Harry Potter and the church (2002)

I love the Body of Christ.

That's where I find my forever brothers and sisters. It is my deepest, deepest, desire to see the family of God grow from children into sons and daughters of God. And finally perhaps to thrill as a number develop into nation changing men of God and women of God.

That's why it has hurt to see so much of the church's reaction to the Harry Potter phenomenon. To realise with a shock that despite the western world's wealth of Christian conferences, videos, books, Christian radio and the God channel, the core of the church remain spiritual 'children'.

Harry Potter is about witchcraft. Witchcraft is evil. God hates it. He warns us to stay well away from it. 

That should settle it. 

But sadly it has not. 

Much of the church - leaders included - have been as thoroughly bewitched by the spiritual powers behind the Harry Potter phenomenon as the spiritually vulnerable public have been.

And a spiritual phenomenon it surely is.

Only the Bible still has more translations than Harry Potter, but the Bible has had a substantial head start.

One of  J.K.Rowling's childhood friends (called Ian Potter) explained that as a little girl she had a 'dressing up box' containing witches outfits and that she always enjoyed playing witches and wizards, but it was in 1990, while on a train journey to Manchester, that she suddenly received, in one complete and instant 'download', the full revelation of the Harry Potter series. She said it all came at once in a great rush of excitement.

Children's books and films have always had sorcerers wizards witches and demonic beings but they have almost always been clearly portrayed as dark and dangerous. 

As if by the wave of a magic wand that has dramatically changed. 

The church, especially the leaders, should have been increasingly aware of what the 'spirit of the age' was about.  Evil was being re-packaged in an attractive bewitching suit.  Indeed it was hard to miss the way being well prepared by popular TV shows such as 'Sabrina the teenage witch' and 'Buffy the vampire slayer'.

With the release of the first books the Pagan Federation were forced to break their own rules and appoint a full time information officer to handle the number of enquiries from young people, especially young girls.

Since the release of the first Harry Potter film the tide of young people fascinated with the occult has swollen to enormous proportions. Witchcraft web sites are inundated with enquiries from young people. The interest in spells, witches, wizards and witches paraphernalia such as cloaks wands pointed hats etc is at epidemic level 

In Toronto 12,000 people, mostly children , many dressed as witches, paid up to 200 dollars each just to hear J.K Rowlings read from her books.

Many internet sites that refer to Harry Potter lead directly to fully-fledged, official occult and Wicca Web sites.  

In an interview J.K.Rowling said that no child had ever come up to her and said that because of her books they had got involved in witchcraft.  She was undoubtedly picking her words carefully. Movieguide publisher Ted Baehr has said. "The leading witchcraft site on the Internet claims that an incredible number of children have come into the witchcraft movement because of the Harry Potter books and materials," 

The marketing feed-off predictably has produced material such as the children's book of spells.

The church, called to be salt and light seems to have lost its saltiness, and seems to have let the darkness in rather than shining God's Light upon it.

Many ministers, instead of warning the families they are responsible for, have gone public in honouring and admiring the Harry Potter works, thereby clearing the way for sheep to follow.

Even the Archbishop of Canterbury gave honour to the film in his final address to the nation saying that it was "great fun".

Unable to halt the tide sweeping into the church, even well known ministries - rather than attempting to stem it - have tried to draw some Christian truths from it in order to either minimise the potential damage or to maximise on the phenomenon.  Potter fans speak of the 'redeeming love' expressed in the book which "is surely at the very heart of the gospel"

A booklet produced by 'Churches Together in Britain and Ireland' states that the novels "ask people to look again at the selfish material world and the presence within it of Christian values - truth, love and, supremely, self-giving and sacrifice."

This Bishop of Rochester, who chairs the group which produced the booklet called 'Presence and Prophecy' said: "Christianity is not 'vanquished' or irrelevant." 

However the day after the booklet was launched I listened with increasing unease to an hour long radio talk show and phone in where the presenter and the majority of callers relentlessly mocked the church for trying to use the success of  Harry Potter to 'sell its message'  They joked about Christians now needing Harry Potter books to understand the Bible. To them this was was simply the final proof that Christianity was out of ideas.  

A good friend was shocked when his daughter's schoolteacher announced that not only were they going to read the Harry Potter books in class, but also to act out each days studied scenario. The children were to draw or paint a scene from that day's reading while seated at a table named after one of the book's characters. (Such as 'slither')  My friend asked the Headmaster if his child could be excused this portion of the day because his family were Christians and was most surprised to be informed that the teacher in question was not only a committed Christian but attended Bible School part time.

Here's the salt and here's the light.

Witchcraft (Wicca) and its associated sorcery is an abomination to God. There is no way you can dress it up, twist it or turn it so as to produce a single facet that God has, can, or will ever bless.

When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.  Deuteronomy 18:9-14

Jesus is the Light of the world and we are to be 'of the Light'.  Witchcraft speaks of its relationship and dealings with 'spirits', 'elementals', 'Lords', 'gods and goddesses' and 'magick'.  Witchcraft deals with the 'secret things' of darkness and the secret things of spiritual darkness are not for us to be fascinated with.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.  Deuteronomy 29:29

Not only are we commanded not to have a fascination / friendship / fellowship with the things of darkness, (buying the books, watching the films etc) but rather we are the ones God has entrusted with exposing them for what they are.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.  Ephesians 5:11 .The fact that so many Christians cannot see the harm in this unrivalled rise in both their own and their children's fascination with witchcraft is the evidence that no Christian growth has taken place.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Hebrews 5:12

One Christian leader's wife took their children to the Harry Potter film dressed as witches. Others have used the books in Sunday schools. One Christian wrote a passionate, and anonymous, letter in a church magazine saying that we had no right to stifle our children's imaginations by prohibiting them reading the Harry Potter books.

God has different ideas about what we should stir the imagination of our children with.. 

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up"  Deuteronomy 6:4-7

When you have ministered liberty in Jesus' Name to those who have been involved in witchcraft and seen the demonic manifestations you realise that the demonic is always always attached to the world of witchcraft. There is no such a thing as spiritually neutral witchcraft.

Rebellion against God is as bad as it gets. God likens rebellion to the worst thing He can think of.

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft"  1st Samuel 15:23

The worst woman in the Bible was undoubtedly Queen Jezebel. Why?

"What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?"  2nd Kings 9:22

Possibly the worst king recorded in Israel's history was Manasseh. He became fascinated with the secret things of darkness.

"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".  2nd Chronicles 33:6

As Israel moved further and further away from the clear commands of God they moved more and more towards witchcraft.

So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a moulded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.  2nd Kings 17:16-17

Witchcraft power has always been around. It is not new. It has always had a deadly fascination, even being linked to God by the spiritually vulnerable public.

"But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God. And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time".  Acts 8:9-11

The problem is that because witchcraft is all about the lust for 'having power' and seeking to always be in control, it can happen that even when converted, the soulish desire for 'spiritual power' can remain strong. 

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me"  Acts 8:18-24

It is one of the works of the sinful flesh and is contrary to the works of the Spirit.

^"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery"  Galatians 5:9

As well as being led by the Spirit (rather than the soul)- Romans 8:14 - the main evidence of the growth from infants babes and children into 'sons' within the Kingdom of God is recognising that light and darkness have no communion and separating ourselves from it completely.

^"O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."  2nd Corinthians 6: 11-18

Start hungering for maturity in Christ..

Have nothing to do with the fascination with witchcraft. 

Guard your heart, your home and your fellowship.

Mystery Babylon is on the rise all around you.

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