The Leaven of Witchcraft*

Contrary to what some people may think, witchcraft is still around, and presents a spiritual danger to all, including believers. In fact, there is an item being sold on Amazon, called a "Holy Spirit Board", that's really a Ouija Board in sheep's clothing. Its item description says, "Christian Religious Talking Board for Seance with Planchette". We have seen several sources of witchcraft and the occult operating in our area as a result of Satanic activities in the past. "Study centers" that research new age and pagan philosophies and practices have been established here. We have seen the manifestations of witchcraft and occultism in our foreign mission visits, as well. Our spiritual warfare is not with flesh and blood, however, but spiritual powers of wickedness. Frank Perretti wrote novels like "This Present Darkness", and "Piercing the Darkness", that brought this Biblical truth to many readers. We have all seen the rise of strange cults, some falsely associating themselves with Christianity, where men represented themselves as a kind of Messiah who could bring their followers to a heavenly destination. Sadly, the destination that many followers of these cults arrived at was death. As we see signs around us of the end times, wars and threats of war, earthquakes, unusual storms, pestilences, I believe that we will begin seeing the rise of a cult that may deceive even Christians. We will find out more about this cult later, but first, we have been given the tools that we will need from scripture in order to protect ourselves from this wickedness. Paul wrote: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Eph. 6:10-13). The whole armor of God covers, protects and arms us spiritually with a girdle, breastplate, a shield, helmet and sword. Even our feet are spiritually shod in a special way with readiness and preparedness that comes with the Gospel of peace. This armor is not made of metal, but of the spiritual qualities of God: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (v. 14-17). The enemy may use fiery darts against us, but they are quenched by the shield of faith, and the Word of God in our hearts and mouths, which does not return to Him void, but accomplishes what He sets it out to do, establishing the will of God, rather than the will of the devil. We excercise this armor and sword especially in our prayers for all of the saints (v. 18). Paul also warned that we must be vigilant, as he heard of the unrepented sin that had been allowed to continue in the church at Corinth: "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5:6-8). Sin, like even a small amount of leaven, will mix with and leaven the whole batch of dough, or in this case, the whole church. This is about spiritual warfare, and our armor in the midst of it as believers. Paul wrote that wickedness is in the world, and we are in the world, but that same wickedness cannot be accepted in the church, among the brethren. We are to separate ourselves from unrepentant brethren who continue to walk in fornication, covetousness, idolatry, drunkenness, or extortion. (v. 9-11). Although we come to Christ as we are, there is expected to be a change in us, that we not remain as we were. Scripture contains many examples of this leaven of wickedness as it progressed into even the House of God. There was a king of Judah named Manasseh who began his reign when he was only twelve years old. His father had been King Hezekiah, who knew God and honored Him. However, Manasseh "...did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen...For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven and served them....And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: he also observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger." (2 Chron. 33:1-6). Manasseh was practicing every dark art and form of idolatry, including the burning of his own children. However, his practices did not end there: "Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD...And he set a carved image, the idol which he made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever. " (v. 4, 5, 7). The evil had been placed in the house of the LORD, but the leavening effect of his sin did not stop there: "So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err (ta'a - err, astray, stagger in drunkenness, mislead, seduce, addicted to the worship of idols, heretic, to perish, to cause a people to wander from virtue and piety into impiety), and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel." (v. 9). Now the evil and wickedness had spread to all of the people of Jerusalem and Judah. This account also has the sad report: "And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken." (v. 10). The leavening effect of sin had advanced to the point that when the LORD spoke directly to them, they refused to hear Him. Isaiah wrote that although the LORD is a sanctuary to His people, He became a stumbling block instead for those who did not sanctify Him. To those who are the disciples of the LORD, they were to bind up the testimony and seal the law. They were to be as signs and wonders to the people of God, as Isaiah and his children were - waiting upon Him and looking for Him (Isa. 8:13-18). What were the people looking toward instead? Isaiah exposed their words and deeds: "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" (v. 19). Instead of seeking God, His people were recommending to each other to get answers using occult practices. The church is not immune from being deceived. Paul asked the church at Galatia: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that yoo should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth (prographo - to depict or portray openly before the eyes, to write previously), crucified among you?" (Gal. 3:1). This church had proof of the resurrection before their eyes (Shroud of Turin?). They had this proof, and they had experienced the Holy Spirit, but were now depending upon other works of the law for their salvation. They had left the truth, and gone into error. They had left faith in God, and His righteousness, and began to trust in self-righteousness (v. 2-5). Paul asked again: "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not from him (the Lord) that called you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Gal. 5:7-9). Once the truth (known and proven) is abandoned, and the leaven of lies has begun, the whole church becomes "troubled" (tarasso - to cause inward commotion, to disquiet, to strike one's spirit with fear and dread, to perplex the mind of one by suggesting doubts). Paul considered this error to be so serious for this church that he even wished that those who had bewitched the Galatians into it would be "cut off" (v. 10-12). The leaven of witchcraft is not a problem of the past only, but is prophesied in scripture as playing a large role in the events of the end times, which, by the signs that we now see, is the time in which we are currently living. Spiritual wickedness will produce worldwide bewitchment that will cause the widespread worship of a person and idol empowered by the devil. John, in the Book of Revelation, wrote of the events on earth and in heaven as the return of Christ draws near. In a prophetic vision, John saw a beast rise from the sea having seven heads, and upon his heads was the name of blasphemy: "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." (Rev. 13:1-2). The dragon referred to here had already been previously identified as the serpent, the devil, Satan, that deceives the whole world. (see. Rev. 12:9). John wrote: "...and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." (v. 3-6). This worship is an end time cult that will affect the whole world, and the events of the world, and, like the cults we have seen in the past, it will lead many into destruction. This cult will be born out of Satanic blasphemies. According the the prophetic Word given to John: "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the beast), whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (v. 8). The Hebrew written in the very first words of the Book of Genesis, B'reshiet Elohim aleph-tav..., hold the mystery of the aleph-tav Son who was given on the cross before anything else was created. The apostles Peter and John also had this same revelation understanding from the Torah scriptures (see 1 Pet. 1:18-20, also see Jn. 1:1-5). The beast revealed to John will make war against the people of faith in Christ, the saints, and he would be given power over all nations and cultures of people on earth (Rev. 13:7). There is an image of the beast that will be worshipped, a deception created based upon false miracles of the beast, and a mark upon the hand or the head that will be given in connection to the beast, and the beast is associated with the number of a man, and that number is six hundred, sixty-six (v. 14-18). This mark will draw the wrath of God, and grievous sores will break out on those who carry this mark (Rev. 16:1-2). Tracking and information chips that exist now, which are designed to be placed under the skin, are powered by lithium ion batteries that, if they should leak, could cause terrible sores to break out. Could this be a similar phenomenon as the one we see occurring here in Revelation?. As these events transpire, the call will go out from heaven and there will be a harvest of souls and lives, as the angels of heaven are sent to reap the earth. One of those harvests will gather those who will be thrown into the winepress of the wrath of God (Rev. 14:14-20). We have just come through the season of the observance of Passover and Unleavened Bread, in which leaven is searched out and removed from homes. It is time to judge any leaven in the church, as Paul wrote above, especially as we see the leaven of witchcraft taking hold in these times. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/16/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.