Learn the importance of not compromising your convictions in this insightful morning prayer about forbidden practices and the consequences of turning to the demonic instead of putting your trust in God.
Morning Prayer with Pastor Sean Pinder
Forbidden Practices
(dramatic music) - Good morning. I wanna read something to you from 1st Samuel chapter 28, verse seven. Saul then said to his advisors, find a woman who is a medium so I can go and ask her what to do. His advisors replied, "There is a medium at end all." This is what I wanna talk about this morning. Forbidden practices. There's some things that's forbidden. As a Christian we are not allowed to touch it or even fool with it. I believe you're gonna be blessed from this broadcast this morning. ♪ Now stand, come on ♪ ♪ And I'll stand ♪ ♪ With arms high and heart abandoned ♪ ♪ In awe of the one who gave it all ♪ ♪ And I'll stand my soul Lord ♪ ♪ To you surrendered ♪ ♪ And all I am is yours ♪ ♪ And I'll stand ♪ ♪ With arms high and heart abandoned ♪ ♪ In awe of the one who gave it all ♪ ♪ And I'll stand my soul Lord ♪ ♪ To you surrendered ♪ ♪ Come on, all I am is yours ♪ ♪ Come on lift their heads to heaven and sing it with us ♪ ♪ And I'll stand ♪ ♪ With arms high and heart abandoned ♪ ♪ In awe of the one who gave it all ♪ ♪ And I'll stand my soul Lord ♪ ♪ To you surrendered ♪ ♪ And all I am ♪ - Father God, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, me in past name, we join our faith with your wonderful people here on this morning. And dear God, we pray as we go into the Word of God, we pray that the Holy Spirit would minister to them. Father God, I pray that you would touch them. I pray that you would strengthen them. We pray God that you would give them wisdom, give them knowledge, give them understanding, bring direction and clarity into their lives through the Word of God. We say, "Not our will, but your will be done." In Jesus' name, we pray somebody say, "Amen, good morning to you, sins of the most high." So good to be back with you on this morning as we continue in this series, overcoming adversity. And on this morning, I wanna talk about forbidden practices. You know, there are certain things in the scriptures that God himself forbids us to touch it, or play with it, or flirt with it, or fool with it, because he knows it can cause us our entire soul. I don't know about you, but I got my mind made up. I'm going to heaven when I die. Come on, somebody. Now, watch this, I wanna take you into first Samuel, chapter 28, verses three through nine. The Bible says, "Meanwhile," and verse three, "Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Reimah, his hometown, and Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums, and those who consulted the spirits of the dead, that was people who were involved in witchcraft, when Saul was on fire for God, and walking in obedience to God. And his relationship was right with the prophet Samuel. Saul started out right. He had forbidden, I mean, because God forbids that stuff, as we will see in the scriptures. But what happened was, Samuel quit giving Saul direction, because God told Samuel, "I'm done with Saul. I've washed my hands completely off of him." Saul had backslidden, and he was not receiving any direction from God. And so Saul decided, "I'm just gonna go my own way, and get direction." We gotta be careful, Saints. You have to be careful, you can't take God for granted. Are you listening to me? He said, "In John 10, my sheep know my voice, and a stranger, they will not follow. But in order to hear the voice of God, you have to walk in obedience. You can't live your life any kind of way, and not obey God's word. And thank God is gonna give you direction. It didn't work that way. You got to be sold out." Jesus said, "If a man wants to follow me, he must first deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Watch this. The Philistines set up their camp at Shunham, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic, I'd be frantic too, because he had no direction from the Lord. And if you can't hear from God, you're in trouble, 'cause the enemy gonna have a field day with you. Now watch this. The God, verse six, he asked the Lord what he should do. But the Lord, watch this, y'all pay attention to this, but the Lord refused to answer him. God resist the proud, but he gives his grace unto the humble. And Saul was walking in rebellion against God. This is why some people, I just think who do these people think God is? You can't live your life like the devil, and stand and support all of this foolishness that's going on in the world against the Bible, and then you think when you pray God's gonna answer you, you are a joke. I hate to bring it that real to you. He is God. He deserved to be referred, respected, and honored. Come on, somebody. You can't just live your life like the devil, and think when you pray God's gonna answer you. He refused to answer Saul, because Saul was in rebellion. He was backslidden. So God refused to answer him, just like he is doing some people I hear today, and even politicians from every side of the aisle, they think they can just live like the devil and do what they want. And then when they pray God's gonna answer that prayer, I think not. I'm a John the Baptist call to this. I'm like a John the Baptist in this generation. Is he the right or it's wrong? Two ways about it, and then watch this. So God refused to answer him. Either by dreams or by sacred loss or by the prophets. Saul had no direction, because he was in rebellion against God. And Samuel told him in first Samuel 15, Samuel said rebellion is as witchcraft. That was actually prophetic, because his rebellion would lead him down this street. Watch this. Verse seven, Saul then said to his advisors, "Watch this." Now he was the one in obedience to the word of God. He banned all the mediums in the witch craft workers and the sorcerers, 'cause it was forbidden by, it was a forbidden practice. But now Saul is so backslidden, and he can't get direction from God. Now he's about to turn to the very thing that God used him one time to ban and forbid, watch this. He said, "Find a woman who's a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisors replied, "There is a medium at end all." Watch this now. So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman's home at night, accompanied by two of his men. He said, "I have to talk to a man who has died," he said. "Will you call up his spirit for me?" Now wait a minute. Now this stuff here is demonic. You think she's gonna call Samuel up? I think not. She may be calling up a familiar spirit, but he ain't gonna be the prophet Samuel. 'Cause if God, if God is refusing to answer him, you think God's gonna let a prophet who died speak to him? This is witchcraft. This thing is forbidden. Weegee bars, horoscopes. You who enter your horoscopes and all of this stuff, it's against the written word of God. Going to medium, going to suit says, going to palm readers. It is a forbidden practice by the word of God, and one day you're gonna have to stand, be for God and give in account for what you did. Are you listening to me? So the woman said, "Are you trying to get me killed "the woman demanded?" You'd know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting the trap for me? The thing is, he was so backslidden. He was so away from God. And he knew God refused to answer him. He went and put his hands in witchcraft. It's forbidden, saints. Don't you play with your one soul? Some of you have done it. Some of you have been tempted to do it, but the Holy Ghost sent me into your life to remind you. It is forbidden. Let me read something to you real fast. I'ma go straight to it. Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 10, 11, and 12, listen to this. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums, or psychics, or call for the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. It's forbidden. In Galatians chapter 5, verse 22, as God used Paul to list the works of the flesh, one of them he listed was witchcraft. And he said, those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you are being tempted, because God is not, you are not hearing the voice of God. Listen, he loves you, he cares about you. And if you have dabbled in witchcraft, you need to repent. You need to get rid of those books, get rid of it. Don't you be calling that full number? Don't you fool with no palm, read our psychic, or any such thing? It is against the Word of God. And you will one day have to give an account. I just, just say this prayer with me right now. I say, Lord, I repent. Some of your parents introduce you to some of these forbidden practices. Say, God, I repent. Forgive me. Wash me in your blood. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. From this day, I turn my back on the world, the flesh and the devil. God, I put my trust in you because your word says, trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding in all that way is acknowledging him. And he will direct your paths. Put your trust in the Lord. He loves you. He cares about you. And he has an amazing plan for your life. Put your trust in him. Put your trust in him. David said, I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. He loves you and he cares about you. And he gonna make a way for you in the name of Jesus. God bless you. Listen, we wanna throw the doors wide open to give you if you haven't, give you an opportunity to partner with us in this ministry. If you haven't partnered with us or ever given a dime and you are watching these broadcasts and it's being a blessing to you, we ask you to stand with us. Pray about it, Acts, God, if you should become a partner of this ministry. You know you love this ministry. You're tooling in every day. And we are saying to you, stand with us. We have employees that we gotta take care of. We're doing important work. We're reaching into 196 nations. These videos have to be edited, they have to be uploaded, they have to be scheduled. A lot of work goes into running this ministry. We love you, but we can't do it without you. We need you to stand with us. Ask God, should I become a partner with Sean Pitney Ministries? Are they winning souls? Are they preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are they going into all the world to preach the gospel? We absolutely are. Stand with us, saints. We need you. Partner with us. Join hands with us. Join faith with us. They help us continue to take the message of the gospel. The word of God around the world. To give in this offering right now, visit us online, SeanPinda.net/give. 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