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 We
are warned that people will try to fool us by
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. We
are told to not be surprised! Even Satan can disguise
himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13,14).
On looking back, there was an invisible battle
going on for my soul, during my first meeting
with Manson; a battle I was not equipped to fight.
Unbeknownst to me, I had come face to face with
a modern day shaman, ready to deceive through
his sorcery.
Briefly, let me explain how we can be deceived
in this day and age through sorcery. You have
seen many modern-day shamans, without recognizing
them. In the old days, shamans would sometimes
dress up as a buffalo, to deceive an entire herd.
He would lead the herd in sort of a stampede over
the cliff, only at the last minute, he would turn
aside saving himself, not going over the cliff.
Do you know a type of modern-day shaman? Does
this sound familiar from what you have heard about
Manson, leading a group of young people over a
cliff in 1969?
To identify these shamans more clearly, they
use drugs to manipulate and control others. This
is where sorcery comes into play. Sorcery is the
use of evil supernatural power over people --witchcraft.
A sorcerer uses mind altering drugs in order to
contact spiritual beings, to gain supernatural
powers. Sorcery comes from the Greek word "pharmakia,"
where we get our word for pharmacy, or drugs.
Most people using mind altering drugs don't realize
they are delving into an evil world, opening the
doorway to the occult. Without realizing it, an
evil spell was being cast over me. I was charmed,
impressed with the mysterious powers of the sorcerer.
Manson's music was being used as part of a ritual
of magic, a formula of words, chants, recited
for my deception. While smoking hash with Manson,
unknowingly I chose to open my mind to evil and
to give myself as the sacrifice. A coincidental
meeting with the shaman that I will regret for
the rest of my life.
Although we continue to pray for Charlie Manson
to receive Christ, the Associated Press reported,
on June 10,1997, that he was "...found guilty
of trafficking drugs in prison," by the California
Department of Corrections, as well as "...tested
positive for drugs in prison at least twice."
God's Love Abounds: Truth
It was a false love that night with Charlie, a
counterfeit love, a false sense of well being,
experienced while high on hash. This false love
comes from an evil world, with the intent to charm,
persuade, entice, and then enslave its victims.
See, all of us have an emptiness that can only
truly be filled with God's love, unlike the momentary
euphoric experience with drugs. God's love would
never suggest to exclude parents and family from
our lives. In our rebellion against God, and sometimes
parents, we refuse God's love, falling prey to
chasing the next euphoric feeling, sexual feelings,
and the things of life that seem to fill that
emptiness for a season. But in no time, we find
ourselves fooled, our lust never satisfied, and
our life stolen from us. Some of us allowed the
demonic powers within us to come out and destroy
ourselves and others. Jesus says, "The thief
's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My
purpose is to give life in all its fullness"
(John 10:10 NLT).
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one
another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves
is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does
not love does not know God--for God is love.
"God showed how much He loved us by sending
His only Son into the world so that we might have
eternal life through Him. This is real love. It
is not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our
sins" (1 John 4:7-10 NLT).
"And God has given us (at Abounding Love
Ministries) His Spirit as proof that we live in
Him (Christ) and He is in us. Furthermore, we...testify
that the Father (God) sent His Son to be the Savior
of the world. All who proclaim that Jesus is the
Son of God have God living in them, and they live
in God. We know how much God loves us, and we
have put our trust in Him.
"God is love, and all who live in love live
in God, and God lives in them. And as we live
in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will
not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can
face him with confidence because we are like Christ
here in this world" (1 John 4:13-17).
Our Web site presents to you the beauty of God's
Word. We suggest, especially to those who are
new Christians, to obtain a New Living Translation
Bible (Tyndale House Publishers), at their local
Bible book store. It is clear and precise in sharing
the simplicity of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Won't you draw near to God today?
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