“…those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
-Revelation 21:8b

Do you dabble? In the Dark Arts, I mean.

Before you answer, take this totally unofficial, biblically-questionable quiz.

How did you do?
1-2 A little toasty
3-5 Mildly singed
6-8 Ouch!
9-10 I hope you brought your fireproof hip-waders.

I admit it, I am somewhere in that singed/ouch area. While I put a lot of these things in my “mostly harmless” category, I know some Christians consider them as sorcery, witchcraft, or voodoo!

If you scored anything other than zero, does that mean you have a lake of fire in your future? Let’s investigate.

Leviticus has some prohibitions against sorcery and witchcraft. Even Revelation mentions a fiery fate for practitioners of magic.

As I read scripture, however, sorcerers were people who claimed access to secret knowledge nobody else had, or they claimed power for themselves. Turning to other gods and making idols to worship was seen as a rejection of the goodness of God. An embrace of something decidedly opposed.

So yeah, these kinds of practices were seen as dangerous. But here’s where it gets confusing. There are plenty of weird, mysterious, supernatural events in the Bible that aren’t condemned.

• A witch calls up the ghost of Samuel to talk with Saul.
• Moses and Elijah show up in ghost form during the Transfiguration.
• Jesus himself returns from beyond the grave.
• A whole host of people experience visions, dreams, angels, and spirits.
• There’s even a guy who claims he can walk on water.

There is all kinds of “out there” stuff in the Bible. So how do you sort the good from the bad, dangerous, or sinful?

I have an answer. Memorize Matthew 22:34-40.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
-Matthew 22:37-40

According to Jesus, the way we live in faith comes down to these two commandments. If Love is your compass, you’re less likely to lose your way.

I once played with a Ouija board with a young girl who was a friend of the family. After 20 minutes I was officially weirded out. I didn’t think demons were going to possess me, but something about the experience was pointing me away from love. So I quit.

On the other hand, I’ve done yoga and found it a vessel for the Holy Spirit to revive me. I’ve taught a class that looked at the phenomena of ghosts, through a faith perspective. I even own a deck of tarot cards, mostly for entertainment, not for revelation.

As we move towards greater spiritual maturity, our ability to discern grows stronger. My advice is, keep seeking tools and experiences that bring you closer to God, neighbor, and self. If something seems to be pushing you away…don’t do it!

Want to hear your fortune for today? I found it in an ancient book.

Your quest for answers and enlightenment continue this week. Proceed with caution and wisdom. Take advantage of opportunities to give and receive the fruit of a loving heart, and don’t forget where your roots are planted. Almost like magic, you’ll discover your fear of fire rapidly dissipating.

Spooky how accurate that is. It’s like someone otherworldly…

was speaking right to you.

Have a great week,

Mitch