Witchcraft is a work of the flesh, and God views it like He views adultery and murder. As such, it should have no place in the life of a believer.
With each passing year, witchcraft has grown more acceptable in the eyes of man, yet God has not wavered concerning His thoughts on these matters.
Death is the departure of the soul and spirit from the body, but where does each part of man end up after a man dies? The Bible answers this question and more.
Job stated that he came to this world naked with nothing, and he knew that he would leave this world in the same fashion (Job 1:21). Job would have understood what Paul meant when he said, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Solomon spoke of the vanity of labouring one’s whole life just to leave the fruits of his labour to a fool (Ecclesiastes 2:17-21). This was not written to suggest that man should foolishly spend the wealth before leaving this world. It simply serves as a reminder that men should not foolishly amass their wealth for a day that may never come. One must do his part before death because he can carry nothing with him into death.
The Bible mentions true riches thus indicating the existence of false riches. Much of what the world considers riches simply serves as a veil for true poverty. While on earth, the Lord appeared to be the poorest of the poor (Matthew 8:20), all the while being the One who owned all things. The believers at Smyrna appeared to be poor, but the Lord unflinchingly stated that they were in fact rich (Revelation 2:8-9). The opposite was said of those in Laodicea. Although they claimed to be rich, the Bible states the reality: they were poor (Revelation 3:14-17). This truth is confirmed in Proverbs 13:7 when the Bible says, “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”
Covetousness has often moved men to violence that they might not have otherwise been inclined to do. For instance, wicked king Ahab had a strong desire to obtain a vineyard belonging to Naboth (1 Kings 21:1-4). When Naboth refused to sell the vineyard, Ahab returned to his house to mourn. When Jezebel saw her husband’s grief, she created a plan to take the vineyard by force (1 Kings 21:5-16). This principle is not limited to Ahab and Jezebel but has unfortunately been the historical motive for many acts of violence. When men cannot fulfil the lusts of their flesh in a righteous manner, they simply resort to other means which often includes violence.
The world would have us believe that riches belong to those of greatest sophistication while poverty tends to induce violence. However, the truth testifies otherwise. In Micah 6:12, the Bible speaks of a time when the rich were “full of violence.” In like manner, Amos spoke of those who would “store up violence and robbery in their palaces” (Amos 3:10). Asaph spoke of “the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:3) and that “violence covereth them as a garment” (Psalm 73:6). Riches do not remove a man’s desire for violence. In fact, riches often promote a man’s hunger for it. Many have suggested that poverty lies at the root of much of the violence in the world; however, the scriptures teach otherwise.
A steward has the responsibility for properly caring for the possessions of another. In this capacity, he does not determine what is proper or improper; rather, the master of the house sets the standards of care for his possessions. In the parable beginning in Luke 16:1, a certain rich man (the master of the house) accused his steward of wasting his goods. The steward was told to give an account of his stewardship knowing that his irresponsible actions could soon end his stewardship. The Bible identifies the steward as “unjust” because of his unfaithfulness with the possessions of the master. The steward was not unjust because he lacked skill, but because he was not faithful.
When a lost man leaves this world, he finds himself in the midst of the inconceivable judgment of hell (Luke 16:19-31). Yet, when a saved person leaves this world, he finds himself in the glorious presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8) and in the midst of inconceivable joys (Psalm 16:11). Most Christians have heard about the many mansions in the Father’s house (John 14:2), but the Bible also speaks of the absence of tears, death, sorrow, and pain because “the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Not only is eternal life going to be great for the believer because of the absence of these things, but even more so because of the presence of the One who died so that believers might have that life.
The Bible has much to say concerning the dangers of improper family relationships. “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother” (Proverbs 30:11). “The son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother” (Micah 7:6), “the eye . . . mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother” (Proverbs 30:17). Yet, the first commandment with promise was to “honour thy father and mother” (Ephesians 6:1-2). This honour can be demonstrated by hearkening to (Proverbs 23:22) and obeying one’s parents (Colossians 3:20). As parents seek the Lord’s direction, God will lead them as to how to lead their individual homes (Ezra 8:21). The child’s responsibility is directed toward submitting to and learning of the Lord by obeying the parents.
