Dabbling With the Dark Side? The Bible Clearly Condemns Halloween - BEN GODWIN CHARISMA NEWS

While I personally don't celebrate Halloween, I'm not a killjoy on a mission to rob people of fun. (neepster/Flickr/CC)

Dabbling With the Dark Side? The Bible Clearly Condemns Halloween

10/19/2016 BEN GODWIN  CHARISMA NEWS

Darkness is used in Scripture as a metaphor for evil to represent all that is sinful and satanic.

In contrast, light is a biblical metaphor for good to represent truth and all that is of God.

The apostle Paul instructed, "Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth ... And do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them" (Eph. 5:7-9, 11).

It's a tricky balance for Christians to be in the world without conforming to it.

Jesus prayed, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).

If we imitate the world, we lose our distinction; if we isolate from the world, we lose our influence. Christians need to engage the culture if we expect to make an impact.

It's perfectly fine for a boat to be in the water, but if too much water gets in the boat, now that's a problem. This brings up the question, "How should Christians treat Halloween?"

The origin of Halloween incorporated a mixture of Christian and pagan practices.

According to World Book Encyclopedia, "Halloween developed from an ancient pagan festival celebrated by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago in the area that is now the U.K., Ireland, and Northern France. The festival was called 'Samhain' (pronounced SOW ehn), which means 'summer's end' and it marked the beginning of the dark winter season and was celebrated around Nov. 1. In the ninth century, the Catholic Church established a new holiday—All Saint's Day, also called All Hallows. 'Hallow' means 'saint' or 'one who is holy.' The evening before All Hallows was known as All Hallow's Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.

"About 200 years later, the church added All Soul's Day on Nov. 2, a day set aside to pray for friends and family who died. People made many of the old pagan customs part of this Christian holy day. Some put out food for their deceased ancestors, or left lanterns burning in the windows so that ghosts could find their way home for the night. In England, people went house to house 'souling,' asking for small breads called soul cakes in exchange for prayers or songs (thus the origin of trick or treating)."

While I personally don't celebrate Halloween, I'm not a killjoy on a mission to rob people of fun. I do not equate dressing up in a cartoon or superhero costume and collecting candy with devil worship.

Many believers boycott Halloween because of its dark elements. The downside is Christian kids feel like they are missing out. Thankfully, many churches offer alternatives such as trunk-or-treat or fall festivals that provide wholesome fun and safe candy zones to keep kids off the streets.

Some of what happens on Halloween is harmless fun, but anyone with any spiritual discernment cannot deny that there is a sinister side.

"Abstain from all appearances of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22). Sin, like art, starts by drawing a line somewhere! It's an odd contradiction for Christians to dress their kids up as creepy characters they try to teach them not emulate.

At this time of year there is a tsunami of horror movies flooding the airwaves featuring vampires, witches, zombies, monsters, cannibals and savage serial killers. Hollywood and viewers, it seems, have an obscene obsession with and an insatiable appetite for gory violence.

You can't avoid being bombarded by the commercials even if you just watch news or sports. These shows glamorize evil and open the door to demonic influences. Some say it's all just fantasy or harmless entertainment, but, if what people watch doesn't affect behavior, then why do companies spend billions of dollars to advertise to them? 

In Greek Mythology, Zeus gave Pandora a box and a key as a wedding gift with a note "Do Not Open." Curiosity overcame her and she lifted the lid releasing all the forces of evil into the world.

The point is there are some doors you really don't want to open.

"Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]" (Eph. 4:27, AMP).

Don't open the door to sin's destructive influence. Slam the door shut in Satan's face!

Halloween is a showcase for witchcraft which the Bible clearly condemns (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:31, 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:10-14; Gal. 5:19-21), calling it an "abomination"—morally disgusting, detestable, despicable and abhorrent.

Contrary to popular belief, books and movies, there is no such thing as a "good witch." That is an oxymoron. How can someone controlled by evil forces be good?

Paul asked the Corinthians, "For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion has light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14, MEV).

Christians have no business dabbling in any form of witchcraft: horoscopes, crystal balls, séances, Ouija boards, Dungeons & Dragons, pentagrams, tarot cards, palm reading, spells, fortune telling, mediums, channeling, divination, sorcery, black magic and so forth.

There are only two sources of supernatural power—God and Satan. If something is not of God, where does it originate?

If you are involved in any of these practices, I urge you to repent of it, renounce it and ask God to remove it from your life. Don't gamble with your soul. Satan uses these and other ploys to deceive the masses.

What we need to know about our future is either found in Scripture or can be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). 

Like bugs drawn to a light to their own demise, man has an inexplicable, magnetic attraction toward evil.

Robert Rudolph said it well: "Open minds like open windows need screens to keep the bugs out."

The air may seem clean in a house, but the air filter catches many unseen pollutants. There are many false beliefs and deceptions floating around, but the Bible is our filter. Its radiant light helps us discern and dispel the darkness.

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Friends, it's not worth the eternal risk of dabbling with the dark side. 

Ben Godwin is the author of four books and he pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. His weekly telecast, The Word Workshop, airs on TV-16 and Charter Cable No. 10 on Mondays at 9 p.m. and Tuesdays at noon and live streams on TV16HD.com.

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

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Witchcraft, Islam and Humanism Are Filling the Spiritual Void Left by the Dying Church - MICHAEL SNYDER CHARISMA NEWS

Wicca is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Witchcraft, Islam and Humanism Are Filling the Spiritual Void Left by the Dying Church

 8/29/2016 MICHAEL SNYDER  CHARISMA NEWS

A dramatic spiritual paradigm shift is taking place in the western world. At the end of last week, I discussed the fact that more Americans than ever before appear to be turning away from the Christian faith, and this is particularly true among our young people. And while it is undeniable that atheism and agnosticism are both growing rapidly, it is also important to point out that other faiths are on the rise in the western world at the exact same time that Christianity is shrinking. If you are a Christian, what you are about to read should concern you greatly.

Let's start with witchcraft. It has been estimated that Wicca (one very popular form of witchcraft) is now the fastest growing faith in America. Books and movies featuring Harry Potter and others that use "magic" for good have fueled a tremendous amount of interest in the dark arts these days. Just consider the following excerpt from a Salon article that was published earlier this month:

Stores specializing in metaphysical sundries (think ritual candles, blended oils, sacred herbs) like Spellbound Sky and House of Intuition in Los Angeles, while not brand-new, are suddenly crowded. In Brooklyn, Witches of Bushwick has evolved from a venue on the underground party circuit to a social collective that celebrates witchcraft as a feminist art and collaborates with fashion companies like Chromat. Of course, for those who prefer whipping up potions at home, several new witch- and occult-themed subscription boxes deliver the magical arts to the doorstep.

And social media has enabled young people interested in magic to connect with one another in a way that we have never seen before. Here is more from Salon:

Check social media: A search for #witch on Instagram yields about 2,375,000 posts—whereas one for #kardashian scores only 1,630,000. Search next time at a boutique: Tarot decks are coming back in high style, thanks to retailers like the Wild Unknown—its artful cards are in stores across the country, from upscale meccas like ABC Home in New York City to indie hot spots like Skylark in Venice Beach, California. K-Hole was right, "mysticore" is the new norm.

Yes, there are still many more Christians than witches in America.

But the ranks of those that are into the occult are growing very quickly—especially among our young people—and in many churches on Sunday morning you will be fortunate to find even a handful of young adults.

Meanwhile, Islam is on the rise in the western world as well. Much of this is due to immigration, and new mosques are springing up all over the United States and Europe.

As Islam gains ground, there has been a concerted effort in some quarters to bring Christianity and Islam together. This movement has become known as "Chrislam", and in recent years we have seen some things that many of us never imagined that we would ever see in the Christian world.

For example, earlier this year the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA was opened with a prayer offered to Allah:

"Allah bless us and bless our families and bless our Lord. Lead us on the straight path—the path of all prophets: Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad."

These were the words that rang out over the congregation at The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, USA meeting in Portland, Oregon. Wajidi Said, co-founder of the Muslim Education Trust, led the attendees in the prayer to the Islamic deity, a move arranged by the Ecumenical and Interfaith ministry staff at the assembly.

The prayer was part of the "first order of business" during the meeting's opening session, a time dedicated to praying for those affected by the Orlando shooting that occurred just weeks before.

And of course the Presbyterian Church USA is far from alone. As I have documented, Pope Francis has stated that Christians and Muslims both "worship the one God," and in 2014 he authorized Islamic prayers and readings from the Quran at the Vatican for the first time ever.

But despite such efforts to "bring Christians and Muslims together," the truth is that Islamic terrorists continue to slaughter Christians on a continual basis all over the planet. The most recent attack on a church took place in Indonesia on Sunday:

An ISIS suicide bomber today attacked a Catholic priest with an axe as he tried to blow up hundreds of worshippers at a church during Sunday Mass.

Priest Albert Pandiangan, 60, was holding the holy ceremony at the altar when the 18-year-old fanatic rushed towards him with a backpack bomb and tried to blow himself up.

But the bomb burned without setting off the explosives, so the jihadi pulled an axe from his bag and slashed the priest's arm at St. Yoseph Church in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra in Indonesia.

So far there have been well over 1,000 Islamic terror attacks in 2016, and ISIS appears to have a renewed emphasis on attacking churches and Christians wherever they can find them.

Without a doubt, we are also witnessing a huge increase in the number of atheists and agnostics in the western world. Europe is much farther along than the United States is in this regard, and many areas of the continent are rightly regarded to be "post-Christian" at this point.

In the U.K., the Christian faith has declined so dramatically that now we are seeing the rise of "humanist chaplains" that don't hold to any sort of faith at all:

With participation in traditional faiths at near-record lows, Britain is seeing the rise of humanist chaplains providing "pastoral" support for the non-religious.

Last month the University of Westminster in London broke new ground by appointing its first official secular advisor for students.

The move followed efforts by the British Humanist Association since 2014 to train more than 100 volunteers to go into schools, hospitals and prisons in order to provide support for those who don't believe in a deity.

Fortunately, things are much different in much of the rest of the world. In fact, the Christian faith is currently experiencing explosive growth in China, India, South America and many portions of Africa.

But in the United States and Europe people are leaving the faith of their forefathers in astounding numbers, and that spiritual void is often being filled by other faiths such as witchcraft and Islam.

So what does this mean for the future of our society?

Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of End Of The American Dream. Michael’s controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled "The Rapture Verdict"is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

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Wrestling With Wicked Witchcraft—and Winning by JENNIFER LECLAIRE

Wrestling With Wicked Witchcraft—and Winning

10/16/2014  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

In this season of spiritual darkness, are you having witchcraft dreams? (Flickr/Christine Zenino)

It started a little later than usual, but spiritual witchcraft is rising—and rising rapidly—in South Florida this October. My community is home to a large population of witches, pagans, Wiccans and other heathens who practice one form of witchcraft or another. Your community may not have palm trees and beaches, but it's likely got a few witches, pagans, Wiccans and heathens practicing witchcraft.

A quick scan of the latest news reveals that reports of witchcraft-related child abuseare on the rise in London; two children were tortured and dumped on the streets over witchcraft in Akwa Ibom; a pastor who runs several churches in Kiambu and Meru was found practicing witchcraft; authorities have tied Texas drug smugglers to witchcraft, cartels and a house explosion; and seven people accused of witchcraft were burned to death in Tanzania.

When I first moved to South Florida, I battled Jezebel and her witchcrafts (see 2 Kings 9:22) with limited success for at least a year before I learned to discern the attack of this spiritual enemy at its onset, submit myself to God's Word, resist the devil and command it to flee in the name of Jesus (see James 4:7, AMP). Now, I am much quicker to sense witchcraft operating in the spirit, but sometimes witchcraft attacks in your sleep.

Witchcraft Dreams

Earlier this year, I wrote an article called When Jezebel's Witchcraft Keeps You Up at Night. I wrote it in March, which, along with October, is a prime time for witchcraft manifestations. In March, it has more to do with the spiritual climate that stems from false Mary worship. In October, it's more about the witches, pagans, Wiccans and heathens practicing witchcraft.

As I explained in my article earlier this year, the enemy has used a different tactic in 2014. Since the spiritual forces of darkness could not slow me down by day, the attacks are coming at night. I've started having what I call witchcraft dreams. A more complete way of explaining it would be to say I've experienced dream activity inspired by witchcraft rumbling in the spiritual climate.

While we watch kids dress up as witches and knock on doors asking for candy, bona fide witches are celebrating their holy day and Witches' Sabbath. October 21 is also Samhain, a Gaelic festival that marks the finale of harvest season and the start of winter. One Paganism/Wiccan expert explained, "It's a good time to contact the spirit world with a séance, because it's the time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest."

Symptoms of Witchcraft

People who are especially sensitive to the spiritual realm can sense witchcraft in the atmosphere. As demonic activity increases, people report feelings of oppression, fatigue, strong spiritual warfare against the mind that makes you feel like quitting, and even physical manifestations for which doctors can't find a reason. Are you experiencing any of these things?

When witchcraft is particularly heavy in the spiritual climate, my eyes actually burn. Everything seems like a much bigger deal than it really is because witchcraft works to take your eyes off Jesus by magnifying the problem. The enemy can use people to release witchcraft against you through word curses, but this spiritual force seems to sometimes hang over your head like a dark cloud—unless you break it.

In my book, Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft, I write: "We need the gift of discernment to truly understand what we're battling. We can't effectively take authority over false authority in the name of Jesus if we can't discern what we're taking authority over. Sure, there are the generic 'I bind every spirit that is not of Christ, in the name of Jesus!' prayers but my experience tells me those will only take you so far in battle."

Combating Spiritual Witchcraft

Just because you are exhausted, feeling oppressed, are battling in your mind, or otherwise sense a struggle doesn't mean that you are necessarily battling witchcraft. You need the Holy Spirit to show you what is going on. That said, if it's October and you are consistently facing these symptoms—and specifically if you are having vivid nightmares suddenly—you should ask the Holy Spirit if witchcraft plays a role.

With nightmares and bad dreams, it could just be that you ate too much too late at night, that you are processing internal fears in your soul, that your subconscious mind is dredging up strong emotions from your past, or some other natural cause. However, it could also be spiritual witchcraft. If it is, what do you do?

I wrote more about this in a past article called Overcoming Witchcraft Attacks Against Your Mind and Body. If you are experiencing nightmares, I'd also suggest reading that and also remembering and confessing this: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day (Psalm 91:5). And this: 
"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet" (Prov. 3:24).

Pray over yourself before you go to sleep—plead the blood of Jesus and command these spirits to cease their operations in the name of Jesus. And if you wake up with one of these bad dreams, do it again. The spiritual climate is intense for these next couple of weeks, but we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Amen.

Click here to download a free chapter of Jennifer's new book, Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale and author of several books, including Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft, and The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

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