A STUDY

on

ACTS 13: 6 -12.

SORCERERS or HIGH MINDED WIZARDS

Edwin Joseph Moelder  Itinerant Evangelist

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Sola Scriptura - Solus Christus - Sola Gratia – Sola Fide - Soli Deo Gloria.

No King but King Jesus.

ATONING BLOOD OF CHRIST ALONE

Judaism and Islam are blasphemy of the Holy Trinity.

"Something is happening here...Something is going down......Everybody's going wild...."

I pray in the name of Jesus the Christ, Jehovah Sabaoth the Lord God of Hosts, True God and True Man, perfect God and perfect man, fully God and fully man, The Grand Architect Of The Universe, The Light of The World, the preexisting everlasting eternal creator redeemer and sustainer of the cosmos, I pray that He rebuke the powers of darkness that are interfering with my family and friends and command the evil to depart and go where He wants them to be and send Michael His Arch-Angel to fight Satan. Come quickly Thou Lord Jesus.

I am certain that there are many who could do more with this than I. However, I will try. Since a child in the Roman Catholic Schools of Memphis, Tennessee I became sensitive to the topic of SORCERERS and HIGH MINDED WIZARDS through the efforts of the dear Roman Catholic Sisters and Brothers who taught me to protect myself from such things. Albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness by me over the years. It has been a growing concern of mine for years that our spiritual brothers and sisters are being consumed by such activity.

I can assure you that there will be someone in this group who will think that I am taking the subject too seriously. And, I can recall a teacher at the Episcopal Cathedral in Atlanta stating that Satan and his demons do not exist. Can I even begin to give the arguments contained in Scripture to such a person ? I doubt it. He has spent a life of study to come to his conclusions. The "Higher Criticism School of Thought" questions even that. I am told that there are some Bishops who question that Jesus the Christ is Fully God and Fully Man. Certainly there are "Christian" Bishops whose written and taught ecclesiastical doctrinal statements foster it. I leave it to Jehovah Sabaoth, Jesus Christ the God of Hosts to teach them. Those of you who have ears to hear, I pray God keep them open.

When looking at the pop media of today, you would conclude that sorcerers are funny little people in pointed hats. Nothing could be further from the truth. Right here in Phoenix you may go to the Town and Country Shopping Center at 16th and Camelback and find all you need to summon the forces of evil. For those of us who have been taught by the Holy Spirit, it is not to difficult to discern the truth about the "Gurus, Witches, Spirit Guides, Ascended Beings and "Lights". But, what about the ones we find in our corporations, pulpits and the so-called science of Psychology ? Now here we find a deceitful and powerful group whose bottom line goal is a self fulfilling greedy lust for power. Whatever form the power may take.

Do you get uncomfortable when someone discusses Imaging and Visualization ? I do. What are they focusing on ? Whose power ? What about Mysticism ? Do you wonder if the esoteric pursuit of Christian Mysticism has led some to incorporate a wee bit of the darkness in this world to temporarily feel good about something ? I do. How many of your friends have come up to you and told you of their introduction to the spirit of Anti-Christ as children when they sought the guidance of an "Enlightened" Buddhist Master or a Grand Master of the "Lodge "? How many of your adult friends have come up to you and discussed their discomfort with marketing and stress management seminars conducted at work that emphasized dependence upon something other than Jesus the Christ ? Many of mine have for years. Members of the most famous and profitable Corporations in this country. Did you feel even a tiny bit of uneasiness when, in 1991 at the National Episcopal Convention here in Phoenix, when an American Indian shaman "purified" the Altar with Pagan incantations ? I did. To quote the old rock song. ... " Something is happening here...Something is going down......Everybody's going wild...."

Scholars have variously defined the meaning of this word SORCERER as magician, wise-man, possessor of hidden knowledge or craft. For those of you who think that the world of the Mediterranean Sea was a quaint little back water of ignorant Pagans, you should go back to History, Philosophy and Medical books. The men and women confronted by the Holy Spirit through the Evangelism of the Early Church Fathers were learned and powerful people. You may recall that old medieval maps often said, "Their be Dragons beyond this point." I submit to you that the dragons were everyday flesh and blood humans who had gained a position of power over the "common" man. Is it any wonder when someone came along who threatened their positions of authority that they roared. Elymas, or Bar Jesus was such a man. He was in the high place and had the Governors ear. The history of Cyprus goes back to the cradle of civilization with exposure to Hellene and Etruscan cultures. The information "super highway" of the day had been built by Rome. Commerce, Information, Religion and wealth flourished. All you had to do was engage in "Interfaith" activity. Worship the governmental god Caesar as one of your gods and you could get along just fine. Why, you could even have human sacrifices if you cared to, as long as you deified the Caesar. If you wanted to mix in a little paganism of ancient Celtic Druids, Persian Baals, Zoraster, a plethora of Indian Shevas and demi-gods, Chinese Dualism, African Animist gods, Jewish Mysticism of the Kabala, Egyptian Ra and Atu-Re symbolized by the Ankh, Roman Janus and the amalgam of all of these in the religions of the Arabian peninsula, that was OK. What of the female gods Aphrodite, Hecate and Athena the goddess of wisdom ? Now, followers of those, high minded persons they were, were confronted by the Gospel which promised spiritual freedom and eternal life with God that was accessible to the masses. Without any intermediary, hired man or woman required to provide it. 

Sergius Paulus had summoned Paul so that he could hear the Word of God. Paul did not come to fight. He had come to liberate any that would hear the Gospel. To show them how they could have true freedom and eternal security. I am reminded that many like to divide the New Testament into Johnine and Pauline theology. I think the "dragons" are a little intimidated by Paul's "controversial, "divisive", "confrontational" and "judgmental" style. Many would prefer to take the safe way and tell us "whatever your theory of atonement is, it is OK." "Doctrine is not that important. " " You are just being dogmatic." They would prefer to keep the truth hidden from us and concentrate on "Diet-Coke" and the warm fuzzy feeling of "I'm OK.- Your OK." If you dare to respond in the Spirit like Paul did, you will find many abandoning you just as little "John" left this First Missionary Journey of Paul and Barnabas. Paul charged the Sorcerer with the Word of God. I suspect that the same Angel who met Paul on the Road to Damascus and blinded him to get his attention was right by his side on this day and blinded Bar-Jesus. While Paul was facing that evil, his companion Barnabas was probably praying for God to send help and the folks back at Antioch were probably lifting them up in prayer. Most assuredly Jesus Christ was at the throne with God the Father ordering the events of the moment in a way none of us would have even known how to pray for. Such a miraculous work is available to all of us. It may come once in a lifetime. It may happen now and again. Or, it may be happening almost continuously in your life. 

Don't let the sorcerer's get you down. In reality, it takes very little of the Word of God to convict the hearer of God's truth. The sword of the Word will cut clean and quick. Some will be happy and rejoice. Some will roar and accuse you of having upset their little bubble-bath and causing them to feel uncomfortable. Only the Spirit of God will be able to discern God's truth as you move among today's sorcerers. No one comes to God unless they are drawn by the Holy Spirit of God. If you are about God's work there will be division. If no division exists you are probably not proclaiming the truth of God. If Satanic oppression continues, shake the dust of your feet off on the opposition and move on along to where you may find those who are ready to hear about the liberating promises from Jesus the Christ. Raise the Ebenezer (stone of help) someplace else.

Acts 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a

certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:(KJV)

Acts 13:7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent

man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word

of God. (KJV)

Acts 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation)

withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

(KJV)

Acts 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost,

set his eyes on him, (KJV)

Acts 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of

         the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to

pervert the right ways of the Lord? (KJV)

Acts 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt

be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there

fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some

to lead him by the hand. (KJV)

Acts 13:12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being

astonished at the doctrine of the Lord (KJV)

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,

after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not

after Christ. (KJV)

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

(KJV)

Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and

power: (KJV)

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without

hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the

circumcision of Christ: (KJV)

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him

through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from

the dead. (KJV)

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your

flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all

trespasses; (KJV)

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which

was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his

cross; (KJV)

Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them

openly, triumphing over them in it. (KJV)