Witchcraft in the Pulpit

So.

It really is so. "Word of Faith"/"Prosperity Gospel" is witchcraft. That...is painful.

So many thoughts, on that count. So, so many. But I'll attempt to remain calm enough to let through what need be, rather than all the mass.

Given I'd practiced for as long as I did, I don't know whether I should be surprised, dismayed, ashamed, or outright confounded that it wasn't immediately apparent. Perhaps there was just the assumption that all religion should be alike, in approach, that all things should be a matter of learning so to assert one's will. As to manifest desired circumstances.



Prior to coming to church (and for the first few years of attending church) will was exerted to the end of securing (and keeping) relationships (as unhealthy as they were), jobs (as unhealthy as they were), and general means of subsistence. Desired, intended, manifested, secured.

I assumed, for having lived under 20 years' worth of that mentality, that there was nothing else. I assumed it was wholly normal, being self-seeking in such capacity as envisioning and engendering self-sufficient manifestations of various bits viewed necessary to survival. Seriously. If my particular craft had a name, it would probably be "self-sufficiency."

Even as it ended up with continual breakdowns, for me. For which I'm grateful. That's mercy, from God. Had I not ended up being so mentally devastated, had I been able to maintain through the repercussions, there likely would not have come a point of realizing and submitting to a power greater than myself.

I would have remained in a position of rebellion against the one true God, completely unawares--I really did think I was a-okay with "God." I believed, since I had good intent and wanted to help people (by my own will, according to my own designs), that surely I was on par with doing as God does, and thus had to be somehow acceptable as acting in accord with His own ways.

Completely unaware that acting "apart" from Him equated to acting against Him. And acting against Him engenders absolute hatred of Him, within the very core of one's heart. Without awareness of it even being the case. I thought I loved God. I had "good feelings," on the surface, about God. I thought He was alright. And, despite animosity toward Christians, I had a sort of respect for Jesus which transcended regard for the church. Or, at least, I believed I had respect for Him.

I gladly acknowledged His divinity. I totally believed He was the son of God. Seriously.

I completely believed He was God incarnate, and that He was real, and that He was living. Seriously.

And I had "respect" for Him--completely unaware that I actually, in fact, despised Him.

I had no idea I despised Him, until being confronted with Him, in spirit and truth, in conversation and relationship, last year.

I'd gotten to the point where I couldn't say His name. It was uncomfortable to do so. I was somewhat afraid of Him, at that point, but still refused to "look full upon Him," as it were. But part of even coming to that point was being confronted with the realization that fully knowing Him, as He is, required that I not only acknowledge His Godhood, but accept the implication as to what it meant of His role in my own life.

I'd prior has "respect" for Him which silently maintained my own sense of separate sovereignty, apart from Him, as though His sovereignty didn't extend to me. And, so long as that was the case, I didn't have any concern for His will, so could "respect" Him and even make a case for His divinity, to others.

That's not always wholly clear, honestly. There are many moments in which desire to mentally damper quite how horrid I'd been crops up, unto reinterpretation as lesser evil. But, no, it was evil. It was wholly evil.

I was wholly evil, and thought myself good.

I thought myself good, because I tried to do good, I tried to be good. According to my own conception of good, though. Which..was a permutation of Christian morality, intertwined with various bits of philosophical, psychological, sociological and social principles.

Point being, I was the central feature, of the whole thing. My perception of what was right. My perception of what was good, for others. 

I saw suffering as both a means to enlightenment and also as something to be mitigated in others.

I saw suffering as something to be largely avoided, unless it suited purposes, to an end of desiring self-flagellation. Unto "deeper awareness."

And I even had a particular other way of reinterpreting my breakdowns, as "new starts." I had all sorts of...interesting ways of seeing all the things which were going on.

Such that each suicide attempt which failed empowered, in effect, according to particular precepts. A very strange thing, indeed, which need not be further perused for now.

But fear wasn't a thing, except to be full-frontal confronted.

Because force of will was always held to trump circumstance. To such an extent that, except for that instance of falling from the balcony had happened, there's a good chance I'd have likely maintained an attitude of complete self-sufficiency. It wasn't until the circumstances of death were manifest beyond my control that I was willing to accede to being then-incapable of controlling the outcome of the situation.

Having known that God was existent, then prior, but always refusing to acknowledge that He was in any way sovereign over my life in ways which exceeded my own exercise of will, unto myself and circumstances surrounding. It was deep, y'all.

Seriously.

This was all so finely exercised as to be largely undetectable, in that it wasn't detected. And even per retrospect--as we are all so generally loathe to consider ourselves susceptible to control outside ourselves--vastly unrecognizable, as something of which even the very idea is reprehensible, thus not even conscionable.

TV works that way, though. Controlling impulses by, initiating and feeding desires which otherwise would never have naturally come into being. It's all a very finely woven fabric which, once begun, only becomes ever more intricately woven and interwoven.

Per one's own will, to the exclusion of consideration of the freewill of others, truly. Even usurping freewill under the banner of things which are "for the good of all." No tolerance, no consideration that it's acceptable that others should disagree and be legitimately justified in so doing. And the bigotry is unrecognized, for being under the banner of "for the good of all." Such that individual will is no longer accepted as legitimate, when it doesn't concede.

Like with Muslim fundamentalists killing Christians. And courts settling lawsuits against Christian establishments which refuse service based on their beliefs.

In both cases, the right to take a non-violent, non-oppressive stand for individual beliefs which are opposed to some vocal, general consensus is physically reprimanded. Whereas Christianity stands for Christ, stands upon the Word of God, and speaks truth of the Bible--true Christianity doesn't then go and violently oppose those who are in disagreement with its tenets. True Christianity.

Not various such blasphemous manifestations as have called themselves Christianity, but then murdered and violently oppressed, since the ratification of the new covenant. Christ taught love.

Society does not and has never approved of love, though. Society seeks self-fulfillment. Even if calling it equal-opportunity "self-fulfillment" for all...still, it's just not so--it's self-fulfillment which only looks to the good of others so long as the good of others doesn't infringe upon one's own turf.

That's where the witchcraft comes in, of Christianity. Taking a religious framework which is no longer being true to the core tenets, yet which still maintains contact with the supernatural, then adapting it unto self-satisfaction, self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and gratification of others, but in the name of Christ? Yeah, no.

It's Christianity, inverted.

Christ said we would be persecuted, even as He was. He said we would have tribulation in this world, but not to fear because He'd overcome. The Bible makes plain that we will be hated by the world, abused, and rejected, even as Christ was.

Not envied. Not admired. Not made objects of covetousness.

Not well and wealthy. Except in Christ...and that, spiritually, eventually wholly when we are with Him in spirit and truth but not necessarily on this earth, during this lifetime.

 He does do things supernaturally, still. Just not on command.

None of the gifts of the Holy Spirit operate according to our designs, but according to His. Otherwise, why would anyone have remained unhealed under Christ's time of ministry? Because physical healing wasn't the primary focus.

Same as with Paul's ministry, Peter's ministry, and anyone else since who has had a gift of healing.

As opposed to witchcraft, wherein people will be healed according to the will of the practitioner, if only unto a mental apprehension of healing having occurred. Temporarily so, even. Or, with those who are more advanced in their practice, then perhaps it will happen in truth. Miraculously.

I didn't much fool with physical healing, so it's not terribly well understood. Given what had been experienced, I do believe it possible outside of God, though. Even as I know God is that much more capable of healing than anyone who would attempt such exercise outside of His will.

Point being, though, when God does heal...it's not like a carnival sideshow. It's quiet, largely private, and not a mockery of His holiness.

As much as it pains to acknowledge and admit that my own involvement had long been in such matters, calling themselves Christian, He's brought me to clarity and so it must be shared.

One reason it's not been acknowledged as witchcraft though is that there's general conception that witchcraft will always entail various bits of ritual and ceremony, darkness, candles, and overt appeal to varied supernatural entities. It's just not so, though. There are those types of craft, but the core of the all is a matter of exercising one's will over physical circumstances by focusing one's intent as to effect the spiritual realm. When it comes to that sort, at least. Just as with "modern Christianity," there are those who practice just as a matter of reverencing nature.

But the "Word of Faith" movement in Christianity is a manifestation of witchcraft in the church. Calling for particular results, as to manifest them in one's own life, according to having come to wholly identify with the "level of faith" it takes to so manifest results? ...where, in all of that, is a person's appeal to what God's individual will is, in life? ...where, in all that, is a person's cross taken up, as to follow Jesus in humility and meekness, poverty of spirit and sorrow?

There is peace in Christ. Abundance in Christ. But not of an earthy store. We're not supposed to store up treasures on earth, as it goes. We're supposed to count it all joy, when we experience trials and persecution. And we're to expect persecution, if we follow Christ.

Not esteem. Not wealth. Not physical wholeness, but spiritual healing.

Even as the Lord does physically heal people, still. And provide financial security, in another sort of way, to those who are His. And He esteems people, but not necessarily publicly.

Not self-esteem. Not amassed wealth.

This all is so loosely strewn, right now.

Present physical limitations have made more strenuous the attempt, but it's what it is.
The point of the matter is that the church is not a place to exercise one's will. The Bible is not a source book for positive affirmations. These things, even as going to the Lord, trusting Him and relying not on one's own understanding...brings peace. And "meditating" (continually focusing on the messages) on His word does bring clarity, hope, and reassurance.

And joy, in Christ. Not of this world.

As a point of making clear that the teachings of the Prosperity Gospel proponents, the Word of Faith teachers are in fact teaching witchcraft, I spent a brief few minutes finding material from a book of witchcraft, to share. Granted, the people in the pulpit don't go into quite as much detail as this, but if you can otherwise discern a difference, please feel free to share.

The thing is, it does work. And, as I said...it's merciful that the Lord allowed things to continually blow up in my face, in terms of this. Otherwise, I'd have never come to a point of acknowledging His sovereignty and of submitting to His will.

Not that it was by my own will that I came that route, mind you. If He hadn't drawn me, I wouldn't have come. Even as there was desire for truth within me, still, there was just as much desire for self-gratification. And irreverent self-gratification equates to abject rebellion against God.

Which is wherein, again, the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith movement are primarily aberrant, although those go further into actual practice of witchcraft by inviting people to begin making positive affirmations as to "manifest prosperity," using Scripture as the base-form for ritual practices unto affirmation.

If these things weren't valid, to varied degrees, there'd be no major draw to them. That's wherein they are so absolutely seductive and destructive. There is validity to the claims, to varied degrees. The problem is that it's all...opposed to God. Following Christ means subjugating self to His will. Not indulging one's own will and lusts and covetous desires according to particular pieces of Scripture, claiming them as "promises which God can be held to fulfilling, so long as they're spoken in faith."

Problem is...He has generally allowed people to have what they desire to have, in a lot of instances. To their detriment, ultimately. But because they desired to have covetous lusts fulfilled, rather than desiring to know Him, to know His law, and to be obedient to His will.

Rather than desiring God, when people desire their own gratification, He oft allows it. As, those who don't love truth are allowed to have what they would rather desire, satisfaction of their sensual desires, unto eventual destruction.

He is good, He is love. And He is worthy of praise and obedience. So long as we go our own ways, satisfying our whims heedless of His will, thinking "God will understand"...we're on a sure path for destruction. Just because our hearts are set against Him. Once death comes, that loathing of God will be wholly evident, as thereafter there would be eternal torment.

And, again...I don't know exactly how hell works, but do wonder if it is the case that, as God is an all-consuming fire which burns and consumes all, without necessarily destroying that which He burns...might it not be the experience of being wholly, unmitigatedly experience the full brunt of His love that would be eternal torment for someone who is so abjectly opposed to Him, as to utterly loathe Him?

That's as likely as anything else, although God so far surpasses understanding that it could be anything, and would be right and good, as He is.

He is the Lord of all, and He will do what is right. Please don't practice witchcraft.

Don't give into the seduction of self-gratification, as it is always to the exclusion of God's will.

Please.