Teachinghearts	Spiritualism and the Occult "Explore the Word. Change the World"	Statistics: Time: 60 minutes Print: 12 pages

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Revelation 16

Occult deception works because people insist on communicating with the dead. This is a practice that is forbidden by God and impossible to do because the dead cannot communicate.

Occult or hidden practices work with forbidden supernatural influences. The Bible forbids a person from asking for supernatural assistance from anyone other than God. This is because Satan will use it as an opportunity for deception.
When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a woman that is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her". And his servants said to him "Look, there is a woman who is a medium at Endor". (1 Samuel 28: 6-7)
Adam and Eve sinned by falling into the same trap through which Saul became a victim. And it all began when they disobeyed God and used another source of authority. Then Satan proceeded to lie.

• Uses another Authority. Eve listened to the snake even though it contradicted the instructions from God. It is therefore dangerous for a religion to usurp the authority of God by promoting the following errors.
  • New Authority. The bible is out dated, inadequate, dangerous and cannot be trusted. Therefore, we should rely on the new prophets, the teachings of the popes and bishops who have better revelation from God.
  • Evolution of Divine Knowledge. Current revelation is superior to the Bible. The bible should be abandoned if it contradicts with new revelation. The truth is that the Bible does not condemn new knowledge. It does say that any new revelation must not contradict the old. In fact, you should test all new knowledge by the old.
  • The Ecumenical Imperative. Promote unity above the scripture by ignoring teachings that are unpopular or divisive. Although Christ prayed for the unity of the church as a sign of the power of God, He also said that His message will divide. Therefore, the claim that something divisive is not from God is false. The word of God, the Gospel of Peace, will separate good from evil. Unity at the expense of obedience to God is evil.
    Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Matthew 10: 34-35)
  In the occult world, the new source of authority could be you, the dead, an angel, an alien, a spirit guide or a human claiming to be god. These people gain your trust because of magical or supernatural power, hidden knowledge, tradition, their origin appears to be supernatural, or they tell you what you want to hear.
• You are God. By using the snake as a medium, Satan told them a lie. "You shall be like gods". This is one teaching at the heart of all religions except Christianity and at the heart of all religious tyranny. The danger is that if you think that you are god, then you can become your own source of authority. Eventually, the one true god becomes a stumbling block to your passions and desires.
  This belief is taught by the majority of religions such as the eastern religions, Mormons and Scientology.
• You shall not die. This was the second lie. It contradicts the teaching that only God is immortal and that the dead do not know anything.
  "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." ... " Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go." (Ecclesiastes 9: 5- 6, 10)
  And, it is no surprise that this is also at the heart of the teaching of all false religions. If Satan can get us to believe that we continue to exist after death and that the dead are trying to communicate, then he has created a system of deception. This is why God forbids communication with the dead. It is not possible. The person at the other end are all satanic forces.
• Disobey God. The result was that they disobeyed the word of God. They replaced the old knowledge of God with a more modern understanding. The Bible teaches that God does not change. Every revealed truth must not contradict the old. Therefore, all new learning must be judged by His past revelations. It cannot replace it.

Occult practices use one of these principles. They now invade our homes through television shows, "reality shows", cartoons, popular books, school yard rituals, news paper horoscopes and the internet. Most of this activity is aimed at our children. Have you noticed how many reality shows involve idol worship, seeking an idol or immersion in the occult for fun?

1. Science. This could either be genuine science used deceptively or false practices claiming to have a scientific basis.
   • Magician. Uses deception to trick people. Many occult practitioners will use magic and illusion to trick their followers. In this case, the deception is evil because people do not know that they are being tricked. Although these deceptions are mostly based on science, it is possible that Satan can also add to the deception. Therefore, some who uses magic could be involved in directly spreading satanic deception.
   • Chaldeans. Educated people who tell the future by philosophy, mathematics and science.
   • Astrologers and Horoscopes. Tells the future by observing the pattern of the stars especially as it relates to your birth date. But this is a false science. Any dismal success is due to the law of averages and the general nature of the prediction. The seasons and the heavens tell the plan of salvation for the entire universe. It is not a history of your personal life or a plan for your daily activities.
2. Seducing Evil Spirits. The devil and his angels directly deceive or use willing human beings. Communication is done through speaking to the dead or to personal spirit guides who claim to be ancient intelligencies. This communication with the spirits is now called channeling. In earlier times it was called possession or familiar spirits. The belief in disembodied spirits leaves many open to deception.
   • Witch. Communicates with the spirits and nature. They use spells, charms, potions and other devices to control nature.
     In the same way that witches use potions and medicines to appease the spirits and to cleanse or cast spells, Christians need to be careful about using procedures that are not in the bible. Christians use holy water, holy oil, blessed articles for purposes that cannot be found in the Bible. Oil was used to anoint a chosen person. Nothing more. It was a symbol of what God would do. It was never used to ward off demons. It has no such power.
   • Communication with the Dead. Many occult practices communicate with the dead and other intelligent spirits. Shaman, hobea men, voodoo, voudon, medicine man and similar groups are guilty of this.
     • Necromancer. Communicates with the dead.
     • Medium. Communicates with the dead and allows the dead to communicate through them.
     • Familiar Spirit ("House Spirit"). The "spirit" that many occult practitioners claim to have with them as their constant guide. Sometimes the spirit takes over and possesses them so that it can speak through them.
     • Sorcerers. Communicates with the dead and other spirits to gain information about the future. People who practice occult beliefs.
     • Psychic. Communicates with the dead and all other "spirits". They also claim to know the future.
     • Patron Saints. This is also praying to the dead. It creates a false intercessor between you and God.
       For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2: 5)
     • Body Thetans ("Dead Alien Spirits"). Familiar spirits in the Scientology religion. They believe in an alien soul that is stuck in or near a human body that can cause illnesses. Clusters of them cling to a body because they have lost their free will. A thetan who still hangs around of his own free will may be there to become a woman's next child.
       Auditing. This is an expensive form of exorcism to remove obstacles such as body Thetans and engrams. Engrams are learned behaviors from one's past in previous lives which prevent us from being "clear" and aware of our divinity.
     • Spirit Beings. Mormons believe in spirits who need a physical human body to live. So they have as many children as possible to facilitate this need. These intelligent spirits existed before they get a physical body and they exist after death.
   • False Prophets. Gives prophecy that is not from God. As a result they are sometimes wrong.
   • False Healers. Accompanying these false prophets are false healers who use the nebulous tactics of psychics. Some will claim that "God is now healing a woman with a back problem in Arizona", knowing that this cannot be verified because the odds are there is bound to be a woman in that city who will recover from a back problem.
   • Soothsayers. A false prophet who tells people what they want to hear. Prosperity ministers.

The Bible Speaks
One practice many of these methods have in common is their willingness to communicate with the dead or other non-human spirits and intelligent beings. The bible gives clear instructions about testing and verifying these encounters.

1. Guided by the Word of God. Test the spirits by the written word.
   Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4: 1)
   When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter", should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony, If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no light. (Isaiah 8: 19-20)
   
   Test even supernatural beings! Even they must not contradict the bible.
   But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1: 8)
2. Forbidden Activities. Many people find the will of God by consulting experts or objects instead of God. So God condemns the following practices.
   • Astrology and Horoscopes. A "scientific method" of consulting nature because "nature is the handwriting of God".
     You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from these things that shall come upon you. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; it shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before! Thus shall they be to you with whom you have labored, your merchants from your youth; they shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you. (Isaiah 47: 13-15)
   • Communication with the dead. The assumption is that if they are with God then they can consult God for you.
     Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19: 31)
     
     As for the person who turns to mediums or to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 20: 6)
     There shall not be found among you ... a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 18: 10-13)
   • Sorcerers. Experts who can manipulate, appease and consult those in the occult world.
     But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21: 8)
     
     For outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. (Revelation 22: 15)
   • Witchcraft. If your personal attempts to consult the occult world fail, then there are experts who will so this for a price. Saul consulted the witch of Endor who claimed to consult with the dead.
     So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he did not keep, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit [medium], to enquire of it; and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse. (1 Chronicles 10: 13-14)
   • Divination. Finding the information from God through an object that points to a place to search for the answer.
     "My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand informs them; for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played the harlot, departing from their God". (Hosea 4: 12)
     There should not be found among you anyone who ... practices divination. (Deuteronomy 18: 10)

     The Rod and Pendulum The rod and pendulum have infiltrated the church, disguised as a gift from God. Some even call it the gift of knowledge. I have the gift of knowledge. It is a supernatural event that comes of its own will because most of the time I do not know that I need to know. On rare occassions I have prayed and it came as my prayer ended. When it comes I immediately have vast amounts of information poured into my head in seconds.

     
     Dowsing (Diviner's Wand, Water Witching). This is a form of divination using a pendulum, a Y-shaped stick, forked wand, bent wire, two electrodes, fingers or any physical object. It is used to diagnose illnesses and to find objects, treasure, water and other substances or people by using a map or going to the location. You should not use an object to seek the knowledge and council of God. If water or a lost object is at a particular location, God can instantly portray that knowledge to you through a device called the brain. You should not be reading tea leaves, or crystal balls or the motions of a wooden stick. Instead of consulting dead people, you are consulting inanimate objects. It is the same sin of rejecting the creator to consult the created. When God says that you should seek Him, it means that you can count on a direct answer when He responds. We are impatient because God does not respond instantly, but a crooked stick will respond.
     Text Surfing. Christians have found a clever way to practice divination by consulting the Bible, which is described as the revealed will of God. They conclude that they are consulting God by consulting His word. People use the Bible as a diviner's wand. They find the will of God by using a method of divination to randomly find a text in the bible and then conclude that this is the will of God. They use a pendulum, allow the Bible to drop and open randomly, or randomly find a text by some method. For every problem, they gain the advice of God by this instant method. Every sermon, random encounter or daily reading becomes God's will for that day. But they are simply more wisdom and knowledge about God that is needed for your spiritual growth.
     
     The Will of God. The general will of God is very clear. These are, obey the commandments of God and spread the Gospel. In fact, the Bible is meant to inspire courage, patience, faith and a knowledge of God through His actions in the past. But somehow, people are trapped into finding a specific daily plan for them and an overall plan for their lives. This quest leads to a bible based method of divination that somehow makes this divination righteous. From my experience I have discovered that I do not have to go seeking in agony for the personal will of God. It will find me simply because I have made a decision to be faithful no matter what it costs. While I am waiting for it to find me, I work where I am needed.
3. Deception by Satan. All his deceptions work by convincing us to ignore the Bible, or to rely on ourselves. The most deceptive men who perform this task are the leaders and preachers who have abdicated their responsibility. They have become performers, entertainers, spiritual side show freaks, prosperity pushers, enablers, feel good fellows, dim bulbs shimmering in bling-bling but devoid of light from God. They are merchants of vanity.
   False Prophets. For such men are false prophets, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11: 13-14)
   
   False Doctrine. Some are not only shepherds who have abandoned their duties, but they are puppets hired by the congregation to preach the will of the people. Hired guns! Performers in a magic show we call church.
   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4: 3-4)
   
   False Christs. There are churches who desire to do the will of God, but they are deceived by a false sense of submission. They submit their duty to study the scriptures for themselves. They submit their duty to challenge their leaders under some false assumption that God will supernaturally keep wolves out of the flock. They are as lazy as the previous group about their own responsibilities. The difference is that they do not acknowledge it.
   And Jesus answered and said to them "see to it that no one misleads you" ...
   Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ", or "There he is", do not believe them. For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So if they say to you, "Look he is in the wilderness", do not go out, or "Look, he is in the inner room", do not believe them. (Matthew 24: 4, 23-26)
   
   Deceptive Power. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2: 9-10)

History
A Snake. It all started in the Garden of Eden when Satan used a snake as his medium.
United States. Modern spiritualism began with the Fox sisters in Hydesdale New York on March 1, 1848. They communicated with the spirits by rapping on a table. On March 31, they conducted a seance in which the alleged spirit of a murdered man, who called himself William Duesler claimed to be in the basement. After a body was found in the basement it ignited the practice of seances in America.
The sisters later admitted that they were faking the rappings. However, it is apparent that once they started dealing with the devil, they did begin to receive hidden knowledge.
Britain. In 1860, a Bulmer-Lytton book entitled "The Coming Race" helped to make spiritualism fashionable in Britain.
Scientific Research. In 1882 the Society for Psychical Research was organized to study the phenomenon. By the 1930's they were studying consciousness after death.
The 1960's. The new age movement gained ground among the immoral, drug filled youth. As they threw away the restraints of the old religion, they embraced the messages of gods who appeared to approve of their behavior.
It even infected the church as an Episcopal bishop named James Pike started talking to his dead son.
By the 1980's with the book and miniseries "Out on a Limb" by Shirley Maclaine, channeling and the new age became main stream. By the mid 1990's Dionne Warwick and her "psychic friends" led a new business of psychics readings on sale for the common man.
Politicians and American Presidents. Many politicians and entertainers have been influenced by occult communications. The major players in the world wars were all influenced by demons.

• Tsar Nicholas and his wife Aleksandra. Rasputin, the healer and holy man had great influence on the Romanov family.
• Adolph Hitler. He was influenced by the teachings of Madame Blavatsky. She was the founder of the Theosophical Society who received information from the spirits by direct dictation.
• Winston Churchill. He was involved in seances as a young man. After he was rescued by his spirit when he was lost in the African jungle, he always consulted his "house spirit" before making important decisions.
• Josef Stalin. He had a medium named Wolf Messing among his advisors. He set up systems to study occult war strategy and established a parapsychology institute in Moscow.
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The creator of Tarzan. He was a medium who became an advisor to President Roosevelt, King Edward VII and prime minister Lloyd George.
• Woodrow Wilson. Consulted Edgar Cayce who encouraged American participation in the League of Nations.
• Mary Todd Lincoln. She used the medium Nettie Colburn Maynard in White House seances after the death of her son.
• Franklin Roosevelt. He consulted Jeane Dixon twice, in 1944 and January 1945.
• Richard Nixon. He consulted Jeane Dixon, her warnings started our counterterrorism efforts.
• Nancy Reagan. She consulted psychics to plan the daily schedule of Ronald Reagan. She used astrologer Joan Quigley.
• Hillary Clinton. She spoke to the dead Eleanor Roosevelt. Other sources seem to suggest that this was not a seance or an occult encounter, but a visualization technique. Such as, "What would you say if you could talk to an admired person"?
• Society for Enlightenment and Transformation (S.E.A.T.). This organization has existed with the United Nations and it has used the services of a medium to channel a spirit named Kryon to some U.N. staff members.
• Sun Myung Moon. He believes in communicating with the dead. On March 23, 2004 he probably tricked 81 senators and congressmen into crowning him the new messiah. Some politicians were denying the charges that they were there or knew what was going to happen. They claimed that they were attending a function to honor peace activists. Moon is also a contributor and founder of many Protestant political action organizations and has great influence over politicians.

Prophecy
Religious Control. The occult will infiltrate the church.
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. (1 Timothy 4: 1)

Global Deception. The last world powers will use occult miracles to influence the world.
And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceives those who live on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast ... (Revelation 13: 13-14)

Political Control. The Occult will influence the last world leaders.
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16: 13-14)

Satan in Person: A Global Delusion. At the right moment Satan will appear in person pretending to be God. God allows this because He has given us enough evidence to make the right decision. However, we will believe a foolish lie because we consistently rejected the truth.
For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2: 11-12 )
The world is already prepared to accept this delusion.

• Messiahs. Almost every belief system is expecting a Messianic figure to usher in a new golden age of peace on earth for a thousand years for everyone.
• Unidentified Flying Objects. They have been buzzing around more openly lately. The Chinese have elevated their study to a scientific level and most of the scientists believe in extraterrestrials. Perhaps that is one reason why China is pursuing space exploration.
• Virgin Mary. The Catholic church is expecting Mary to come before the official Second Coming. She will come with a final plea to the world for obedience to the Catholic church.

  Visionary	Visible Sign	Message
  Blessed Faustina (1937)	King of Mercy and a Cross	Before I come as a just judge, I am coming first as "King of Mercy"! Some time before the last days of final justice arrive, there will be given to mankind a great sign in the heavens of this sort: all the light of the heavens will be totally extinguished. There will be a great darkness over the whole earth. Then a great sign of the cross will appear in the sky.
  Ida Peerdeman, 1951	Spirit of Truth	Wars will continue until the Spirit of Truth comes with His help.
  Our Lady of Carmel, Spain October 18, 1961	Sun?	Our lady has promised that all mankind will receive a warning from heaven. The warning comes directly from God and will be visible to the whole world from any place where anyone may happen to be. It ... will be seen and felt by everyone, believer and unbeliever alike.
  Lucia dos Santos, Fatima 1961, 1917	Virgin Mary	When the other means of salvation are exhausted and despised by men, she is giving us the last anchor of salvation, that is the holy virgin in person

  
  Malachi Martin, writes in "The Keys of this Blood", Page 639 that the pope is waiting.

  John Paul is waiting ... for an event that will fission human history, splitting the immediate past from the oncoming future. It will be an event on public view in the skies, in the oceans, and on the continental land masses, of this planet. It will particularly involve our human sun ... it will be seen as the glory of the Woman whom the apostle describes as "clothed with the sun" and giving birth to "a child who will rule the nations with a scepter of iron." ... it will immediately nullify all the grand designs the nations are now forming and will introduce the Grand Design of man's Maker. John Paul's waiting and watching time will be over. His ministry as the servant of the Grand Design will then begin.

The event that will fission human history is the coming of Mary to give the great warning. It will be preceded by a sign in the sun. These beliefs can be found in the messages of approved visions. But Martin's expectations may also include information from visonaries that are still not approved. The messages of the four children of Garabandal (1961), Veronica Leuken (1978) and the six youth of Medjugorje (1981) are not officially approved but they appear to teach the following sequence of events.

Apostasy	The Great Warning					The Great Miracle	Rapture	The Great Chastisement				Second Coming	1000 Years of Peace
Signs of the End		3 Days of Clouds	Comet Wormwood	Famine, Plague	Armageddon (World War III)					3 Days of Darkness	Ball of Redemption
	Mary comes. King of Mercy			Time of Trouble								Christ (judge)
	The Global Delusion			The Seven Last Plagues (Probably the fourth to the seventh)								Christ

The events center around three phases. They are explained in more detail here.

• The Great Warning. Mary comes before the Second Coming to give a warning to the world. This is a global delusion. Faustina also enlarged on this by saying that Christ will come as the "King of Mercy" before He comes as the judge.
• The Great Miracle. The whole world will see a miracle that confirms Catholicism as the true faith. The faithful will be marked in their foreheads with the sign of the cross.
• The Great Chastisement. This is a conditional prophecy. The world will be punished if they do not return to the Catholic faith. Nuclear bombs from World War III move the earth from its axis, causing three days of darkness. A comet from God puts the earth back on its axis. Billions are killed.

Both Reverend Moon and the Pope are working hard to prepare the world for their grand messianic crowning. Unfortunately for Moon, he will not win.
Just as Satan appeared to influence the great leaders of the world war, the bible predicts that he will be a very influential power behind the last world powers. This is the United States and the Papacy. The Catholic church is already heavily influenced by demons pretending to be Mary and this pope is determined to carry out all of its instructions. He is even waiting for a point in time when "Mary" will appear to the whole world to warn us to obey her and the pope. Of course these commands will violate existing instructions from God. Therefore, most of the churches are hell bent on achieving ecumenical unity through disobedience. The Pentecostal movement is willing to listen to prophets and spirits and dreams without testing them by the word of God.

Modern Deceptions and Lures
It is important that members of the church learn about deceptive practices because Satan and leaders of the church are using them to simulate miracles. It is also essential to know that miracles are not the final arbiter of truth. Genuine miracles only point to powers greater than our human abilities. These powers can be good or evil. If they are evil, they will eventually try to turn you away from the written word of God. This is the only true test.

1. Charms. There is no place in the bible that advocates the use of special objects to either find out the will of God, obtain knowledge from God or to ward off evil. There is only one exception. When Israel was a theocracy, two stones called the Urim and the Thummim were used by the high priest to get information. God spoke through Jesus, the law, the written word, dreams, prophets and the urim. We are not in a theocracy. Dowsing, tea leaves, animal entrails and all these devices are not the methods of God. Prayer is the only divinely approved method of consulting God.
2. Potions. The bible does not advocate the use of special formulas, magic words, candles, liquids, chemicals or oils to find the will of God or to perform miracles or ward of evil. Even when a prophet or king or a sick person was anointed with oil it was a symbol of the work of God. We must never confuse the symbol with the source of the real power, because His power can work without the symbol. The moment you believe that you cannot be successful without them or the moment that you start attributing supernatural power to these items is the moment you have committed idolatry. Grow up!
   
   Direct Contact. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers. (John 4: 23)
3. Holy Ground. The only holy ground that the devil has to respect is a living, breathing person who can make a conscious decision. So you cannot consecrate a location and expect that it will be impossible for Satan to penetrate it if the people who go there submit to Satan. The power to combat evil ultimately rests only in your connection to God. You do not need other objects to use this power.
   Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you ... (James 4: 7-8)
4. Rituals. The only rituals we need are prayer and faith. Anything else invites an opportunity for deception and an atmosphere of fear and dependence on the magical qualities of an inanimate object. Our faith and assurance should depend on God and what Jesus has already done not on a created object.

   Magic Unfortunately, our language is inadequate and we do not make a distinction between the science involved in magic and the misuse of these techniques to deliberately practice deception in the name of God. Many assume that magic automatically means satanic involvement. In addition, the practice of magic as an entertainment is often saddled with the occult even if there is no satanic involvement. Because of this association, magic is seen as the innocent back door that is luring us to more hardcore demonic activity. What do we do? Do we give up the beautiful rainbow symbol because it has been hijacked by the homosexual community? No! Do we give up marital sex because the world has polluted it. No! These are all given to us by God. So is true science. Therefore, we take them in context and use them appropriately. Or we avoid it if the distinction is too difficult to unravel.

5. Science. Most real magicians deceive others by using scientific principles. Since the audience knows that some sort of secret process is being used, I find it difficult to call it deception when everyone understands that they are being fooled because of their lack of knowledge for the purpose of entertainment. However, when a person practices these behaviors and then pretends that it is a miracle from God, then it is condemned deceptive behavior.
   • Misdirection. The magician directs your attention somewhere else so that he can accomplish a deception in another place.
   • Sleight-of-hand. Deception by manual dexterity. Performing certain actions that are not seen because they are concealed or misinterpreted.
   • Preparation. Having all possibilities covered.
   • Mentalism. Simulating telepathy, clairvoyance or precognition. They use mathematics or preparation to successfully complete these tricks.
   • Assistants. Other people whom you do not expect are actually part of the deception or scam.
   • Camouflage. The ability to hide in plain sight by blending into the background.
   • Sensory Illusions. Using known failings of the human senses.
   • Hidden Knowledge. Chances are, the magician is aware of some chemistry or physics or other science application that you have not thought about, so they are able to deceive you because of their superior knowledge.
   The science of illusion is not the problem, we would be wise to learn from them so that we can minimize our chances of being deceived. God did not condemn illusion, he used it very effectively in warfare. God condemned deception and communication and collaborating with demons.
6. Technology. Some people deceive with primitive or sophisticated technology. In a darkened room many of these props work better. Avoid any situations in which a dark room is required. All of them are deceptive.
   • Wireless Microphones. With the proliferation of miniature technology and wireless communication devices, deceptive people can pretend to possess hidden knowledge and hear messages from God.
     In the 1980's evangelist Peter Popoff was caught receiving information about members of the audience from information cards they had filled out earlier. He pretended to be receiving knowledge from God while his wife was reading from these cards. The information he "received from god" was actually through a wireless ear piece. The "voice of god" that he heard sounded like his wife.
   • Magnets. Used to make objects move.
   • Mirrors. Used to camouflage secret compartments or give an illusion of more space.
   • Wires and Thread. Invisible string can be used to make objects move or fly.
   • Engineered Environments. Cameras, taped performances and tape editing can be used to engineer a whole environment of deceit. Sometimes, in tapes of live performances, even the entire audience is part of the scam. You assume that this is a random sample of people who were physically at the performance; therefore you unconsciously use them as a trusted extension of your vigilance, logic and reason.
7. Skilled Crooks. Some people are simply trying to trick and deceive you with magical illusions. These people learn special skills such as reading backwards, upside down or through mirrors. Some are skilled contortionists or are "double jointed".
   • Psychic Surgery. People use sleight of hand techniques to "surgically remove" diseased body parts without cutting the skin. They can appear to penetrate the skin with their finger by skillfully bending the finger under the palm of the supporting hand. Then they remove the diseased tissue. These bloody tissues are bags of chicken parts or blood that is carefully concealed.
   • Fake Healings. Leaders survive for years, going from one healing service to another without healing anyone. How does this continue? You assume that such mass deception would be rooted out and that if they are wealthy and still in business that they must be performing some miracles. You are wrong? People in wheelchairs routinely go to these places hoping that God will heal them. They all leave bound to their chairs, but bereft of their "seed money". Many believe that something is wrong with the amount of faith or their level of financial commitment. They blame themselves, and these crooks move to the next city and prey on another group of helpless people. The victims will also leave with no healing, less money and more guilt.
   • False Prophecies. These crooks routinely make spectacular predictions that do not come through. People like television psychics survive because they have fake callers, fake testimonials or predictions that are so general that they are bound to come through at some time in the near future.
   • Mirrors of Opportunity. Reflections in some odd places can be used to simulate clairvoyance. This trick works in situations that involve reading a secret message or identifying a hidden object. The object or message must exist. You are convinced that they have not seen them. But at some point between the time you selected the object, or wrote the message, it is out in the open. Then before it is concealed in an envelope or bag it will pass in front of a mirror. Eyeglasses, dark liquids such as coffee, dark surfaces or polished surfaces can be used as a mirror.
8. Natural Phenomenon. I have a lamp at home that has several images of the virgin Mary. The crazy thing is that I noticed it one day when I was studying the Marian occult explosion.
   As I examined the lamp, I realized that over the years the heat stress on the material made it form concentric circles and ovals that caused it to look like some images of Mary in a flowing gown.
   So I looked at other images at spontaneous shrines of Mary in glass windows and noticed the same phenomenon at work. Maybe Satan alone is at work and maybe he is using natural phenomenon to his advantage. But when we find ourselves worshipping a dirty stain on a road or a building, reason should tell us that something is really stupid about our behavior. Faith and reason are not good and evil twins. The God of faith would not encourage this type of worship.
9. Self Help. Many modern exercise techniques, visualization, hypnosis and mental exercises are just occult techniques disguised as scientific practices. While they may have some physical or mental benefit, they are slowly compromising your spiritual health.
10. Mental Diversion. Satan controls the mind by beginning with the very young children. Neglect of a knowledge of God, which is substituted for a need for constant gratification and entertainment through constant television and a mountain of toys, breeds a generation of children who graduate to sex, drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse and the constant need for gratification have created an epidemic of brains that respond to nothing mental, physical or spiritual except the lust for what has destroyed them.
11. Spiritual Diversion. Satan has also controlled the church because of our own pursuit of "blessings from God". We use this excuse to camouflage our greed. We follow self help gurus disguised as men of God. These are men who have no interest in teaching you all of the truth about the Bible, only the parts that make you feel good. Because you sit in a church once or twice a week you feel superior to the drug addict. You are no different. You are willing to disobey God in order to feel good mentally, physically and spiritually. The drug addict has settled for a brief mental state of euphoria because that is all that he can get. You want it all, without feeling responsible for knowing all the will of God.
    » False Prophets. They keep saying to those who despise Me, The Lord has said, "You will have peace". As for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, "Calamity will not come upon you". (Jeremiah 23: 17)
    They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying "peace, peace", but there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6: 14)
12. Satan. While any of the above techniques can be based on pure science and technology, the magician or sorcerer can be in direct contact with Satan. Then they can become the source of unbelievable hidden knowledge and scientific abilities that seem to upset natural laws.
    • Apparitions of Mary. For many years the church has been receiving dreams, visions and images of Mary in windows, walls, fruit, bathrooms, rose petals, dirty walls, clouds and the sky. All the messages eventually encourage her worship and dependence on the pope for guidance. They are leading us to another source of authority.
    • Spirits of Ascended Masters. These spirits all have the same message, "we are all gods".
    • Near Death Experiences. Satan might be exploiting a genuine biochemical reaction as one approaches death and oxygen is depleted from the drug-filled brain. What is suspicious about these encounters is not the "floating above the body" experience but the almost universal message given from someone beyond the light.

      Spiritual Rape and Abuse Demon possession is spiritual rape. But Satan's human army has other methods of spiritual violence. Vulnerable people go to these spiritualists with their problems and they are told that they have been cursed and it will take tens of thousands of dollars to remove the curse. In the examples I saw people were charged $18000 and $34000. Sometimes they are even threatened with death or more disaster if they do not pay. One man even convinced a woman that she had to have sex with him to remove the curse. She not only had sex with him forty one times she also had to pay him. The abuse stopped when her husband found out.

      • Your dead relatives are enjoying life somewhere else.
      • There are no absolutes.
      • Everyone will make it. There is no judgment or punishment.
      • No reference to sin, repentance or God.
    • Communication with the Dead. Anyone who communicates with the dead is immediately condemned by God. Anyone who appears to have a higher incidence of correct information is probably being deceived by Satan or is very aware of the law of averages and the ability to interpret body language.
    • Seance. A group who have assembled to communicate with the spirits through the guidance of a medium.
    • Ouija Board. A board game for children in which the spirits spell out instructions to them. Some dowsers use their wand to spell out instructions. Then they call this information the gift of knowledge.
    • Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO). God has only used angels as His messengers. And, contrary to occult belief, He did not come to Mount Sinai in a space ship. The Bible does predict that Satan will pretend to be Christ in a false Second Coming. But He cannot duplicate the omnipresent nature of God, therefore some people will have to be informed that "Christ has come". We conclude that the presence of a real UFO might be Satan's attempt at experimenting with a method for his false coming.
    • Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP). Dead children and relatives communicate with the living through electronic equipment like a computer. It is satanic deception.
13. The Marketing of Satan. There are many cultural and social avenues through which the message is sent.
    • Vampire. People meet to drink each others blood for entertainment.
      Any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who live among them, who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 17: 10)
    • Harry Potter. Although the author might just have written stories out of her fertile imagination, the net effect is that at this point in time it has led thousands of children to follow witchcraft and the occult. Other generations might have survived by taking these as just imaginative stories, but this generation is self-indulgent and devoid of religious instruction. Therefore, the messages in this book fills a void that was designed to be filled by God.
      A news story on August 19, 2005 showed a novel children's ministry program at an Episcopal church. The pastor was teaching "biblical principles" by studying Harry Potter. Children were riding on broom sticks dressed as Harry or witches and played games from the book. They receive "owl mail" instead of e-mail.
    • Television and the Internet. The media promotes the occult with movies of occult activity, computer games and programs that promote psychic mediums. For years, cartoons have been used to introduce occult knowledge to children. It is a success.
      Now cartoons are tampering with the symbols of prophecy because Satan now realizes that this generation must confront the evidence of prophecy. They make children more accepting of the dragon, witchcraft, magic and a cooperation of good and evil symbols. The personification of evil does not represent the deceptive form of Satan who will come as the angel of light. Children are taught to rely on science, technology, ancient charms, potions and practices and on their own superior intellect to recognize and fight evil. They are doomed to fail. One evidence of their unprecedented failure is a perpetual quest for excitement, constant approval, materialism, rebellion, drugs, sex and alcohol. They have no wisdom. They have no life sustaining spiritual knowledge.
    • The New Age. New age teachings have come disguised as health techniques, exercise classes and self fulfillment training.

A Showdown of Power
The Power of Satan
We cannot depend on displays of power as proof of right or wrong. Satan has power of which we are not aware.

Possessed by Death

• Fire From Heaven. Satan now has the power to simulate the test that Elijah used on Mount Carmel. The true God answered by fire. The prophets of Baal could not get a response from their god. In the last days this will no longer be true.
  And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceives those who live on the earth by those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast. (Revelation 13: 13-14)
• Prince of the Power of the Air. (Ephesians 2: 2) This means that he can control the weather and other atmospheric phenomenon in the sky. These types of displays are common to the public Marian appearances. In fact, it now appears that even at these events people are divided on what they saw or if they saw anything. Therefore, the public record of what happened at Fatima may be slightly skewed.
• Possession. Satan has the ability to control someone's mind, voice and body by force. It is spiritual rape. This phenomenon was a reality in the days of Christ. (Luke 8: 26-30). It will probably be one of the most prevalent activities of evil in the end times because Satan is desperate. I am not impressed by the psychic investigators and the exorcists of today. One cannot be an exorcist simply by attending a class or seminar run by the church. It is a gift from God. Their lack of authority in these matters is evidenced by the length of time it takes to perform these exorcisms and the rates of failure.
  From the Bible it is unclear how possessions occur and who are the most likely victims. One common factor seems to be previous association or belief in the occult arts. Satan appears to claim the right to harass anyone who used to play in his territory. Jesus does indicate that one method of keeping these spirits out is to accept God and pursue a daily, loving relationship with Him.
• Simulated Divinity. This can be done because of their physical abilities and longevity. They have access to information and powers that we cannot anticipate, reproduce, verify or test.
  • Omnipresent. Everywhere at once. He can simulate this by having several angels appear at many places on earth. This is why Christ warns that at a minimum, a false Christ has to advertise his location. But, if you are at ground zero when he appears you have to look for evidence that other people had to be told where to go. When Christ comes everyone will see it and hear it no matter where they are. You do not have to be told. In addition, you should be in the middle of the rapture. Therefore, if you are at ground zero, you should have no time to follow my stupid advice about verifying if others were told. You should be looking for a mirror to see if you are as beautiful as the other people floating with you.
  • Omniscient. Knows all things. They know all history because they have lived longer than all humans. They know personal information because they know our ancestors and are invisible watchers. So, if you thought that you were the only person who knew that you stole from your mother, you are wrong. God saw you. They saw you.
  • Omnipotent. Powerful. Anyone from the supernatural realm will look superior to us by using even the most basic powers that they have. We are not as scientifically or technologically advanced as they are.
  Therefore, the test is in their obedience to God and His word, not in the powers they demonstrate.

  The Power of Absolute Values Problem Solution AIDS, STDs Abstinence, no adultery, faithfulness Poverty Jubilee principles. Honesty Delinquents Honor parents War Do not covet. Truth All problems Love and trust God Death Government of God

• Unknown Powers. Prophecy indicates that the powerful people who control the world will act together to lie and deceive the world. They will have the help of demons to carry out these hoaxes.
• A New Kind of Love. Using a different definition of love, Satan will do good works and sanction the behavior of evil men after redefining the definition of good and evil. He will make the argument that those who insist on a narrow definition of good and bad that excludes others is unkind, unloving and ungodly. He will prove his loving nature by allowing you to do what pleases you.
  So, you have to make basic decisions about God before you encounter these deceptions. Why would he have absolute values? Can a universe operate peacefully if everyone can do whatever pleases them. Look at the pervasive problems of our current world. The absolute values of God that we want to avoid would have solved many of them. God knows that our deteriorated human bodies and brains are weak. But he promises a new body that will cooperate with the desires of a transformed mind if we would only accept that His standards are best. He will work on the reality of life in our current bodies after this. But if we accept the false argument that we cannot change, and it is the absolute values that must change, then we will not change.

Latter Rain

The Latter Rain: The Power of the Holy Spirit
It will come about after this that I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2: 28-29 )
Joel 2 predicts that the church will once again receive the miraculous gifts. There will be no preference for race, nationality, economic status, age or gender.
We should pray and plan for this event as if it will happen in our life time.
Satan has started a preemptive strike by sending false visions and miracles. For years I was expecting this development. As it unfolds, I am shocked to see how openly fake and misleading this first wave appears to be. I am even more disturbed that the people could be so easily duped by this cheap version of the demonic powers which are coming.

Lessons Learned. We can learn from the deceptive practices of all the current false prophets and fake healers who have exploded on the scene. None of them can verify their healings or want any close scrutiny of their miracles or finances.
Therefore, we should know how deception is done so that we do the opposite when we operate with miraculous gifts.

• Scientific Validation. We should know how a good scientific test is done so that we can provide an irrefutable chain of evidence. Make liberal use of skeptics and unbelievers. Let them set up your tests. Choose a random sampling of your own but let them choose their projects also. Use cameras, and video recordings. Document the arguments of the skeptics before the miracle occurs and after. If you were Joshua on the day the sun stood still, what would you do before and after?
• Medical Records. It is impossible to obtain records from a random audience. However, we should make it our goal to choose a certain number of people and document their history before and after our healings. Even if this means asking them to wait until we can gather the evidence. This is where critics and skeptics will help. They can gather all this documentation before they come to our meetings. But we should also commit to doing some of this work ourselves.
• Public Education. We should know how they manipulate the feelings and emotions of the audience so that we not only avoid doing the same, but we educate people about how easily they can be manipulated.
• Groupies, Fans and Followers. Do not relax your standards of evidence even if the skeptics convert and the environment becomes friendlier.
• Forced Registration. Crooked ministers require their audience to register and describe their illness before they go into the meetings. Discontinue the practice. Let people request additional contact freely. We should stop using counts as badges of honor or proof of God's blessing.
• Celebrity. When the true gifted person is separated from the sea of charlatans and fakes, the media will be beating a path to your door. What will you do? Will your lifestyle change? Will your appearances be bought? Will you make deals thinking that you will get prime time exposure for the gospel? Should prime time exposure be a goal or is that just human reasoning? Are there programs that you will refuse to appear on? Commercial endorsements. What is the reason? Religious? Political? Moral?
  What if we thought about these issues in new ways, not with conventional wisdom? What if we do not play their game?

It has begun. The latter rain has begun. I am updating this lesson to remind the church of its responsibilities. I realize that people run away from this power because we have no experience with it. But that is not a biblical response. I am warning you, if you do not know how to evaluate this phenomenon or are unwilling to learn, then Satan will send a delusion designed to fit your ignorance.

• Test The Spirits. A person's reputation, qualification or supernatural power does not give them automatic credentials in this area. However, such credentials should at least guarantee that you would listen so that you can evaluate their claims.
  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4: 1)
  Ignoring a person who claims to have this latter day gift is like ignoring a pregnancy. It will not go away because you ignore it or try to kill it. But this process takes time. This means that we must know our Bibles. We must also be wise enough to separate our own opinions and prejudices from our expectations of others. The work of a person called by God may not be your own. God told Isaiah to walk around naked and barefoot for three years! If such a person with a message came to your church you would find all the biblical reasons to condemn their actions and the psychological reasons to confine them in an institution. All this you would do without listening to the message.
  ... "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet". And he did so going naked and barefoot. (Isaiah 20: 2)
  My advice is never to accept anyone at your first encounter with such a claim. But never reject them either. Do not feel rushed to make a decision especially since we have no experience with these matters. But do not hinder or suspend their work during the process because it is only through their work that you can validate their claim. While you are in this examination period, do not be afraid to say that you have not made a decision about this person.
• The Spirit of Truth. The Spirit will both glorify Christ and disclose the future.
  But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for He will take of mine and disclose it to you. (John 16: 13-14)
  I used to separate these tests. But I now know that the primary duty of the Spirit is to glorify God. This could include explaining the gospel, and leading people back from sin towards Christ. The secondary duty is disclosing the future. Therefore, while one can glorify God and not tell the future, I believe that one who tells the future or shows any miraculous signs must always glorify God as their first duty.
• Confesses Jesus. Here is a test. It almost seems too simple. But you can use this as a starting point.
  By this you know the Spirit of God, every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world. (1 John 4: 2-3)
  But Wait! Apparently there are some spirits who cannot let those words pass their lips. But there are others. They may not be part of the work of Antichrist but they are part of the work of deception and destruction.
  The story of Baalam shows us that even if the spirit of God drives a person to confess the will of God, that person may be working for the destruction of the people of God. Satan also lies and if such a simple lie can get him to relax your vigilance, then it is worth confessing this so that he can destroy you later.
  The new age prophets have a concept that they call "The Christ". Therefore, if they are responding to this test they can mentally apply this label of Christ to their demon god so that the words which escape their lips are not the words that are in their hearts. So they confess "the Christ" as their lord who has come in the flesh while they are inwardly applying the concept to Satan as the new age Christ who has come to the world.
• Success. Here is another test. This test is also too simple because we will not believe until we see success.
  So in the present case I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown. but if it is of God you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may be found fighting against God. (Acts 5: 38-39)
  These words are not from Jesus or his disciples. They have some truth but not the whole truth. It is often the case that evil triumphs over good. We have lost our moral compass and our measures of success have more to do with counting people or money or wealth or influence and power. Sometimes God cannot succeed according to these metrics because the hearts of the people will not listen. And His ways take a long time. During this time the people of God are usually a trampled minority while evil rules triumphantly. The true metrics of success are whether or not the messenger delivers the message of God and does His will. The results, according to human metrics, may not be seen for hundreds of years.
• Their Fruit. This also seems too simple because at some point the measurement becomes subjective. We have corrupted our standards to equate success and fruits with number baptized, popularity and amount of money collected and some evidence of "the blessings of God".
  So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7: 20)
  At a minimum these people should not be running brothels, encouraging slavery, oppressing the poor or involved in immoral or illegal activities.
• Test Yourself. For Adventists, Satan may send a delusion based on exciting their passions about Sunday Laws and uplifting Ellen White instead of Christ. I am amazed at the number of people whose whole plan of vigilance is to look for Sunday laws while they are unable to see the prophetic fulfillments in the world falling apart around them.
  What Satan gains is that some people will immediately execute their plans to save themselves from dying in the persecution, rather than to sacrifice themselves to spread the message to the dying world.
  Are you really ready for the work of God? How would you answer this question? How would your life decisions change if you knew that God was coming at the following time.
  • 50 Years. Would you go to school, get married, have children?
  • 10 Years. Would you buy a house, go to school, get married?
  • 5 Years. Would you go to college, have children, buy a new car, sell your possessions?
  • 1 Year. Would you stop working, cooperate more, sell your possessions and fund the gospel?
  • 2 Months. Would you run to the hills or preach to your neighbor?
  We cannot know the date with such precision that we can make such drastic sacrifices. But whether we know it or not, we are using Sunday laws and signs as a measure of time remaining. And I ask you to consider the following. After the Second Coming, will you wish that you had made any of these sacrifices sooner? Or simply wished that you had done more just because Christ is coming and the world is dying. Are you living as if Christ is real and He is coming?

So eternal vigilance is required. The moment a trusted prophet or miracle worker steps away from the Gospel, then it is the moment they become untrustworthy. Humans can fall. The word of God does not.

Summary
Since the final battle will involve such an extraordinary amount of deception, it would be prudent of the church to educate itself in some of the techniques of deception. However, as part of this learning, they should be wise enough to understand that they can still be tricked by superior science and technology and direct intervention by Satan. Ultimately, all claims about the source of the supernatural must be subject to the word of God, not the assumption that the miraculous is proof of the divine. Even then, because we see the enemy is now playing with slick use of the language and double meanings in words or redefinition of words and with bold lies, we must recognize that truth might not be obtained in a single test. We must always be vigilant.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6: 12)