Since 1994 we have been traveling throughout the U. S. sharing the Gospel through Ministry Through Ministry, a presentation that uses humor and illusion to show how easy it is to be deceived, the importance of staying in God's Word, and being a lover of His Truth. During this time, we have been approached by numerous Christians who have a lot of questions about psychic phenomena and demonic powers that they believe some magicians have and are available to those who entangle themselves in the occult.

This has lead us into an in-depth study of what God's Word, the only source of Truth has to say about these things.

We were not looking forward to concentrating on the power of the enemy, but it ended up being an awesome study of the power that God alone possesses.

SATAN'S FALL

He desired to be worshipped as God

Isaiah 14:13-14 “You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'"

MAN'S FALL

Satan tempted Eve by telling her she could be like God

Gen 3:4-5 “Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"

The same lie is being told today. The counterfeits of psychic phenomena are deceiving many in this day, along with perceptions picked up through television and movies of alleged demonic powers. This is where many people get their theology, not from God's Word. Once again, we want to
encourage you to get into the Word of God to find out the truths of who alone is all powerful.

Every counterfeit that is offered by the world, is an
attribute which GOD ALONE possesses.

PREDICTING THE FUTURE /
FORTUNE TELLING

Isa 48:5-6 “Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that
you would not say, 'My idol has done them, & my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.' ”

MIND READING

Psalm 44:21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? & Psalm 94:11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

LEVITATION

Matt 14:25-34 “Now in the fourth watch of the night
Jesus went to them, walking on the sea....33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'"

PSYCHIC SURGERY

Gen 2:21-22 “So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

TELEKENISIS
(movement of an object with the mind alone)

Hebrews 11: 30 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”

(We should notice here God is the One doing this through His believing children.)

1 Sam 5:2-3 “When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the temple of Dagon and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD”

ASTRPROJECTION

ACTS 8:39 “Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went away rejoicing.”

2 Cor 12:2-4 “ 'I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.' ”

Also John was caught up into heaven in REV 4:1-2 “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne”.

MIRACLES OF CREATION

One more thing to add to the list of counterfeits is creative miracles such as what was done by the magicians in Pharaoh's court. Could they truly create a snake from their rod such as was done by God through Moses. (Ex. 7-9) Let's check out God's Word to find out some important information on that.

The most important thing to realize as we approach any subject, is that all of scripture has to be taken into account. We learn from scriptures such as Rev 4:11-5:1 “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created.”

Also Col 1:16 “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.”

There are over sixty scriptures like these which state God alone is the Creator therefore we know that no one else can create, and what is done by any other created being is an illusion, an imitation of creation.

Also the Hebrew word for the magician's enchantments is “lat”. The Strong's definition is “properly, covered, i.e. secret; by implication, incantation; also secrecy or (adverb) covertly: -enchantment, privily, secretly, softly.” This same Hebrew word is used in a total of seven places in the Old Testament. Two of them are in Exodus and the other 5 are in Judges 4:21, Ruth 3:7, 1Sam 18:22 & 1Sam 24:4 In each instance you can see that it means quietly, secretly, not any thing to do with supernatural powers.

Remember what Satan is. John 8:44 “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

GOD ALONE IS ALL POWERFUL AND HIS MIRACLES ATTESTED TO HIS DIVINITY

Nicodemus said to Jesus in John 3: “ 'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, except God be with him. ' ”

Also in Matt 11:2-5 “When John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.' ”

“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.' ” Matt 28:18