by Dan Lirette
Do you “decree & declare”, "name it & claim it", speak things into existence, or break generational curses & soul ties? Are you into “prophetic activation”, “impartation” of the anointing or commanding/releasing angels? Do you "sow a seed" to meet a financial or supernatural need? If so, you’re a practising occultist who uses Biblical terminology to engage in witchcraft. You are more like Simon the Sorcerer than a Bible-believer. You’re what the Church would/should call a “Charismatic Witch”.
For example, when you say you’re “decreeing & declaring”, that teaching doesn’t come from the Word, "unless" you're declaring the Word itself in context. This teaching comes from New Thought occultism, from the 1800’s onward, via Phineas Quimby & especially Emma Hopkins. E.W. Kenyon took these ideas from his time at the _Emerson School of Oratory_ in Boston, snuck Bible passages onto these occult practices, & presto: You have what’s now known as the Word of Faith Movement. New Thought created the “decree & declare/name it & claim it” teaching; not the Scripture.
A closely associated practice to decreeing & declaring is visualizing something to see it “come to pass”. This isn’t Biblical; it’s a mixture between theosophical occultism & New Thought esoteric practices, that has it’s own system called “thoughtforms”. Christians are told to “see” themselves healed & prosperous even before they see the “manifestation” of it. This is Witchcraft 101.
Then we have another associated Charismatic teaching known as “speaking things that are not as though they were”. NAR & WOF followers are taught that they can speak things into existence that weren’t there previously. God alone has creative power; only pagans believe they too can do what the Almighty does. If you’re “speaking things that are not as though they were”, you’re practising Enochian magic ... & it’s demonic. Rom.4:17 shows in no uncertain terms that “calling things that are not into being” is reserved for God alone: “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, EVEN GOD, who quickeneth the dead, & calleth those things which be not as though they were.”
Or what about “prophetic activation”, teaching people “how” to prophesy, how to speak in "tongues", etc? Is this Biblical? Of course not. This practice comes from divination training & scrying. You’re probably wondering what “scrying” is or did I spell “crying” wrong. Well, in prophetic activation circles, you’re told to “see what comes to your mind” & what you “feel God is speaking”. You may see fire, wind, glory clouds, etc. You’re told that this is how to “practice” prophetic dreams, visions, words, etc. What you’re not told is that the demonic practice of “ scrying” is to get quiet & watch for pictures or “sense” impressions; then you’re told how to “interpret” what you see, sense, or feel. So-called “prophetic activation” & the occult practice of “scrying” are almost identical.
Then we have “seed-sowing”, where a person gives a financial offering in order to receive a “thirty, sixty or hundredfold return”. This is ceremonial witchcraft, as it uses a repeated ritual as the tool to manipulate spiritual forces (in this case, God Himself) in order to receive a specific outcome. Seed-sowing isn’t just bad theology; it’s blatant ritualistic witchcraft that uses Biblical language.
Lastly, Charismatics who endorse “the jerks”, twitching, shaking, spasms, involuntary bodily movements, etc, are engaging in Hinduism’s Kundalini awakening, where these kinds of manifestations are called “kriyas”. The Toronto Blessing, Brownsville Revival, & Bethel Church in California are huge promoters of these kinds of demonic Kundalini manifestations. It’s pure Hinduism; not Biblical Christianity.
Occult practices are all about learning “methods”, using the right words, visualizing the right things, “exercising your authority” in the sense of commanding healing, decreeing prosperity, etc. But Biblical Christianity calls us to trust God, seek His face, pray for our needs, & acknowledge that God alone has creative power, healing power, & ... well, ALL power! He’s in control of all things; the visible & invisible. As Christians, we rely on His hand to provide; we never rely on “speaking things that are not as though they were”; that’s a characteristic applied to the Almighty alone. We aren’t called to “activate” prophecy or to “manifest” healing or to “speak healing” until it “shows up in the natural”. These are all concepts developed by occult practitioners & later picked up by men like E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth Copeland, John Arnott, Bill Johnson, & others. They then introduced these occult teachings & practices into the church, & those within the NAR, Word of Faith, & Charismatic streams didn’t have the diacernment or fear of the Lord to test what was being taught; they simply swallowed it: hook, line, & sinker.
Dan Lirette
And this type of thing should come as no surprise. Outside persecution is continued because its perpetrators enjoy it so much, but it is rather ineffectual. Much better results come from Fifth Columnist attacks - infiltrating within, deceiving & being deceived.
