The prophet's handbook

Satan’s terrorism. The word occult means “secret or mystical knowledge.” It is a term embraced by witches, psychics, wizards, and sorcerers to identify the body of knowledge from which they gain their wisdom to exercise supernatural powers. Its relationship to the prophetic is obvious. It rivals the Lord and His people with opposing sensual and worldly wisdom. Branches of the occult in addition to those stated above are divination, necromancy, astrology, magic, witchery, and sorcery. All are elements of the New Age religion that subscribes to polytheism, ancient mystical religions, and funerary death cults from the ancient Near East. These have always been condemned by Creator God. As a supernatural, spiritual, and political empire, the only godly counter to such powers and their forces are God’s prophets. Church prophets need to know this, because these agents are insidious in their infiltration of the modern church. For instance, yoga, a prime entree to the occult, is pushed daily by the media and entertainment industry. Now, even education and psychotherapy tout it as the rediscovered answer to the stresses of the world. Public schools peddle its ancient teachings under the guise of holistic wisdom, ignoring their religious and pagan roots. More than a few churches today subscribe to portions of this practice, overlooking its original aim to condition meditators to receive and embody the spirits of other gods. Much of the introspective worship forms utilize “soaking”—sitting still to let whatever ethereally happens to a worshipper to do so unimpeded. Such theologized widespread practices smack of eastern yoga and mirror the principles of transcendental meditation. Many such New Age practices are supposedly helpful, healthy, and wholesome for today’s frenzied world. Presented apart from the ritualistic and religious roots, they mask the detrimental results of these teachings. A church world devoid of insightful revelation is ready prey for these seductions. Of all the elements of the occult, divination is the most pervasive. It behooves prophets of the local church to understand it. Divination’s most pronounced treatment in Scripture is Acts 16:16. It is simply speaking by the power of a fallen angel, devil, or demon. The definition alone tells why God has a problem with it. The “divine” in the word identifies the source of divinatory words; psychics call them “readings.” In ancient times, spirits were called divine beings because, when they represented themselves to people, they sought to enlist worshippers in their service and worship as gods, or divine ones. Thus, over time they were dubbed “divine ones,” and their words to humans as “divining.” Eventually, a supernatural institution developed around their visitations and