Cours 2

                                           LESSON 8

 THE KINGDOM AND AN ILLEGAL EMPIRE:

                         "THE OCCULT"

                     BUILD YOUR LIFE ON THE FOUNDATION

                                 OF GOD'S PURE WORD.

                         THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD.

"...And Jesus answered them, "Take care that no-one misleads you",

Matt 24:4 "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, who do not

confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is the deceiver and

the Antichrist. Look to your­self  that you do not lose what we have taught,

 but that you receive your reward in full. Everyone who goes beyond, rather

than remaining in the teaching of Jesus Christ, does not have God;

he who remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son..."

2 John 7-9.

(To get a clear and complete Bible-based picture of our sub­ject I sincerely

advise you to look up and read the passa­ges of scripture referred to in your Bible.

Read and re-read them, don't be complacent but read them prayerfully and

atten­tive­ly.)

The Bible, God's word, emphatically warns that in the latter days heretics and

followers of demons (evil spirits) etc will be active in this world. 1 Tim 4:1

Millions of people, especially young people, are looking for something to fill up

the vacuum in their hearts. The Bible says " Don't you know you are the temple

of the Holy Spi­rit" 1 Cor 3:16.

But what happens if you don't know God and His Son, Jesus? Being religious

does not automatically mean that you KNOW the God of the Bible. Occupying

yourself with religious things does not mean that your life is purified and

saved by the blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ.

He is the only one who can REALLY and PERMANENTLY fill this vacuum.

Without Him the house of your heart stands empty and the demons have free

play in your life. Matt 12:43-45. To realise this you first have to be born again.

"Jesus answered and said to him, in very truth I tell you unless a man is born

again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." Read John 3:1-6.

So to distinguish between light and darkness a person must be born again.

This happens as soon as that person confesses his

in, surren­ders to God and is baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and

the Holy Spirit. This is the moment when God's Spirit takes the scales off the

new believer's spiritual eyes.

From that moment that person begins to receive insight into spiritual things.

Religion does this only partially at the level of reason, but really knowing God

through a personal relationship is impossible for the person who is not born

again. Religion misleads and is one of the most used weapons of Satan to

subjugate people to him through his deception in order to achieve his

objectives. Several religions have spiritist rituals.

Don't make the mistake which many make by denying the existen­ce of demons.

Not believing in their existence is as dangerous as showing an active interest

in their activities. See Acts 19:13-16 and other scriptures.

Demons go to work just as happily in a materialistically minded person as they

do in a person who calls them up. Their objective is to do the will of their leader,

the devil, Satan. Rev 12:9 - "the liar and murderer from the beginning" John 8:44.

His aim is to have you spiritually dead so that you will bring forth no fruit to the

glory of God the Almighty. This implies that you never realise your full potential

as God intended in His plan for you. The devil always tries to turn this round and

tries with people who regard themselves as being frustrated to make them blame

God. Satan is a liar. God does want you to achieve full growth and development

Compare John 17:13, Eph 4:11-16, John 15:10 an­d 11.

Look and listen to what our creator, the God of the Bible,

has to say about the Occult.

 From the Bible it becomes clear to us that there are two spiritual realms:

the Kingdom of God and the realm of Satan's dar­kness.

"The Father has redeemed us from the power of dar­kness and transferred us

into the Kingdom of the Son..." Col 1:13. Matt 12:25-29. It is very important

to recognise this. The realm of Satan is just as real as the Kingdom of God!

Jesus said: To Me is given all power in heaven and on earth".

His kingdom is God's rightful kingdom. Satan's realm is an illegitimate realm,

since he was completely dethroned and overthrown by the death and resurrection

of Jesus Christ!

In Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15 we find a description of how Satan

once was a wonderful shining being. He was called "the morningstar".

He was a guardian angel. But Lucifer (as he is also called) wanted to be equal

to God, pride took  posses­sion of him and because he wanted to exalt himself

he was in the end thrown down by God onto the earth. When this happened he

dragged down one third of the angelhost with him (Jude 6).

We see here two characteristics of Satan:

1.  He wants to exalt himself    

2.  He drags others into sin with him.

The first is at the heart of the New Age movement, in which "Man" exalts

himself as a god, thus raising himself up higher than his Creator to a place

where Christ and His word no longer are kept central, but Man takes that place.

So this is a demonic teaching exemplified by Satan himself (2 Thess 2:3,4).

From the moment that Satan was humiliated he has been determi­ned to

avenge himself on God. When God created Man Satan immediately revealed

himself as the great, pious liar and deceiver who is opposed to God's plan.

(2 Cor 11:14, Gen 3)

SATAN GETS POWER TO RULE   

When God created the heaven and the earth everything was under His rule.

Ps 103:19 God actually gave Man a piece of responsi­bi­lity and delegated a part

of His rulership to Man. Gen 1:26.(De­le­gated authority is authority which is

subject to a higher authority. Through their sin Adam and Eve lost [in fact

they gave away] their part of the authority to Satan). From that moment Satan

became the ruler of this world. More preci­sely he became ruler over that part

of creation which Man had initially been made ruler of by God. John 12:31,

Eph 2:1,2.

Satan is an enemy who must not be underestimated and who is out to

destroy God's creation including you! He is helped in all this by a highly

organised army 1 Pet 5:8, Rev 12:12, Eph 6:12. Satan uses strategies,

thousands of years of experience, much knowledge of the Bible (Luk 4:9-11),

he was the leading angel in God's holy presence before he was cast down to

the earth. We need to know this about our enemy, not to give him any glory,

but in order to be alert and capable of recognising him and his works.

It would be stupid to be an ostrich about these matters and to hide our head

in the sand. (Unfortu­nately too many Christians are too late in this. Particularly

the positive thinking movement deludes many and thus shows that their own

roots are not pure). Not our heads but Satan's deserves to be trodden into

the ground. Gen 3:15. We must learn to think and say what God thinks

and says! Rev 12:11-12,

1 Thess 1:3-12.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF SATAN'S RULE       

Satan manifests his power through:

1.  Sin/the old nature                Eph 2:1-2,Col 3:7-10

2.  Disease                               Luk 13:10-17

3.  Bondage                              Mark 5:1-20

4.  Torture                                Luk 6:18

5.  Destruction                          Mark 6:45-52

6.  Death                                  Rom 6:20-22

7.  Rebellion against God           1 John 2:4,2 Thess 2:9-11

8.  Lukewarmness, negligence   Rev 3:15,16 1 Sam 3:13

JESUS' VICTORY   

Because God loves His creation and because He saw that Man through his

sinful nature remained subject to Satan, He sent His own Son the Lord

Jesus to this earth. " For this purpose is the Son of God

revealed, that He may destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8b.

Jesus came as a perfect offering, as a sinless man to this earth in order to

die for our sins. John 3:16, Heb 9:14, 4:15, Acts 10:38. Jesus said,

"...since by God's Spirit I drive out the evil spirits, the Kingdom of God has

come upon you." Matt 12:28 Jesus Christ came to bring Man back under

God's rule. 1 Pet 3:18-20. To achieve a definite victory and to open up again

the way to God Jesus had to be crucified. He denied death its rights,

He descended to Hell and defeated the devil and He rose again from the dead!

Jesus is the victor and the devil is the defeated enemy! "He (Jesus) has

disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them,

triumphing over them. Col 2:15

VICTORY THROUGH CHRIST       

The decisive battle has been fought, but the war has not finished yet.

Satan prowls around still as a roaring lion. But seen from the standpoint of

Christ's victory Satan is merely a mouse sitting and screa­ming in front of a

microphone to give a misleading, intimidating impression.

Every born again believer has received power to drive out evil spirits in

the name of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:17,18. We fight on the basis of a victory.

God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57.

DEMONIC BONDAGE   

There is much confusion about the concept of bondage.

The Greek word "daimonizomai" can best be translated as " to be under demonic

influence". There can be various degrees of this state:

A.  Pestered (from outside) by demons 1 Thess 2:18.

B.  Tortured by impure demons of disease Luk 6:18, Mark 1:30­,31.

C.  Plagued by demons in person Matt 9:12-33.

D.  Possessed by, under the total control of indwelling demons Luk 8:26-28.

Being possessed by demons is therefore not the same as being pestered or

plagued by them. Demons lie, manipulate (a form of enchantment:

this is also a characteristic of sectarianism), threaten, intimidate and so try

to infiltrate (mostly through fear and anxiety. arising from the suggestion,"If

you don't do the same as we do then you don't belong to our group,etc) until you

fall into the trap. See also Gen 3:1-7. Fill your heart with God's word and stand

firmly on that foundation, hold fast to what you have received in Christ and

use the authority you have in Christ!

WHAT OBJECTIVES ARE THE DEMONS TRYING TO ACHIEVE?  

Demons actually have only one aim and that is that you should come under

Satan's total control and that you should be cut off from contact with God.

Satan knows what his end will be - an end fore-ordained by God - and he

wants to drag as many as possible down with him to Hell's everlasting fire.

Rev 20:14-15, 21:8.

But he who conquers (remains true to God and His word) will not be touched

by the second death. Rev 2:11;12:11.

Objectives of demons:

1.  Spiritual temptation  Matt 4:8-10, Eph 4:14, Acts 20:30, Matt 7:15; 24:11,24.

2.  Emotional upset - anxiety, depression etc. The following can also be

     expressions of anxiety: lying, betrayal, cowardice, pious laziness,

     Matt 26:69-72; 25:18-30, Num­ 11:14-15; 11:18-20.

3.  Physical problems, pain, weakness,etc.

4.  Heresy / idolatery (unbiblical doctrines) 1 Tim 4:1, Ez 16:17

5.  Total control of believers, driven by demons (Judas)

6.  Suicide (e.g. Judas) Matt 27:5,6;Mk 5:1-13

 GAPS IN THE DEFENCES   

1.  Involuntary gaps:

A.  A curse. This can be spoken out against another person, house, town etc.

     It can also come upon someone by his own sin. Josh 6:26, 1 Kings 16:34

B.  Sins of the forefathers. Ex 20:1-6, 1Kings 11:9-12

C.  Emotional traumas (incest, loss of a dear one, accident, divorce, etc)

D.  A brutal attack upon our bodies

2.  Voluntary gaps:

A.  Persistent sin over a long period, e.g. consciously expo­sing yourself to films

     and/or music inspired by demons. Films about horror, porno, violence the

     occult etc.

House, hard rock, heavy metal and all other music which terro­rises or

manipulates your spirit and thoughts so that your spiritual awareness of norms

is thrown out of balance and so that you can no longer be receptive to God's

presen­ce and Him speaking to you. Much of this sort of music and many of

these films are promoted by groups made up of people who have enli­sted in

Satan's service and who encourage Satan-worship, inspired under the influence

of drugs and demons (Luk 6:43).

Numbers like "Don't be afraid of suicide", and Michael Jack­son's number

"Beat it" play through back-masking "People worship Satan, who is in me".

Such texts say enough to indica­te their origins.

The important thing here is the root, the source of the matter. Fitting

Christian texts to such music doesn't alter the source at all. All these things

have a clinging ef­fect. Opening yourself to their influence is opening yourself

to demonic influence. It is not optional.

When we work on our relationship to God and are faithful and obedient to His

leading, there comes a defensive barrier round our lives.

When we consciously sin, it is easy for Satan to pull that barrier down and

through his demons to do his destructive work in and through us. Eccl 10:8,

Eph 4:27, Prov 24:30,31.

B.  Playing with the occult causes a huge gap in our defences.

     It is playing with Satan's toys. Occult games like glass tur­ning, hypnotism,

     calling up spirits of the dead (inclu­ding the Roman Catholic Mary cult which

     is also a seeking for contact with a dead person, who is regarded as an

     interme­diary and joint-redeemer, so that this is a form of spiri­tism).

     All forms of superstition, sectarianism false doctrine or religion ( unbi­blical

     teachings) etc are a direct invitati­on to demons to come into a person's life.

     The follo­wing is a list of the best known activi­ties/misleading tea­chings etc,

     which were origin­ally inspired by demonic powers:

-  Black and white magic, amulets, talismen, horoscopes, astro­logical signs,

   peace signs, pig's teeth, magic stones and bracelets, tattoos (Isa 47:11-15,

   Ezec 13:18-20, Lev 19:28).

-  Magnetism (often coupled with clairvoyance), spiritism, palmistry, iriscopy,

   para-psychology, telepa­thy, hypnotism, acupuncture, shi-healing, a large

   part of homeo­pathy, magic, witchcraft, divination, knocking, mas­cots,

   lucky cha­rms, interpretation of omens (inclu­ding the so-called harmless

   drawing room games such as dangling a needle on a thread above a person's

   hand etc to see how many sons or daughters he/ she will have.

   It is simply fortune telling and thus occult), calling up spi­rits, seeking

  contact with the dead. Isa 47:7-15, Deut 18:10-13, Lev 1­9:26,31; 20:27,

  Isa 44:25, Mal 3:5, Gal 5:20, Zach 10:2,Thess 2:9, 2 Cor 11:14.

Many people fall into Satan's trap of the occult because they think that if a

magnetist, layer-on of hands or other occult (para)healer heals once, then

he could be used of God.

The answer is "NO, GOD DOESN'T NEED SATAN'S WORKS, INSTEAD HE

STRICTLY WARNS US AGAINST THEM" Satan is an imita­tor and presents

himself as an angel of light to bind you spiritually to him, and he does

everything he can to get a foothold in your life.(2 Cor 11:14, Acts 16:16-18)

The divi­ding line between light and darkness can only be dis­cerned with the

sword of God's Spirit, that is the Bible. The Bible is the only relia­ble test.

Heb 4:12, Ps 119:105. Whenever anybody says that you should keep your

Bible closed, whatever the reason, then it is better to open your Bible

nevertheless and test everything that such a person says.

Especially when he/she claims to be speaking under divine inspiration.

God never works except in accordance with His word.

C.  Various forms of deceptive teach­ing.

Mormonism.  Teaching: God was first a man like us and then became God.

 According to Mormon doctrine God is married to many women and has another

God above Him. Furthermore it is claimed that Jesus and Satan are brothers,

born by natural intercourse between God and one of the wives.

The Mormon God came to earth and had physical union with Mary the mother

of Jesus, who is God's own daughter. Rejection of the Trinity)

Jehova's Witnesses. Teaching: rejection of Trinity, no hell - cf Rev 20:10,15.

The Holy Spirit is not a person but, according to one of the JW writers is only

a force like elec­tricity - cf. John 14:16,17; 15:26,27, Acts 5:3.

The Jesus of the JWs is not the same as the Jesus of the authentic Bible.

They teach that Jesus is not God Almighty. In the "New World trans­lation"

(JW bible) all verses referring to the divini­ty of Jesus have been altered or

left out.

Halloween. This began thousands of years ago when the Celts wanted to

venerate Samhain, the god of the dead.    

Unification Church. Teaching: a mixture of various religi­ons e.g.

Buddhism, Hinduism, Confusio­nism, and Christianity.

The Worldwide Church of God. Founder Herbert W Armstrong.

Teaching: a mixture of borrowed ideas, in brief no divine redemption through

grace but do it yourself, own efforts and practice of  high morality; the Holy

Ghost is not a person but the channel through which God works, His power,

His brain. God reproduces Himself through people. Once a person has

developed the necessary capacity for it he is added to God's own family as a

son of God and becomes a God, i.e. the surna­me.

This too is demonic teaching total­ly opposed to the gospel and the Bible.

Jesus Christ is God, He is the head.

Dianetics-scientology. Founder L. Ronald Hubbard. Teaching: It is claimed

that Man is an immortal being, a Thetan. 35 billion years ago the Thetans

were sent to the earth and are therefore our spiritual forefathers.

The Thetans were ori­gin­ally also masters over time, space and matter.

Clearly these are demonic teach­ings.

Bhagwan. Teaching: Everything centres around the liberation of the

"id" or "I" and the experience of the Id, the Buddha nature, which according

to this teaching is present in all beings, the divine energy etc.

The Bible teaches us to put off the old man (id) and to put on Jesus Christ as

God and Saviour. Additionally that we must be born again by confessing our

sins, turning to God and being baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit.

There are many other sects and religions which could be mentioned, also

within the generally accepted church of Rome - the growing "white army

of Mary". Here is a quota­tion from their book of revelations of Mary to the

priest S. Gobbi for the Catholic priests," They must become accustomed to

seeking only Me (Mary), to listening only to Me and trus­ting themsel­ves only

to Me". "You priests are my elite troops, ready to fight for the church and

the Pope. With your help I shall achieve my great victory ("Blessed Virgin

Mary to her beloved sons, the priests" pp 92,68)

These are clearly pious and lying teachings which are opposed to God's word.

Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Li­fe"."All power is given to me in

Heaven and on earth" There is only one mediator between God and man -

Jesus Christ"

Protestant groups Reconciliation theology, predestination theology,

infant baptism, apostolic era (claiming that baptism of the Holy Spirit and

Spiritual gifts belong to a past era).

Charismatic groups. Unfortunately there is here also an increase in false and

unbiblical teachings (falling (back), drunk in the spirit, laughing in the spirit,

trembling, jumping, rol­ling, in fact every expression which is also manifested

when demons have free rein in a body. This is not pentecost and not free

 evangelicalism. This is New Age influen­ce from Eastern and South African

sects ( except that here it is supported by Bible texts which are taken out

of context and twisted) and it has absolutely no foundation in God's word.

There is only one answer to all this: "Test the doctrine and the activities

against God's word, the Bible. Read the Bible itself (That is not the same

as reading books about the Bi­ble).

Foster your relationship with the Father and the Son.

Build your spiritual foundation on God's word.

Luk 6:46-49, Heb 10:35-39, Ps 119:105.    They will lead you by the Holy

Ghost and Their word.

D.  Also many modern children's toys and children's reading material is tainted

     with the occult or demon inspired. the books and films of Harry Potter,

     He-man, Care bears, Transformers,

     Turtles, (some) Suske and Wiske, My litle Pony.

     The ponies with coloured tails are used as adver­tising material for children

     by the New Age movement. The story about these apparently innocent games

is really direct from the kingdom of darkness. It twists Biblical facts and prepares

the way in the child's mind for the occul­t, magic and deceit. And so, according

to the story, the darkness has not been conque­red or banished, but it has taken

on anot­her form. Scorpo, the enchanted prince in the story now looks quite

innocent and friendly. A wolf in prin­ce's clo­thing.