Our Love Affair With The Occult

The visible church has a lot to answer for! Take it's love affair with the occult.

Occult: From the Latin word for hidden. Our traditional definition for occult practices includes any act of divination or spiritual practice which appears to tap into unseen forces, not available on a physical plane. This ability or knowledge is hidden from ordinary sight and must either be taught or developed through practice.

Occultic practices have been the unique domain of pagan worship....until recently. Today, however, they are mainstreamed in churches and homes throughout the world.

What was once the unique domain of strange fringe groups has found its way into almost every church group you can name. It's hard to find a church-group that doesn't embrace some form of occultic practice.

Think of the preacher who claims to be informed by God of someone's illness or personal plight. There is nothing in the Bible that identifies this sort of behavior. So, what's going on?

The preacher is either scamming his audience or he's channeling a demon!

Consider the common practice of "faith healing." The Faith-Healer says certain words or touches the afflicted in a certain way (Oral Roberts claimed the power was only in his right hand) and they are healed [by God].

It may be, according to them, God has given him or her the power, or it may be he or she has simply learned how to do this. Either way, it falls into the category of the occult.

Then there's the Deliverance from Demonic Possession. To accomplish this a person has to a) have the gift, and b) say certain words, in order to cast out the demon. This, too, fits the definition of occultic.

It's about secret knowledge and ability, being transmitted to one individual or another, who is then able to tap into forces beyond the physical, or beyond the ken of science.

Witchcraft is about the ability or knowledge of spells: saying certain words (incantations) and performing certain rituals (waving something, touching someone, etc.) in order to affect the desired result.

Pat Robertson wrote in his book, "Beyond Reason," that there are metaphysical powers in the universe that anyone can tap into, if they know the "Law of Miracles."

The entire Faith Movement rests upon the belief, according to Kenneth Copeland, that "faith is a force just like electricity or gravity," which obeys laws any Christian can use.

"Positive Confession" is Napoleon Hill's "Supreme Secret" which was given to him by demonic entities. He called it "The Magic Power of Belief." [Peace of Mind, pg 176]

These folks have re-defined biblical faith, re-interpreted spiritual gifts and re-structured Christianity to fit their own needs, desires and passions. They are growing wealthy as a result while the people they use are being deceived.

How do they succeed? The Spirit expressly says that in the latter days some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. [I Tim. 4:1]

This is what that looks like!