Rebels Without A Cause: Witchcraft
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.
1 Samuel 15:23 (NKJV)
He practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.
2 Chronicles 33:6 (NKJV)
Your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
Revelation 18:23 (NKJV)
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
Galatians 3:1 (NKJV)
When I first read and considered this Verse, 'Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,’ I was sobered by the comparison. Bible scholar, Derek Prince, explains it:*
'Rebellion rejects God's legitimate authority... So if we don't have legitimate authority, illegitimate authority will replace the void. Where we have illegitimate authority, it has to be supported by wrongful power. The illegitimate power that supports rebellion is the power of witchcraft.'
As for me and Shine, 'We will serve the Lord' (Joshua 24:15). We’re called to help God’s performers move forward and represent Him in media, (specifically, in entertainment)... while standing strong against its temptations.
Through Jesus, we learn:
How to 'Overcome evil with good' (Romans 12:21),
How His 'Love never fails' (1 Corinthians 13:8), and…
How 'Mortality may be swallowed up by life' (2 Corinthians 5:4).
Only God’s supernatural power makes an impossible win possible.
But… It's Satan’s supernatural power Christians must avoid. ‘The prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2:2) loves…
Vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards, zombies, ghosts, mediums, and fortune tellers: charming ghouls who strut on millions of screens.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ: Joseph in Egypt, Esther in Persia, Daniel in Babylon, and Paul in Greece… are examples of one noteworthy fact: God’s stars CAN serve safely among idols.
Without the risk of imminent danger, God’s action stars search to find common ground: 'To the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save some' (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ: God gives you wisdom, guidance, and limits. He tells you when to go, yield, stay, or stop.
All this being said, be wary when bad is made to look good.**
'Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness' (Isaiah 5:20). Because to God, supernatural power from any source but Him… is rebellion.
The penalty for open rebellion is separation from The Almighty. That was the devil’s disastrous outcome.
Rebels Without A Cause: Witchcraft (Part 3)
* Derek Prince, 'Lucifer Exposed,' pp.90-91.
** God's Word and His Holy Spirit are better Guides than any word any person can give or write, including me. Therefore, ask God to guide you on every audition and job. By asking God and following His lead, you submit. Blessings follow.
NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.