‘CAN YOU HELP ME? This was the plea of a little boy to one of our PowerClub girls in Kenya. It seems this little boy was being tormented by the village witch doctors who forced him to participate in their magic witchcraft rituals. This is common – we regularly hear from our leaders about the recruiting of children in the schools of Africa. Many of the teachers are a part of this as well. So we begin our discussion of kids, magic, and witchcraft in today’s world.
This little boy told our little girl, “I see pure light in you. Only people who have pure light in them can help us. Will you help me?”
I never heard the outcome of that story. And I think most Christians realize this type of thing happens there where witchcraft is very much out in the open. You might be surprised however to find out even heads of some of those nations participate in this.
As for the picture you are seeing, here is what two of my African directors said about it: “Some people groups in the Upper West Region of Ghana initiate children at this age into idolatry. Going through this initiation qualifies the children to make sacrifices to the idols.
Initiation into Adulthood
“The bagre festival (the initiation process) has to do with an initiation into ‘ethnic adulthood’ (this is an initiation to show that you are now mature to make sacrifices to the gods). The recruits are going through a period of understanding their culture, clan leanings and ‘divine silence’.
“Between three to six weeks, there are fed on salt free diets until the final day of initiation and they are not supposed to enter into their homes. Neither do they talk to anybody during the initiation weeks.
“When they go through it they become spell bound, the only way out is by the grace and mercies of God through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.”
Our Witchcraft is all Entertainment
Here in Western nations we don’t see this out in the open. Our witchcraft is behind closed doors, all except for our entertainment media. As long as it is in the form of entertainment everything is okay. It flourishes in our movies, TV shows, books, magazines, internet, and video games, and more for both adults and kids. But that’s okay—it’s all ‘make-believe’ and the kids know the difference between what’s real and what’s not! And besides, so what if there’s a little witchcraft in the books our kids read—at least they are reading!
Even God acknowledges that children practice magic and witchcraft in Isaiah 47:12, and he didn’t approve of it. It is alive and well around the world and in our nation. It just doesn’t look like this picture. It’s much cleaner, funnier, light-hearted and entertaining than this.
But the source is the same.
What’s the Harm?
The debate has gone on for years—does it harm kids who entertain themselves with magic and witchcraft? There’s no hard data one way or the other.
Thousands of Christians testify they indulged in tons of it as kids, and they are still Christians, and walking close to the Lord. Even well-known Christian ministers mock Christians who take a strict stand on this.
It seems part of the criteria we use is that if vast numbers of kids and teens are not being recruited into covens and satanic cults, that somehow proves it’s harmless—no lasting effect. I’ve pondered this for decades.
The New York Times reported about a survey taken about twenty years ago where participants were asked if they had ever had a paranormal experience. Only about 13% answered affirmatively. The same group of researchers just recently repeated the survey, and now 65% of the American population claim to have had some sort of paranormal experience at least once in their lives. I know our kids and teens are among them, because I talk to them all the time, and I hear their stories.
Kids Are Hungry for the Supernatural
I have said repeatedly since this ministry began, “Kids are hungry for the supernatural.” I constantly preach to anyone who will listen that they are drawn to the supernatural like a moth is drawn to the light. Unfortunately, most of the time they can find the supernatural everywhere except in our churches, where they should be finding the true, glorious, powerful supernatural presence of the living God in an ongoing, life-changing basis. It’s no wonder they are flocking to Harry Potter! He is filling a deep spiritual need in their heart of hearts!
Recently one of my leaders who hosts a PowerClub in her home with kids from unsaved families in her neighborhood wrote: “My ministry kids have confided in me that games are often played in elementary school friendship circles that call up demons. Fear is like a drug. It causes the feeling of excitement. Without understanding that it also binds the person to the cause of the fear, kids are vulnerable. Without Christ and the training of discipleship, they are vulnerable.” ~Pamela Ayres, KIMI International Ambassador
This is one of the fundamental reasons why we do what we do in Kids in Ministry International. My leaders and I are committed to creating experiences in our services where our kids can hear, feel, sense, and experience the incredible presence and miraculous power of the God we serve. Did you know the average thirteen-year-old who graduates from our Sunday Schools claims that—to their knowledge—they have never felt God’s presence nor heard His voice? How can this be happening? No wonder they love Harry! They are encountering the spirit world.
God’s Supernatural is Real
We must teach them how to hear God’s voice, because they are already hearing voices, and they need to know how to distinguish the voices they are hearing. We teach them on purpose Jesus gave them the power to heal the sick in His name. We teach them what Jesus said (my translation), “You’re going to do greater things than I do because I am going to my Father, but the Holy Spirit is coming here to earth and He’s going to live in you and give you the power to do miracles.” Jesus said, “to you I give the power!” We have written eight Bible-based children’s church curriculums for the purpose of teaching children how to do the things Jesus did.
When you as a parent, children’s minister or church leader deliberately bring children into the presence of God and teach them how to respond, the glory of God fills the atmosphere. Children and teens frequently begin to melt in His tender presence into a heap of emotion and tears. They begin to feel His presence, hear His voice, sense His love. Kids are hungry for the supernatural. It’s here they can distinguish between the real and the counterfeit supernatural.
Kids Learn by Playing
What are our Christian kids learning when they play at casting spells and calling up dead spirits? What are they opening themselves up to as they fantasize in this seemingly innocent activity? Christian, are you really that clueless about the spirit world?
The Holy Scriptures make no such distinction between good magic and bad magic, good witches and bad witches, and no such thing as white magic vs. black magic. To the God of the Bible, they are all the same because they invoke their powers from the same pool of spirits, whether good or bad, real or make-believe.
Any miraculous, supernatural power which does not originate from God Almighty is from a negative source—His enemy, Satan, and the satanic realm. There are only two sources of supernatural power. It’s either from God or Satan. There’s nothing else “out there.” They are two oppositional forces fighting one another. However, Jesus came that the works of Satan would be destroyed. Period. He broke the back of Satan on the cross. Why are you letting your kids mess with God’s enemy—make believe or real?
A very simple test of what is good and what is bad in the supernatural realm is the test between “light and darkness.” There is a very real kingdom of darkness where sorcery and witchcraft is done. The kingdom of darkness is satanic and of the devil. And there is a very real kingdom of light, which is God’s kingdom. If you want to know the source of a “magic” or supernatural experience, look for the light and the darkness. You better know your Bible on this one.
For further Study
“Never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. Do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens or engage in witchcraft or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics or call forth the spirits of the dead. “Anyone who does these things is an object of horror and disgust to the LORD. It is because the other nations have done these things that the LORD your God will drive them out ahead of you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The people you are about to displace consult with sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the LORD your God forbids you to do such things.” Deuteronomy 18:10-14
“Then you seers will cover your faces in shame, and you diviners will be disgraced. And you will admit that your messages were not from God.” Micah 3:7
“I will put an end to all witchcraft; there will be no more fortune-tellers to consult.” Micah 5:12
“But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
“And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts.” Revelation 9:21
“They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and used sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD’s anger.”
