THE OCCULT
PART I
SAVED FROM THE OCCULT
Every year on the 31st of Halloween, America and, in fact, most of the world celebrates a holiday that we call Halloween. It wasn't always called Halloween. Many years ago in the middle ages it was known as "All Hallow's Eve", the eve of the Catholic celebration "All Saints Day". But even before then, in the years before the Lord walked the earth, it was known as the "Vigil of Samhain", a god of the druids, the god of the dead.
According to druid lengends, it was during this time that the souls of the unholy dead would walk the face of the earth. They would wander the countryside stopping at the homes of the people living there, begging gifts of food, clothing and money so that they could appease their god and ease their suffering. If they were given what they wanted, it was believed that there would be a time of peace and propsperity. On the other hand, if the people did not give what they were asked for, homes would be burned, farm animals slaughtered and even innocent children would be kidnapped and sacrificed.
After several years of involvement in the occult (seances, spell- casting, etc), I came to know the Lord Jesus. I had read tarot cards, studied the Oriental philosophy of divination known as the "I Ching", and although I never openly worshiped the devil, I was playing straight into his hands.
If you've every read my testimony, you know about my being saved by Christ,
and my life has never been better. Instead of a preoccupation with death, I know have a love of life. Instead of studying about the works of Satan, I want to know everything about Jesus. Instead of telling others about seances, I share with them about Jesus. Instead of celebrating Samhain, I celebrate Christ.
The Word of God tells us in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 ... "There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that workest divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter or a witch or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord".
And in Leviticus 20:6, we are told ... "And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits and after wizards to go a whoring after them, I will set my face against that soul and will cut him off from among his people".
Paul tell us sin Galations 5 that witchcraft is one of the sins of the flesh and in verse 21 he tells us that they which do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Every where the Vigil of Samhain is celebrated. Our homes are decorated with black cats and pumpkins. Pictures of ghosts are hung, and witches are found everywhere. Can we, as believers, ever hope to win the lost in this world for Christ if we continue to give honor to the devil? How can we speak out against the evil of our day when we depict things of evil in our homes? What will we say to the Lord when He holds us accountable for the souls that were lost because we never spoke out?
