God, Sorcery and Witches

Between 24% and 29% of Americans believe in telepathy, communication with the dead, clairvoyance, astrology, reincarnation and witches. - According to Gallup

In 1948, 91% of Americans identified as Christians, while in 2023 that number declined to 68%, according to a Gallup survey. In 1948, there were no surveys about where Americans stood regarding the supernatural, which means it was statistically insignificant. However, in 2025 Gallup said, “Nearly half of U.S. adults, 48%, believe in psychic or spiritual healing. Slightly fewer, 39%, express a belief in ghosts, while between 24% and 29% say they believe in six other supernatural phenomena, including telepathy, communication with the dead, clairvoyance, astrology, reincarnation and witches.”

Clearly for decades America has been on a downward spiritual slide, slowly moving away from the things of God, and replacing Him with dark and evil things. It is a dangerously predictable and common trend in human history. We were created by God to be spiritual beings (even atheists), so if we are not heading in the direction of God, then we are shifting toward other places, like the dangerous but intriguing world of the supernatural.

Israel was a nation formed by God and were given laws directly by Him in which they were to be governed. For centuries they were ruled by kings, who were to lead the people according to the ways of God. Manasseh led Israel for 55 years, the longest of any king, and he is known as one of Israel’s most evil kings. Why? Because he took the nation on a downward spiritual slide, away from God, and replaced Him with the supernatural. History says of King Manasseh, “And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.” (2 Chronicles 33:6)

God strongly condemned the practices of Manasseh, and the king knew it. For God had laws directly addressing what he did. For God said, “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Spiritualism. The supernatural. Whatever you want to call it, is an enemy of God. And we can include wicca, paganism, white and black magic, spell casting, witchcraft, satanism, devil worship and more. God so condemns these that He declares, “Outside [of heaven] are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:15)

What is one practical reason why God rejects the pursuit of the supernatural? Because it violates God’s Great Commandment through exalting the supernatural above God and by doing harm to our neighbor, whom we are supposed to love. It is built on the deception of oneself and others. There is no truth in it. Instead, the supernatural is rooted in lies and comes from the father of lies himself and leads toward evil and immorality of all kinds.

How should we respond? 1) Stop these practices! If you are involved in reading horoscopes, using Ouija boards or anything else like this, stop. Furthermore, get these items out of your house and off your smart phone. 2) Trust in God. Rather than putting your trust in a fortune teller or worshipping nature, come to the one true God for wisdom, truth and forgiveness.

Centuries ago, Jesus came from heaven to earth as the living God in the form of a man. He is the way, the truth and the life. Pursue Him alone, separate from all other ways.

A prayer for you – Lord God, we pray for those caught up in the practices of the supernatural. Open people’s eyes to see the deception and danger. Lift their attention toward you, the source of all truth. May they be delivered and place their trust fully in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Can Holy Communion and Baptism Forgive Sins?

Can helping the poor, taking Holy Communion, being baptized or engaging in other worthy activities make us acceptable before God? - Clint Decker

Jesus was constantly at odds with the religious leaders of His day. They regularly tried to entrap Him to disobey their laws and turn the public against Him. Each time though, Jesus masterfully refuted their words, amazing the people with His wisdom. (Image by freepik)

On one such occasion, they observed His disciples were not following their tradition of hand washing. A form of religious cleansing. There were also other such traditions Jesus and His disciples did not observe, which drew strong criticism from the religious leaders. Jesus responded by publicly rebuking them through quoting the Old Testament Scriptures, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Mark 7:6-7)

Jesus was pointing out how they put so much effort into following their outward traditions, they neglected the inward condition of their heart. Jesus called this hypocrisy, which means – acting. He accused them of being religious actors, focusing on their outward acts, and that of others, but overlooking what is most important.

Are we any different? It is easy for us to do the same by strictly focusing on the outward. There have been entire religious systems built on this. Spiritual leaders have gathered large followings telling people if they do such and such then their sins will be forgiven, they will have the assurance of heaven in the afterlife, be granted physical healing or given financial provision. Is that true? Can helping the poor, taking Holy Communion, attending religious services, praying several times a day, observing specific moral standards, being baptized or engaging in other worthy activities make us acceptable before God?

Read what Jesus said to His own followers in clarifying where the religious leaders got it wrong, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mk. 7:20-23)

Jesus stated the problem of the human condition is within. It is a problem of the heart. This is what makes us unclean and unacceptable before God. But mistakenly, we engage in outward religious acts believing they can inwardly cleanse. In other words, we believe we can save ourselves.

The things in your heart that defile you is what leaves you condemned before God. No religious ritual or tradition of any sort, done as perfectly and consistently as possible, can cleanse your heart. God has told us what it takes, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) Justified by faith means you can obtain cleansing and good standing with God only by faith in His Son. You cannot save yourself, only Jesus can. If you will turn from trusting in yourself, your religion, your good works, and trust wholly in Christ, then you can be cleansed and have peace with God. Christ came to suffer, die and rise again for you. Only His blood that was shed on the cross can cleanse you from within, and nothing else.

A prayer for you – Lord God, we confess our efforts at focusing on the outward, believing that through those we can make ourselves acceptable to You. We turn from that belief and trust in Christ alone. We admit we are not good enough, but agree that Jesus is, and that He alone has the power to save us. In His Mighty name. Amen.

Do You Kneel Before the Sport’s God?

Has sports become your golden calf? - Clint Decker

Is Sunday football a casual interest or something more? Does your love for sports go beyond a form of entertainment, recreation or exercise to an obsession? (Image by freepik)

Thousands of years ago the people of Israel escaped their Egyptian slave masters for freedom. As they fled, Moses often spent time with God seeking Him for guidance in governing the people. Once he was alone with God for 40 days, and as the time passed the people began to doubt if Moses would return, so they looked to Aaron, Moses’ brother. He became their new leader, and they sought his help in finding a new god. He led them to craft a golden calf, where the leaders of the people said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4).

Israel replaced the Lord God with a golden calf because of their impatience. What they once looked to God for, they quickly cast aside for something of their own creation.

This illustrates the human condition. Without realizing it, we are constantly looking to somewhere, something or someone else besides the Lord God, to satisfy us and give us what only God can provide.

Sometimes sports can become one of those replacements. It is a multi-billion-dollar world-wide industry that is a deep part of the fabric of our culture. This is evidenced by how much time and money it consumes for millions of families. From a form of entertainment to passionate participation, from sports gambling to investing in it as a business, or having it the centerpiece of an entire community.

Has sports become our golden calf?

Do you look to sports for happiness, success, financial gain or meaning? The answer can be different for each person. Let me clarify, it is not about sports itself, but the attitude with which you view it. Similarly, the problem was not the golden calf itself, but how the people of Israel viewed it. They looked to it as a god, to give themselves what only the Lord God could give. The golden calf, like sports, is a creation of this world. We built the games. We built the teams. We built the industry. The Bible says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

There is a difference between enjoying and loving. Loving refers to a dangerous obsession, where something becomes like a god to us. Have you crossed that line with sports?

The Scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 16:25) The things of this world deceive us. They draw us along into thinking that what we need is found in them. However, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6) Though we may find short-term happiness in our team winning or success in sports betting. True life, the kind we were created for, is only found in Jesus.

He came to suffer, die and rise again to show us where life is. It is found in Christ. Every other way outside of Him is a fake, and cheap replacement, no matter if it is sports or something else. Today, experience forgiveness for all the wrongs you have done, and discover who you were made for. Jesus.

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray that you will examine our hearts. Show us if we have a misplaced priority of sports in our life. May we seek you for forgiveness if we do, and may Jesus become our consuming passion. Whether our teams win or lose or our child excels or not, may our eyes always be fixed on you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.