EXPLAINING WITCHCRAFT...
In the epistle to the brethren at Galatia where the scripture addressed the works of the flesh known as witchcraft, God wasn't talking to unbelievers. He was talking to believers about it because the possibility of a Christian sliding into witchcraft is a clear possibility.
Many years ago, in a church meeting I attended in the neighborhood where I stayed while in Lagos, the wife of one of the pastors shared a testimony of how she visited a witch doctor to help her have a baby.
According to her, she repented of her deed after she realized that she was on the wrong path, and then turned to the Lord to grant her wish for conception.
She shared this testimony on the day of the dedication of her baby. I am referring to this testimony to reiterate scriptural perspective on witchcraft and to explain its inroads to so many Christian congregations.
Firstly, there are quite a number of so-called churches that are actually practicing witchcraft.
What is witchcraft? Witchcraft means to acquire the skills of sorcery. Overseas, especially in the West, people aspire to be witches by learning the craft.
Once they master the arts of the craft, they are certified or graduated as witches or wizards to practice the craft.
Although, some of them abroad like to give the impression that their practice of witchcraft is to promote good causes. In other words, they don't use it to hurt or harm others.
This is the aspect of witchcraft that I want to stress on because some of our preachers are in this category. How?
I have explained in some of my posts that the evolution of what we now know as kayanmata started from churches. How?
Wearing wristbands for breakthrough, the application of anointed oil/water before going out in order to attract special favour, eating of apple to get pregnant, etc.
These practices are the elements of witchcraft because they are magical access to the supernatural. They shift the object of faith from Christ to these elements.
Scripturally, the Holy Spirit is the only window access to the supernatural for God's people. Any other access outside the Holy Spirit is witchcraft.
The reason witchcraft is mentioned as one of the works of the flesh is because the spirit often manifests itself within religious environments.
In Bible times, witchcraft was a predominant practice. It was so popular that a man known as Simon the sorcerer who had just received the Lord still desired to pay some money for the power of the Holy Spirit to be transferred to him to continue his old ways.
So witchcraft is not just a spirit. It's also a craft that is learnt. How?
In Acts 19:19 the Bible says that a number of people who had practiced sorcery brought their magical books together to be burnt publicly.
The arts of the craft was learnt and practiced from a book that teaches them about it.
The terms witchcraft and witch are derived from Old English wiccecraeft – from wicca (masculine) or wicce (feminine), pronounced “witchah” and “witchuh,” respectively, denoting someone who practices sorcery; and from craeft meaning “craft” or “skill.”
There are some of our preachers who visited Ghana or some strange mountains in Yoruba land and then came back to their churches and started distributing apples to women looking for the fruit of the womb. There were invocations on such apples to cause conception once eaten.
And then, such women start getting pregnant and having babies. That is witchcraft. Any act that alter either a natural course through invocations or bypass the window access to the supernatural through the Holy Spirit is witchcraft.
Also, there are some of you Christians who are studying books on margical arts, soul travel or books that teach you to use your mind to control people. You are sliding into witchcraft.
Lastly, if you are using any kayanmata product, blue eyes, ankle chains for sex appeals, etc. You are sliding into witchcraft.
Hebrews 12:2 admonish us to look unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of faith. Our faith must be towards God, not on things.