Communication
Do words really have power? Most people in the occult would say so. Words like Abracadabra and Hocus Pocus have been used by magicians for a very long time. According to Wikipedia hocus pocus is a generic term that may be derived from an ancient language and is still sometimes used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change. It was once a common term for a magician, juggler, or other similar entertainer.
Over the centuries magicians and sorcerers have tried to use various incantations or magic words or expressions to change their undesireable situation in order to create more wealth and favorable circumstances for themselves and others.
A famous copywriter, Ted Nicholas, has written a book called "Magic Words That Bring You Riches." The author's basic premise is that the single most important activity of your life is your ability to communicate. Mr. Nicholas goes to great lengths explaining that success and wealth is as simple as using the right words as revealed in his book. He says "these words work as if by magic."
Biblical or godly thinking is quite different when it comes to communication, wealth and other matters of the faith like salvation. God reaches the emotions first through the mind whereas Satan tries to get to the mind by first going through the emotions which is just the opposite of God's way. It is the backward way. It is interesting to note that the late Anton Levey, former high priest at the First Church of Satan in San Francisco and author of the Satanic Bible recited the Lord's Prayer backwards during his ritual ceremonies in contempt of Christianity.
When it comes to wealth we are given God's thoughts on the subject from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Deut 8: Moses says: "But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto your fathers, as it is this day." Later warnings are given about a prosperous condition. In Proverbs 23:4 we are given this wisdom: "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom." In the N. T. we are told in by Paul in his first letter to Timothy "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:9-10
In matters of salvation the apostle Paul said when he came preaching he did not come with the enticing words of man's wisdom but he said: "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." 1 Cor. 2:4 Poor Paul. If he had only taken some public speaking courses, studied rhetoric or learned how to win friends and influence people he may have had a greater impact on those Gentiles we are told but no Paul was filled with the mighty power of God through the Holy Spirit and his words were the words that God used to reach the minds and hearts of the unbelieving Greeks of his day. Were the Greeks thinkers. Yes and so was Paul but not by the power of man but by the power of God so that God would be glorified. Natural man is self-seeking and wants to glorify himself whereas God wants to be the center of glory. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11
It is typical of humanism and the modern evolutionary mind to seek for power, glory and/or change through incantations. If man can not find the desireable change or power in God then he must find it somewhere else because he quickly recognizes through trial and error that life doesn't always go his way. If you deny the power of the God and His grace then you will look for power in things such as animals or words or certain expressions known as incantations. Here is where much of the occult lies. This is why the apostle Paul describes the depravity of man in Romans 1:21-23 in the following language: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
Men worshipped the creature whether men or animals during Paul's day and they do so today as well. The occult is filled with such demonic practice.
The occult looks for power not in God but in the world below in the creation. Man thus tries to become his own god with God like powers to control the universe of his Creator and by so trying he either uses existing words to create his own reality or he invents words to alter and/or manipulate the existing world order as established by God.
One such manipulative device of Satan which is used by man is incantation. What is incantation? Incantation has been defined by Merriam-Webster's dictionary as a use of spells or verbal charms spoken or sung as a part of a ritual of magic, It is also a written or recited formula of words designed to produce a particular effect.
With the above definition in mind we might allude to such obvious examples where incantation is used incessantly throughout the narrative of books such as J. K. Rowling's
"Harry Potter". These books demonstrate extensive use of the incantation as a way to secure protection from his enemies.
Harry Potter books and the film have been seen by many critics, including myself, as propaganda tools for the promotion of witchcraft. In the world of Harry Potter youth can be persuaded to believe they can alter their reality or circumstances by calling upon a higher power. Thus young people are being mesmerized today by such books and films and are being lead into the occult in many cases. The Wicca religion has seen an increase since 1997 when the first Harry Potter book was published. (See my article Harry Potter and the Rise of the Occult.)
Other books like "The Secret" and "The Magic" by best selling author Rhonda Byrne suggest that good things come to those who are positive in their thinking. If we only think good thoughts then good things will come to us. Thus if you desire riches then think of yourself as being rich and wealthy and living in a mansion somewhere on a mountain perhaps surrounded by a pleasant and peaceful environment overlooking the ocean. If you can only dream it you can achieve it.
Norman Vincent Peale wrote a best selling book along similar lines called "the Power of Positive Thinking." He said whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe he can achieve. This idea or incantation is a form of Hegelianism. It is anti- Christian. The German philosopher Fredrick Hegel said the "rational is the real." What the natural man is interested in is not the will or word of God but the invented word of man thus we read in Ecclesiastes 7:29 "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." Unfortunately much of Hegel's thinking has influenced modern thinking including that of nominal Christianity. Man wants his word to be determinative as do all occultic rituals and so words, incantations, spells etc are used to create reality that pleases the flesh.
Arminianism, for example, is a form of theology which exalts the power of man's will to the point that it makes man a co-worker with God in his salvation. It is really Humanism disguised as Christianity. The Arminian or free will gospel says repeat this prayer and you'll be saved. It is a form of magic practically speaking because it tries to exert power over the sovereignty of God by making man sovereign and the determiner of his destiny rather than seeing the Lord as omnipotent and the dispenser of mercy apart from man's will. Arminianism tries to alter reality by the power of a spoken formula and as such it is anti-Christian. After many an altar call the sinner is told after saying a prayer that they are saved but we are never given that task to tell others they are saved. Only God can do that. We are given the task of telling men how God saves and what He requires in salvation. When the natural man is told the whole counsel of God and he sees himself as "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1)like the Bible teaches then man's only hope is sought in the effectual grace of God which is given as a gift to the elect chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. (Eph 2:8-9)
It is not the words themselves that have inherent power but what takes place in the mind when or if the reality should occur. In salvation for example the reality of change occurs in a sinner's heart when God's miracle of grace transforms the sinner from a rebel at heart to a humble penitent at heart. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent, said Jesus. John 6:20
One of the devices of Satan according to the non-conformist Puritan preacher and author of the book "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" a classic work by Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)is to persuade the soul that the work of repentance is an easy work, and that therefore the soul need not make such a matter of sin. Why! Suppose you do sin saith Satan, it is no such difficult thing to return, and confess and be sorrowful, and beg pardon and cry, 'Lord have mercy upon me! and if you do but this, God will cut the score (or forgive the debt)and pardon your sins and save your souls." By this device, said Brooks Satan draws many a soul to sin, and makes many millions of souls servants or rather slaves to sin. The remedy for this device of Satan said Thomas Brooks is to seriously consider that repentance is "a mighty work, a difficult work, a work that is above our power." No less a power than that which raised Jesus Christ from the dead and that made the world can break the heart of a sinner or turn the heart of a sinner.
Brooks aptly points out that in his day as in ours many ignorant deluded souls vainly conceive that saying the following five words "Lord,have mercy upon me" are efficacious to send them to heaven. Today the many false gospels come as the true gospel by deceiving people into thinking they can say a prayer or walk an aisle in a church building and by so doing secure their salvation.
The occult is a real part of our modern day world. It's a reflection of our evolutionary thinking which says man is constantly evolving and trying to create his own reality. It denies the reality of God and His word and replaces it with man and his word or incantations as the ultimate reality or truth. The doctrine of God and His authoritative word is thus set aside in the thinking of the occult. May the Lord deliver us from all the teachings of humanistic man which are occultic in their presuppositions and which try to overturn the established God created order as revealed in Holy Scripture.
Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member)and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching.
See his videos on http://www.youtube.com Type LAStreetPreacher in the search bar. CONTACT at Carlton2061@gmail.
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