Need some guidance on a touchy issue?

R

rainydaygirl Aug 9, 2009

While volunteering in church daycare setting, for an evening Bible study I was shocked to find two of the young boys practicing levitation. I would guess these young boys to be about middle school age. We had just finished some study time and the children were allowed free play time. I noticed the two boys right away behaving rather strangely, they were closing there eyes, mumbling some silly phrases and seemed to be concentration very hard, every few seconds they would attempt to lift themselves up, kind of like stretching to your tip toes. I asked them what it was they were doing and they told me that they had been taught about the power to use your mind and levitate objects and even self if one applied enough concentration and focus. I was really shocked by this I told them levitation was a form of witch craft and that they should not be doing that. They laughed and explained that they learned about this is science class and that their teacher had demonstrated how it worked. They were told to practice and if they opened up their minds they would be able to do just as the teacher had. I told them how the Lord viewed these kinds of activities and that they could not continue in this behavior at church. I shared why and tried to open up some dialog with them. They were annoyed with me but stopped the behavior. Later I was told that children from all kinds of different back grounds come with their parents to church for the Bible study and that I had made these two boys feel uncomfortable. I should have been more seeker friendly and sensitive to their feelings. I was told that they were not doing anything wrong and that after all it was just a science experiment. I was told that levitating was not necessarily a magic thing, that it is widely accepted as a legitimate science application.

I am no longer volunteering there because I would not agree with those that were in charge to allow things like that to go on. Do you think I handled this wrong? Is levitation just a science thing? Am I missing something here?

with care
rdg

sermonindex Aug 9, 2009

I should have been more seeker friendly and sensitive to their feelings.

Believe me, they won't forget what you said, and will be clearer about God than they were before. Where's the harm in that?

M

Miccah Aug 9, 2009

rainydaygirl wrote:

I am no longer volunteering there because I would not agree with those that were in charge to allow things like that to go on. Do you think I handled this wrong? Is levitation just a science thing? Am I missing something here?
rdg

Bravo. You spoke from the heart and not the flesh. If the leadership in the church feels that levitation is ok to practice and will not listen to a kind rebuke...run.

I thank the Lord that you intervened. Who knows what might await these boys if you had not. I pray that the Lord plants a seed in those two boys, and in the leadership in that church.

C

ChrisJD Aug 9, 2009

Hi everyone,

rdg, I was surprised to read that children were taught this in a Science class?

I think that attempting to use mental/soulish powers to manipulate things around you could be termed witchcraft like you said, although the children might not have understood why or what you meant by that. Calling it ~~[i]~~science[/i] seems like a way of trying to give this a sense of saftey and legitimacy(I don't mean that you are doing that).

Whatever the case, you were in charge of the situation and did what you felt was nescessary. Commit it all unto God and may He give you peace.

According to Strong's greek dictionary, the word that is translated ~~[i]~~science[/i] in our King James Translation in 1Ti 6:20 is:

G1108
γνῶσις
gnōsis
gno'-sis
From G1097; knowing (the act), that is, (by implication) knowledge: - knowledge, science.

Of all the vast knowledge there is to be attained in the world, we have been given the Bible, to know what is safe.

G

ginnyrose Aug 9, 2009

rdg,

I think you did the right thing and are to be applauded for it. God bless you!

I do not know how knowledgeable the staff is at this church...I would have to assume that living in this era they have no reason to be ignorant, but on the other hand they may be, impossible as this seems so they may not be aware of the seriousness of levitation.

Back in 1965 when I took "Group Dynamics in Evangelism" at Bible School, our instructor was a PH.D candidate in sociology at Ohio State University (I think it was). He taught us some very unconventional methods of how to win people over to your message. Among the methods he taught us was mental telepathy, hypnotism. Well - time passed and I became enlightened and saw this as coming from the PIT. To his credit he said there is power in these methods but did not know its source! (BTW, he never taught there again..) I just shared this incident for whatever one can learn from it: some people may be grossly ignorant and then others are not and hope YOU are the ignorant one! Either way, this type of thing is dangerous, sinful and you do NOT play around with the devil without getting burned! Playing with fire has far less devastating consequences then playing with the devil.

My opinion and conviction,
ginnyrose

sermonindex Aug 10, 2009

I am no longer volunteering there because I would not agree with those that were in charge to allow things like that to go on

Your reason for leaving seems to be silly. You were the only light in a dark place and now they have no one there to reprove them. We live in this world, we don't agree with it, but how does one take themselves out of it? They can't. Jesus said, "I pray that you don't take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil". So it is with your volunteering. Jesus said the holy Spirit would convince the world of sin. By your staying there and by speaking the truth of God's word, you will convince those kids that what they are doing is not pleasing in God's sight. The only time that you should not be there is when your asked to leave. You were there that day for a reason. If we are all together as believers in one place, it's a dim light. But if just one of us are in a dark place, you'll see just how much light can shine in a dark room. Not all creatures of the night are drawn to the light, but there are some that do, thank God that you are there to be that light when they are drawn.

God Bless you.

sermonindex Aug 10, 2009

Dear Rainydaygirl:

Congratulations, you have just dusted off your feet (Matthew 10:14) from the seeker friendly, emergent Church that you were inadvertently attending as a volunteer. You are not missing anything. The Pastor, and those in control have already been brainwashed by the Purpose Driven, "Seeker Friendly" Model. Levitation is of Satan, and the Pastors and those in authority should know about the wiles of the Devil.

It is time for you to look for a Bible centered, Bible believing, Bible teaching Church, that will give you the skills that are required to witness to the lost.

Sincerely,

Walter

I shared why and tried to open up some dialog with them. They were annoyed with me but stopped the behavior.[color=990000]~~[b]~~ Later I was told that children from all kinds of different back grounds come with their parents to church for the Bible study and that I had made these two boys feel uncomfortable. I should have been more seeker friendly and sensitive to their feelings. I was told that they were not doing anything wrong and that after all it was just a science experiment. I was told that levitating was not necessarily a magic thing, that it is widely accepted as a legitimate science application.[/color][/b]

~~[b]~~I am no longer volunteering there because I would not agree with those that were in charge to allow things like that to go on. Do you think I handled this wrong? Is levitation just a science thing? Am I missing something here?[/b]

R

rainydaygirl Aug 10, 2009

Deepthinker you wrote:Your reason for leaving seems to be silly.
________
Sorry if my post was not clear as it should have been, I was given a choice to stay and agree that I would allow the boys to hang out and practice their levitation if I was planing to stay. I chose not to agree to allow these children or any other for that matter to practice magic when I am teaching so it was agreed that I should perhaps pray about it and if I could go along with the leadership on this then all would be fine, otherwise that was that. I believe we are to share the truth with those who are lost, but I was told that I should be more sensitive to those who are seeking and not get to caught up in trying to preach at these youngsters, I was also told that just because I was hung up on the idea of levitation being magic does not make it so and that there were real application in science with the use of mind over matter? I am not really familiar with that term myself?

Anyway thank you everyone for the replies,there is much to think about. For now I do not believe the Lord has for me to stand by silently and have children do what ever it is they want??? I will be praying about this though

with care
rdg

A

anonymity Aug 10, 2009

RDG,

I'm not sure if it's witchcraft. It could be. But, if they are just trying by the strength of their mind then I'm not sure its all that bad. There are some toys I have heard of like that. I do not think they could actually levitate themselves other then some dark force though. So if the teacher was actually able to do it and was telling them to do it in some weird way then...

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/mattels-mind-flex-teaches-kids-fake-telepathy/

sermonindex Aug 10, 2009

With that extra information rdg, I can't help but agree that you had to come to that conclusion. Keeping standing for truth and God will make a way where there seems to be no way. God Speed!

Anonmity said:

I'm not sure if it's witchcraft. It could be. But, if they are just trying by the strength of their mind then I'm not sure its all that bad

Both the Word of Faith movement and witchcraft have something in common, they both practice the art of mind power. Both use incantations to obtain their purpose. With witchcraft it's a bunch of words and mutterings, and with the Word of Faith it's the word of God. They will repeat over and over the scriptures until they get what they want. People that are into witchcraft see the Word of Faith as the same as their own craft. For you to say that there is nothing wrong with what these boys are doing is to suggest that you have the same spirit or your simply ignorant of the word of God. For no one who belongs to Jesus Christ would even utter that such practises are legal (or "not that bad") within the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God.

You need to rethink your beliefs.

sermonindex Aug 10, 2009

To anonymity:

You are not sure if it is Witchcraft? How far have we fallen, that we have no understanding of Satan, and his power to deceive fallen man?

~~[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzXVQg9RpeA]~~Exposing Satan’s power- Telekenesis[/url]

I was raised in the New Age, with Ouija Boards, Astral Travel, levitation, the Great Invocation, all of the Alice Bailey Books (that I was forced to read by the time I was 15), as well as all of the "signs and wonders of Satan's lair". My parents told me it was "White Magic", but in reality, when I found Christ (or rather He found me), He wrenched me from the arms of Satan, from the pit of hell, from darkness into light, into the arms and protection of Jesus Christ. All of the lying signs and wonders come from one place, and one place alone- Satan! There is no "White magic". All of the "Magic arts" are of Satan!

Sincerely,

Walter

anonymity wrote:
RDG,
I'm not sure if it's witchcraft. It could be. But, if they are just trying by the strength of their mind then I'm not sure its all that bad. There are some toys I have heard of like that. I do not think they could actually levitate themselves other then some dark force though. So if the teacher was actually able to do it and was telling them to do it in some weird way then...
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/mattels-mind-flex-teaches-kids-fake-telepathy/