Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”

Bewitch Definition: enchant and delight (someone): cast a spell over (someone): enchant, charm, fascinate: under the power of the spell or completely captivated by the person or thing.

Magic Definition: the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces:

What Does the Bible Say about Magic, and Is It Really That Serious? – Topical Studies (biblestudytools.com)

“The Magic of Disney, The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, The Magic of Christmas, The Magic of Thinking Big, Strange Magic, Magic Mike, Magic Man, Beyond Dark Magic, That Old Black Magic, This Magic Moment, Puff the Magic Dragon, Do You Believe in Magic, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, Magic Carpet Ride, The Magic Touch, Practical Magic, White Magic, Black Magic, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, The Magic Snowman, The Magic Finger, The Magic School Bus, The Magic Mountain, Magic Mushrooms”… and the bewitching of the world on everything being ‘Magic’ continues on indefinitely!

What does the Bible say about white magic? | GotQuestions.org

“Abracadabra, Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo, Alakazam, Hocus Pocus, (Wallah) Voila, Open Sesame, Sim Sala Bim, Mojo, Namaste, Blessed Be, Presto, Tada, and ‘whatever other satanic babble nonsense’ that they try to conjure up.” It should be clear from scripture that Christians are not to have anything to do with darkness and are to hate anything related to death, evil, witchcraft, magic, pharmakeia, witches, sorcery, and the like! “For those who love death hate God” (Proverbs 8:36).

Just look up witchcraft symbols and observe what they tend to deploy. Especially the pentagram (the 5-pointed star), which is literally used everywhere, and I do mean everywhere! Research paganism and all the things that they observe, the things that the world loves at large; it’ll be more or less eye-opening, to say the least! Pay attention, brothers and sisters… for just like Paul said, “Do not be deceived, brethren.” James 1:16 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers” (biblehub.com).

Speaking of being deceived: A nice young black lady started chatting with me at the grocery store the other day, and somehow, we got onto the subject of the number 666. She said, “People think that number is evil, but it’s not because I’ve done the research, and you should research it too.”

Revelation 13:16-18 “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

(In my mind thinking): Umm… last I read in the Bible, it said that the number 666 is the ‘Mark of the Beast’ that people will have to accept in their right hand or in their forehead in order to worship and to show their allegiance to none other than the ‘beast’ who is the Antichrist! I’d say that’s pretty evil, wouldn’t you?! (Frankly, the Bible is all the research that I need to do.)

Some other examples of deception: Include seeing masonic symbol stickers, emblems, or decals openly displayed on the back of some vehicles around town lately. An Eye-opening/Informative Read: Chick.com: That’s Baphomet?

Also, just today, the check-out girl at the store had the words “Hellfire Club” tattooed on her right arm, along with a red demon face with flames coming out from around it and several other witchcraft symbols all strewn up and down her left arm as well. (Been praying for people like this!)

As if that wasn’t bad enough, also while driving home listening to a local ‘Christian Radio Station,’ I heard them promoting and broadcasting something called “Jesus, a Motorcycle, and an Illusionist Ministry.” Say what??? Combining a Ministry supposedly about Jesus with the help of a Magician using tricks and illusions??? Seriously??? (Incredulous stare)

Illusionist Definition: a person who performs tricks that deceive the eye; a magician.

And the bewitching continues on even among those throughout the Christian community who are obviously more or less snowed, lukewarm, blinded, apostate, Laodicean, or maybe more accurately ‘bewitched’!!! (face palm)

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT WITCHCRAFT (kingjamesbibleonline.org)

Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

Leviticus 19:31 “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 20:27 “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

Acts 19:19 “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”

No joke, it is mid-July now, and my husband and I just saw a display at the store that is already selling giant, 12 ft demonic-looking, animated Halloween ghouls, goblins, and skeleton yard decor! Halloween (Samhain on the witch’s calendar) is widely known to be a satanic holiday that the world undeniably loves to promote, and that seems to be pushing out to the masses earlier each year!

This is spiritually denigrating and disgusting, by the way!

Back in the day, before our blinders fell off, we used to love this nefarious holiday, the putting out of jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins and dressing up our kids for this evil and stupid celebration. Now that we know how this type of programming works, we see all of this for what it is — a mass demonic ritual, not to mention a waste of time and money, btw! We have since renounced any and all involvement in this satanic holiday/practice and have prayed that the curse of inviting all of this into our lives would be lifted off of our family as well!

A well-known satanist/founder of the Church of Satan has been known to quote this: “I am glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year.”

Upon finding this out, isn’t it mortifying to realize how blind, or shall I say, ‘how bewitched’ we are or have been throughout our lifetime?!

Disney introduces kids to world of demons, witchcraft in new ‘The Owl House’ show – LifeSite (lifesitenews.com)

When kids are opened up to the demonic realm, not only are they being desensitized, but there is also a type of transaction that takes place within them spiritually.

For example, and from firsthand experience, I have had a parent come right out and tell me that their adult child now believes in dragons instead of God. I have also seen someone we know literally label themselves as ‘Satan’s Princess’ on their social media bio, not to mention finding out that some others that we know have, over the years, become involved in Witchcraft (Wicca) as well.

All of this is just disheartening, to say the least!

In more recent times, I found that another person I know went online and proudly posted pictures of themselves with their witch’s coven group going to a graveyard on a Halloween night. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were all dressed in provocative black witch’s garb, complete with their hats and brooms, posing on headstones and kissing dead animal skeleton skulls, all while apparently trying to conjure up evil spirits in the wee hours of the night.

Needless to say, this person has children too, and I am sad to say that the shocking, disgusting, and blatantly demonic images are something that a child should never have to see their parent be involved in or with!

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT TEACHING CHILDREN (kingjamesbibleonline.org)

These are people who we know were once upon a time brought into the church, who prayed alongside us before meals, and who were at one time ‘innocent young souls.’ It is obvious that they are bewitched by things like (Magic and Witchcraft), the things this world loves to promote. Because of the mass ‘bewitching,’ they are now terribly blinded by the enemy and are sadly and carelessly lost!

That is exactly what the devil wants, too, and since he loves to blind the minds of those who are perishing, it is imperative that we diligently teach and lead our kids to the ways of God and to His Holy Word!

For it is a fact that the bewitching world will undoubtedly steer them into the complete and opposite direction! A way and a path that ushers them into the cruel and deceptive clutches of the enemy of our souls and inevitably straight into the pit of Hell itself!

“For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat!” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Final takeaway: be vigilant, brothers and sisters in Christ, about the bewitching of the world through Magic and Witchcraft! The word ‘Magic’ has been clearly blasted and thrown in our faces so much and for so long, every day of the year and for many decades by now! Labeling just about anything and everything from books to movies to cartoons and whatever else one can think of! Especially and more so around certain times of the year and during evil holidays and celebrations like Halloween (Samhain)!

Cartoons and programs like Disney are especially bewitching and definitely not spiritually safe for kids! Not now, not then, and truth be told, nor was it ever! In case one doesn’t know, Walt Disney himself has been named as a 33rd-degree Mason, even holding a private club at the Disney location called Club 33! The Disney Occult Deception | Truth in Reality

Not surprisingly, even cartoons from the 1930s had elements of witchcraft in the storyline: Ex: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs biting into the old witch’s apple.

10 Of The Most Iconic Animated Witches Of All Time (screenrant.com) More examples like Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid and a plethora of other shows, movies, and storylines within the Disney brand!

(Not to mention, also Warner Bros. Good and Bad Witches in The Wizard of Oz). The bewitching is obviously not biased and is, by design, systematically widespread in influencing and enticing young minds day in and day out, literally nonstop!

If I could ask anything, it would be to please pray for all those who are caught up in this web of the ‘bewitching snare’ of magic, sorcery, and all the evil related to that because prayer is powerful. And since prayer is powerful, we can help those bound in this by praying for them to come out of it and back to Jesus (the Way, the Truth, and the Life) and be truly born again before it is too late, in Jesus Christ’s Holy and Mighty Name, Amen!

The struggle is real. Spiritual Warfare is real. Heaven and Hell are real. Entities and Powers are real. The battle between the forces of evil and the forces of good are real. Souls at stake and precious lives on the line are real. Magic, sorceries, realms, and the like are real, yet “greater is He [Jesus] that is in you than he [the devil] that is in the world!”

We can, should, and need to ask God for help with these serious and detrimental to the soul matters, in Jesus Christ’s Holy and Mighty Name, and “it shall be given to us according to His Will!”

Lord Jesus, I pray that you would dismantle, destroy, and ‘make of none effect’ every Hex, Vex, Curse, Evil Spoken of, Spell, Incantation, Generational Curse, Evil Work, and Magic that has been cast out upon and toward us, that instead it would be sent back to those who put it out in the first place. Also, that You would put all the evil people into derision and not let their schemes and plans succeed, in Jesus Christ’s Holy and Mighty Name, Amen!

In the Name, and in the Blood, and in the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that no weapon formed against us would prosper and that the gates of Hell would not prevail against Your Church, In Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for all that You do for us and for Your Love, Mercy, Grace, Provision, Power, and Protection on all of us who are Your true followers and believers, in Jesus Christ’s Holy and Mighty Name, Amen!

#wakeupworldbeforeitstoolate

Until next time… Maranatha!

Sincerely & In Christ,

Candy Austin

(I have no Accolades…
I am just a Nobody,
Trying to tell Everybody,
All about Somebody,
Who can save Anybody!)

https://youtu.be/_wCTQdmXkUg

My Mission is to be ‘Salt and Light’ to a Lost and Dying world,
To be an Ambassador for Jesus Christ.
All for Him and His Glory!

Scripture References: Numbers 11:5; Luke 9:61-62; 1 Corinthians 13:11

Nostalgia is defined as looking back to events and times in the past with both affection and a yearning to return to those times. It’s not wrong to think back to better days and younger ages, but the problem comes when someone yearns so much for things to be “as they once were” that they fail to see what they can do in the present day that will better themselves, their families, relationships with others, and the opportunity for personal growth, improvement, and maturity.

For example, I once served a congregation of mostly senior adults and a couple of young families. They were wonderful people, but they were content to keep things as they were and tended to dwell on past successes and the work of beloved former pastors, and in turn, closed themselves to any innovative ideas that could have brought more visitors to the services and new opportunities for outreach and care. These dear souls, for example, wanted me to try and convince members who had not been to church in years to return. If they had not darkened the doors of the church in that long a time, then it was time to cut ties with them and go out to visit the neighborhood and invite fresh faces to the fellowship.

Another issue that minimized visitors and general attendance was the church’s physical condition. It desperately needed new carpeting, a paint job, some landscaping, and a good deep cleaning. Of course, this would cost a considerable amount of money. The church had $20,000.00 in funds that were not doing anything except stagnating in the local bank. To say that they raised a fuss over the whole situation surprised me, but I also understood that many of them had gone through the Great Depression, and parting with money was frightening to them. I tried to show them that a nice-looking church attracts new people and is a way of opening the door for the Gospel. They liked things just the way they were, reminiscing about former pastors and how “wonderful things were.”

I left after a couple of years of dealing with their grip on the past and fear of allowing the present to shatter their comfort zone. That was over twenty years and one hurricane ago (Katrina). I do not know if that church even exists anymore.

Some time ago, I went with a friend to my hometown in southwest Louisiana. He wanted to see the new Baptist Collegiate Ministry building that had been erected across the street from the university we had attended in the late 1970s. I wanted to reconnect with some of my former high school classmates and show that I had not dropped off the face of the earth in the forty years since we graduated and went on with our collective lives. We all enjoyed dinner together and spent time “catching up” with each other. I visited my home church, now in serious decline, with a sanctuary in need of repair and no funds to do anything about it. I looked inside it for a moment and walked away. FBC was soon destroyed by Hurricane Laura. The BCM building and FBC meant nothing to me anymore. My friend wanted to dwell on the “good times” we had as kids, teens, and students. I had moved on (1 Corinthians 13:11).

I often refer to my time overseas as the turning point in my life in terms of maturity and gaining responsibility, etc. I look back on those times with a sense of joy and fulfillment, but I do not want to be “forever 21,” as it were.

After the hurricane had destroyed the church, I was sent a piece of it as a type of “souvenir” about the former days of youth groups, good times, and other lesser adventures. Again, it had come to mean nothing more than a building that had lost all significance to me. I put it away somewhere in my house. I could not and would not relive those days for the sheer fact that I was an overweight, immature young adult whose antics and words proved to some people that I would not amount to anything. I left the USA to live overseas, and aside from my salvation, it was the best thing that had happened to me up to that time.

I do miss the days of kindness and consideration toward one another, respect for differences of opinions, my parents and friends who are no longer here, watching my children grow up, etc. However, time goes on, and we must keep on going forward in the work and plans that the LORD has for us as individuals, families, and believers. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to stagnate in past “glory days.” Billy Joel said it best in his song, “Keeping the Faith”:

“The good old days weren’t all that good, and tomorrow isn’t bad as it seems.”

When it comes to the issue of politics, my generation often longs for the days when Ronald Reagan was president. I liked him and believed him to be the leader that the US needed at that time. What I do not miss is the threat of the Soviet Union, the “Cold War,” and other situations that kept us wondering who may press the button that starts the nuclear missiles coming down on us. I do not want to relive the series of events that led to the election of a fat, lecherous hillbilly as president, his satanic wife, and a vice president with all the charm of a tree stump as leaders of the country just a short decade later.

Even now, the nation cries out for the return of former President Trump and the idea that one great sweep of his hand will restore the nation to its “former glory.” I like him and think he did a respectable job despite all the fracases thrown at him for the four years he was in power. The past is no guarantee that should he be elected again, our downfall as a nation can be restored. Many preachers say that we are under the judgment of God (Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-18) and that our sins have caused it to occur. This is the best description of our current situation. Our addiction to patriotic nostalgia will not stop what God has wrought unless we repent (2 Chronicles 7:14). A lot of people talk about it, but I see very few put it into action.

Nostalgia in the Scriptures: Numbers 11:5

Israel wanted to return to Egypt – liberated from 400-plus years in bondage and slavery to them. They forgot that Pharoah had loaded them down with bondage and bitterness and that he had decreed the death of their firstborn. They had witnessed the miracles God had done in Egypt through Moses; they had seen the Red Sea part for them; they were being fed in the wilderness by God via the manna. They would come to the border of the Promised Land only to turn away in disbelief and fear; banished to forty years of wandering until the “griping generation” died off – their stomachs were luring them back to the past that they tended to forget, and the certainty of death should they have returned. Their nostalgia had given them a lack of faith, a time of self-pity, and certain punishment from God for their rebellion.

Nostalgia Example No. 2 -The Condition of Israel in the Days of Jesus

The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), given by the Lord Jesus to His disciples shortly before His illegal arrest, trial, and crucifixion, was an eye-opening declaration that there would be no liberation from Rome and the restoration of the nation as expected. Many had believed that Jesus was the political Messiah who would overthrow the forces of Caesar. His miracles and other demonstrations of power convinced most of the Jews that He could use them to heal bodies and raise people from the dead, which would assist Him in His victory over the Romans and their expulsion from the Promised Land. When He declared that His work was to deliver people from sin (Isaiah 53:4-6) and not from a hated foe, the Gospels state that the nation turned against Him and called for His death.

Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of not just the temple but the entirety of Judea happened in AD 70 when the forces of Rome destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple, and killed 1,000,000 citizens (about the population of Delaware) of Judea. Israel’s longing to be a great kingdom on earth with Jesus as the Davidic conquering ruler was shattered and destroyed. Israel’s nostalgia, bordering on violence, had cost them everything.

Israel was not to be reborn as a nation until May 14, 1948. This event started the prophetic clock ticking that will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to earth, Israel as the center of the new earth, and the new Jerusalem to be the eternal capital. There will be no need nor use for any nostalgic memories. Tears and sorrow will be wiped away; we will have new bodies free from the bondage of sin, death, sickness, and all that burdens us in this present world.

I do not want to relive the days when I was spiritually lost (Romans 3:23, 5:6-11; 6:23). I do not want to relive the time before I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I do not want to relive family and personal tragedies anymore. I do not want to relive wasted time and opportunities that cannot be recaptured or renewed. I refuse to dwell upon the memories of the things I did in my past, but instead keep my eyes focused on what is ahead (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-21, 20:15, 21:1-7). Nostalgia keeps people from progressing and maturing spiritually.

Do you live like that? Please stop it and instead, look up, be watchful, for our redemption draws near (Lule 21:28).

Donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com