“9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.” Acts 8:9-11
The art of the Magi continues to this day bewitching the people. Such sorcery attempts to manipulate the righteous spirit world and the unlearned Christian equates these practices with Biblical Christianity. The devil has no controversy with such ritualism because he is the father of this wickedness. The professing Christian has no controversy with these sorceries because it is cloaked in Scripture to appear “good”. Eve didn’t eat that apple because it appeared rotten.
“3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
These bewitching sorceries have turned many an ear away from the Truth and caused the people to unknowingly resist the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to circumcise our heart and remove those things which are not of God when we have heaped unto ourselves sorcerers and our ears have turned from the Truth of the Cross of Christ.
The Plan of God for all who have believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior is to CONTINUE in that belief. No, we don’t get Saved everyday; that’s ridiculous. However, when the storm clouds rage, of which they will; we don’t turn to the art of the magi for our deliverance but to the One Who has defeated death, hell and the grave…Jesus. There are entire ministries given to the art of the magi that go under the banner of “Spiritual Warfare”. Just as Simon the Sorcerer attributed his works to the power of God, they too attribute their works to God. These are those who cast out devils in the Name of Jesus, prophesy in His Name and do many wonderful works; yet Jesus does not know them and they shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. They are lukewarm and He would prefer them be cold because they profess His Name and bring much harm to the Kingdom of Heaven in spite of their many good works (Revelation 3:15-16).
“21 Not every one that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name? and in Your Name have cast out devils? and in Your Name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you who work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23
Those who follow such sorcerers reject the Will of God because they have resisted the Holy Spirit when they turned their ears from Truth. One cannot learn obedience to the Will of God by resisting the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not going to superintend the Will of God in our heart and life if we are not looking unto the Cross of Christ as the Source and the Means by which our victory comes but instead seeking the art of the Magi for the method to invoke the power of God. Again, the devil has not controversy with these vain methods. They do not hinder his wickedness but instead allows his wickedness.
Those who have been bewitched by such sorceries have been sent a strong delusion because they received not the love of the Truth. After their own lusts; their greed has overtaken them and their hearts are hardened. There are untold thousands who attend these religious abominations weekly and they are perishing. The preaching of the Cross of Christ is foolishness unto them. One of the main sorcerers, Kenneth Copeland, has even claimed that the Cross of Christ was the greatest defeat in history. His teachings proclaim that Jesus was saved in hell as the devil and his minions beat and tortured Jesus and supposedly God said that’s enough 3 days later. Friends, if that is your understanding of the Atonement, you are so very wrong and your Salvation is false.
Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God to pay sin’s debt, which is death, for whosoever chooses to believe. Sin’s debt was paid in full to God when Jesus said on the Cross it is finished. The handwriting of ordinances which was against us, is nailed to His Cross as Jesus Christ spoiled principalities and made a show of them openly (Colossians 2:13-15). While in hell, Jesus went to “Paradise”, not the burning part of hell but “Abraham’s Bosom” where the Old Testament Saints were held captive but not tortured by Satan until their promised Messiah would come, and He took captivity captive! There was no fight in hell over these captives (the Old Testament Saints). Jesus snatched what belonged to Him from satan’s bondage because the price had now been paid when Jesus died on Calvary’s Cross.
Knowing this, Who Jesus is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross, there is no doubt as to His Resurrection. We know that every sin has been paid in full for those who accept Jesus’ death as the only payment God will accept to fulfill the penalty of sin on our behalf and break the power of sin in our lives.
This is the Truth of the Atonement. Our victory is found only in the Cross of Christ as the object of our faith. The mighty power of the Holy Spirit is then performed in our hearts and lives as we give Him the latitude to do that which He is commissioned to do…free us from the Law of Sin and Death which breaks the power of sin in our life. The art of the Magi cannot do this. No matter the amount of faith given to our incantations, our vain attempt at manipulating the righteous spirit world with our wisdom of words, makes the Cross of Christ of no effect.
“17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are Saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:17-18
Many today are perishing. You will know them by their fruit. They may not have objected to the preaching of the Cross of Christ but neither have they accepted the preaching of the Cross of Christ and they are perishing because they have not come out from among the sorcery.
It is time for those who claim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified to come out from among their religious institutions and contend for the faith of which we have been given. There is a lost and dying world out there who need to hear the Good News that Jesus came to save them; that there is deliverance in the Cross of Christ. Many are sitting in the pews waiting on another to stand before they will stand but as you sit there, you are perishing…and so are others.
“17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My Sons and Daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
We can’t take our cars, our money or our homes with us to Heaven…but we can take souls. Who are you taking with you today?
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 