Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) Welcome to our service Please visit our website: www.livingstonesnewforest.org.uk

Hocus Pocus or witchcraft, wizardry and allied topics Following on from Rachel’s use of mandrakes Said to be the greatest ally of witchcraft Forbidden by scripture Deuteronomy 18 verses 9 – 12 Exodus 22 verse 18 All of these seek supernatural or supra-natural power over people or events by gaining and/or using secret knowledge of the spiritual realm Numbers 22 verse 7 Balaam paid to speak a curse over Israel – divination ‘Abomination’ – detestable, abhorrent or loathsome This is aimed at both the practices and the people who do them

Hocus Pocus or witchcraft, wizardry and allied topics We do it for one of two reasons We are ignorant We are in deliberate rebellion Though Romans 1 verses 18 – 21 tells us we are without excuse for knowing that there is a God and then being thankful and glorifying him This morning beware because we are removing ignorance so if you continue it is because of deliberate rebellion Disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft – 1 Samuel 15 verse 23 Ephesians 2 verses 1 and 2

Hocus Pocus or witchcraft, wizardry and allied topics Satan energises the sons of disobedience To know it is an abomination and to continue is disobedience rather than ignorance 1 Samuel 28 verse 7 Saul consults the witch at Endor 1 Samuel 31 verses 1 – 4 & 1 Chronicles 10 verses 13 & 14 He died, being out of fellowship with God for consulting a witch There is a chronology telling us how this man of God ended up consulting witches 1 Samuel 15

Hocus Pocus or witchcraft, wizardry and allied topics The phases of sin’s domination Verse 9 – failing to do what God has said to do More often than not sin begins with omission rather than commission Verse 15 – when caught, to claim it is for God Verse 21 – blame shift Verse 24 – guided by a fear of the people into compromise This establishes disobedience and takes us back to Ephesians 2 verse 2 Satan energises the sons of disobedience Years later Saul is consulting witches and is out of fellowship with God 1 Samuel 15 verse 26 – disobedience is a rejection of God’s word and lays us open to Satan’s influence to satisfy our cravings

Hocus Pocus or witchcraft, wizardry and allied topics There are always severe consequences for involvement in the occult Isaiah 47 Verses 1-7 establishes the sin that separates them from God Verse 9 – childlessness – remember Saul Verse 11 – devastation and destruction Verses 12 and 13 – all these things are shown to be useless Verse 14 – those who practice these things shown up in their true light Verse 15 - Shown to offer no salvation

Hocus Pocus or witchcraft, wizardry and allied topics Other verses about occult practice Revelation 21 verse 8 Galatians 5 verses 19 – 21 Micah 5 verse 11 and 12 Leviticus 19 verse 26 Revelation 18 verse 23 Isaiah 8 verse 19 Leviticus 20 verses 26 and 27 1 Chronicles 10 verses 13 and 14 Ephesians 5 verse 11

Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) Welcome to our service Please visit our website: www.livingstonesnewforest.org.uk