing pressure that coerces our beliefs or actions. He more often reminds us of things now and again. He is patient, our Prince of Peace, and the Holy Spirit is our Comforter/Helper (Isaiah 9:6-7/Yeshayahu 9:5-6; John 14:16-20, 14:26-28, 15:26, 16:7). We did not receive a spirit of slavery leading us to fear with Christ (Romans 8:15-17), so a life with Christ should not be full of fear.

The New Covenant comes with a promise to change our hearts and spirits through the literal rebirth of God's Spirit in us, so that we wish to do what is good (Jeremiah 31:31-34/Yirmiyahu 31:30-33; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 3:2-6; Hebrews 8:8-12). However, our desire to do what is right can be easily circumvented since our reborn spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38). Pray you don't come to temptation, because if we are too weak to resist committing sin, then we should expect judgment, which is the fear of the Lord we should keep in mind before we do wrong (Colossians 3:22-25; Ephesians 6:5; Psalm 34:11-22/Tehillim 34:12-23, 111:10; Proverbs/Mishlei 1:7, 9:10, 10:27, 14:27, 16:6, 19:23; 22:4; Job/Iyov 28:28; 2 Chronicles/Divrei Hayamim II 19:7-10).

God usually does not coerce our beliefs or actions, like He did with Apostle Paul when he was struck with blindness (Acts 9:3-9). He usually reminds and guides patiently, but He will leave people to their ways if they do not want to change or listen (Psalm 81:12/Tehillim 81:13; Romans 1:24-32; Acts 7:42-43; related Romans 11:32). The enemy's voice often comes first and drowns out God's Spirit in you, so be very slow and diligent to study and examine everything using valid scripture, and consult with God's approved servants. Feel free to contact me for any consultation.

It can be very hard to understand and keep hold of truths given by God or pick out the truth from false guidance. Our minds cannot understand God without help from His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10-16; related Romans 8:6-9) and the enemy will try to attack, steal, and misconstrue the truth often. So keep learning what the truth really is and identify and remove false beliefs from you, because believing the lies of the enemy and world can not only bring spiritual blindness, but physical illness and other curses from the sins we mistakenly commit because we believe our actions are not sin. Those false beliefs can enslave and brainwash as I already mentioned.

We need to learn how to be approved servants who correctly handle God's word (2 Timothy 2:15). He does not always guide in straightforward ways and sometimes gives pieces of guidance that are meant to be understood over time with other pieces. This can take much time and the help of others, so much patience is needed to be approved in following God. He hid many things in scripture and gives guidance that can only be correctly understood by having all the proper pieces put together and interpreted correctly, often with the help of His Spirit.

Remember, interpretation of God's guidance, whether from scripture or live guidance, belongs to God, not the church or man (2 Peter 1:20-21; Genesis/Bereishit 40:8). This encoding of information is a way God hides the full truth from those who consider themselves wise and prudent (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21), so do not assume scripture and things of God are straightforward and easy to understand (see Myth 1a in Light Within for more).

However, the enemy can also easily fake guidance. They have real powers to prophecy, give visions, dreams, and other sensations, as well as manipulate the world and make miracles, so it can be very difficult to determine if things are truly from God. In the end we must have faith and trust the Lord to lead us safely through all trials and circumstances. Don't simply dismiss prophecy or teaching that you do not believe is from God (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). He may be trying to correct you since you may simply not understand the truth right. It is our duty as People of God to check if something is from Him or not, especially if you are a teacher for Him, because we are called to live on God's every word (Deuteronomy/Devarim 8:3; Matthew 4:4), not just on what was recorded in the Bible. The Lord continues to anoint prophets, apostles, teachers, and other servants until there is complete unity in the faith (Ephesians 4:11-16). This unity obviously was never attained, even in the days of the first apostles because the New Testament rebukes false teachings, so continue to learn and examined from those who are approved.

References are on the Master Reference List

Further testimonies against divination and sorcery

1/21/2024

Note: Some details in this thread may be disturbing

The things I described in the original post should be enough for people to avoid divination, sorcery, witchcraft, and false teachings, but I continue to see believers using these things which puts them in serious jeopardy from curses from their sins. More recently, I learned about Christians who tried to use a ritual to put the spirit of their recently deceased mother into a cat. This is not only sorcery and witchcraft, but also shows how seriously naive the church is and how dark their spiritual lives are.

In my decades of ministry, I have seen spiritual darkness of all sort in the people of God and secular world. They all ascribe to the same darkness, but what is worse is how much I see believing communities walk in that darkness thinking they are clean and pure in their walks with God. How often have I lamented the corruptions among God's people.

They constantly go to the false teachers who spread their demons by sharing the lies and false teachings of these spirits. The people love to tickle their ears with their soothing words and prophecy. Unfortunately, these are the most popular preachers. The people collect them, "For the time will come when [people] will not endure sound teaching, but according to their desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they will turn away from the truth and will turn to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

How great has that turning away to myth been. If what I have already said is not enough for you to turn away from false teachers and the popular church, then may you heed this testimony from Africa. It came to me some years ago, but is so disturbing, the Lord kept me from sharing it publicly until now.

A pastor in Africa heard about an old healer shaman in a village who became immobile and was acting strangely for days. This woman was the village shaman who used black magic and witchcraft throughout her life. Normal activities in a typical indigenous tribal community. When the pastor heard about the woman, the Lord directed him to go to her. What he found was something out of a horror movie.

The pastor found that the shaman had died days ago and the demons that attached to her from witchcraft still occupied and controlled her body; so much so that they spoke through her. This was why the people thought she was behaving strangely and was still alive. But the pastor knew better and by God's direction and power, he cast the demons out of her. It was only then that the people understood she was dead.

This testimony shows how demons indwell and affect people who use divination and sorcery. The shaman was obviously not a believer, but even saved, reborn believers are not immune to indwelling demons, as the testimony of the Python spirit I shared before also shows. But furthermore, living in any sins will have the demons associated with them afflict you. And whether they are indwelling or not, most people are completely unaware of how demons affect them. This testimony and point was made so that you would have fear of the Lord in order that you would remove as much sin from your lives as possible, especially sins that most believing communities are very complacent about, such as believing in and using false teachings.

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