THE PORTRAIT OF A SORCERER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PUBLIC INDICTEMENT AGAINST BEWITCHMENT Text: Ezekiel 13:vv.17-23(KJV) “Likewise thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart and prophesy thou against them and say: Thus says the LORD God: WOE to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people and keep yourselves alive? And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die and keeping people alive who should not live by your lying to my people by your lies? Therefore, thus says the LORD God: Behold I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls like birds. I will also tear off your veils and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, because with your lies you make the heart of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. Therefore, you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination for I will deliver my people out of your hand and you shall know that I am the LORD.” The above mentioned passage may be divided into three main points:- (1) Public Confrontation vv.17-18a (2) Searching Questions vv.18b.19 (3) Summary Execution vv.20-23 THE PORTRAIT OF A SORCERER (1) PERCEIVED AS WITCHES ON THE HUNT FOR SOULS, KILLING PEOPLE WHO DO NOT DESERVE TO DIE, WHILE KEEPING OTHERS ALIVE WHO FULLY DESERVE TO BE KILLED. THIS UNDERSCORES THE EFFICACY OF SORCERY IN ANTIQUITY AND IN THE 21ST. CENTURY {V.18} (2) THEY ARE PATHOLOGICAL LYERS REGARDING THE PEOPLE OF GOD.{V.19} (3) THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE FORCEFULLY DELIVERED AS PREY.{VV.20-21} (4) THROUGH DECEPTION-LIES-THESE SORCERERS MAKE THE HEART OF THE RIGHTEOUS SAD WHEN IT WAS NEVER GOD’S INTENTION. {V.22} (5) SORCERERS STRENGHTEN THE HANDS OF WICKED PEOPLE SO THAT THE WICKED BECOMES HARDENED AND NOT REPENT FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS EVEN IF IT WOULD BE TO SAVE THEIR VERY LIVES.{V.22} (6) THE ABOMINABLE WORK OF SORCERERS WILL BE BROUGHT TO AN END AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD WILL BE COMPLETELY DELIVERED AS THE SORCERERS COME TO KNOW THE COVENANT KEEPING GOD OF ISRAEL WHO ALWAYS RESCUES HIS PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE OF EVERY KIND. {V.23} IN THE NEW TESTAMENT SIMON THE SORCERER PUBLIC INDICTMENT AGAINST BEWITCHMENT Text: Acts 8:vv.18-23: And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying: “Give me also this power that on whomsoever I may lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost.” but Peter said unto him: “Thy money perish with thee because thou has though that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hath neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God that perhaps if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. The below mentioned passage may be divided into three main points:- ACTS 8:VV.14-23 (1) A Staggering Impression vv. 14-18a (2) Monetary Persuasion vv.18b.-19 (3) Apostolic Confrontation vv.20-23 (4) Sham Contrition v.24 THE PORTRAIT OF A SORCERER 1. SORCERERS HAVE WIDESPREAD INFLUENCE AND MASS APPEAL THROUGH THE USE OF THE EVIL SUPERNATURAL.{V.9} 2. SORCERERS MAKE FALSE CLAIMS AND ENTERTAIN ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR.{V.9} 3. THE MASSES OFTEN CONFUSE THEIR EVIL SUPERNATURAL DISPLAYS OF POWER FOR THE VERY POWER OF GOD BUT NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. {Vv.10-11} 4. THEY HAVE ERNEST, ARDENT LISTENERS AND DEDICATED FOLLOWERS WHO ARE QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THEIR POWER DISPLAYED OVER A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME.{V.11} 5. SORCERERS WILL BELIEVE THE GOSPEL WHEN IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNS AND WONDERS-A POWER ENCOUNTER AND A TRUTH ENCOUNTER WILL ALWAYS IMPRESS THEM.{V.13} 6. SORCERS WILL EVEN GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF CHRISTIAN CEREMONY AND PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP, ALL THE TIME AMAIZED AND ENAMOURED BY THE POWER OF GOD NEVERTHELESS THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORD OF GOD ITSELF IS QUITE QUESTIONABLE AND THEIR STATUS AS CHRISTIANS ARE EQUALLY QUESTIONABLE. {Vv.12-13} 7. SORCERERS WILL COVET THE MANIFESTED POWER OF GOD AND GO AS FAR AS TO OFFER MONEY FOR THE POWER OF GOD AND THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND TO SHARE THIS POWER WITH OTHERS.{V.19} 8. SORCERERS ARE OFTEN REBUKED AND PUBLICLY CHALLENGED BY APOSTLES AND PROPHETS AS WE OBSERVED IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.{VV. 20-24} 9. SORCERERS DREAD THE PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENT OF JUDGMENT FROM APOSTLES, PROPHETS AND MEN AND WOMEN FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT BUT THEY HARDLY EVER GENUINELY REPENT. THEIR PUBLIC CONTRITION IS GENERALLY A SHAM AND THEY ARE PATHOLOGICAL LYERS (SEE EZEKIEL.13:VV.19 AND 22. THE GROSSLY EXAGGERATED CLAIMS OF SOME SORCERERS ABOUT THEIR OCCULT POWER ARE, IN MANY INSTANCES, PURE DECEPTION INTENDED TO INTIMIDATE THEIR LISTENERS. APPRECIATE THAT THIS DOES NOT IN ANY WAY MEAN THAT OTHERS AMONG THEIR RANKS DO NOT POSSESS REAL EVIL SUPERNATURAL POWER. EIGHT TIMES OUT OF TEN MEN AND WOMEN WHO ENTER THE LOCAL CHURCH FROM THE DEPTHS OF WITCHCRAFT ARE PRETENDERS TO THE THRONE OF SALVATION. OBSERVE THE FRUITS OF GENUINE REPENTANCE FROM THE FRACTIONAL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO TRULY MAKE A RADICAL TURN FROM WITCHCRAFT (SEE 11 CORINTHIANS 7:VV.9-11) AND {Vv. 20-23}. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ELYMAS-THE FALSE PROPHET/ BAR JESUS: THE SORCERER Text: Acts 13:vv.10 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus which was with the deputy of the country Sergius Paulus, a prudent man who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God but Elymas the sorcerer for so is his name but Saul who is called Paul filled with the Holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said: O full of all subtlety and all mischief thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the LORD? THE MEANING OF THE NAME ‘BAR’ JESUS AND APPRECIATE THAT BAR MEANS “SON OF”. ELYMAS WAS A SHAM SON OF JESUS. OBSERVE THAT THE TITLES OF SORCERERS IN ANTIQUITY AS WELL AS IN THE 21ST. CENTURY USUALLY DECEIVE THE MAJORITY. MANY MODERN DAY SORCERERS HAVE ADVANCED DEGREES IN THEOLOGY AND COUNSELLING. THESE AGENTS OF SATAN ARE MEN WITH OUTSTANDING REPUTATION.THE UNDISCERNING ARE ALWAYS DECEIVED BY THEIR TITLES AS THEY OCCUPY POSITIONS OF UPWARD SOCIAL MOBILITY IN THEIR CALLING, PROFESSION AND IN ALMOST EVERY CONCEIVABLE SECTOR OF SOCIETY. THE PORTRAIT OF A SORCERER 1. THEY SEEK TO ATTACH THEMSELVES TO PEOPLE IN HIGH OFFICE WITH POLITICAL CLOUT AND WITH INTELLECTUAL ACUMEN. {V.6-7} 2. THESE PERSONS WITH POLITICAL CLOUT ARE SEEKING INDIVIDUALS FOR GENUINE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES.{V.7} 3. SORCERERS WILL DEILIBERATELY SEEK TO HINDER THESES PERSONS FROM HEARING THE WORD OF GOD.{V.8} 4. SORCERERS WILL DELIBERATELY SEEK TO STAND IN THE WAY IN ORDER TO DEBAR TRUE APOSTLES AND THE GENUINE SERVANTS OF GOD AND PURPOSE TO TURN SINCERE SEEKERS FROM THE CHRISTIAN FAITH WHILE ENCOURAGING THEM TO PURSUE PAGAN RELIGIONS.{V. 8} 5. SORCERERS ARE PERSISTENT IN PERVERTING THE RIGHT WAYS OF THE LORD.{V.10} 6. SORCERERS ARE COMPLETELY FILLED WITH SUBTILTY AND MISCHIEF. {V.10} 7. APOSTOLIC INSIGHT EVALUATES SUCH SORCERERS AS CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL AND THE ENEMIES OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.{V.10} 8. SORCERERS ARE INEVITABLY JUDGED BY HOLY SPIRIT FILLED APOSTLES/LEADERS WITH INTENSIFIED BOLDNESS AND PENETRATING DISCERNMENT.{V. 9-11} 9. SORCERERS ARE REALLY FALSE PROPHETS USING THE EVIL SUPERNATURAL IN DIVINATION AND ASTROLOGY. {V.6 & 1 John 4:vv. 1-4} © COPY RIGHT 2013 BY CAROL THOMPSON, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, SHOFAR DAY STAR MINISTRIES
Posted on: Fri, 24 May 2013 03:53:38 +0000
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